Chapter # 8 Paragraph # 7 Study # 1
October 25, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: There are certain "absolutes" attached to the experience of "Life" that cannot be sidestepped.
Introduction: In our last study, our "thesis" was, "there is a latent, but deep-seated, antagonism in the mindset of men toward the 'necessities' of God's methods that seriously hinders 'disciples' from making progress". We saw that Jesus was "as plain as He could be" that the future course of His remaining time on earth was going to be one of "suffering", "rejection", and "death", all three of which would be followed by His rising from the dead. We saw that Peter was extremely agitated by this pronouncement to the point of "Satanic" opposition. And all of this was in view of Jesus' plan to "disciple" some people to carry on His work after His departure. At issue is the fact that one cannot be developed into a "disciple of Jesus", in any meaningful way, as long as "Satan's" values still dominate his heart/mind.
This evening we are going to begin to look into the text as it reveals Jesus' continuing resolve to "disciple" men/women into a resolve to take on His values and truths.
- I. The "At Issue" Statement.
- A. Jesus summons the crowd to join His disciples.
- 1. What He plans to say is not restricted to The Twelve.
- 2. His plans for The Twelve do include certain special privileges, but not at the level of the summons.
- B. Jesus raises the issue: "to come after Me".
- 1. In that setting, there was an element physical "following", but the larger issue is, and was then, the question of "minding the things of God".
- 2. Obvious to the text is that Jesus is addressing whether a person wished to be His disciple.
- II. The Elements Involved.
- A. The "wishing".
- 1. This is beyond the desires to be healed or delivered from the Darkness.
- 2. This is to actively want to be a disciple of Jesus.
- B. The "pattern".
- 1. Let him deny himself ... whosoever would save his life shall lose it.
- 2. Take up his cross ... what should a man give in exchange for his soul?
- 3. Follow me ... whosoever shall be ashamed of men and of my words ... the Son Of The Man also shall be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father.
- III. The Complications.
- A. There is a widespread thought among "believers" that this "summons" only means a select group within the "gifted of The Church"; everyone else is "exempt". It appears to be that Mark was anticipating that assumption in order to reject it.
- 1. There is no distinction among "believers" in regard to the issue of their level of commitment.
- a. According to 1 Peter 4:10, it is decisively declared that every believer has a God-given "gift" to be used as a "stewardship" from God that, according to 1 Corinthians 4:2, will be the basis for God's evaluation of each believer in the day of judgment (1 Peter 4:17-18).
- b. Every believer has the summons upon him/her to be available to God at all times (Romans 12:1-2).
- 2. Those who do not exercise their assigned functions for the "Church" are going to find out in the day of judgment just how badly used they have been by the deceptions that they willingly "went along with" because it was more comfortable and easy.
- B. It was imperative for Jesus to sharply rebuke Peter because He was turned so that He saw the other disciples and was not going to let Peter's behavior/thinking be thought of as "acceptable".
- 1. It is an indication of just how deeply seated the "minding" of "the things of the men" is in that Peter felt comfortable in taking Jesus away and "rebuking" Him.
- 2. It is profoundly at cross purposes with "the things of The God" for men to be fixated upon "the things of the men".
- a. "The things of the men" are succinctly identified by John's "all that is in the world" comment in 1 John 2:16 [satisfaction for the body; security for the soul; and significance for the spirit].
- b. If this fixation continues (and it does so more than not), the Hebrews 5 construct of perpetual babyhood will completely undercut any significant development of men into what God created them to be.
- c. The complexity of our moments, days, weeks, and years is overcome by Colossians 3:23. As it is written in Jeremiah 10:23, "I know O Lord, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps", the responsibility of Colossians 3:23 is to take on the tasks that present themselves to 'a man" to do them "as unto the Lord".
