PRECEPTS THAT PREACH - Sermon Outlines. Org



PRECEPTS THAT PREACH

Dr. David Smith



Series…And Jesus Said What

A SOUL SAVED…BUT A LIFE LOST

Mark 8:27:38

In the realm of literature there is a word that describes a statement that is contradictory, but is still true. It is called a ‘paradox’.

• The Paradox in the Title of the Sermon

• The Paradox in the Text of the Sermon…v. 35

*Mark 8:35

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

Before we get to the text this morning, I want to go verse by verse beginning in verse 28 and set the stage for what the Lord Jesus is saying to us this morning.

I. The Confession of Peter…vs. 27-30

A. A Question concerning the People…Who do men say that I am?

*Jesus did not ask this question because He did not know who he was. Jesus asked this question as an introduction to a more important question.

B. A question that is Personal…Whom do ye say that I am?

C. A Response that is Puzzling…And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him

WHY? It was not yet time; His hour had not yet come! Had they gone over the land preaching that Jesus was the Messiah; opposition would have grown so great that Jesus would have not been able to complete His mission. If the disciples went across the land telling that Jesus had identified Himself as the Messiah, this would create a political uprising that would prevent Him from going to the cross, the very reason He came!

II. The Cross of Jesus…v. 31

A. The Proclamation that is Revealed

1. The Clarity of the Proclamation

Note the word “began’. It suggests that this is new information that Jesus is revealing to His disciples. He spoke these things openly; he spoke clearly so that these men could understand completely what He was saying.

2. The Content of the Proclamation

• Suffer many things

• Rejected by the Elders (members of the Sanhedrin) Chief Priests (Sadducees) Scribes (mainly the Pharisees)

• Be Killed

• After three days rise again

III. The Confusion of Peter…v. 32

A. The Response of Peter

…Rebuke=forbid, admonish, censure, warn in order to prevent an event from happening

B. The Rationalizing of Peter

• Peter saw shame in the cross, he did not see the glory

• Peter saw defeat in the cross, he did not see victory

…Peter was thinking, we have just recognized you as the Messiah…You are the Messiah. The Messiah is to deliver us from our enemies, not be delivered to our enemies. The Messiah is going to establish the Kingdom of Israel and take us out from this Roman oppression. Not be defeat by a foreign kingdom of oppressors!

Do not every doubt that Peter loved the Lord! But his love for the Lord on this occasion was misguided. People can love the Lord and go in the wrong direction, or not discern the Lord’s will and be foolish.

IV. The Correction of Jesus…v. 33

*Note, He looked on His disciples. They felt the same way that Peter felt, Peter was the spokesman.

A. Peter’s actions were inspired by Satan

B. Peter’s attitude was influenced by Satan

…Jesus said to Peter, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

V. The Call to Disciples…v. 34-38

…READ THESE VERSES!

***Now when we get to verse 34, we need to be reminded…

• He speaking to men who have already confessed Him as Lord

• He is speaking to men who have already confessed Him as Christ

• He is speaking to men who have already been called

• HE IS NOT TELLING THEM HOW TO BE SAVED FROM HELL; HE IS TELLING THEM HOW TO SAVE THEIR LIFE FROM WASTE!

…Jesus is going to tell them that they can have a saved soul…but a wasted life!

…Jesus is also going to tell them how they can have a saved soul and a successful life

We often use these verses and preach the Gospel from them. And it is certainly applicable! For if a man gained the whole world and lost his soul…it would not profit him anything.

But the correct interpretation of these verses, what the Lord is saying here is …You can as a Christian waste your life. You see you can achieve success in men’s eyes, but that means nothing in God’s eyes.

• Human success is temporal

• Heavenly success is eternal

THE LORD JESUS IS SAYING TO THESE DISCIPLES…YOU CAN HAVE A SAVED SOUL…BUT A LOST LIFE!

A. The Way to Successfulness

TO COME AFTER JESUS…Whole heartedly follow Jesus

1. Surrender…let him deny himself

2. Sacrifice…take up his cross

3. Submission…follow me (obedience)

B. The Wisdom of Successfulness…v. 35

1. If we save our life we will lose it

…If we fail to surrender, sacrifice, and submit we will lose it. If call the shots, we live by the BURGER KING PHILOSOPHY…Have it our way; be the boss, do as we please…we will waste or lose our life!

2. If we lose our life…surrender, sacrifice, and submit to the Lord Jesus…we will save it!

…This statement leads to a serious question!

1. Will we invest our lives in the Kingdom of God…for His sake and the gospels?

2. Will we waste our lives on ourselves?

C. The Warning about Successfulness…vs. 36-38

***The word soul in verses 36-37 in the original text is ‘psyche’ literally life. What shall a man give in exchange for his life?

*We can pull these verses from the context and apply them to the lost. But that is an application; it is not the correct interpretation. We often sacrifice the interpretation at the expense of making application.

…I want to quote from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on this verse…

Note the severe warning Jesus gives us here. The question is a matter of profit and loss. Whether we will waste our lives or invest our lives. ONCE WE HAVE SPENT OUR LIVES WE CANNOT BUY THEM BACK. Remember He is instructing His disciples, men who had already confessed Him as the Son of God. He was not telling them how to be saved and go to Heaven, but how to save their lives and make the most of their opportunities on earth. Losing your soul is the equivalent of wasting your life…making the most of the opportunities that God has given you on earth…missing the great opportunities that God has given you to make your life count for His sake and the gospel’s. You may gain the whole world and be a success in the eyes of men, and yet have nothing to show for your life when you stand before God. IF THAT HAPPENS, THOUGH YOU DID OWN THE WHOLE WORLD, IT WOULD NOT BE A SUFFICENT PRICE TO GIVE TO GOD TO BUY ANOTHER CHANCE AT LIFE!

…We have only one life to live…

• If we save our life we will lose it

• If we lose our life we will save it

*Closing

Many years ago five young men went as a missionary team to the Auca Indians of South America. It was a daring venture and a dangerous one. The Auca’s were virtually unknown, but they had a fierce reputation. These five young men were slain before their work was hardly begun. One of the young men was named Jim Elliot. When he was a college student preparing to go the mission field, he wrote down many of his deepest convictions. One of his most memorable statements goes like this…HE IS NO FOOL WHO GIVES UP WHAT HE CANNOT KEEP IN ORDER TO GET THAT WHICH HE CANNOT LOSE!

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