No cross, no crown

Matthew 16 verses 21 to 28. This comes just after Peter has confessed that Jesus is the

Matthew 16:21–28

Christ. So 16 verses 21 to 28.

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many

things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day

be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him saying, far be it from you Lord,

this shall never happen to you. But he turned and said to Peter, get behind me Satan,

you are a hindrance to me for you are not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things

of man. Then Jesus told his disciples, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take

up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life

for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his

soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the son of man is going to come with his

angels in the glory of his father and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Truly I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the son of

man coming in his kingdom.

Well good morning everyone.

It's good that there's three people awake this morning.

My name's Dave. I've met you before. I'm one of the pastors here and I really hope you can stick around

for lunch after the service. Why don't we pray as we come to God's word. Let's pray.

Father, you have words for us this morning that challenge us deep into our heart, to our very bone.

And so Lord, if you don't help us have humility in hearing your word, there's going to be so many

things that get in the way from hearing you. So I pray for your help for all of us to sit under your

word and so that we might have life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Well, what does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus? What does it look like?

Do you think of it in terms of making Jesus your top priority in life?

Is he to be first on your agenda? Put him first with your time, put him first with your money,

put him first with your abilities, put him first.

Trying to do that, I don't know if you found this, is super hard in a culture that is obsessed

with self. But having Jesus as your top priority, first on your agenda, falls far short of what

Jesus calls you and I to in our passage today. He's not going to settle for being first with

first on your agenda. He wants to set for you a totally new agenda.

I want to do two things today as we try and answer the question,

what does it look like to pledge allegiance to this suffering king? So Peter has confessed him as

the Christ and then he immediately says, here's my plan, I'm going to submit and suffer and die.

What does it look like to belong to this kind of king?

So first, I want to spend some time seeing that his call to deny self and to take up our cross is a call

to come and die.

Die to self-rule.

The second thing I want to do today is to see how this king motivates us.

He doesn't motivate us through compulsion, he motivates us through choice.

So that's where we're going. Let me just say one statement from the outset.

Let's be clear on this. Jesus' words here are not a prerequisite for being a Christian.

You don't have to do this to become a Christian.

That's totally based on confessing Jesus as Lord.

The belief that confesses Jesus as Lord, you're a Christian, you're saved.

What's here is a description of what it means to live the saved life.

It's not how you become saved, it's how you live being saved.

And it's a description for all disciples.

This isn't just for keen beings.

This is discipleship 101.

Okay, so what does it mean to confess allegiance to a king who chooses to suffer

and submit to those who are under his authority?

What does it mean to believe in the son of the living God who chooses to die?

Verse 24.

Verse 24.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

I wonder what you're imagining by that call of deny yourself.

Are you hearing something like, don't be selfish?

Does it mean an attitude of when you're a youth group and not enough pizza has been ordered

and there's one more slice and you are salivating and you're ready to kill,

but you go, oh, you have it.

Is that what he's calling to, self-denial?

Does it mean not living as luxurious a life as you possibly could afford

so that you can give to the church and missions?

Is self-denial not being selfish with your time,

that you are bone-weary after a week of work,

but you choose to do your part in making church happen?

Don't be selfish.

Is that what you're hearing?

And what does take up your cross mean?

Is it about the excruciating experiences of living in a broken world

where someone's cross is that their adult children have turned away from God?

Is that their cross?

Is carrying the cross of cancer or chronic fatigue,

is that your cross to bear?

Is that what it means here?

I think what Jesus is calling us to is even more radical still.

It's more radical than not being selfish.

It's more radical than enduring the painful situations of life.

The word deny can mean renounce.

Adam's introduction about high court's decisions.

I was reminded of that saga, I don't know how long ago,

it was a number of years ago,

where the politicians had dual citizenships

and the high court ruled that you can't stand in office

if you've got allegiance to a foreign power.

And that put all these politicians in a very tricky position.

They had to renounce their allegiance to a foreign power.

Like, imagine if what actually happened was,

I'm going to renounce my Australian citizenship

in any right to be a person in authority.

That just wouldn't happen.

But that kind of idea of renouncing allegiance

is closer to what Jesus is saying here.

Each person's natural-born disposition since sin entered the world

is to think that you and I have a right to rule your life.

That's a delusion because God made us.

Our life is his.

And so Jesus is saying, deny that.

Your allegiance to self-rule.

Deny.

Renounce.

And to take up your cross.

Crucifixion was not only a painful execution,

it was reserved for the worst of criminals.

It was a public shaming.

You were forced to carry the implement

on which you would be condemned by the world.

You were a dead man walking.

As you carry that cross, you are losing your life,

you're losing your reputation, anything in the world.

You are dead to the world.

So if you confess that Jesus really is God's king,

the son of the living God,

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a writer during World War II,

put it famously,

when Christ calls a man, when Christ calls a person,

he bids him come and die.

He's not exaggerating.

He's saying, come and die.

Renounce self in this world and give yourself to me.

I think we see the problem in Peter's reaction

in verses 21 to 23 that we saw last week.

He just confessed Jesus to be the Christ.

They've been waiting generations for this guy,

for this Messiah.

He's just been told he's going to have this position

of influence in the kingdom.

He knows that God has promised this king he's going to rule

over everyone forever, bringing blessing.

And after hearing Jesus' pathway to glory of suffering,

he takes him aside and tells him off.

Why?

Well, Jesus tells us,

you are not setting your mind on the things of God,

but on the things of man.

Peter's devotion to this world's idea of life

and success and victory and glory

was blinding him to true greatness,

to where life could actually be found.

Jesus is challenging us to see a very deep view of sin

where it's allegiance to self is the problem

and allegiance to this world.

He isn't simply calling us to give up vaping

or gambling or drinking or sexual immorality.

Some of those things are very hard to be free from.

But he's saying something so much more radical.

He's saying,

give up allegiance to self

in all areas of life.

Your devotion to the things that this world can offer

that you're clinging to as if you must have them to have life.

Because that self-rule

and that idolatry of the heart

is offensive to God.

It is why he came to die.

So to deny self

and to take up our cross

is a call.

Come and die.

Die to self, die to the world.

That's discipleship 101.

Again, it's not for keen beings.

That's what it means to follow Jesus.

So the second thing I want to do

is notice how this Christ motivates us.

It's not through compulsion.

It's through choice.

I think we see in these verses

he gives us freedom to obey.

Notice in verse 24

that you and I are the ones

who are doing the actions of these verbs.

He doesn't crush self.

He says,

you must choose to deny self.

He doesn't place the cross on us.

He says,

take it up willingly.

He doesn't compel obedience through fear.

He invites us,

follow me,

imitate me.

It's choice.

And then he gives us

wonderful reasons

to win over our heart

so that we do this willingly.

Verse 25,

four.

For whoever would save his life

will lose it.

But whoever loses his life

for my sake

will find it.

He's warning.

Death and judgment is coming.

You will lose it in the end.

But if you choose to give it up

for my sake,

then you will find your life.

Notice that you don't save your life.

He does the saving.

You find it.

You find your life.

What is Jesus appealing to?

You want to find life,

don't you?

Don't you want life?

This is the most selfish thing

you could do.

Renounce self

and give your life to Jesus.

That is the most

selfish thing you can do

is give up self

and hand it over to Jesus.

That's what he's appealing to.

You want life, don't you?

Here's where you find it.

And he doesn't stop there.

He convinces us

why this is the case.

Verse 26.

For what will it profit a man

if he gains the whole world

and forfeits his soul?

Or what shall a man give

in return for his soul?

Take a good look

at what this man-centered world

that killed Christ

wants nothing to do with him

is offering you.

Take a good look

even if you had it all.

What will it profit a person?

Now, to be clear here,

soul is the same word

as life

in the previous verse.

It's not necessarily

talking about

the immaterial

part of you.

It's saying

your life,

your person.

So put all the comfort

and health,

people's praise

and popularity,

being lovely

and lovable,

being important

and powerful

and successful,

all the world's riches,

no pleasure denied.

Put it all

on one side

of the ledger

and you've got

all it costs you

is yourself.

Jesus is saying

just have a think about it.

You are being ripped off, man.

It is a scam.

It doesn't feel like a scam

because the whole world

is willingly

buying into it.

So if the man-centered world

is a rip-off,

we're given the true perspective

in verse 27.

For the Son of Man

is going to come

with his angels

in the glory

of his Father

and then he will repay

each person

according to what he has done.

If you weigh up

the value

of following

Christ's life

of suffering

only in terms

of this life,

even Paul says,

I can't remember

where it is,

but where to be pitied.

That's not

the reference point.

That's not

the right time frame

to work it out.

Like,

a soccer illustration

just came to my mind.

The other week,

we were winning 3-1

at halftime,

but then we lost

6-1 at the end.

If halftime

is not the reference point,

you need the right

reference point

to work out

what's actually going on.

If we keep this

eternal perspective

that Christ

is going to return,

not to suffer again,

but as judge,

to repay,

that's our reference point.

Now,

I'm expecting

that that verse,

that idea of repayment

is probably putting

dread

in some people's

minds right now.

according to what

I have done.

Oh,

if that's causing

you dread right now,

can I just

urge you to

find your assurance

of salvation

not in verse 27,

but in verse 21.

that he must

go to Jerusalem

and suffer many things

and be killed

and on a third day

be raised.

That's where your

assurance is,

verse 21.

Verse 27

is meant to be

an encouragement

to his people.

It will be worth it

in the end.

This really is

the path

to true glory.

it's saying,

make no mistake,

this Christ

who submitted

to sinful men,

this Christ

who became weak

and who was rejected

and humiliated

and defeated,

this guy owns

angels.

Do not

miss the

glory of this guy.

He owns them.

like,

no one

shares the glory

of God,

but this son

does.

You want,

whatever glory

he is offering you,

you want it.

With this kind

of eternal

perspective,

it gives us

resolve,

it gives us

joy and hope

in the present,

I think.

Because what loss

have you really

suffered if in the

end,

if the most

important people,

the closest people

to you even,

reject you,

but in the end,

the one who made

you and owns

the angels

welcomes you.

what injustice

have you really

suffered if you

forego vengeance

for the king

to avenge you

in the end

or to die

for their sin

and pay for it?

What pleasure

have you really

missed out on

if at his

right hand

are pleasures

forevermore?

What pleasure

have you,

come on,

forevermore?

what sacrifice

have you really

made in his

service if he

shares all the

joy and blessing

of his kingdom

with you,

knowing the

father?

There's a

mystery,

I can't even

remember who

it is,

but David

Livingston,

maybe?

He said,

I never made

a sacrifice.

Because his

point was,

what Christ

gave him

totally outweighed

anything he

lost.

And he did

lose a lot.

This eternal

perspective can

count all

things as

lost compared

to the

surpassing

worth of

knowing Christ

my Lord.

We just need

the right

reference point.

He's going

to come.

Imagine that.

You won't

have to listen

to me anymore.

We're going

to be before

him.

That day

is coming.

We need

the right

reference point.

And it's

so hard to

keep this

eternal

perspective,

isn't it?

I think it

would have

been sufficient

for Christ

to give us

his word

and his

promises,

and we

should trust

him in

that.

But he

even adds,

verse 28,

a guarantee,

a foretaste

of the glory

to come.

Truly I

say to

you,

there are

some standing

here who

will not

taste death

until they

see the

Son of Man

coming in

his kingdom.

This is

like the

promise to

Simeon in

Luke's gospel

that he's

not going

to experience

death until

he sees

the promised

Messiah and

he gets to

hold the

newborn in

his hands.

So what

did some

of these

apostles get

to see

before they

experienced

death?

Was it

the very

next verse?

Is that

six days

later,

Jesus took

Peter and

James and

John up

a mountain

and they

saw Jesus

transfigured?

And what

they saw

just blinded

them.

Everything

in earth

just looks

dim and

pathetic

compared to

what they

saw.

Is that

what it's

referring to?

Well,

maybe it's

referring to

all the

apostles except

Judas,

who saw

Christ

risen,

him coming

in his

rule,

who

received

his

spirit

to empower

them on

his mission

to build

the church.

is it

his reign

that came

with his

resurrection?

I think it

depends on

what coming

in his

kingdom

means.

And kingdom

is about

Christ

exercising

his rule.

So I

think the

promise

is likely

referring to

every way

that the

risen Christ

is exercising

his rule.

And I

think the

transfiguration

is just a

little

foretaste,

a little

window into

heaven of

who he

is right

now.

He is at

the Father's

hand.

With the

eyes of

faith for us

today, if we

take the

apostles'

word for

what they

saw,

especially

that he

is risen,

that he

is God's

king,

this

testimony

that they

gladly laid

down their

lives for,

with the

eyes of

faith, we

can see

him reigning

now.

If you

try and

see Christ

reigning

only in the

good things

of life,

so all

the pleasures

and health

and

all the

relationships,

if you

try and

see Jesus

reigning in

only the

good things

but not

the bad

things,

the sin

and sickness

and shame

and death,

because of a

warped idea

of what Christ

came to

remove in

this life,

he came to

remove,

remember that

self-rule,

that's what he

came to

remove.

All those

things are

going to be

removed later,

but we've

got to get

his mission

right,

we've got to

think of it

right,

because if we

have a warped

view of his

mission,

we will

struggle to

see his

glory,

like,

is following

Christ,

is he really

that glorious?

If there's so

much hardship

and things

not going

well.

But if we

see this

suffering in

our risen

Christ,

if we

understand his

mission is

to deliver

people from

the hell-bent

allegiance to

self in this

world, then

I think we

can see

tastes of

his power

at work

in the

transformed

lives of

his people,

who people

compelled by

his love

actually answer

the call to

come and die

to self and

live for him.

We can see

his power

at work,

his kingdom

is coming,

we can see

it in this

room.

We can see

him reigning

now because

when people

who once

boasted in

their

accomplishments,

they now

boast in

their weakness

and they say

that anything

they can do

is Christ

through them.

What is

that change?

That's the

kingdom

coming.

We see

him reigning

now when

people who

just dive

headlong

into the

sinful pleasures

of this

world just

go,

I want to

cut off

my hand,

I want to

pluck out

my eye

because I

found something

better and

more joyful

and this is

getting in the

way of that.

What is

that change?

It's the

kingdom

coming.

It's

Christ

ruling the

heart.

Christ.

I think

we see

his kingdom

reigning

in people

when people

who once

were bitter

and demanding

justice from

those who

wronged them

now devote

themselves to

reconciliation

and they

want to

give mercy.

Not just

have to,

they want

to because

they've

received so

much mercy

themselves.

What is

that change?

it's the

love of

Christ

compelling

a person.

It's

ruling the

heart.

When people

once clinging

to house

and family

and land

as their

life,

give it

up.

Hold it

loosely.

Use it

all for

his sake

and for

the gospel.

We can

see him

reigning.

When people

who once

counted

greatness

as rising

above others

now see

greatness

as having

faith like

a child

and being

the servant

of all

others,

that's

greatness

to serve.

What is

that change?

It's

Christ reigning

over the

hearts of

people.

When people

who once

faced their

death as

losing their

whole life

can now

face the

loss of

all things

and all

they're getting

in return

is Christ

and they

count it

I'm

gaining.

That's

him

reigning

now.

The

kingdom

is coming.

So this

call to

follow

Christ's

path to

glory,

it must

sound

incomprehensible

to our

culture at

the moment

where pain

is to be

avoided at

all costs

and you

depend on

people's

affirmation of

my thinking

and feelings

and choices.

This just

must be,

it must seem

the opposite

to life.

love.

But if you

confess this

suffering

Christ,

what

ought to

compel you

to have

allegiance to

him and

renounce

self isn't

to try and

pay him

back for

his death

for you,

it's not

to try and

pay him

back,

it's not

to try and

shore up

your

salvation,

it's rock

solid,

you can't

shore up

your

salvation.

It's

the love

of Christ,

a crucified

Christ that

compels us.

I think we

grow in our

love for

what he has

done for us

when we

acknowledge the

fact that we

are in love

with self.

I am in

love with

this world

and he

still chose

to die

to free me

from that,

to actually

give me

life.

What compels

us is

his love

for us,

to make

it a

choice to

deny self

and take

up cross

and follow

him.

I think

the last

stanza of

one of

William

Cowper's

poems,

now this

guy,

he wrestled

with deep

bouts of

depression

his whole

life.

Talk about

weakness,

severe

depression.

most of

his life

and yet

he produced

some of

the most

powerful

poems

of

Christian

literature.

I think

this last

stanza

sums it

up.

To see

the law

by Christ

fulfilled

and hear

his

pardoning

voice

changes

a slave

into a

child

and

duty

into

choice.

If we

believe

he is

glorious

not just

because

he's not

suffering

anymore

but

precisely

because

he chose

to suffer,

if he's

glorious

because he

laid down

his life,

we'll want

to imitate

him because

we believe

it's

glorious.

We will

count it

such a

high honour

to join

him on

his

mission.

Doing

our part

to get

the word

out about

this

crucified

Christ

and living

a cross

shaped

life so

that people

can see

the hope

that we

have.

So his

mission,

it wasn't

to die

for a

superficial

level

of sin

to change

behaviours

so that

he might

become

first on

our

agenda.

He doesn't

want to

be first

on our

agenda.

His

mission

was to

die for

our allegiance

to self

in this

world so

that he

sets us

a totally

new

agenda.

He gives

us the

promise,

whoever

loses

their life

for my

sake

will find

it.

So I'll

leave that

challenge

with you.

Why don't

we pray?

Let's pray.

Lord,

even as

I preach

these words,

I know

how much

my own

heart is

still,

well,

I know

a little

bit of

how much

my own

heart

still

revolves

around

self

and

looks at

life in

worldly

terms.

And so

I thank

you for

moving

towards us

and laying

down your

life to

free us

from the

love of

self so

that we

might know

the depths

of your

love for

us.

Lord,

I pray

that you

would help

us as

your people

to have

an eternal

perspective.

Help us

to count

it a joy

to share

your cross,

not in

saving

ourselves,

but sharing

it in

showing

people

that life

isn't found

in self

and the

world,

but is

found in

you.

So

Lord,

convince

our

hearts.

I know

that my

words

have no

power,

but your

words have

all the

power.

So convince

us.

And Lord,

if there's

anyone who

isn't sure

where they

stand with

you,

I pray

that you

would call

them,

call them

to yourself

to come

and die

and be

raised to

a life

that you've

never known,

full of

glory.

In Jesus'

name,

Amen.