Jesus Calls Anyone to Follow

Study Notes

He Calls Us All To Follow and Change Our Thinking - Week 2 - Study Notes

He Calls us all to follow and change our thinking

Mark 8:31-37

"Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep." Romans 12:15

In a world filled with both joys and pains, with triumphant deliverances and gross injustices, this is what the Bible tells us to do. This is the kind of thing that sets genuine followers of Jesus apart from those just playing at religion. I say this because this verse expresses the way Jesus lived.

Jesus the Reconciler Enters In to the Brokenness of Our Lives
What this requires, of course, is the quality of empathy, a quality we see in Jesus. The world we live in has so much brokenness and pain. But the pervasive message of Scripture is that God loves the world so much that is now engaged in a rescue effort to heal what is broken and to take what has become hostile to him and toward one another and make peace. When he is done, all things will be made right. There will be no more brokenness, no more injustice, or death. The ministry that leads to this kind of world is what we call reconciliation.

For Jesus to do this, he had to enter into our world. This is always the first step Jesus took in his reconciliation ministry to people. We saw this in our message last week, the first Advent Sunday, as Jesus entered into the life of a woman others would have ignored – a woman from a broken and demonized family (Mk 7:24-30). And he set her free. Jesus always did this. He entered with compassion and respect into the lives of people no one else would enter into. He mourned with those who mourn. And he rejoiced when people found hope and a new life through faith in him. You see, there can be no reconciliation without relationship – and Jesus is ready to enter into anyone's life to bring peace – anyone who will receive him.

Jesus Calls Us to Change – Beginning with Our Minds
Jesus rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not thinking the way God thinks but the way the world thinks (8:33)!"

For brokenness to be healed and peace to be made, things cannot stay the way they are. And, according to Jesus – and to the entire New Testament – God's changing our lives begins with him changing our minds. Do you know how the Apostle Paul put it? He said, "Don't be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed..." How? It begins with the "renewing or your mind! (Rom 12:2)."

Today, we come to Mark 8. Up to now, Mark has reported that Jesus does what only God can do. He heals, he stills storms, he raises the dead... And then -- this powerful one entered into broken people's lives with compassion. With all that happening, in v.27, Jesus asks his followers, "Who do people say I am?"

As a person who has taught a lot in my life, I picture this as a teacher in front of the class with the students excitedly raising their hands, "I know, Jesus! They say you are a prophet. Or, John the Baptist returned from the dead. Or – even better – you are Elijah! They're saying great things about you, Jesus!"

"But who do you say I am?" And Peter got it right. "You are the long-awaited Messiah." Matthew tells us that Jesus told Peter, "This truth has been revealed to you not by any human being but by God."

It's at that point that the Bible tells us Jesus began to teach about what he would have to do in order to set people free and give people a new life. He taught that he would have to suffer, be rejected and then be killed – though he would defeat death and rise again. In v. 32, we are told Jesus said this "plainly".

But, the disciples, even though they were beginning to see who Jesus was, still thought the way the world thinks. In v.33, Peter rebuked Jesus! Essentially, Peter told Jesus, "Jesus, we love a lot of the things you're doing. But, you don't seem to be thinking right. Dying won't do us any good. You need to overturn those in power. You have to take the reigns of leadership and give us power alongside you. (All this comes out in ch.10.) And, Jesus, if we follow you when you're headed toward death, then we might die too!"

Jesus rebukes Peter in the strongest words found in the Bible, "Get behind me Satan. "That's the way the world thinks, Peter." So, it's clear: We have to learn to think like Jesus thinks.

The Way Jesus Thinks about Life – The way to find your life is to give up your life
The world thinks life is found in getting something for myself – or by holding onto temporary things that grip our lives. But, Jesus declares this: If anyone would come after me..."

Let me stop there. Who is in that "anyone"? Read through the life of Jesus and you'll learn that anyone can be in that anyone. A hated tax collector – a part of the system they all detested. A Jewish synagogue leader too. A woman trapped in prostitution. A man filled with leprosy... If anyone would come after me..." Sometimes, I think there are some of Jesus' anyones that we don't want in our anyones. The beauty of the message of Jesus is that there is hope for a new life for anyone.

Let me say this plainly to you: That part of the Bible's message is applauded by our culture. Jesus is willing to enter with respect into the lives of any person – regardless of political ideology, documentation status, criminal record, sexual preference, addictive behaviors... Our society rightly loves that part of Jesus.

What our society does not love (and the disciples did not love at first) is that the compassionate Jesus will not leave us living the way we are tempted to live. He calls us to find a new life – and that means we cannot just keep living our old life. He calls all of us to change. Look at his words: "If anyone wants to be my disciple, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save his life (Mk 8:34-35)."

Jesus is saying here to Peter – and to anyone: "The way the world thinks is that you will find your life by having more power, more prestige, more pleasure as you long to have it. No, the way to find life is to follow me – whatever you may have or not have, wherever I lead you, and whatever I call you to do." Basically, Jesus says, "You have to trust me. You have to place your faith in me. You've seen how much I love you. If you follow me, you will find real life. But you cannot keep being self-directed. You have to let me take control. Follow me and you will find life."

I'll take up this matter of how following Jesus changes our lives next week. This week, I want us to focus only on how following Jesus changes the way we think about our world and our lives.

The Way the World Thinks about Life – If I can have my deepest desires, I'll find life.
All week, I've been asking what most people in our world think they need to find life. Let me show you just a few of the responses:
• A young wife: "I used to say that I only needed to get married to be happy. Now that I have that, I think I've added that I need children too."
• A college senior said: "I need to find a good job and then be successful at it."
• An empty nester said: "I think I need to be near my grandchildren."
• Several said: "Most people think it has to do with physical wholeness -- good looks, fitness or health." "If only I have my health, then that's the main thing."
• Several more said: "I think most of us want to be accepted – to be liked."
• Many who have immigrated to our country sacrifice everything so that their children can go to Cal Tech or Princeton or Harvard. They think they will find their lives in and through their children's success. They long for it. Sacrifice for it.
• Most people I asked with spoke of achievements: professional, academic, athletic... "If only I could achieve a certain thing, then life would be great.

Notice that those things people said to me are not bad things. In fact, they are good things. (Of course, I'm a pastor. So, I know people don't always tell me all that they long for.). But let me say something to you that you already know: You could have all those things and still know that something is missing.

The Bible uses a word for this deep longing to find life through temporary things in this world: epithumia. Pastor Tim Keller translates it, "Over-desire." It has to do with longing for something so much that it takes the place of ultimacy in our lives. We can desire something so much that it takes the place of God in our longings. Listen to me: Human beings are made in the image of God. You are made to have your inner being filled with the knowledge of God. When you try to put anything into God's place, it will let you down. That job you wanted will not be all it promised to be. That person you wanted as a life partner will prove to be far less than perfect. Those achievements will bring no enduring satisfaction. And, it that's all there is, eventually death will take it all away. All thinking human beings know this. So, why do we keep trying to fill up our inner beings with temporary things?

The Life We Find when We Follow Jesus
Whoever holds onto his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save his life (8:35)."

I'm sure you see that Jesus used the word "life" in this verse in an unusual way (to our ears). The word he used was "psyche" – the word from which we get our word "psychology." It has to do with what is at the core of our inner beings. Jesus is talking about what is at the heart of your identity. He says very clearly that life is not going to be found in those places the world tells you it is to be found. You won't discover who you are and the life you long for in anything in this world. If you put any temporary thing at the center of your soul, it will let us down. It will not last. God must be the first thing. Other things can be wonderful if they are the second things. As George MacDonald wrote: When first things are put first, second things are not diminished but enhanced."
Jesus promises that if you will follow him -- letting him shape your thinking, your living and your identity, you will find life. "Other things promise so much but they end up stealing, killing and destroying. I have come that you may have life and have it to the full (Jn 10)." Do you believe him?

Following him will involve denying yourself – you must be ready to give up those things you think you have to have – those "epithumia" – simply because you believe Jesus is asking you to do it. You will sometimes bear a cross. Jesus had to carry a cross in his path to bring us life. People scorned him for what he was doing. So, like Peter, people may say, "This death and sacrifice you've endured makes no sense." So you must trust that Jesus can turn the most difficult times into the greatest victories – that, for Jesus, even a physical death is not an eternal death.
And you must follow him. When you do, all the brokenness of our lives begins to be healed and you will begin to experience the peace Jesus came to give. This is what reconciliation is all about. Jesus enters into broken lives and calls us to follow him. We die to self and find life in him. That's the Christian message.

Our Privilege and Our Calling: To Make Peace as Jesus Makes Peace
Jesus calls us out to live like he lived. Jesus sends us as he was sent. We become those who are to be Jesus' ambassadors for reconciliation in our broken world. Wherever we go, we are to enter into people's lives with respect, we are to care about their pain and to be involved their healing, and we are to call people to find their lives by giving up their lives in faith to the Jesus who died for them. And, for us as for Peter, the new lives we are to live begins with thinking about things in ways different from the way the world does. I believe this has application to all the broken relationships you may have in your own families, places of work, and neighborhoods. I think it has a lot to teach us about how followers of Jesus must think and live as brokenness in our nation has become so evident with what has happened in New York, Cleveland and Ferguson. We all agree that when young people are shot, this is not the way heaven will be. But, we are so polarized – so divided. We need to think the way God thinks about this – not the way the world thinks. But, I'll take that up next week. (That's my "teaser" to get you to return.)

But, this week, as we mourn with many who mourn, we as a church family rejoice with those who rejoice. For over two years now, we have been weeping with our church family members, Matt and Grace Huang and with their children Immanuel, Josiah and Gloria – and their extended family. I remember as the Huang family left the San Gabriel Valley for Matt to practice his engineering profession and for the family to take up a new place of living in Doha in the State of Qatar in Western Asia. Then, we mourned as we learned of the struggles little Gloria was having and we mourned more when we heard of her death. And, then we mourned in a different way -- with a sorrow blended with rage and confusion -- at Grace and Matt's imprisonment. We have mourned and we have prayed. And today we rejoice. The Huangs are home! And surely many are thinking, "The Huangs can really live again."

There is a measure of truth in that. We celebrate that they are free and are with us. We are grateful for all who have prayed so fervently for this day. We are thankful for all those who worked in the political and judicial systems to make this day possible. We will never know most of the hours that many people spent. But to all who did whatever you did to make this day possible, we say thank you, thank you, thank you!!

We have prayed and watched from afar as Matt and Grace have been forced to deny self, carry a cross of unjust accusation and imprisonment, and seek to be faithful to Jesus. In the midst of what surely must have been times of confusion, frustration and uncertainty, I pray that you have found God to be who he says he is, "A refuge and strength. A very present help in times of trouble so that we need never be ashamed."

We all will have times in which the life the world tells us that we simply must have is taken away. We need something in this world that cannot be taken away. We need something that imprisonment cannot steal. Something that even little Gloria's death cannot rob. And that's what we find in Christ.

So, I will simply leave us with one of the greatest words of Scripture that tells us that nothing can take away this life the Jesus died to give us. The words are from the Apostle Paul who so frequently was unjustly imprisoned and falsely accused. Listen to his words as if you have never heard them before:

What, then, shall we say in response to the things that happen to us in this world? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things we need? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then can condemn? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is interceding for us. What shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (from Romans 8:31-38).

To His glory,

Dr. Greg Waybright
Senior Pastor

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Greg Waybright • Copyright 2014, Lake Avenue Church

Chinese Translation

He Calls Us All To Follow and Change Our Thinking - Week 2 - Study Notes - Chinese Translation

                      祂呼召我們跟隨並改變我們的思想                        Dec.6^th,2014

                              馬可福音8：31-37;羅馬書12：9,14-15


        在这充满悲欢离合的的世界，既有得胜蒙拯救的，也有遭遇冤屈不义的。圣经呼召我们的是，真诚跟随耶稣的人们要与那些玩弄宗教之士分别开来。这些经文表达了耶稣生活的样式。

與人和好的耶穌進入我們破碎的生活
        在这个破碎的世界中，以赛亚先知说"我们都如羊走迷了路"。圣经告诉我们这是因为我们人是按照神的形象被造的，有能力做出道德的决定－结果是我们都做了错误的决定。我们都转向自私的方式而不是神的方式－结果就是带来毁灭。但是整本圣经告诉我们神是如此的爱世人，祂进入世界正在进行一个拯救的行动来医治破碎，将原来与祂为敌的，与人为敌的都重归和平。神的工作完成，万物都将归于正道。再也没有破碎，不义和死亡。这一事工带给这样的一个世界的，就叫做和好。
        為要實現這計劃，神藉著耶穌基督成為人來到世界。神進入破碎的世界。這是聖誕節全部的意義，神降臨！
        “神爱世人，甚至将祂的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信祂的，不至灭亡，反得永生。神差祂的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因祂得救。"

耶穌呼召我們改變 - 從我們的思想開始
        耶穌責備彼得說，“撒旦，退我後邊去吧！因為你不體貼神的意思，只體貼人的意思。”
        破碎的要得医治，和平要得实现，那么事物就不能停留原样。根据耶稣的话，神改变我们的生活从改变我们的思想开始。
        今天我们看马可8章。马可前面都是记载耶稣所做的唯有神才能做的事。他医治，平静风浪，叫死人复活......接着这位大能者满怀怜悯进入破碎人的生活。
        耶穌開始教導說他必須要做的事情，好叫人得自由，給人新的生命他教導說他要受苦，被人唾棄，並且被殺 - 然而他要擊敗死亡，他要復活。
        但是門徒還是按照世界的方式來思想0.32節彼得勸耶穌！彼得基本就是說“耶稣，我们喜欢你做的许多事，但是看来你的想法有误。死对我们毫无益处。你要用大能来推翻这一切。你带领我们来统治，赐给我们能力与你并肩作战。（所有這些都在10章中出現）而且，耶穌，如果你朝死而去，那麼或許我們也要死了！“
        耶穌責備彼得，用的是很重的話說，“撒旦，退我後邊去吧”"彼得，这是世人的意思。"世人想真正的生活是得着更多、拥有更多、能力、快乐...."我們要學習像耶穌那樣的思想。

耶穌如何看生活 - 尋找生命的必要喪失生命。
        世界的思想是為我賺取更多 - 或是緊握生命中的短暫之物但是耶穌宣稱：“人若要跟從我......”
        讓我明明白白告訴你：世界文化也是很乐道于圣经中这样的话：比如耶稣进入所有的人，尊重他们，不论他们持何政见、什么身份证明、有没有犯罪记录、性别倾向、吸毒行为......对这一部分的耶稣我们的社会就乐于接受。
        我們的社會不樂於接受的（门徒开始也不乐于的）是怜悯人的耶稣不要我们过一个被试探的生活。你听他的话说："若有人要跟从我，就当舍己，背起他的十字架来跟从我。"因为凡是要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命，凡为了福音丧掉生命的，必救了生命。"

世界如何看生活 - 如果我得到生命中最渴望的東西，我就找到生命。
        你可以拥有你所想要的一切东西，但是仍然觉得还是少了什么。圣经中用一个字来形容在短暂的事物当中寻找生命的这种深深的渴望，这个字是" epithumia。提摩太凱勒這樣翻譯：“過頭的渴望。”这些渴望在我们心中占据极重的位置，我们渴想这些东西到一个地步，代替了神在我们心中的渴慕。请听我说：人是按照神的形象被造的。你被造就是为了在内心充满神的知识。当你尝试着用任何其他的东西来代替神的时候，这些东西就把你拖下水，叫你失望。不管是你想要升迁的工作，还是你想要结婚的对象，都只会证明远非完美。这些成功永远不能带来长久的满足，就不过如此，渐渐地死亡将这一切都带走。每一个人都明白这点。所以为什么我们用短暂之物填补我们的内心？

跟隨耶穌以後我們找到的生命
      “凡是要救自己生命的，必喪掉生命，凡是為福音喪掉生命的，必救了生命。”
        神必須在你的生命中佔首位。其他事物雖然美好但是必須是第二位的。神在首位，次位的不但不會遜色，只會增強。
        耶稣应许说如果你跟随他－让他来塑造你的思想，生活和身份，你就会找到生命。其他給你許多承諾的事物只會偷竊，殺害和毀壞。“我來是為了叫你得生命，而且得著更豐盛。”（約翰福音10）你相信他嗎？
        跟随耶稣包括放下自己－你必须要放弃那些你想你必须要的，过头渴望的东西－只是因为你相信耶稣要你这样做。有时候你要背起十字架。耶稣曾在路上背十架，给了我们生命。
        你必须来跟从他。这样做的时候，我们生命中的破碎就得以医治，开始体验耶稣来给予的平安。这就是和好的意义所在。耶稣来到破碎的生活中，呼召我们来跟随他。我们向己死，向神活。這是基督徒的信息。

我們的特權和我們的呼召：像耶穌一樣締造和平
        耶稣呼召我们像他一样生活。耶稣差遣我们如同他蒙差遣一般。我们成为一批耶稣的使者，给破碎的世界带来和好。
        这一周，如同我们与哀伤的人同哀伤，我们教会大家庭也与喜乐的人同喜乐。整整两年，我们与教会的家庭成员Matt和恩典，他們的孩子Immanuel  ，Josiah以及他們的家屬同哀哭。我記得黃一家離開聖蓋博的時候，馬特从事工程师的专业，全家搬迁西亚国家卡达尔的Doha，然后我们得知小女孩Gloria的掙扎時感到哀傷，更大的哀傷是聽到凱萊去世的消息接著我們是不同的哀傷 - 悲痛當中夾帶著憤怒和不解 - 格雷斯和馬特入獄。我们哀伤、我们祷告。今天我们很喜乐，他们回家了！当然很多人会想，"黄的一家可以真正重新生活了。"
        这有一定的道理。我们庆祝他们的自由并且和我们在一起。我们感恩，为了今天迫切祷告的所有的人。我们感谢那些在政法系统为着今天成为可能而孜孜不倦工作的人。
        所以我简单给我们留下一段圣经伟大的话语，告诉我们世间不论何事都不能夺去耶稣基督为我们死而给予我们的生命。这话语来自使徒保罗，他常冤陷牢狱，被受诬告。请你听这话，如同你从不曾听见过一般：
        既是这样，还有什么说的呢？神若帮助我们，谁能敌挡我们呢？神既不爱惜自己的儿子为我们众人舍了，岂不也把万物和他一同白白地赐给我们吗？谁能控告神所拣选的人呢？谁能定他们的罪呢？有基督耶稣已经死了，而且从死里复活，现今在神的右边，也替我们祈求。谁能使我们与基督的爱隔绝呢？难道是患难吗？是困苦吗？是逼迫吗？是饥饿吗？是赤身露体吗？是危险吗？是刀剑吗？
        然而靠着爱我们的主，在这一切的事上，已经得胜有余了。因为我深信无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事，是高处的，是低处的，是别的受造之物，都不能叫我们与神的爱隔绝；这爱是在我们的主基督耶稣里的。（罗马书8：31－38）

荣耀归给神，
格雷格博士

主任牧师

Greg Waybright • Copyright 2014, Lake Avenue Church

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