GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, BUT LOSE YOUR SOUL?

TODAY’S PASSAGE: 

Matthew 16:21-28 (NLT) – 21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. 22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? 27 For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. 28 And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.”

21 From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead.

• Jesus makes it very plain to the disciples that he would suffer and die, but then resurrect three days later.
• It’s always been part of God’s great plan for humanity that Jesus pay the price for our sins by dying on the cross.

1 John 2:2 NLT – He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

• Atone (Greek: hilasmos): to provide reparation or compensation for something bad, in order to make right.
• Because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, we can have right-standing with God.

22 But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

• Peter tries to scold Jesus for saying that he must suffer and die.
• But Jesus sternly rebukes Peter for this because Jesus death and resurrection was God’s will.
• Peter only saw this from a human perspective, not God’s perspective.
• When we only see things from our own perspective, we fight against God’s will.
• This is why we must pray for God’s will in our lives, even if we don’t understand it.

Luke 22:42b …Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

• The only way to follow Jesus is by giving up our old way of doing things.
• If we refuse to let go of our old nature/sinful lifestyle, then we cannot follow Jesus and we will eventually lose our lives.
• The only way to follow Jesus is by making him the highest priority

Luke 14:33 ESV – So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

• We cannot call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ if our loyalty is devoted to someone or something else.