Going Public

Laymen matters much of all of us.

We get all the campuses of the summit surgical taken out an opening to Matthew 16 Matthew chapter 16. If you have your Bibles I think that the more technologically sophisticated that our society gets the more that we crave anonymity. I am certainly like that it annoys me when I go into a convenience store to buy batteries and they want to get my phone number and my email address first time.

Like I just will not buy some batteries.

Anonymity leaves you a lot more self freedom and control.

I know that a lot of us wish we had a fake social media account we could post all the things that we really think some of you have want to know who fake JD Greer is on twitter and I wish honestly wish that I knew because there are so many things I would love to say that I like.

I just can't say because I'm a pastor. There were so many times during the debate the other night. On Monday night that I actually type something out on twitter and then deleted it because I thought I just can't say that hot last I checked, fake JD has 16,000 followers which means that at some point the fake version of me is going to have more followers than the real version of me. At which point I think I will have a personal crisis, it is true. Anonymity certainly releases you from a lot of accountability, reminds me the lady I heard about it came late to the church service in so she asked the sure she said I know I'm late but I would like to sit on the front row in the usher said Mama, I'm happy to do that for you but I gotta tell you, our pastor is super boring, and there's a real good chance he's going to put you to sleep and then right there in front row that might be embarrassing to you and sought out. Assuming you want to do that this little old lady looks up at this usher and says young man, do you know who I am and she said no ma'am, I don't and she said I'm the pastor's mother, mankind drops his head in embarrassment. After a second.

He looked at her and says, and you know who I am. She said no. He said thank God we walked off so anonymity certainly releases you from certain kinds of accountability and so it's appealing to us what all I want to show you for Matthew 16 why it was the Jesus never let people remain anonymous. In regards to him as you see in this passage Jesus forced acknowledgment usually public acknowledgment and the most important form of public and knowledge acknowledgment is baptism.

So this weekend were going to give you a chance to apply this message in this way if you never have before.

Last weekend we had 147 people that came forward to be publicly baptized as a profession of their faith. I got… Good that was like 1/3 of you and him to give you which it was to remind him do it again and the other two thirds you can be excited about it the right.

Last weekend we had 147 people became much better. So at the end of our service today were an offer again that she is to do that you never have to go public with your faith.

The only confessed Jesus to baptism.

If you never done that is always a tell you will have everything that you need a towel.

Change close. You may not come prepared this morning for this, but we at whatever campus you're at the summit church.

We are prepared for you. Matthew chapter 16 to get the Bible to verse 13.

Let's walk to the store together when Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi asked his disciples, people say that I am the Savior people say the Son of Man is now little background here that may help.

The story kinda pop in some color.

Caesarea Philippi was a Roman city that had the Romans had built within the borders of Israel up on a hill overlooking the entire Jordan Valley. I've actually been there.

It's a beautiful spot. It's right by natural spring and one of the main features of it. Is this huge rock face wall were the Romans had carved into the rock temple after temple after temple to God and for God ever got. I'm Caesarea Philippi. This rockface was basically a strip mall for the gods of the newest temple that they had built right around the time of Jesus had been built for Caesar who was now referring to himself as the son of God and the King of Kings and Lord of lords that was literally inscribed on the new temple that had been built at Caesarea Philippi. By this point in Jesus's life.

We know that a lot of people are starting to form opinions about him, talk about them and so you think he isn't so. Jesus takes his disciples. They are to this big rockface were all these temples are carved all these God to be standing right in front of that rockface and he says who do people say that I am verse 14 zero verse 34 they replied some say that your John. The bad directors are from 40 replied something John the Baptist John that's just been executed by menu been reincarnated on something still John about his other say you're Elijah. Still other say your Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Verse 15 but what about you yes to you say that I am Simon Peter answered you're the Messiah you're the son of the living God. Verse 17 Jesus replied.

Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood real by my father in heaven. Interesting in in Mark gospel marks account of the story, which are small groups to study in Mark's version of it where in Matthews on this story occurs right after Jesus heals a man of blindness and what Mark is showing you is that this power to heal physical blindness is really symbolic of the power to heal spiritual blindness that what Jesus is doing is giving people spiritual site because spiritual site is being able to see the truth with clarity about who Jesus really is and it's not something you just figure out as a human being because you're smart. It's something that that the father reveals to you. Verse 18 and I tell you that you are Peter in Greek. That's the word Petross you are Petross and on this Petra which Greek word for rock on this Petra.

I will build my church. It's a play on words.

Jesus is standing right here in front of this big rock of Caesarea Philippi and so is making a statement in contrast all these pagan temples that are carved into the rock on this rock Peter on this one, not on these on this one. I'm to build my church.

Now there's little theological controversy surrounding that verse. When Jesus says upon this rock I will build my church.

The question is, is he referring to Peter as he referring to the confession of faith that Peter just made which one is the rock on which Jesus looking to build the church as a Peter is on the confession of faith and the answer is if both the confessing.

Peter is the rock on which Jesus build his church listen, this is a prediction of prophecy that through the apostles Peter the chief among them Jesus would write the Bible, which is the record of their confession of faith, and on that Bible record of their confessions of faith in Jesus, God is going to build his church and the gates of Hades in the Greek word for hell will not overcome it and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. What that means is that they're going to be his representatives accurately recording the way that people can find salvation.

Jesus when Jesus says whatever you loose on earth is to be loosed in heaven. He's not saying is I got from here on out on the let you make the decisions about who goes to heaven. Obviously that judgment to you know of course not. That would contradict too many other things. The Bible says in different places. It simply means that they are going to lay out as Jesus's representatives. The boundaries of the faith and the way that they lay out the particulars of who goes to heaven will be an accurate reflection of what Jesus thinks it is true. Jesus did not leave a Bible when he left.

There was no Bible New Testament that existed but he left a group of apostles whom he had authorized to write one and he is here promising that the Bible that they write will be accurate and that what the apostles explained to us about the way of salvation is what Jesus really thinks to them a sense regional point out out is because I meet people all the time like and I think I'm okay with Jesus, but I just can accept the Bible.

Jesus here told us to accept the Bible so you can't really be okay with him. You don't accept the book by the authorized one more thing there in those verses on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades which I told you the Greek word for hell will not overcome it. This place Caesarea Philippi had been the very place where in the northern kingdom of Israel.

They gigantic. I did build this gigantic altar to bail medicine before his call Caesarea Philippi used to be as big altar to bail in bail was the God of the underworld to this literally for them was the place where bail you the demons came out so it was literally the gates of hell.

Jesus was saying that all the idolatrous confusion, not a hell itself will not be able to withstand the apostle's testimony about Jesus and we have a really strange verse. Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Messiah. Why would he do that we see for the Jews Messiah was as much a political title is a spiritual one, even more so in fact, because everybody assumed in that day that the Messiah would come as a warrior to throw off the power of Rome. Jesus knew that once it got out that he was claiming to be the Messiah. It was on right at that point it was either revolution or execution. There was no middle ground as to claim that your teaching in a world already has a keen special and insecure king like Caesar was treason like walking into the Vatican, and claiming that you're the new pope. Jesus is not ready to die yet so he didn't want them out there claiming that because what he means by Messiah is not what they mean what Peter means by Messiah.

What Jesus means by Messiah in this place are two different things. So verse 21 from that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples what he meant by Messiah that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things in the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers a law that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Verse 22.

Another great verse. At this point Peter taken aside and begins to rebuke him, every week after the first service I preacher average five live on the weekend and after the first one have a group of people to meet with me backstage after the scent of her sermon and they just rip it apart at a point out things and I said poorly factual mistakes I made jokes that I made that they think were either lame or inappropriate and so by the time I get up in the second service. It's a fundamentally different sermon on the essay here this context it displaces. It's a bold move to give that kind of sermon critique to Jesus but it's exactly what Peter does writing these ideas and with liking what you talking about him and have to instruct you on a few things had like a rock promenade, Jesus meant when he called the rock but still applies on me, never Lord.

He said never this will never happen to you, Jesus turned Peter and said get behind me Satan talk about a spiritual high followed by spiritual low imagine Peter talking to his wife for dinner that night was work today while Jesus told me to be the anchor of his new church and then that I reminded him of Satan. By the way, one of the reasons we know the Bible is authentic is that it records encounters like this one. Peter would one day lead the church. This little struggling church. Peter will be the leader in here in their founding documents. They include a story where Jesus calls and Satan may be honest, if you were making up stories to gain support for your religious movement. Is this the kind of thing that you would make up his imagine if you were trying to get somebody skeptical about our church to come to church and you tell McKay he succumbed our charts are pastor flunked out of seminary for cheating is professor referred him once and Satan let you and say that they put the story in there because it was true, not because it was a cleverly devised myth in order to help foster a movement, Jesus continues verse 23. You are a stumbling block to me you do not Peter have in mind the concerns of God you got them on merely human concerns. Thinking about victory.

You're thinking about vengeance against the Romans you think about prosperity on earth I'm thinking about something different.

I'm thinking about something much greater and more eternal than any of those things. So verse 24. Jim then Jesus said to his disciples ever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me pilot stop right there and let's look at what we can learn about the importance of public confession from this when I use the word confession.

I'm referring to the public confession of what you believe. I'm not talking about confessing your sins. That's a different use of the word confession were to use this morning. Okay so publicly professing what we believe the importance of it. Here we go number one we see from this passage that confession of truth is the rock upon which Jesus builds a church. Did you see how Jesus ties all of his power.

All of it to the confession of faith. When Peter makes this confession. Verse 17 Jesus tells them many things are not real really about flesh and blood. In this figure this out only the spirit of God can give you this kind of vision, only the spirit of God can give you spiritual site.

I'm not up here trying to out reason you into the faith. I'm up here, depending on God to open up blind eyes to be able to see what God reveals about Jesus that the only way there have described like this to before. Imagine a guy who is up on top of a mountain, rockface, and he's clinically insane. He thinks he is a bird in it so we can fly to you, behind this kind like hey don't shop you offer him a free choice.

You can jump if you want to but you will die or you can come back down with your with me to safety.

Now he's he's insane.

You think he's a bird. What you get to choose freely every single dime is used to jump right every metal how you asked a question you jump right.

Some say that you had the ability on it may be a Leica shot that you given that had an antidote and it would restore insanity in the city you are able to stick him with the needle and restore sanity to MNU asking the exact same question given the same choice say the exact same way now with his sanity restore what you go to choose to choose every single time to come back down the differences and not in how eloquently you asked the question. It's not in how well you presented the problem. The differences solely in the sanity of the heart that received was in the same way. I know that ultimately I'm not up here trying out reason you in the faith, as if I'm the smartest guy in the room for you to see what I see that everything to be okay.

I depend on the spirit of God to be able to open eyes, which is why I tie myself so closely to the word of God. Why because the word of God is like that needle that restore sanity to people the word of God is the power of God that is taken by the spirit of God in its use, not to make dumb people smarter, but the big blind people see dead people alive right so all of Jesus's power he puts on that confession. Furthermore, verse 18 Jesus says upon this rock I'll build my church, Jesus takes the confession of faith any uses it as a conduit through which he unleashes his power in the church. One of the reasons we urge you to go to baptism as we know that public confession of faith becomes this great catalyst for the outpouring of God's power in your life when you do with the spirit of God begins to work in your life in a new, more powerful way. It's like we saw when Jesus was baptized. The Holy Spirit descended from heaven on him like a dove not work exactly the same way for us, but that shows you that at your baptism. The Holy Spirit begins to slide him work through your life in a new and more powerful way. Jesus is uniting of his power, this confession of faith is also why we are careful as much as we can be here to not change the confession we see our temptation today.

Some churches or reshape our message, according to what we think will work in our society to make Christianity more appealing by altering it in those places where it's most offensive people never believe people will never believe if you say there's only one way of salvation on what you Christianity to change his views on sexuality then it's going to die. I hear that all the time and on telling that is so appealing is so appealing to alter the confession. But when you do that you cut yourself off from the accompanying power of God. This confession was unpopular in those days to think about where Jesus was standing. He was standing in front of a gigantic monument to Roman pluralism Rome in the Empire run said you can worship whatever God you want to worship the back of our God here got it represented up here will you can worship a new God make up your own.if you want one thing you can't do is you can't say your God is the only God and you gotta worship God under the rubric of this emblem of Caesar being the King of Kings and Lord of lords church history at the toward the end of the first century. One of the emperors were the Roman emperors on asked that Christian leaders listen, we would like to put a statue of Jesus and the Pantheon Pantheon was a place for the Sectors. All the room he got leaving the weaving of the disciples that you figure like are you kidding me I'm here. We are low backwards movement bunch of fishermen and now will be invited to put statue in the Pantheon with how far we can't get out we got a statue in Congress now it not amazing. Now they were like if you put a statue Jesus in their working to tear down because were not put in him is one among many of the gods were certainly not put them in a place that has a symbol on it that says Caesar is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

He's the son of the living God, the disciples would not change it even though it was wildly unpopular because they knew that the change that confession they would lose the power of God now described it before having to another way. I guess imagining a high school guy who years got design some girl and so the works of all discouraged agriculture one day at school and in negative towards us.

Hey would you like like to go out right. And he's thinking she's never to say yes in 100 years, but to his utter surprise, she says that sounds great.

So he's not prepared for what's next. He hasn't thought about what's next.

You just brace himself to be shot down so you he's like why don't you give your phone number and I'll figure out what I'm inviting you to and I and she says sorry I it's great BES and right with that he gotten so is like to tell it to me and I'll remember it and so she's like okay my number is 9999195551239.

The site never deny you confusion and I see what we make it 555-1234 that's easy to remember which one she says you call 551234 if you want to, but the person that answers on the other in the line is not going to be me if you want me you're going to dial 919551339. The disciples understood. Yes, we can alter this to make it easier and more appealing. But what we will do when we alter it is we will lose contact with the presence of Jesus in every culture there is a temptation to compromise something in order to become more acceptable to the culture in our day. Maybe one of the biggest is to remove what Jesus teaches about sexuality coaches change that just saying that you won't be so hated in society. One thing about Revelation 2 were Jesus talks about a church that was faithful in every other way except they tolerated those who taught and practiced sexual immorality and because of that Jesus removed his presence from that church people say well if you don't soften your stance on this, you lose people from was like I would humbly speaking on resolute people to lose the presence of Jesus. Any day you keep your CNN pundits out a Jesus. When you confess faithfully, you gain the power of God, the power of God, the power to give sight to the blind and heals a leper and makes the lame walk and raises the dead begins to flow in the church and in your life. That's what we need, not a Christianity that restates itself the fit society and gain the approval of the Romans. We need a we need a confession of faith that comes with it the power and the healing lifecycle power. The Almighty God would lead me to number two, number two if we confess faithfully we are unstoppable, we confess faithfully were unstoppable to verse 18 on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell itself will not overcome it. People usually treat this verse like it promises that Jesus will protect us from all of Satan's vicious attacks on us were the churches that because the gates of hell will not overcome you but this verse is about Satan's inability to keep us from plundering his kingdom, not his inability to plunder hours. Let me ask you are are are dates in offense of weapon ever attacked somebody with a date.

You beat them over the head. Again, no gates are a defense of weapon dates are designed to keep people out.

Jesus is saying that when we confess faithfully. Not only will he preserve and protect our church people enable us to advance God's kingdom into Satan's most well fortified strongholds.

God has grown this church tremendously. I would baptize 5424 people in the last 14 years.

Praise God for that. Are we satisfied few of your excited, but in hard role side. Are we satisfied with that.

You huddle up and say okay God now protect our summer families got the candidate this year for president are terrible in America is going to hell how we ever going to survive. Jesus did not promise that he would enable us to survive a slow retreat in our culture. He promised us that if we be faithful in our confession he would let us advance deeper and deeper into enemy territory. They remind me of true story I heard about Abraham Lincoln. He was meeting with his war council one day in the middle of the Civil War when he one of the couriers comes in a whisper something to one of the generals and the general stands up and says Mr. Lincoln, I'm very pleased to be able to tell you that we have finally pushed the enemy out of our territory and back into his own. Lincoln looks at all the other generals and he said when will my generals learned that the whole country is our territory. Jesus is not content to simply be Lord of the church. He died to be Lord of the whole earth. Parcel 6400 unreached people groups in our world will little to no access to the gospel. There parts of the triangle itself with no real credible witness to the gospel. We got a new generation of college students that comes in here every four years. From all around the world it needs to be reached with where we were with who Jesus is.

We got communities of refugees displaced around the globe.

Many right here in Raleigh-Durham that needed gospel witness populations of prisoners, foster kids to be taken care of. So hear me say it very clearly Summit church. I confess that I hope you would confess with me that Jesus is the Lord of the whole earth is the King of Kings and Lord of lords, not Caesar, not a Democrat, not a Republican salvation didn't come in on the Republican platform the Democrat platform and come in rotten on Air Force One comes in as the Messiah, which is Jesus the Christ the son of the living God.

I confess it, just like he said he the way the truth and the life you one way of salvation for all people. The one name under heaven given among men, the only name ever given among men whereby we must be saved and that whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved because of no different.

Like Paul says, that you would agree to black-and-white the rich, the poor, the Republican and Democrat same Lord is Lord over all and richly bestows his blessings on all who call upon him is only one kind of only one race of human center is only one salvation is found in Jesus, he is not willing that any should perish, but he wants all to come to repentance.

And I confess this because the Bible that Jesus authorized teaches it, and I believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and that whether this confession is unpopular or not. I know that it comes with the power of God, which is the last thing that I ever want to lose Summit because of Jesus promised that he puts on this confession. Here were never to be satisfied when there is such lostness in our community and our world because the whole country is this territory Jesus died to be Lord of the whole earth was I wouldn't Summit big enough already. When you got to stop some growing my cancer is when Jesus comes back to the last person in Raleigh-Durham get saved held unrest and certainly the way third truth about confession number three we see from this passage of Satan tries to get us to receive Jesus. According to our liking the strongest rebuke ever given by Jesus recorded in Scripture was the one he gave to Peter here and it was instigated by Peter trying to force Jesus into the mold of what he assumed the Messiah should be verse 22.

It is its high seas begins to explain what the Messiah is going to do that Peter be of the phenomena that's not what the Messiah.this is what the Messiah this is still Satan's greatest temptation to us to reshape Jesus who, according to our expectations. Now we don't do it in exactly the same ways of Peter in his generation, did it as most of us will grow up dreaming of war with Rome right, she welcomes videogames and but the Mets is weird. Okay, we grow up in our society and me focused culture that swimming in consumerism and so we reshape Jesus into an Americanized Jesus who is one part Jeannie one part fan club. One part financial advisor one part American patriot, and the rest therapists only like to think of Jesus as the great comforter, who is progressive and morally permissive like we are approving of all the things that we approve a big cosmic blanket you curl up in this find yourself in that is satanic distortion.

You gotta let Jesus be who he is.

Which means that sometimes he contradicts you. Sometimes he confuses you, sometimes he makes you mad and you don't rebuke him or the guy who's telling you what Jesus said to schedule like it told you before watch morning talk shows and into people in the talkshow were debating some moral issue and one person to me to look to his credit was trying to explain what the Bible said in the other person who was more shall we sag us freethinking W back and saying one religious to and not Jesus. Whenever the Nazis were there did not you and I'm in the limiting study.

You don't get your own personal Jesus, there's like a real Jesus and then there's the fake one that you made up. I got a Burger King Jesus were you have it your way or build a bear Jesus when you assemble the deity that you like the best. There's a real Jesus and then the fake ones that you make out that are really just a deified reflection of you see how your notice how weird the concoctions people put together like a Golden corral buffet line what you come back from the timberline with a come back and you got like a younger parfait spareribs waffle for cookies and egg white, light on.

That's not a meal right, no, no chef ever put that together and said this is a good meal.

It's just whatever struck you at the moment when you were going to the line.

See, I looked for people to pastor not talk to them like this is what they don't. Jesus, they get this obnoxious concoction of Jesus.

They did pull together from various things quite like that what you like that I'm leaving on put Ms. there and it's as obnoxious as a meal that you put together gold grout because there is a real Jesus and then there's the Jesus that you and I make up when you've either got except him for who he is with me.

Sometimes he contradicts you makes you mad for you least gotta own it and reject him and say I don't believe anything he says it is not a resilience number four Satan's biggest distortion is a Jesus who keeps us from suffering in this life you see in this passage, probably Satan's biggest distortion is a Jesus who keeps us from suffering this life specifically rejects the concept of the Messiah who suffers now you know in a different time and place that still the substance of his biggest distortion today Peter expresses what I would call the heart of Christian immaturity met is the belief that Jesus Christ came so that I wouldn't suffer Jesus is no Peter I'm not going to save you from suffering him to save you through suffering. I'm going to save the world by going to a cross and I will work out my salvation in you and through you to others by means of a cross to try my gotta stop your pain. I'm gonna redeem your pain, to give your pain, meaning, and I want to work through that pain phenomena use it to bring life to yourself and to the world and by the way, Jesus tells Peter verse 23 that until he understands this. He should stop speaking for Jesus, get behind me Satan means Peter shut your mouth until you understand this, you see a lot of immature Christians today and a lot of them have radio shows and TV ministries who teach that Jesus is somehow the ultimate good luck charm and you walk with him the right way. He's obligated to remove any bad things that whatever happened to you.

Financial hardship health problems, challenges with your kids. He promises to make all your foul shots go in and the maker stock soar.

So what happens when people believe this when they go through bad things they think that God is somehow not keeping up his end of the deal.

Jesus never said that when we came to him, he would handle the problems in our lives and ID indicates. A lot of times we come to him they intensify.

That's what Karen across means, then at the problem. This promise is that in these problems. He will work to produce life in you and in others, so here's a question. When you figure that out when you figure out the Jesus may not save you from all earthly pain or you can keep following him when he disappoints you in some area are you going to keep following the peters credit go away. We got respect to gotta get called Satan by Jesus and says I'm not going anywhere it on record this year, but there was another time when Jesus made statements like this one, and a bunch of of the followers of Jesus while like we're rolling to you when you tell him what he will even bring her life together and restore the missing piece and given a solid families and filling romance. But all the suffering for me. Stop.

That's not what we signed up for an eloquent following Jesus and Jesus turns the disciples and Peter. He says you guys can go away. Also, Peter's response is not inspiring. Peters like where else we can. I got nothing else to do I Susan got nothing else to do your the only one with the words of eternal life in Jesus. I like what you're saying and it's making me mad and I don't agree with it but you obviously have the words of eternal life, and so I'd rather be here with you even when you met me at me mad that I would be anywhere without you. Ultimately, Peter passed his test for you to hear what I see you show on TLC. How does he know how does he know you asked on that Internet? Call ninety-day fiancé and it's totally unoriginal. It's not a get to me that I would recommend it to you by the means, but may suggest is this on page all these applications and they they match you up with what is an ideal fiancé and then you got 90 days that you guys are together is 90 days. You gotta decide if you want to be with the person that you thought you wanted to be with because you know what happens is there's a lot of things that when you deal with a real person. Don't match up with the resume and all the sudden you like without another that not another think that you know what that you know is he got 90 days. I see that premise of that show and I like that's what I thought I want. Sometimes the pastor people do a Jesus.

They come in with this idea of who he is supposed to be and then inevitably some it happens and he disappoints you even work something out the way that you think you supposed to work it out for. He says something in the Bible not well had no idea that was in there now to know about that.

And now you're in that point where you're in the middle of a test. The question is even walk away are you in a pasture ninety-day test so to speak.

Are you to let Jesus be who he is or you going to force him to be who you wanted to be. Which leads me to number five. Jesus six committed followers, not anonymous consumers. Jesus seeks committed followers, not anonymous consumers. He ends this whole discussion. Verse 24 by say whoever was to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me explain you before that in those days they would not have regarded the cross is a piece of sentimental jewelry or cool tattoo you put on your ankle, and a friend who collected ornamental crosses from around the world and she displayed them on her living room wall. Not that's cool. There's nothing wrong with that but nobody in those days would've done that when a cross around your neck will be awkward, inequitable electric chairs dangling from it or like heaven is the lock screen on your phone. The picture visual of a beheading or somebody and Hong are being shot.

The idea of the cross is kind of an ornamental cinnamon warning that wouldn't come for hundreds of years later, in the church for them. It was a horrific evocative symbol of death and shame Jesus was telling them that if we really gonna follow him. Sometimes our obedience to him is not gonna feel like abundant life. Sometimes our obedience to him as gonna feel like death. That's what Karen across means write this down. Salvation is free. It cost us nothing.

The following Jesus will eventually cost you something, maybe everything. Salvation is free. It's a gift that he gives and cost you anything but following him will eventually cost you something. You see, there are all kinds of things a Jesus provides for you and you following gives you the assurance of heaven put stability in your family gives you the promise of his work in all things for your good. But at some point faithfulness to him as gonna feel like death means your desire to go one way and easier to tell you to go the other. For example, EEs irritating interrelationship that you want in these imitate uproot your life and build upon one of our church plants even though one party or 10 year plan is to tell you to make a financial sacrifice. That's totally can alter your lifestyle. These imitate or forgive somebody that you don't want to forgive is to tell you to deny your desires and submit to his vision of sexuality is imitated.

Take a stand on something to be much easier for Eunice to be silent about these imitate a take somebody into your home that you don't really want to tell you to speak the gospel to somebody that you're intimidated by for some of you would simply the call to be baptized. Maybe put all the save. You can get wet for Jesus. So you really ready to carry the cross at some point obedience to Jesus as gonna take you in a direction hundred and 80° opposite of where you want to go, and when that happens you're going to have to answer the question why are you following Jesus. Are you following him because of something you think that he can do for you or you following him because you want him more than anything and you be willing to give up anything and everything just to have him you see a consumer is somebody who follows Jesus to get something from him.

A follower is somebody would leave anything else just to have him what Jesus says to Peter. He says to us.

I'm not going to tell you Peter that if you follow me, you'll avoid pain.

In fact, it might intensify what I'm in a promise you is that always be with you in that pain that I'll never leave you or forsake you in that pain that I will be using and redeeming all that pain for my good purposes. Is that enough is not enough is enough.

Are you a consumer looking for something from Jesus, or are you a follower is content with Jesus about to get up on your business here this morning when he got his middle list of a few indications that you're a consumer not follow right. I'm not your judge, my judgment, these are indications that are probably consumer, not a follower. You have areas of your life or you know that you are not in alignment with what God wants. Maybe the small areas, but it is not convenient for you right now as you will gotta be a part of my life unassailable to be apart from him, but I'm not ready to bring this part of my life and along with him Psalms, postpone obedience right there your consumer not a follower, you never offered your career or your future to God I got news for you. God wants more than Sunday morning. He wants the other 6 1/2 days.

Also never offered your full career your future to God you never offered your possessions, that him to ask what he wants to do with them. You don't spend time with God daily. Your attendance at church is sporadic and when you come you sit on the sidelines don't volunteer you're not involved in ministry. Your kids are not involved in student ministry are not involved in a small group you're a consumer not really a follower about this one, you've yet to act on Jesus's first command to be baptized as a public confession of your faith healing which is inconvenient. Jesus, I didn't say is a convenient said follow me which reason you begin to obey and not postpone tomorrow what I tell you to do today is a Jesus ask us like you to appear for confession doesn't want to be anonymous which you own it publicly.

I want you to declare to others, not ashamed of me that you're willing to boldly confess before others who I am and you're ready and willing to go all the way with me once you once you own it. Personally check this out. My name is Anna Parr and I have been coming to the Alamance campus at Summit since January. I was baptizes baby and when you have been a part in the same church until I went to college and it was a huge part of what I did throughout high school, middle school as a baby is honestly a wonderful thing, something that something you have to decide for yourself.

That's my relationship with Christ is really sending him as my own decision and nonadherence on the so grateful that they started off as funny since I came to some extent in a different outlet in the church I grew up on. It was an unbeliever baptism is that you're not hesitating and here I'm just hearing about baptism probably doesn't apply to me because I have seen the church and in God is relentless. My hiring quiet time and prayers is really showing me that this is something for me right now is not as God is not naming and living your