Follower or Consumer?

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer when you discover when you find out that he may not remove every problem from your life you're going to go with a funny moment in your face you go to a test like Peter did not tell us that defining moment is, essentially, this question why are you following Jesus. As always, I'm your host Ali, but abets you Christians might be in the world and not still impacted by our consumerist culture. We shop around at different stores to get the best price haggle with the cable company to get a better package or throw things out when they no longer serve our needs is nothing wrong with that mindset in the business world but it does get dangerous when we bring that into our churches today. Pastor Jenny talks about the problem of consumer Christianity. Remember you can always reach out to us@jdgreer.com or give us a call at 866-335-5220. We have resources available to help you along your journey with Jesus.

We'd love to hear from you today. Now here's Pastor JD with a question for all. Are you a follower.

Consumer today I want to talk with you last summer series you're called phantom faith. I want to talk with probably the worst oxymoron of the mall and that is half committed Christian. Many people try to be how committed Christians they want just enough of Jesus. It seems to get them to heaven, but not enough to make them radical, not enough to make them a fanatic, according to Jesus, as I hope to show you this weekend. There is no such thing as 1/2 committed follower of his there is is our final week in a series that we are calling phantom faith.

Workers were talking about people who go to the motions of Christianity do so without the soul. I really wanted to call this eerie zombie faith that our creative director told me there was no way in any chance were going to call any message, series the word zombie in it so we settled on phantom, but I have my passive aggressive nature is work that is an illustration into every single message that I could stick it to her, but anyway phantom faith is the idea is you draw zombies a body without a soul is a body separated from a soul in their many people are going to the motions of Christianity.

Whether doing so without the soul, and I know something's missing. There's there's there's joy missing in your life of motivation missing in your life.

There's just you thought you're going to the motions and there's a lot of people that that would describe so we look at three misconceptions that keep people from the soul of Christianity the very first week we looked at was how so few people understand what it actually means to be saved by faith. The idea that salvation is received not achieve there's very few people that a lot of people just don't understand exactly what that means. Secondly, we explored how Christian salvation is is about more than just forgiveness is forgiveness. But it's also resurrection power that transforms your life from the inside out.

This week I want to look at what is perhaps the biggest contributor of the Malta phantom faith is the idea that you can be partially committed to Jesus.

The misconception begins with how most people came to God. Most of us are seeking to God as a consumer. We felt like God had something that we needed you were missing something in your life. Maybe just got to where you felt overwhelmed. Life is too big even if you went to a crisis or not. I can't make it without gods that drove you back to him. Some of you came to God because you're scared of going to hell if you're really honest. That was the reason is like water want to go to hell and they seem to hold the keys to that so let me get a limiter how to get on his good side to you needed him to get you out of out of Ellen and Devon. Others of you felt like you needed religion to have a stable family to tell you how many people I see is a pass-through is when they have kids they start get back in church when it was just you you know you were worried about it. We resist you and your wife, your dual income no kids worried about it and had kids you let my kids are grown up to be pagans and I don't want them to grow up outside of the faith, and so I gotta get back in church and that's what brought you back or maybe just felt like you needed religion to be a good person, a complete balance person. Whatever it was you came to Jesus because you believed that he had something that you needed that he could supply something that you needed an honest service and there's nothing really wrong with that God uses our need to show us that we can't make it on around that's that's the way that he works with. Here was the mistake that we made. We thought that Christianity primarily consisted in us getting something from Jesus, rather than surrendering ourselves to Jesus. We assume that Jesus was someone that we could add to our lives rather than someone to whom we offered our lives. Jesus seems to have dealt with that all the time. The reason I say that is because over to look at today more chapter 8 is a series of statements that every single gospel writer includes which may not be that significant EU but it draws how many things didn't get included in all four Gospels. John 316 only appears one.God's will the world he gave his only son. What you're looking at is something that appears in all four Gospels Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the guy who wrote it was a German pastor who was executed for a failed assassination them on Adolf Hitler. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Ida book called the cost of discipleship set said the documents recorded in all four Gospels indicates it must be something that Jesus just repeatedly work into every sermon so me all irritated. I tell the same story to make the same point in certain sermon Jesus did. It's a deal with it right. But this is one that was central to his message. If the conversation he has with the future, head of the church himself. I would go mark a verse 27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way. Jesus asked his disciples, people say that I am make told him all John the Baptist. Some people say of the sale. I just another's one of the prophets.

Verse 29 but he asked them who do you say that I am Peter answered and you are the Christ. Now that's a big big deal. The Jewish people been waiting for the Christ for 3000 years. Christ just means the promised one, it's the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, that Christ God had said would overthrow Roman oppression or whoever was oppressing the Jews of the time that Messiah would right all wrongs. The Christ would stop injustice, the Christ would put an end to the curse and restore the kingdom of God on earth. And Peter says is a big deal Jesus.

We recognize that the one we been talking about for 3000 years.

That one is you.

Verse 31 Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and then after three days he would rise again and he said this very plainly without metaphor. New lodges came out and said it we already make any sense to Peter I Messiah that suffers the Christ was supposed to put an end to suffering not actually suffer himself.

So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him every week after the first service we do here at 4 o'clock I have a little team of people to meet me backstage and we go over the sermon line by line, at which point they tell me what I said that it makes sense. What I said that was wrong way, tell me jokes that I made that were lame and I should not repeat again.

They do that it takes a lot of nerve to do that with Jesus after he gets done teaching Peter takes him aside the sermon critique with them.

As is usually said that it was wrong. Verse 33, but turning and seeing his disciples.

Jesus rebuked Peter to get behind me Satan, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God.

You're setting them on in the things of man by the way, one of the reasons we know the Bible's authentic is that it includes stories like this one were talking about the future, head of the church and Jesus calls him. Satan asked you this, if you were making up stories to try to bolster your floundering religious movement is Abidjan a store that you would make up if you are try to get a sinecure of the triangle to come visit our church would you got all you are pastor flunked out of seminary for cheating and Jesus was caught in the great Satan. No, that's not the kind of thing he would make up the only reason he put it in there to the stroke. It's true now. Usually when you rebuke somebody you do it privately. That's just polite right. The fact that Jesus does this publicly means that whatever Peter said was so dangerous and so wrong that Jesus felt like it needed a public rebuke see where it says that he saw his disciples he saw is that we gotta correct this and run everybody so verse 34 calling the crowd to him with his disciples came did not the desire, you gotta bring everybody in on Peter stupidity is likely or more embarrassed you are always people able to write on the Bible for 2000 years and we talk about what a dumb thing you said you said to them if anyone would come after me then to deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me know what Jesus said here was shocking and sometimes a fight we lose the impact of it because cross that word. This is not conjure up the same images for us that he did for them for us.

The cross is a sentimental symbol of our faith. We decorate our houses with it and is somebody who you know. Their goal is to collect decorative crossmember, and the world have all displayed in the living room for you. The cross is a piece of jewelry you wear on your neck that's made out of gold or diamond about man's this. How many of you right now at so I'm someplace on your body, whether it's in your ear or around your neck or you got it tattooed with the grills in your teeth I out of whatever you have, across either on your body or displayed it somewhere decoratively in your home or Adrian MIGHT suit like three quarters of us. Now I am not try to say that you shouldn't have that. I'm just trying to say there was something nothing. It was nothing sentimental or decorative for them about the cross. It was an image of oppression of death of horror of torture to be like a freed slave in the 19th century, wearing a little lynching rope around her neck.

Today you go to somebody's house never cross above the kitchen table where they have one about their you know in their babies room above the crib and you don't think anything about it. But imagine going over to somebody's house and above their table. They have a picture of somebody standing in front of a firing squad, and then you go into their into the nursery and dangling from the mobile about their babies crib parcel little hangman's nuisance you not about how sweet their religious you say kids we don't really play this person's house right we don't spend any time alone there unattended, now I get I'm not trying to tell you that you should wear cross decorate your house with it and try to make sure that you don't lose a shot of what Jesus said because Jesus uses this image to confront a satanic perversion of faith, the one that is still commonly held by Christians Christians rabbits crossed had to do their body forward around her neck rabbit hanging up in the home. I satanic perversion of faith, one that is held even by Peter at this point in his life is called consumer faith consumer faith and has three elements. Here they are for taking notes number one you have consumer faith if you expect Christ to remove all hardship from your life.

Peter assumed that the Messiah would end suffering for God's people on this wasn't without warrants. The Old Testament repeatedly promised that I Messiah was going to come who would end injustice right wrongs and suffering restore the kingdom but see there was also a lot of talk in the Old Testament about a suffering servant, and the identity of the suffering servant confuse the Jewish people, but they never in a million years. Imagine that the suffering servant and the conquering Christ for the same person. So Peter, along with most Jews of his time could not conceive of a suffering Messiah. And so he expresses what I consider to be the heart of Christian immaturity. The heart of Christian immaturity.

Is this Jesus Christ came so that I would not suffer Jesus says no Peter I'm gonna save you from suffering. I'm going to save you through suffering and in the same way. I'm not going to stop your pain in this life. I'm going to redeem that pain and I'm going to give that pain, meaning having the going to use that pain to bring life to yourself and your family in the world just like him to use my suffering and my pain to bring life to you and Jesus tells Peter that until he understands that he should stop speaking for the Messiah. You think it's hard to get behind me Satan is clear that Jesus and shut your mouth until you understand that I literally look in your Bible number, starting in verse 30 it says use it. Do not talk about me any longer until you get this right with Jaden rear will be right back with more teaching and just a moment but first let me remind you that as were learning this week. It's not enough to simply go through the motions of Christianity. We need a faith that truly the best way to do that is through community we want to help you learn how to connect more fully with those that are closest to you and our devotional called devotions for the distracted family 15 days on relationships rest and a comes with your generous gift to the ministry right now so give us a call and think think 352 20 were checking out Jaden rear.com now to get right back to today's teaching is pastor Jane see there's a lot of immature Christians today who still believe in many understandable points. Understandable, but for the still immature Christians who teach that salvation means an end to all suffering in your life and if you suffer God is somehow not keeping up his end of the deal or you still have enough faith.

The end the suffering. But Jesus says salvation does not end the problems in your life back sometimes salvation means the problems in your life intensify. My problem is not my promise is not all these problems are to disappear. My promise is that in these problems I'm going to be working to produce life.

When you discover when you find out that he may not remove every problem from your life you're going to go through a defining moment in your faith you to go to a test like Peter did and a test that defining moment is, essentially, this question why are you following Jesus. Are you following Jesus because of something that you thought that he could do for you or you following him because you believe knowing him was more valuable than anything else that life could give you see every single one of us has certain expectations will become the Jesus your your expectations are not the same as Peter had made Peter believe the Messiah would overthrow Roman give freedom to Israel.

Most of you didn't grow up dreaming about war with Rome. Much like a video gamer and then you probably thought about a lot, but most of us did grow up with a view of Jesus the correspondence to our American consumer is to culture our American consumer listed. Jesus was part genie in a bottle. These part therapist to support life coach personal cheerleader and part financial advisor. He's a Jesus who exists for our purposes, a Jesus who completes our life a Jesus who makes everything better Jesus. It was at her beckon call. Here is the question what are you going to do, what are you going to do when Jesus didn't quite lift a live up to those expectations, there's going to be a moment of truth. If you haven't gone through it already. You're going to go through it. Are you gonna throw up your hands and walk away. On record this year, but another point in the Gospels. When Jesus said this, a lot of Jesus disciples a turn around and left the quit following him and Jesus turns the Peter John chapter 6 as Peter eunuch. What followed me to know if it's honestly not very inspiring. Peter goes where else might you go out about the fishing business.

I got nowhere else to go. You're the one with the words of eternal life. In other words know you have about them expectations and there's some things I don't understand why you didn't do them and understand what you say them and understand why he didn't do this, but I don't know anywhere else I can go because I know that ultimately life means knowing you and everything without you is nothing and I got to know you, even if it means it cost me everything. Peter passed his test. Are you going to pass your test. If you haven't gone through it yet. You're going to go through it where he doesn't do something you thought he should do the cancer doesn't go into remission. The marriage never gets better.

Your husband never comes back. Your kids don't quite turn out the way that you thought they were going to turn out.

You don't get the job you don't get the raise. Whatever it was that you thought he was gonna give you kind that you can understand why he didn't give you if you love me. Why would you give me this and at that point it's going to be a defining moment.

Why are you in this because it's a test for him are you in it because you're in it for him for you in it because of something you thought he could give you the greatest gift he gives us himself. Here is number two you have consumer faith if you think of discipleship in terms of self-fulfillment instead of sacrifice. Peter thought of the crisis somebody would make his life better but now Jesus is talking about willingly picking up across why you in this Peter, are you thinking of following me.

Complete your life. Are you thinking of following me as being an offering of your life for others the way I'm offering mine for you as a the time I think is really became clear to me is when I was a missionary in Southeast Asia.

Been there for about a year and honestly, all things were not going well it it it it had not turned out the way that I thought was gonna turn out. I was lonely, relationally, I was not fulfilled.

I did like I was growing spiritually.

I wasn't fruitful on the mission field and at UTA.

It just nothing's happened wow that was that I was coming out on so's I was mad Jesus, you got nowhere. Here the methods are not well thought out thousands of people versus begets items of the right books and and it's not happening. I remember a friend of mine invited me to a ritual sacrifice, a Muslim sacrifice.

I was heading there was a Muslim and a good worshiper want to observe but it's once a year the door sacrifice that commemorates Abraham's offering of his son and so you have to dress in white and so that you put me on the front row is like 500 people there. Somehow I'm on the front row and I'm already like foot and have told everybody.

And so it's like it's just like I'm just really one of the things bubble and so they that it be these seven men take this bull may do the same way the Jews used to do. It made me think this bull may lay the bold great forcible down on the ground in this Islamic version of a free stick the knife and began to say these ritual prayers have read and then at some point he reaches down and he begins to cut to the neck of this bold I go I do not want to give you that the gruesome details, but it was the most horrendous thing I've ever seen in my life. I know they did it all the time, the Old Testament and I knew about it.

In the Old Testament, but until you are face-to-face and I mean it literally means it to begin the cut to that, neck, and a blood just goes everywhere.

I was like 4 feet from it on the front row and I'm covered in blood and for about 90 seconds. That animal was a cut to its trachea just lays there and thrashes and kicks as blood spews everywhere in wheezes and gasp, and dies and I know that 90 seconds the salad a long time, but when you're standing there with nothing else to look at it seems like an eternity and I'm standing there just overwhelmed by this and the Holy Spirit put one thought in my heart here is that thought you said this is the picture that I gave to Israel about what I was going to go through for their sin. This is the sacrifice I was going to make so that you can have me forever. It is also the picture that I gave to you about what following me was gonna look like. Is this what you signed up for right here because this is what you signed up for, then it doesn't make sense what you're complaining and mad at me because I am a live about the mind of the day is even Jesus bids Amanda common follow Dietrich Bonhoeffer said he did some common die is that what you signed up for is that what you thought you were getting into when you came to Jesus. Are you ready for this to be the picture of your life what you think Jesus purpose was in saving you. Many people assume that it's just becoming a Christian means you clean up your life a little bit, morally, and in response you get. God's help, he takes you to heaven. Jesus said that coming to him means offering your life to him without restriction, offering up your life for the world in sacrifice and service the way that Jesus did his here is my question. I know you say you come to Jesus. Have you ever offered yourself to God. This way one times say that you need to have a Copernican revolution of the soul and I don't take time to explain what I mean by here's what I mean.

Copernicus was the God who figured out that the earth wasn't in the middle of the universe. Up until that point, everybody thought that the universe is rotated around the earth because that's what it looked like Copernicus said no. The sun is at the middle lease of our solar system and we rotate around it. It was a Copernican revolution in science, the discovery that we are not at the center that we orbit around something much bigger than ourselves. A Copernican revolution of the soul is when you finally discover that Jesus is not somebody that you get an orbit in your life that you but what you do is you discover how you get an orbit in his some of you came to Jesus because you like. I need the song to Shauna my career. I need the sun to shine in my family. Funny, dishonest on my relationship Jesus at night. Start with is not anywhere close to being complete.

You don't come to me to add me to your life. You come to offer me into your life. You come to get me an orbit in your life you come to say got everything I have belongs to you and I want to know what you want to do with it. I have no expectations because I'm laying it down as a sacrifice in front of you consumer faces.

God I need you to give me this discipleship says it all exist for you and offer my life as a blank check living he submitted to God's will. The challenge today on Senate life with pastor and theologian JD Greer if you join us late today or if you missed any part of this message you can hear it again online@jdgreer.com GB been blown away by the generosity of our gospel partners we mentioned and often here on the program that remind us again what exactly is a gospel, partners, goodness Molly gospel partners are so much a part of our team here some Allied listeners who become interval pieces of art boldly proclaiming the gospel through our radio and podcasts ministry. One of the things we want to do is we want to saturate the United States and even some areas outside the United States.

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