Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
April 7, 2002 P.M.
Following The Christ Of The Cross
Reading - 1 Peter 2.21-25 & Matthew 16.24-25
This morning... We talked about what it meant to glory in the cross... More correctly... How to glory in the Christ of the Cross. Peter says... To this you were called... Because Christ suffered for you... Leaving you an example... You should follow in His steps. Jesus said... If anyone would come after Me... He must deny himself... Take up his cross and follow me. John writes... Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked. Question!... Are we following Jesus... Are we walking as He walked?
Many today want to go to the Holy Land... To Palestine... To Jerusalem... To the Sea of Galilee... So they can walk where Jesus walked. That's great... That excites me to... I would like to go... But this is not what Peter, John and Jesus had in mind when they ask us to follow Jesus... Is it? Perhaps Paul expresses it best when he told the Philippian church and us here tonight... Let the mind that was in Christ be in you.
- You see... His attitudes must become our attitudes.
- We are to adopt His disposition.
- His feelings must be our feelings,
- Where Jesus stood on religious... social... and moral issues, must be where we stand.
- His priorities and interest must become our priorities and interest.
- We must strive to walk where Jesus walked.
Why you say?... I believe Peter gives us three reasons here in our text...
First, because we are called. Some are ready to say, this doesn't apply to me because I have never received a call from God. Sure you have!... Listen to Peter from Acts 2.38 and 39... Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.
Titus 2.11-14 tells us... For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared ... (NOTE NOW)... To All Men... Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. If you know the Gospel Story... If you know about Jesus and the cross... Then you have been called.
Second... Paul says we should follow Jesus because He suffered for us. We have been bought with a price.... Our sin pardon has been purchased by His death on the cross. The Hebrews writer maintains that... He died one time for all mankind. We have been redeemed... sanctified... cleansed by His blood. We have been set free from eternal death... from hell... by the cross... And when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed... Indeed!!
Third... We ought to follow Jesus because He has left us an example. The word example in our text is HOOP-O-GRAM. It is used only here in the New Testament... And literally means an underwriting. It speaks to us of something that is to be copied over... traced... drawn over.
- Jesus is our original.
- He is the master copy.
- Our example.
- Our model.
- Life's pattern.
Now... Ours is...
- To trace over...
- To copy Jesus' lifestyle...
- To walk as He walked...
- To have the same mind...
- To follow in His footprints.
In the upper room... Jesus said... I have left you an example that you should do as I have done.
OK... Let's see what we can learn about following this Christ of the Cross.
We Must Follow Jesus In his Holiness
First Peter one reads like this?... Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." Did you hear it?... Be holy in all you do... Be holy... Because I am holy.
In the Greek, holy is hagos... Things set apart for God... Things used in worship to God. The temple was holy... The priesthood of Aaron was holy... Jerusalem was the holy city... Things set apart for God's use and purpose. That's us!... That's us... We are to be people set apart for God's use and purpose!
Listen to First Peter 2.9-11... You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
Peter says that following Jesus results in us being...Different...Peculiar People...Those willing to be different from the rest of the world. Here is where the problem is... Sometimes we want to:
- Dress like the world...
- Look like the world...
- Act like the world...
- Love like the world...
- Be like the world.
Jesus says... You can't do that and follow Me at the same time. Paul tells us in Romans 12 that... We must not allow the world to squeeze us into its mold.
We Must Try To Follow Jesus In Loving And Serving Others
Listen to First Peter 1.22... Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers... Love one another deeply. The King James says... Love fervently. The Greek here is AGAPE... It is a love of the will... A love that loves because we...
- We will to love.
- We decide to love...
- We determine to love.
Paul gives us a definition of AGAPE in First Corinthians 13...
Agape is patient.
Agape is kind.
Agape does not envy.
Agape does not boast.
Agape is not proud.
Agape is not rude.
Agape is not self-seeking
It is not easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Agape does not delight in evil... But rejoices with the truth.
Agape always protects the reputation of others... Always trusts others... Always hopes for the best from others... Always perseveres.
Agape never fails!!
I believe First Peter 3.8 tells us how to practice this love... All of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.
If we will follow Jesus we must have a people centeredness. Jesus was into people... Not the things of this world... BUT PEOPLE!! Why do you suppose God ask us to love one another? First Peter 4.8 answers that question for us... Above all, love each other deeply... (WHY... DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAYS NEXT?)... Because love covers over a multitude of sins.
No... I don't understand all that is meant in this verse... Let's just accept it and practice it... RIGHT? Loving one another covers our sins.... I need this don't you?
We Must Try To Follow Jesus In Craving Spiritual Food
Peter says... Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. How many of us are into growing spiritually?
- Jesus at age 12 was intent on... Being about His Fathers business.
- Jesus said... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
- He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.
I believe Peter tells us how to grow in the first chapter of his second letter... Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is shortsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Walking as Jesus walked means we have a craving... A longing to be better than we are today.
We Must Follow Jesus In Perseverance
Luke 9.51 tells us that... Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem. Jesus resolutely determined to fulfill His purpose in coming to this earth and that was to experience the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus said... For this cause came I into the world. The Hebrews writer encourages us to... Look to Jesus, because He is both the author and finisher of our salvation. Aren't you glad Jesus persevered... Finished our salvation?
Paul lets us know that the crown of life is for those who are willing to fight the fight...finish the course... keep the faith... The crown is for those who persevere.
Then there is what Peter wrote in First Peter 4.12-19... Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and (WHAT?)... Continue to do good... Persevere!!
You see church... The prize of God... The crown of life is reserved for those who will persevere... those faithful unto and until death.
We Must Follow Jesus In Submission
One cannot read First and Second Peter without noting that Christ-followers are to be those who submit to authority... Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.... Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh... Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.
Submissiveness is a concept that has fallen in disrepute today. We don't like to think that we must to be subject to somebody... anybody. I've got to tell you... This is not Bible thinking...
This is not Christ-likeness... Jesus lived in submission. Philippians 2 says... He did not count equality with God something to be held on to, but emptied Himself taking on the very nature of a servant, submitting to death, even death on the cross. You see... Everyone must submit to someone.
- Slaves are to submit to their masters.
- Children to their parents.
- Wives to husbands.
- Men to Christ as head of the church.
- The church is to submit to the authority of the Eldership.
- Ephesians 5.21 tells us that we are to submit to one another.
Christ was submissive to God... Even God was submissive. He became flesh and dwelt among us. There is no such thing as eternal life without submission to God's will through the Word. We must follow Jesus.
We Must Follow Him In Evangelism.
His agenda must become our agenda. Jesus said... I came to seek and save the lost... I came to call sinners to repentance. Listen to Peter... Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts... Always being ready to make a defense... To give an answer... To everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. You see... Jesus had a message for the lost... Do we?
We talked Wednesday night about the fact that evangelism was not just verbal... It is also by lifestyle. Peter tells us that as God's chosen people... His royal priesthood... As His holy nation... We declare His praises... The word declare here is from the Greek word evangelo... To proclaim. You see, we preach Jesus daily by the life we live. Then Peter tells wives in chapter three.... That it is possible to win their husbands without saying a word... By their submissive behavior. You see. each and everyone of us can follow Jesus... become evangelistic... RIGHT?
Well we must stop... but,
We Are To Follow Jesus In Dying To Self.
I will not preach this point... But let Jesus and Paul speak for themselves... Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, 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 will find it... What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning, so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
Come to Jesus... Come follow the Christ of the cross... As we sing this invitation song.
Will you come!!
