SETTING OUR MIND ON GOD’S INTEREST

Mark 8:31-38

 

Jesus began to teach His disciple about His rejection by the religious leaders of Israel.  Previously Jesus had spoken to His disciples in Parables or Proverbs, but now He spoke in plain direct words. Verse 32….”stating the matter plainly” or in the KJV “He spoke this word openly.”

 

Now Peter steps in taking matters into his own hands.  He pulled Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him, but Jesus, seeing the other disciples, rebuked Peter by saying, “Get behind Me Satan”.

Peter’s rebuke was turned against himself because he has allowed Satan to motivate his thinking.

Peter’s problem was that he was thinking along human lines, not from God’s perspective.

 

There are three ways, or three conditions laid down to set our mind on God’s interest.

 

  1. Deny Yourself – This means to lose sight of one’s self and one’s own interest.  It must be a change from a consuming interest in self to a selfless serving of God.
  2. Take Up Your Cross – Be prepared to face martyrdom - execution on the cross was the practice of the Romans.

  3. Follow Me – When Jesus spoke of following Him, He meant not only the idea of imitating Christ as a way of life, but also that of suffering even to the point of death.

 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, rate yourself on these three previous statements.

 

Verse 38 says:  “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

 

To refuse the demands of discipleship expressed in Verse 34 (…”If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up is cross, and follow Me.”), is to be ashamed of Jesus and His teaching and brings eternal consequences.

 

The paradox of the Christian life is this:

One must lose to gain, die to live, and be humbled to be exalted.

 

Jesus calls upon His followers to make an unequivocal commitment to Him,  It is clearly a matter of choice.

 

I challenge you to set your mind on God’s interest by:

  1. Denying Self

  2. Taking Up Your Cross

  3. Following Jesus

 

 

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