Call To Die

Then [Jesus] said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, HCSB)

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Location: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

follower of Christ, husband of Abby, father of Christian, Georgia Grace, and Rory Faith, deacon at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, tutor with Scholé Christian Tradition and Scholé Academy

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Chapel notes, 2/17/09

[Read the official chapel live-blog at Towers Online. Hear spring semester chapel sermons of Southern Seminary HERE.]

"Gospel Clarity and the Call to Suffer." Matthew 16:13-28. Dr. Denny Burk, dean of Boyce College.

We live in a culture that is in opposition to Jesus Christ. This problem is often within our own congregation.

Dr. Burk talked about treating the "sinner's prayer" as a magical incantation, confessing that he had done this in his younger days.

1. Gospel confession (vv. 13-20)
a. Jesus' question to the disciples (v.13)
b. The crowd's consensus that Jesus was some kind of prophet (v.14)
i. This consensus shows that the crowd was either too ignorant or too belligerent to acknowledge Christ for who He is.
ii. To say a whole lot of good things about Jesus without saying the main things about Him is unfaithfulness and disrespect on our part.
c. Peter's confession of Christ (vv. 15-16)
i. "Christ," as explained through OT prophesies of the Messiah, refers to Israel's deliverer.
ii. "Son of God," as explained through OT prophesies of the descendant of David called "the Son of God," refers to the true, everlasting king of the world.
d. God's causing this confession (vv. 17-20)
i. God's power reveals the gospel.
ii. [Cross-reference to John 6...]
iii. This means that we must not try to gloss over difficult parts of the gospel to "sell" it.

2. Gospel clarification (vv. 21-23)
a. Jesus gospel work explained (v.21)
b. Peter's rebuke of Jesus (v.22)
c. Jesus' opposition to the temptation coming through Peter (v.23)

3. Gospel call (vv. 24-28)
a. As Jesus had to die, His disciples must die as well; death is the way of discipleship (v.24)
b. Jesus presents a paradox, based on different senses of the word "life" (v.25-28)
i. Death is not a net loss, but a net gain, for disciples of Jesus.
ii. Disciples of Jesus can face death without fear due to the gospel promises.
iii. The Great Commission, according to the way Jesus defines His terms, means that we go throughout the world teaching people to be willing to die for Jesus.
iv. The gospel will not go throughout the world without martyrs.

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