A Life of Shame
September 26, 2009
Pastor Darryl Bentley
Midland SDA Church
Homiletical Idea: Jesus calls us to live our lives for Him, by taking up our cross. To do this means that Jesus becomes foremost in all that we do and our desires become secondary. To accept Christ and live without Him being first is to live a life of shame. Unless we are willing to spread the good news about Christ everywhere we go then we place ourselves in a position to be—by action—ashamed of Him.
Summer Friend
Have you ever had a friend that treated you differently when certain people were around? I have. I can recall a time when a so-called friend of mine treated me this way. I met him during the summer through another friend and we connected right off. We were both into the same music, the same sports, and lots of other things. We would get together at each other’s homes and hang out and go do stuff together.
When it was time for school to start back our friendship changed in a major way. During the summer we were the closest of friends, but when school started back he seemed to not want to hang out with me when certain people were around. It did not take me long to realize that he was not a real friend at all. He was only hanging out with me because his actual friends were off doing stuff with their families through the summer.
I later found out that the reason the group did not want me around was because I would not mess with drugs. My summer friend wanted to smoke pot and I would not have anything to do with dope so they did not want me around to spoil their “fun”.
Transition to the Text
When I think back on my relationship with this guy it makes me think about our Christian walk. It makes me think about how Christ wants to be our friend and walk with us in every aspect of our lives. How did Jesus suggest that we do this? Today I want us to consider what it means to live for Christ in all aspects of our life. I want us to consider the implication of not sharing our faith with the world around us. Does it lead to a shameful life?
Turning our text we find Christ having spent time with the disciples. In this same chapter we have the story of the 4,000 being fed. The disciples were present for yet another major miracle.
Afterwards Jesus was talking with the disciples and He began to tell them that He would have to suffer and die (Mark 8:31). Peter did not want to hear this and he tried to rebuke Jesus (vs. 32). Can you imagine having the nerve to rebuke Jesus? Yet this is what Peter did. Of course Jesus did not stand for it, and turned it right around on Peter (vs. 33).
We notice then how Jesus begins to tell us the role that we must play as those who chose to follow Him.
**Read Mark 8:34, 35**
Bearing the Cross
What does it mean to take up your cross? Bearing a cross involves several things we should consider.
1. First of all carrying a cross is a symbol of shame and suffering.
2. Those who were condemned to die by crucifixion were forced to carry their cross through the streets to the place where their cross would be erected.
3. Everyone around them would have known what was going on. You could not carry a cross and hope to hide from anyone.
4. Carrying that cross meant that you were bound to a certain fate that was not changeable. Once condemned to die, die you must.
Bearing the Christian Cross
So how does this relate to the Christian walk for us today? Does bearing the Christian cross today have the same meanings for us? Yes and no.
1. To bear our cross for Jesus today may surely mean that we may have to suffer for Christ. Around the world today there are many who might potentially lose their lives if it is revealed that they are Christians. In places like Iran, Myanmar, India, and China it can be life-threatening to openly proclaim to be a Christian. For us as Americans right now there is no threat to us as Christians, but that may change one day.
2. What about carrying our cross through the streets? Since carrying the cross meant it was a public thing I would ask the question to each of you here today as to how public is your faith? Does the world around you know that you belong to Jesus? Do your co-workers know that you serve a risen Savior or have you been too worried about corporate policies to open live or Christ? What about your neighbors? Do they know that you serve Jesus or have you been too afraid to knock on the door and tell them about your Jesus?
3. What about not being able to hid your faith? Are you so in love with Christ that it comes through in everything that you do? I have known people that when you talk to them they always find a way to bring God into the conversation. Yes, we have to be careful so we don’t turn people off, but we should look at it like fishing I think. When the opportunity presents itself we should dangle the bait and see if they bite. If they do share more!
4. Lastly, we said carrying the cross meant they were bound to a certain fate. As modern-day Christians do we feel bound to the fate of the cross? Meaning, do we recognize that we must follow Jesus anywhere He sends us even if that leads to our death? Have you settled in your mind as a follower of Christ that you will never leave nor forsake Him?
These are some powerful ideas to consider. I wonder if we who live in the comfort that we do in our country even realize the impact we could be having within our circle of influence.
Losing Your Soul
After Jesus speaks of carrying the cross and then telling the crowd they must bear their cross for the Lord He makes the point that it is better to lose your life for God than to live a life that causes you to forfeit heaven.
Jesus basically boils it down to two choices. He says that you either take up your cross with all of the implications that brings, or you choose the world and eventually not only lose your earthly life but also the eternal life that He longs to give you.
That is why He asks the question that He does about gaining the world and losing your soul.
What is Your Soul Worth?
Having studied this passage, I think that the pivotal verse is 37. It is verse 37 that really forces us to weigh out within our minds what really matters the most to us. It is interesting to note that Jesus uses the word exchange. He asks us to consider the question, “What is more valuable than being with God for eternity?”
We as Christian pastors often preach the concept of surrender to Christ. And I believe with deep certainty that in order to truly live for Christ we must be totally sold out to Him. We must be willing to lay everything down and let Him have it. But this is easier said than done is it not? But it does not have to be that way. When we wrestle with something that God wants us to let go of we should not try to do it in our own strength or ability. We should pray and ask for divine power to overcome sin in our lives.
Fasting & Praying: The Tool to Victory
Some people use fasting to overcome evil in their lives. Do you recall the story from Matthew 17 where the disciples were unable to cast out the demon? Hold your place in Mark and let’s look at this story briefly.
Here the disciples had tried to cast out this demon that had tormented this boy from his childhood, but they were unable. When he was brought to Jesus He had no trouble casting it out. When questioned about this Jesus told them the secret to having the ability to cast out this type of demon. He said that it only comes through “fasting and praying” (Matthew 17:21).
Some times the things that we cling to in this life that cause us to exchange our souls for the world do not let go of us easily. An each person’s “demons”, so to speak, can be different. What trips me up might not affect you at all and visa verse.
· Your demon might be appetite.
· Your demon might be alcohol.
· Your demon might be smoking.
· Your demon might be pornography.
· Your demon might be gossiping about others.
· Your demon might be lying.
· Your demon might be harboring bitterness toward others in the church.
The list could go on and on, but the message is quite clear I think. We should all recognize that there is something that affects each of us, and if we do not give that to Christ then we jeopardize our eternal home with Him. And sometimes we may not be able to overcome the demon that haunts us unless we fast and pray about it.
How does fasting work? It is actually quite simple; when you fast you chose to do without something—likely food—for a specified period of time; usually a day or two. During that period each time you begin to crave food you simply lift up a prayer and ask God to give you victory over the demon in your life. Please note I am not trying to say you have a literal demon inside you. I am simply using the word to compare it to the things which trouble us and keep us from following Christ all the way. The hunger pangs you feel during the fast become the reminder that you need to pray for victory over that which keeps you from
I have used this in my own life and I can tell you with assurance that it works. But no matter what your demon is you must get victory over it so that you can answer Jesus’ question from verse 37. What will you exchange for your soul?
Life of Shame
This brings us to the last verse of our passage this morning. **Read Mark 8:38.
Did you notice that this passage is wrapped in shame? When Jesus began this talk with the disciples and the crowd He told them they must take up their cross and follow Him. We have already talked about how the cross is a symbol of shame to the world and especially those in the world in Jesus’ day. Everyone who heard Jesus talk that day had likely seen some poor soul die the horrible death of crucifixion.
1. But we need to realize that to bear the cross of Christ is to only be shamed in the eyes of the world.
2. To bear the cross of Christ separates us from the world in that we do not suffer their fate.
3. But to bear the cross of Christ means that we please the Lord and we have no shame in His eyes.
But then we come to the last portion of the passage and shame is brought full circle. In the last portion we discover that to deny Christ and to refuse to take up our cross means that we then find shame not in the eyes of the world but the eyes of God. To find shame in the eyes of God means that when Jesus comes we will have no place with Him.
Wrap-up & Appeal
When I was in junior high school I had a girlfriend. Her name was not Ginger because I had not met her yet. This girlfriend was not the prettiest of girls, but when I agreed to be her boyfriend I was more concerned with simply having someone to call a girlfriend. You see there was a girl that I really liked and I wanted to impress her with the fact that I had a girlfriend.
The sad part is that each morning as all the kids were walking the halls and mingling before classes I would purposely avoid walking with my girlfriend. You see although I wanted this other girl to know I had a girlfriend to try to make her jealous, I did not want to be seen with her because she was not very pretty. Wasn’t that shameful behavior? I should have been beaten for acting that way.
But how many of us treat Jesus the same way by how we live our lives. Do you want to profess to the church family that you love Jesus so that they will be impressed with you only to walk out the door of the church and pretend you do not know Him?
· Do you live a life of shame by the way you deny Christ at work?
· Do you live a life of shame by the way you deny Christ at school?
· Do you live a life of shame by the way you deny Christ when you’re around family that does not believe?
· Do you live a life of shame by the way you deny Christ where you live?
· OR-- Do you live a life of shame by in the eyes of the world so that your life is pleasing to God?
Friends, I cannot speak for you today, but when I look at this passage I realize that one way or another I am going to live a life of shame. I am either going to live a life of shame in the eyes of the world as I follow all that Christ has given me, or I am going to live a life of shame in the eyes of God as I choose to exchange the things of this world for my soul. Either way I am going to lead a life of shame, but I can choose which life, and today, I choose Christ.