“What Will It Profit You?”
Mark 8:31-38
Great Question of the Bible Series: 8/8/10
Introduction: A man takes his paycheck, gets in his car, drives to Las Vegas and gambles it all away. A woman tells some lies, covers up some shady deals, and gets a promotion. A politician takes some bribes and gets elected. Why do these people do these things? They do it because they believe it will profit them in some way. The man hopes to turn his paycheck into a million dollars; the woman wants the more glamorous position; the politician wants to become president some day.
In life, we often make choices thinking that there is profit in it for us, only
to find out it was the wrong decision. There is that lure of something better; that hope that we can attain all we believe that we need in life; the feeling that we are lacking something in our lives. Today’s question that we look at is: What will it profit you? A question that Jesus asked to the crowd He was trying to teach; a question that Jesus ultimately asks each of us.
I. Gaining the world- (Mk. 8:31-33; Hebrews 12:1-3; Colossians 3:1-2)
a. Peter’s rebuke- STORY: There once was a little boy who had a
bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and a hammer and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.'
In this passage, we see that Jesus is trying to explain to the people, and His disciples about the suffering and rejection that He will have to go through. Of course the people don’t understand. Why would Jesus need to suffer? Peter especially couldn’t understand it, so he rebuked Jesus for this. We can judge Peter for this action, but it came out of a love for Jesus; it came out of the zeal Peter had as a follower of Jesus.
But often times it is important to use discretion before we act and speak. This is where the story comes in; when we lose our temper, or lose our focus, we will do things that will not gain us anything in this world. Instead, we will usually do detriment to our situation. Instead of rebuking Jesus, Peter should have been really listening to Jesus, and trying to understand what Jesus was saying, and why all this needed to take place. Peter was speaking and acting out without having the knowledge he needed. How often do we do the same? We speak or act before we have adequate information; information that will lead us to make good and right decisions. His being upset, and having his mind set on another plan, hindered Peter from being able to accept the path that was best.
b. Jesus sets Peter straight- Next we see Jesus give a counter-
rebuke. The rebuke is pretty stiff, as Jesus says: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Jesus gives it to Peter straight; Peter has been called to follow Jesus. This following has a purpose: the purpose of Peter to become a disciple who could know the ways of God, and the plan of God, and help to carry out the mission of Jesus after Jesus is gone from this earth. It was imperative that Peter listen, and focus, and develop a spiritual mindset.
The truth is, when we set our mind on our own selfish ways, and/or on the ways of the world, we are being controlled by Satan, and not God. Whenever we do anything that is counter to God’s will, we are benefiting Satan’s plan, and not God’s. That is why Jesus said “get behind me Satan” to Peter. Peter thought his rebuke was out of love, but it really was serving the purpose of Satan.
On top of this, Jesus needed people around Him to help Him in this journey. We know that later Jesus would struggle with this path of going to the cross when He would pray to the Father for another way. It was going to be a hard journey; a journey of suffering, and rejection, and ultimately crucifixion. It would take the strength and support of others around Him for Him to pull this off. That is why Jesus took some disciples with Him when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, so that He would have support, and why He was so disappointed when they fell asleep instead of praying!
Jesus knew that His biggest task with the disciples was to help them learn how to set their mind on divine things. And this is true for us. That is why we are told in Hebrews 12:1-3, “There-fore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with per-severance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” And that is why the apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-2, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Without having this kind of mindset, we cannot carry on the work Christ has set for us to do; we will give in to the ways of the world. And what will it profit you to gain the world?
II. Being ashamed of Jesus- (Mark 8:38)
a. How are we ashamed? STORY: “Where is the safest place?”…..
Someone once tried to figure out where the safest place to be is. They discovered that you should avoid riding in automobiles, because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents./ Also, do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home./ Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians./ Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation./ Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals. But. . ..You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at Church! The moral
of the story? Attend church, and read your Bible IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!
What is the purpose of being in church? Not just to be safe, but to connect our spirit with the Spirit of God; to grow; to be empowered. Every week we have the acolyte come and light the candles. It is the light of Christ. The acolyte lights the south candle first, representing the humanity of Christ, and then the north one, representing the deity of Christ. Then at the end of the service, the acolyte lights the wand from the deity candle, then puts out both candles, and walks the flame out, reminding us that we are to take the light of Christ into the world!
We come to church to be safe and to be built up, so that we can be prepared to take Christ to the world. We are to walk with boldness, not with being ashamed. And how are we ashamed?
1. Maybe you are in a conversation with someone, and the topic of Jesus
comes up, and you choose not to speak for fear of being contradicted or of causing conflict. IN REALITY, YOU ARE ASHAMED. 2. You choose not to say grace at a public meal for fear of having others judge you. 3. Someone invites you to do something on a Sunday morning, but instead of telling them you can’t go with them, because you have church, you choose not to tell them, and go out with them.
b. The results of our being ashamed- We need to understand that
there are results to our being ashamed. In not wanting to be despised by others, we choose to want their approval; their acceptance. We don’t understand, that in many situations we have to make a choice: choose Jesus, or choose people of the world. Those who love Jesus, will accept us. Those who don’t love Jesus will reject us. Just as the rich young ruler had to choose Jesus, or his possessions (and he chose his possessions), so we have to choose between Jesus and the acceptance of those in the world.
Why is it that we want the approval of others? We want to feel loved.
Illustration- There is a TV show that is on this summer called “So You Think You Can Dance.” Tami and I and the kids like to watch this show because of the kinds of dances they show, and the whole experience of the competition. And since it is a competition, they eliminate a dancer each week. Because it is a competition, and they desire to help these dancers improve, there are judges who comment on the dances. Sometimes when a dance doesn’t go well, the judges say critical things about the dancer’s performance. It intrigues me that when they make these negative comments, the audience always boos, and when they make positive comments the audience cheers. The audience only wants to hear positive comments.
This intrigues me, because it causes me to think about how we are afraid of conflict and negative input. But sometimes the negative input should be accepted; almost desired. Why? Because if we are getting negative comments about our faith, it is probably because we are striking a nerve in someone else, and by striking this nerve we can perhaps challenge them to think more about Jesus.
Another result of our being ashamed, Jesus says, is that the Son of Man will be ashamed of us. This is not a good thing, because it is the Son of Man, the Messiah who mediates on our behalf to the Father. And it is not a good thing if your mediator is ashamed of you and your actions. You want your mediator to have full confidence in who you are so that He can lift you up to the Father and remind the Father of the forgiveness and blessings you need in your life. What will it profit you to be ashamed of Jesus?
III. What can you give in return? (Mark 8:37)
a. Where are your values?- When Jesus asks the question in verse
37, ‘what can you give in return?’ Jesus is really helping us to come face to face with what our values are. It is possible to appear to be a success in this life, and yet have lived a life that was not really worth living. Meaning, it is possible to put our values in the wrong place, and achieve the wrong goals.
One such value would be seeking profit. Money is such a big draw for people, that some will do anything to attain it. Therefore, to attain the money he wants, a man may work many hours a week, sacrificing time with his family. In the end, he gets his money, but sacrifices his family. He gets his money, but he had to make less honorable choices along the way. He gets his money, but for what? What did this money really bring him?
How many business people increase the profit margin to a great amount, between what they buy a product for, and what they sell it for? They are not concerned with those who need the product, but they are concerned about the amount of profit they can gain from their sale. They don’t value integrity.
OR, how about the person who values popularity over principle? The great Cardinal, Wolsey, who served King Henry the Eighth once said: ‘Had I but serv’d my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age have left me naked in mine enemies.’ Wolsey was more concerned with serving the king than God, yet in the end the king left him alone against his enemies. The question we ask should not be, ‘What do men think of this?’ but, ‘What does God think of this?’ It is not the verdict of public opinion that matters in the end, but the verdict of God that settles our destiny.
b. Our return- We have bought into the thinking that we need to
leave a legacy of profit and success. But what we envision to be success is often out of whack with what God tells us is success. For us, having nice things, a big house, lots of money, having taken great trips, establishing powerful businesses, and on and on is what we think is success. As the bumper sticker says: “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” This is what many people think we are supposed to return with the work of our lives. But this is the thinking of ‘human things.’
This is not how God sees it. God wants us to look at it with divine thinking; with the eyes of Jesus Christ. If Jesus were to compare King Herod, with the widow who gave her last coin in the offering, the widow would be judged more successful than King Herod. This is because King Herod was a tyrant, who was jealous of all, and trusted no one. The widow trusted, loved, and served God. For God, it is about faith, and faithful service, over power and fortune.
Story: There is a little-known story that took place on 9/11/2001 at the Pentagon: It is told by a chaplain who was assigned to the Pentagon. The story takes place at a daycare center near where Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. This daycare had many children, including infants who were in heavy cribs. They needed to evacuate, but there was no time to bundle up all the kids into carriers and strollers. But just then a young Marine came running into the center and asked what they needed. After hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran back out into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, 'well, there we are-on our own.'
About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow. Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them take all the children out of the center and down toward the park near the Potomac. At the park the Marines then did a
fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the Old West. Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to keep them from wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines, forming a perimeter around the children and waiting for instructions. There they remained until the parents could be notified and come get their children. Ronald Reagan once said: "Most of us wonder if our lives made any difference. Marines don't have that problem."
It could be seen that they did this because it was their job; but even more than their job, it had become part of their character! God wants us to have this kind of character—the character that leads us to serve God by serving others. The king of character that leads us to seek the will of God, instead of our own selfish will. The kind of character that helps us to understand that we cannot, on our own, achieve anything that has eternal significance. Rather, with God leading us, the only thing worthy of profit is our faith in Christ, and our serving Christ!
Conclusion:
What will it profit you to rebuke Jesus? What will it profit you to save your life (meaning that you seek what you desire rather than what God would desire for you)? What would it profit you to try and gain the world? What does it profit you to be ashamed of Jesus in order to gain popularity with others? The answer, is that it may gain you some worldly good, or some worldly acknowledgment, or some worldly perks, but it will not gain you access to heaven, nor will it gain you any lasting achievement. In the end, you will have sacrificed your relationship with God for a relationship with the world. In the end, it will lead you to be a follower of Satan, and not of God. STRONG WORDS? Yes. But they are the true words of Jesus Christ to us. They are strong words because Jesus wants to keep us on the right road; the road of heavenly blessing; the road of eternal fulfillment; the road where Jesus is proud of us, and welcomes us to heaven with fanfare. Amen.
Mark 8:31-38
Great Question of the Bible Series: 8/8/10
Introduction: A man takes his paycheck, gets in his car, drives to Las Vegas and gambles it all away. A woman tells some lies, covers up some shady deals, and gets a promotion. A politician takes some bribes and gets elected. Why do these people do these things? They do it because they believe it will profit them in some way. The man hopes to turn his paycheck into a million dollars; the woman wants the more glamorous position; the politician wants to become president some day.
In life, we often make choices thinking that there is profit in it for us, only
to find out it was the wrong decision. There is that lure of something better; that hope that we can attain all we believe that we need in life; the feeling that we are lacking something in our lives. Today’s question that we look at is: What will it profit you? A question that Jesus asked to the crowd He was trying to teach; a question that Jesus ultimately asks each of us.
I. Gaining the world- (Mk. 8:31-33; Hebrews 12:1-3; Colossians 3:1-2)
a. Peter’s rebuke- STORY: There once was a little boy who had a
bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and a hammer and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily, gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence. He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. But It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound will still be there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.'
In this passage, we see that Jesus is trying to explain to the people, and His disciples about the suffering and rejection that He will have to go through. Of course the people don’t understand. Why would Jesus need to suffer? Peter especially couldn’t understand it, so he rebuked Jesus for this. We can judge Peter for this action, but it came out of a love for Jesus; it came out of the zeal Peter had as a follower of Jesus.
But often times it is important to use discretion before we act and speak. This is where the story comes in; when we lose our temper, or lose our focus, we will do things that will not gain us anything in this world. Instead, we will usually do detriment to our situation. Instead of rebuking Jesus, Peter should have been really listening to Jesus, and trying to understand what Jesus was saying, and why all this needed to take place. Peter was speaking and acting out without having the knowledge he needed. How often do we do the same? We speak or act before we have adequate information; information that will lead us to make good and right decisions. His being upset, and having his mind set on another plan, hindered Peter from being able to accept the path that was best.
b. Jesus sets Peter straight- Next we see Jesus give a counter-
rebuke. The rebuke is pretty stiff, as Jesus says: “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” Jesus gives it to Peter straight; Peter has been called to follow Jesus. This following has a purpose: the purpose of Peter to become a disciple who could know the ways of God, and the plan of God, and help to carry out the mission of Jesus after Jesus is gone from this earth. It was imperative that Peter listen, and focus, and develop a spiritual mindset.
The truth is, when we set our mind on our own selfish ways, and/or on the ways of the world, we are being controlled by Satan, and not God. Whenever we do anything that is counter to God’s will, we are benefiting Satan’s plan, and not God’s. That is why Jesus said “get behind me Satan” to Peter. Peter thought his rebuke was out of love, but it really was serving the purpose of Satan.
On top of this, Jesus needed people around Him to help Him in this journey. We know that later Jesus would struggle with this path of going to the cross when He would pray to the Father for another way. It was going to be a hard journey; a journey of suffering, and rejection, and ultimately crucifixion. It would take the strength and support of others around Him for Him to pull this off. That is why Jesus took some disciples with Him when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, so that He would have support, and why He was so disappointed when they fell asleep instead of praying!
Jesus knew that His biggest task with the disciples was to help them learn how to set their mind on divine things. And this is true for us. That is why we are told in Hebrews 12:1-3, “There-fore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with per-severance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” And that is why the apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:1-2, “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Without having this kind of mindset, we cannot carry on the work Christ has set for us to do; we will give in to the ways of the world. And what will it profit you to gain the world?
II. Being ashamed of Jesus- (Mark 8:38)
a. How are we ashamed? STORY: “Where is the safest place?”…..
Someone once tried to figure out where the safest place to be is. They discovered that you should avoid riding in automobiles, because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents./ Also, do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home./ Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians./ Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation./ Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, above all else, avoid hospitals. But. . ..You will be pleased to learn that only .001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders. Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at Church! The moral
of the story? Attend church, and read your Bible IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE!
What is the purpose of being in church? Not just to be safe, but to connect our spirit with the Spirit of God; to grow; to be empowered. Every week we have the acolyte come and light the candles. It is the light of Christ. The acolyte lights the south candle first, representing the humanity of Christ, and then the north one, representing the deity of Christ. Then at the end of the service, the acolyte lights the wand from the deity candle, then puts out both candles, and walks the flame out, reminding us that we are to take the light of Christ into the world!
We come to church to be safe and to be built up, so that we can be prepared to take Christ to the world. We are to walk with boldness, not with being ashamed. And how are we ashamed?
1. Maybe you are in a conversation with someone, and the topic of Jesus
comes up, and you choose not to speak for fear of being contradicted or of causing conflict. IN REALITY, YOU ARE ASHAMED. 2. You choose not to say grace at a public meal for fear of having others judge you. 3. Someone invites you to do something on a Sunday morning, but instead of telling them you can’t go with them, because you have church, you choose not to tell them, and go out with them.
b. The results of our being ashamed- We need to understand that
there are results to our being ashamed. In not wanting to be despised by others, we choose to want their approval; their acceptance. We don’t understand, that in many situations we have to make a choice: choose Jesus, or choose people of the world. Those who love Jesus, will accept us. Those who don’t love Jesus will reject us. Just as the rich young ruler had to choose Jesus, or his possessions (and he chose his possessions), so we have to choose between Jesus and the acceptance of those in the world.
Why is it that we want the approval of others? We want to feel loved.
Illustration- There is a TV show that is on this summer called “So You Think You Can Dance.” Tami and I and the kids like to watch this show because of the kinds of dances they show, and the whole experience of the competition. And since it is a competition, they eliminate a dancer each week. Because it is a competition, and they desire to help these dancers improve, there are judges who comment on the dances. Sometimes when a dance doesn’t go well, the judges say critical things about the dancer’s performance. It intrigues me that when they make these negative comments, the audience always boos, and when they make positive comments the audience cheers. The audience only wants to hear positive comments.
This intrigues me, because it causes me to think about how we are afraid of conflict and negative input. But sometimes the negative input should be accepted; almost desired. Why? Because if we are getting negative comments about our faith, it is probably because we are striking a nerve in someone else, and by striking this nerve we can perhaps challenge them to think more about Jesus.
Another result of our being ashamed, Jesus says, is that the Son of Man will be ashamed of us. This is not a good thing, because it is the Son of Man, the Messiah who mediates on our behalf to the Father. And it is not a good thing if your mediator is ashamed of you and your actions. You want your mediator to have full confidence in who you are so that He can lift you up to the Father and remind the Father of the forgiveness and blessings you need in your life. What will it profit you to be ashamed of Jesus?
III. What can you give in return? (Mark 8:37)
a. Where are your values?- When Jesus asks the question in verse
37, ‘what can you give in return?’ Jesus is really helping us to come face to face with what our values are. It is possible to appear to be a success in this life, and yet have lived a life that was not really worth living. Meaning, it is possible to put our values in the wrong place, and achieve the wrong goals.
One such value would be seeking profit. Money is such a big draw for people, that some will do anything to attain it. Therefore, to attain the money he wants, a man may work many hours a week, sacrificing time with his family. In the end, he gets his money, but sacrifices his family. He gets his money, but he had to make less honorable choices along the way. He gets his money, but for what? What did this money really bring him?
How many business people increase the profit margin to a great amount, between what they buy a product for, and what they sell it for? They are not concerned with those who need the product, but they are concerned about the amount of profit they can gain from their sale. They don’t value integrity.
OR, how about the person who values popularity over principle? The great Cardinal, Wolsey, who served King Henry the Eighth once said: ‘Had I but serv’d my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age have left me naked in mine enemies.’ Wolsey was more concerned with serving the king than God, yet in the end the king left him alone against his enemies. The question we ask should not be, ‘What do men think of this?’ but, ‘What does God think of this?’ It is not the verdict of public opinion that matters in the end, but the verdict of God that settles our destiny.
b. Our return- We have bought into the thinking that we need to
leave a legacy of profit and success. But what we envision to be success is often out of whack with what God tells us is success. For us, having nice things, a big house, lots of money, having taken great trips, establishing powerful businesses, and on and on is what we think is success. As the bumper sticker says: “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” This is what many people think we are supposed to return with the work of our lives. But this is the thinking of ‘human things.’
This is not how God sees it. God wants us to look at it with divine thinking; with the eyes of Jesus Christ. If Jesus were to compare King Herod, with the widow who gave her last coin in the offering, the widow would be judged more successful than King Herod. This is because King Herod was a tyrant, who was jealous of all, and trusted no one. The widow trusted, loved, and served God. For God, it is about faith, and faithful service, over power and fortune.
Story: There is a little-known story that took place on 9/11/2001 at the Pentagon: It is told by a chaplain who was assigned to the Pentagon. The story takes place at a daycare center near where Flight 77 hit the Pentagon. This daycare had many children, including infants who were in heavy cribs. They needed to evacuate, but there was no time to bundle up all the kids into carriers and strollers. But just then a young Marine came running into the center and asked what they needed. After hearing what the center director was trying to do, he ran back out into the hallway and disappeared. The director thought, 'well, there we are-on our own.'
About 2 minutes later, that Marine returned with 40 other Marines in tow. Each of them grabbed a crib with a child, and the rest started gathering up toddlers. The director and her staff then helped them take all the children out of the center and down toward the park near the Potomac. At the park the Marines then did a
fabulous thing - they formed a circle with the cribs, which were quite sturdy and heavy, like the covered wagons in the Old West. Inside this circle of cribs, they put the toddlers, to keep them from wandering off. Outside this circle were the 40 Marines, forming a perimeter around the children and waiting for instructions. There they remained until the parents could be notified and come get their children. Ronald Reagan once said: "Most of us wonder if our lives made any difference. Marines don't have that problem."
It could be seen that they did this because it was their job; but even more than their job, it had become part of their character! God wants us to have this kind of character—the character that leads us to serve God by serving others. The king of character that leads us to seek the will of God, instead of our own selfish will. The kind of character that helps us to understand that we cannot, on our own, achieve anything that has eternal significance. Rather, with God leading us, the only thing worthy of profit is our faith in Christ, and our serving Christ!
Conclusion:
What will it profit you to rebuke Jesus? What will it profit you to save your life (meaning that you seek what you desire rather than what God would desire for you)? What would it profit you to try and gain the world? What does it profit you to be ashamed of Jesus in order to gain popularity with others? The answer, is that it may gain you some worldly good, or some worldly acknowledgment, or some worldly perks, but it will not gain you access to heaven, nor will it gain you any lasting achievement. In the end, you will have sacrificed your relationship with God for a relationship with the world. In the end, it will lead you to be a follower of Satan, and not of God. STRONG WORDS? Yes. But they are the true words of Jesus Christ to us. They are strong words because Jesus wants to keep us on the right road; the road of heavenly blessing; the road of eternal fulfillment; the road where Jesus is proud of us, and welcomes us to heaven with fanfare. Amen.
posted by Logan's Blog at 5:17 PM
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