Message 30 – Follow Me

Blue Lake Presbyterian | 2-25-2018

Good morning,

Welcome to Blue Lake Presbyterian Church.

Today’s message is titled “Follow me” and it is based on Mark 8:27-38

I like to kick it off with something funny.

A taxi driver and a minister get to the pearly gates. St. Peter says to the taxi driver, “here is the silken robe and golden staff, and you may enter, the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Next he greets the minister, saying: “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff, and you, may enter as well”. “Just a minute,” says the minister. “That man was a taxi driver, and he gets the silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?”
“Up here, we work by results,” says St. Peter. “While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.”

In 1963 Ricky Nelson wrote a song called: “I will follow”, so did Carole King in 1971.  The rock group U2 hit the charts in the early 80’s with a song with same title.

John Denver released  a song called “Follow me” in 1970, Peter, Paul and Mary had a song with same title in 1971,  so did Olivia Newton John in 1975,  and Aly Us in 1992, and song writer and singer Uncle Kracker in 2001.

Needless to say “Follow me” is a popular theme for song writers and singers.

Early this week I went to visit our farm near Toronto Canada, it was amazingly mild there, quite a contrast from the winter weather, around this time previous years. I recall a few years ago, driving from the airport to the farm, in heavy snow. Following a snow plow with a long string of cars following behind it, nobody in his right mind would consider passing that snow plow and risk getting stuck in the snow, we all followed. So it is with the Lord………

In the bible the words “follow and followed” are repeated nearly 200 times.

In Exodus 14:4 Pharaoh’s army “followed” the Israelites into the desert

Elijah said in 1 Kings 18:21: If the Lord is God, ”Follow” him.

In Psalm 23:6 David wrote: surely goodness and mercy shall “follow me” all the days of my life.

300 years later Isaiah warned his fellow countrymen in Isaiah 51:1 Listen to me, you that “follow” righteousness,

In the “New Testament” the term “Follow Me” is mentioned 18 times.

And that is what brings us to today’s scripture reading in Mark 8:27-38    page……………..

²⁷Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹Then he began to teach them, that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside, and began to rebuke him. ³³But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”

³⁴He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any, want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit them, to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Let’s bow our heads. Guide us, O God, by your Word and Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find wisdom, and in your will, discover your peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This reading in Mark 8, Jesus starts walking north, to a region that is described as the villages of Caesarea Philippi. This area is located 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee, at the base of Mt. Hermon.  Caesarea Philippi is the site of one of the largest springs feeding the Jordan River.

As they are walking, there is much opportunity to talk,       no I phones or Androids, no Facebook or Twitter as a distraction. Instead a lot of good old-fashioned quality time to talk. So at one point Jesus launches this surprise question, in verse 27: Who do people say that I am?”

The disciples contemplate for a while, and give varying answers, citing different names of recent past like John the Baptist, and ancient times, like Elijah and the prophets.

These answers provide a suspense not unlike the academy awards….Whose name is it going to be?….. Jesus doesn’t give an answer, instead he asks another question. He is more interested what the disciples themselves are thinking, and asks: who do YOU say I am.

In 2013 “Life Magazine” put out a “Life Book” titled Jesus, full of pictures and insightful information, the subtitle of the book was: Who do you say that I am?

So what is the answer? Before the other disciples can even give an answer, before they can even attempt to express their thoughts, Peter chimes in and says “you are the Messiah” that quickly ends the conversation, Jesus sternly orders them not to talk to anyone about this.

But then he starts describing, what is about to happen, foreshadowing his death, describing how not the Roman command, but the Jewish leaders, the elders, the chief priests and the scribes will reject him, and that he will be killed. But that he will rise in three days. The disciples don’t want to hear about this. This was clearly beyond their level of comprehension and comfort.

Peter objects, but Jesus gets annoyed with Peter’s inability to listen. He rebukes him, by saying get behind me Satan, get your mindset away from the world, but listen to the divine things I have to say.

Apparently a crowd is following them on the way to Caesarea Philippi, because in verse 34 he says:  ³⁴He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.

He already knows of his execution on the cross, but now he tells the crowd, if you want to follow me, deny yourselves and take up YOUR cross and “Follow Me”.

The disciples don’t know what this all means. Peter will eventually deny Jesus, not once, but 3 times. On the day of crucifixion the disciples are hiding, with the exception of John, the only disciple present at the cross.

But after the resurrection, after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the disciples take up their cross, they deny themselves and they start spreading the Gospel message with so much fervor, intensity and passion, that they no longer worry about the consequences, they transform from a “worldly” perspective to a divine mission to share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and they are emboldened with zeal and commitment.

All the disciples were persecuted, and with the exception of John, all died as martyrs. Early church leader Tertullian wrote in the second century: The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.

Persecution didn’t slow the growth of the Christian faith, even as early leaders died a horrible death, Christianity flourished throughout the Roman Empire. How can this historical account of martyrdom be viewed as anything, but dramatic evidence for the truth of the Gospel.

In the first 3 centuries it is estimated that up to 100,000 believers were killed, for taking up their cross and following Jesus. This persecution of the early church lasted until Constantine came to power in 313, and authorized Christianity. But Christian persecution did not subside.

Later this morning we will be singing “I have decided to follow Jesus”, but what would happen if you decided to follow Jesus and you have to raise your hand, and by doing so, you sign your own death warrant. Would you keep your hand up there?

The Soviet Union occupied Romania after World War 2 putting it under control of communism. In 1948, a follower of Christ called Richard Wurmbrandt publicly said Communism and Christianity are not compatible, resulting in his imprisonment and torture for his beliefs.  After serving fourteen years in prison, he was ransomed for $10,000.

His friends in Romania urged him to leave the country. He immigrated to America and dedicated his life to helping persecuted Christians. He wrote 18 books, including the book “Tortured for Christ”. This book was put into a movie, and will be in theaters March 5th. It describes months of solitary confinement, years of periodic physical torture, constant suffering from hunger and cold, and anguish of brainwashing and mental cruelty.

Richard Wurmbrandt is the personification of “Take up your cross and Follow Me”.

He founded an organization called “Voice of the Martyrs, a ministry providing assistance to persecuted Christians in 68 countries.

I typically visit our Willow Creek farm on Saturdays, but a few weeks ago decided to go on a week day, and found myself listening to “In the Market” with Janet Parshall, she interviewed Tom Doyle, the author of Dreams and Visions and he started a ministry called “Uncharted”.

With the Olympics in Korea this year, they were discussing how  “Voice of the Martyrs Korea” was delivering letters to 2300 North Korean defectors, who had taken up their cross and are now following Jesus.  These believers entered into a ministry, reaching out to their fellow countrymen in North Korea.

The Gospel is making it, into North Korea through short wave radio and balloons with bibles, Doyle told a story of a North Korean soldier who found such a bible, started reading it, searching for the truth. It moved him to run across the 2.5 mile wide DMZ, he became a follower of Jesus, and now is entering ministry.

Former US Senator and Kansas Governor Sam Brownback currently U.S. Ambassador at Large for “International Religious Freedom” shared in an interview, that North Koreans, who are caught following Jesus, are told to deny their faith, or gruesome torture will result. He cited examples, of molten lead being poured down the throat of believers who do not renounce their faith.

He continued, when a North Korean is arrested for following Jesus, he or she, will go to prison, but so will their parents and their children, they are all subject to persecution and torture. The North Korean government goes through great lengths to uproot Christianity and persecute those that have decided to follow Jesus.

How can the church grow, under a dark repressive regime like that? The church in North Korea is growing, despite severe persecution. This is the ultimate example of “Take up your cross and Follow Me”.

South of the border, followers of Christ are bountiful and full of fervor and passion, there are more Presbyterians is South Korea than all of the United States. The largest evangelical church in the world the “Yoido Full Gospel Church” is located in South Korea, counting 430,000 members and more than 200,000 people attend Sunday service in their main church in Seoul South Korea.

Today, South Koreans are the most fervent evangelists in the world, there are an estimated 17,000 Korean missionaries worldwide, the second largest group, after the USA.  Although several Korean missionaries were killed in Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2007, they are committed regardless of the cost of discipleship. The association of Protestant Churches in South Korea plans to dispatch 100,000 missionaries by 2030

A few weeks ago an organization called “Open Doors” unveiled the “2018 World Watch list” of the 50 most dangerous countries to “Follow Jesus” they shared a story of a 47 year old nun in India, who had received numerous threats from radical Hindus to stop bringing the love of Christ to the people. This nun was drugged, raped and killed. The police systematically destroyed the evidence, later the attackers were acquitted. Today there are 635 followers of Jesus held in Indian prisons without trial. India is #11 on the list.

The same press conference, described the plight of American Presbyterian Pastor, Andrew Brunson, who spent over 20 years ministering to Christians in Turkey and is now locked up in a prison, for allegedly trying to overthrow the Turkish government and its constitution.  If convicted, Pastor Brunson could be sentenced to life in prison……..

Billy Graham led hundreds of thousands of people to “take up their cross and follow Jesus” and to accept him as Lord and Savior.

This week Billy Graham went to be with the Lord at age 99, he preached the message of hope and salvation, with conviction and passion for over 60 years reaching over 200 million people in more than 185 countries.

He used to say “My home is in Heaven. I’m just traveling through this world.” Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs our burdens today!

“Mountaintops are for views and inspiration, but fruit is grown in the valleys.”

Last week I visited a Teen Challenge meeting, and heard the students that once went through the (dark) valley share their testimony on how Christ has transformed them, how their hearts are softened, how joy has come back into their lives, and how those students took the cross and followed Jesus.

These testimonies weren’t’ only heartwarming; they brought tears to listeners in the audience like rivers of living water.

Folks are WE ready to take up our cross and Follow Jesus?

Are we prepared, to face ridicule for being believers and followers of Christ?

Are we primed to share our testimony?

Jesus said in John 10:27: My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish.

Billy Graham said: when we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.” “Believers, look up – take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.”

Friends are we ready to put Jesus first and follow him.

If we are willing to do that, he is waiting for us, with arms wide open to receive us.

Take this moment to give your life to Christ, accept him as Lord and Savior.

Jesus, come into our hearts

Forgives us for our sins,

And we are ready to follow you,

Thank you,

God bless you,

Amen

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