Series: Cancelled Conversations
Sermon: Save Your Soul
Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9
ICE BREAKER: Would you rather have tambourines permanently attached to the top of your feet or fingernails that were always 7 inches long?
REVIEW:
This week we started a brand new series called CANCELLED CONVERSATIONS. In weeks 2-5, we will be covering some of the main Hot Topics in today's culture. However, in the first week we took our time to get really clear on how life and faith work and we created a template to help us visualize Believing and Following Jesus.
To help us, we looked at the New Testament letter called 1 Peter. In the opening section of the letter, Peter tells us that the GOAL OF OUR FAITH is what he calls, "The salvation of your souls." This is defined as us persevering through suffering without losing our faith throughout the rest of 1 Peter.
To fully understand this phrase, "To Save Your Soul," we looked at the moment that inspired 1 Peter. This moment happened decades earlier when Jesus was still on earth and Peter was one of his disciples. The scene plays out in Matthew 16.
Jesus began to tell the disciples that he was going to Jerusalem to be killed. Peter jumps up intending to STOP Jesus! Instead, Jesus puts Peter in his place by saying, "Get behind me, Satan..."
The suffering of the cross WAS God’s Plan. When Peter tries to step in the way of Jesus’ suffering - he is actually stepping in the way of Jesus’ destiny. “you aren’t thinking of GOD’s plan - you are only thinking of YOUR plan” Jesus tells him!
What does this passage teach us?
Satan’s Greatest Temptation Is For Us To Avoid Temporary Suffering
At The Expense Of Following God’s Eternal Plan
Jesus goes on to say, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will find it. For what will it benefit someone if he gains the whole world yet loses his life? Or what will anyone give in exchange for his life?"
This moment changed Peter, fundamentally. He no longer saw the world or his life in the same way! This teaching from Jesus IS what Peter means when he talks about "Saving Our Souls." Jesus concludes his thoughts by saying, "For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each according to what he has done."
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SAVE YOUR SOUL?
THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH OVER SUFFERING TODAY
THAT WILL BE REWARDED BY JESUS IN HEAVEN SOMEDAY
APPLY:
The reason this lesson is SO important for us, is because we will spend the rest of this series looking at all the ways the current culture is at odds with the commands of scripture. It costs us to follow Jesus, sometimes greatly!
Coming to Jesus is absolutely free! He tore down every barrier that kept us from God with his sacrifice and resurrection. Belief in Jesus costs you nothing!
However, Jesus also said that it is a NARROW path to actually follow Him! We must Deny ourselves, Pick up our Cross, and THEN we can follow Christ.
The Invitation to BELIEVE in Jesus Is COME TO THE CROSS And Gain Eternal Life
The Invitation to FOLLOW Jesus Is CARRY YOUR CROSS & Die To Yourself
As we prepare for the rest of this series, consider this question in your own life:
What might it COST ME to truly follow after Jesus?
In other words, what areas of your life have you not submitted fully to Christ? What sins or worldviews have you not given up? What is getting the time, attention, resource, and adoration that should be going to Jesus?
PRAY:
Pray over the rest of this series. Ask God for clarity and strength!
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