Matthew 16:25….Ready

Matthew 16:25….Ready

16:25 For whoever wants to save his life (Seize the day, Lat.- “carpe diem”. Make the most of your life, live life to the fullest, cherish the moment, you only live once, etc.)  will lose it, but whoever loses  his life for me  will find it. (Self-help is no help at all. self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. -MSS) (For Complete Expository See Book)

Extended  Sermons

“Warns those who put worldly pursuits of wealth, status, and comfort over Christ will lose out on eternal life” →  The phrase “He who saves his life will lose it. We wouldn’t normally use language like this.. A better and more helpful way to think about this is we would say something like “Are you making the most out of life”  We’ve all met the type of person who has big dreams and aspirations, putting in the hard work in making a successful career and a secure future for themselves. One way that this plays out is in the idea of retirement. That you need to save up as much as you can so you can retire in comfort. You read about it all the time. We see it in Apple news feeds; “How much do you need to retire at X age”? They’ll talk about “Low-risk, income-generating options” They’ll talk about investing in stocks, bonds, 401K’s, etc. The need to build a diversified portfolio that aligns with your income needs. It makes it sound that our lives are simply meant to collect as much as you can so that you can retire at age  62  or  65, or whatever it is, and then essentially quit. Instead as believers we should be saying Lord even though I’m retiring, make use of my life for your Kingdom. I don’t want to sit on the beach all day, I don’t want to play golf all day. Remember Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Or Noah, who was 600 years old when God commanded him to build the ark and save humanity from the flood. Or Abraham, who was 75 years old, when God called him to leave his homeland and become the father of a great nation, a promise that was fulfilled when he became a father when he 100 years old. [Note: Jesus is not against working hard in bettering your life. Nor is Jesus saying you can’t save and plan for retirement.] Another way this plays out is that we no longer live for the approval of the world around us. It’s no longer about the house we live in, the car we drive, the clothes’ we wear, etc.

“Teaches rather than find purpose and significance in the things of this life; find it in Christ who gives true fulfillment” →  How often do we seek meaning and purpose in the eyes of the world. We chase popularity by doing what we think others around us want, only to realize later that their options change quicker than a commercial break. Or we seek fulfillment in relationships, thinking a romantic partner will make us whole and solve all our problems, only to be brokenhearted once again. We seek validation and approval from likes, comments, and followers on Facebook, and when it doesn’t materialize we fall into depression. Many believe that achieving career success, a high salary, or a certain status will bring lasting happiness but this often proves to be an empty promise. We think acquiring possessions in buying new gadgets, a bigger house, or a luxury car will lead to lasting happiness. We think if I can just get this then I’ll be happy, I’ll be satisfied. Then when the initial thrill of a purchase quickly wears off, we fall back into a vicious cycle of chasing the next purchase to get that same temporary high we had before. When we seek our identity and value through Christ, we discover a deeper sense of purpose and significance that surpasses anything the world can offer. Instead of chasing after achievements, possessions, or the approval of others, we anchor our lives in the love and approval of Jesus, knowing that only He can satisfy our longing for true purpose. This shift transforms how we live, motivating us to pursue His will above our own ambitions and to embrace the joy and peace that come from walking closely with Him.

“Teaches if things are going to change we need to stop living life on our terms and start living it on God’s terms.” ⇒ How has living life your way worked out for you? Not to good I bet! Have you ever been in this cycle where everything you do just isn’t working. When we abandon God’s principals and rules it always leads to destructive patterns and behaviors. Only when we turn our thinking to the Lord’s light we can we see the truth of what is controlling and ruining our lives. If were to do this we need to turn from our own self-driven ego and pride, and all the other things that haven’t worked. We need to admit that our way of thinking is limited and faculty. Ask yourself this, where has living life according to your principals gotten you? I know for myself that it just got me into a lot of trouble and produced a lot of heartache. Pray and ask God to help you to begin living life on His principals, and you will see your life steadily improve. God’s principals of living will bring true blessing.

“Teaches how true fulfilment isn’t found in worldly achievements and success, but in giving it away in serving God and others” ⇒  True happiness comes from servicing others. God designed you to be happiest when you’re giving your life away. It’s when you give your life away you’ll uncover a greater joy, a greater peace, a greater happiness. Giving yourself away in serving and helping others reduces stress and depression, and improves your mood, as well as increases longevity. Additionally, giving can lower your blood pressure, protecting your heart and providing similar results as those of a healthy diet and exercise. One study found that on days people volunteered their time, they had lower levels of cortisol, resulting in reduced stress. In addition to all the health benefits above, giving results in greater happiness and satisfaction. Studies have shown that when helping someone else or giving a gift, the body secretes endorphins in the brain: Serotonin, (a mood regulator) Dopamine, (a pleasure and feel good chemical) and Oxytocin, (a compassion and bonding chemical) which creates a sense of connection with others. These give you an immediate “helper high,” that warm, fuzzy feeling of joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction—and the effects can go on for weeks. Generosity also triggers the release of pleasure and satisfaction hormones in your body, resulting in the potential for improved mood, improved motivation, and even reduced pain. The effects of giving can have a positive impact on our overall health and wellbeing. Giving your life away to charities can make you feel pretty good about yourself. There’s nothing quite like doing something for someone else to put a smile on your face. Even when we’re not feeling our best, if we put some kindness back into the world it can help us feel a little better in ourselves and about the world around us. It’s been said “If you’re not serving, you’re not living; you’re just existing”.

“Teaches how Jesus doesn’t want us to settle for a easy and comfortable life when He has something far better for us in Him.” ⇒ The same is true for us now and for eternity. Jesus is telling us to deny ourselves because he has a better way for us for this life…….(To be continued)

“Even today, you can Save your life by living a happy and safe existence. free from pain and discomfort. A life least demanding, least costly, least offending. Or you can give it away to Jesus and experience real peace, purpose, and fulfillment.” ⇒ How often do we want to avoid the reproach, the hostility, the persecution, the intimation that goes along with being a Christian, so we clam up. Are you the type of person who only serves Jesus up to the point it gets too painful then you bow out. Do you only follow Jesus up to the point that it starts to cost you something then you stop. That the sacrifice just isn’t worth it. When faced with a choice between Jesus and the comforts and pleasures of this life which will you choose? When faced with a choice between Jesus and the approval of others which will you choose? When faced with a choice between living for the world and living for Christ which will you choose?

Additional Notes & Applications

Teaches rather than live for the approval of the world around us live for God’s approval

Teaches how seeking worldly desires and self-preservation ultimately leads to loss, while selflessness and sacrifice in the service to God and others, leads to true fulfillment and eternal life

Calls for hating our old life and the person we used to be, to living for God and who He created us to be.

Calls for staying true to Christ when everyone else in the world around us are not.

Teaches you can live for the recognition of man or the recognition of God.

Warns against living a double life in wanting the delights of this life and the spiritual things of Christianity.

Warns against thinking we can have all of the wealth, all of the self-promotion, and all of the recognition and still follow Jesus.

Prepares believers for paradoxes in the Christian faith. A paradox is defined as a statement or situation that seemingly appears self-contradictory on the surface, but in reality, reveals a deeper or more insightful truth. It often involves two seemingly opposing ideas that can both be true simultaneously. Paradoxes are used in literature, philosophy, and everyday conversations. Some paradox’s we often come across in everyday life are things like:  “Hurry up and wait.” We think how can you hurry up and wait. It’s a paradox and seeming contradiction. Or “The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know.” We think if I’m learning more, doesn’t mean I’m getting smarter. It’s a paradox and seeming contradiction. Or “The more you try to impress people, the less impressed they’ll be.” We think if I’m impressing them with my knowledge and skills, how can they not be impressed. It’s a paradox and seeming contradiction And Jesus here says “Whoever wants to Save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will find it.” We think how can saving and preserving my life cause me to lose it. Wouldn’t saving my life help me keep it. It’s a paradox and seeming contradiction Or how about the Apostle Paul in his Second letter to the Corinthians gives a whole list of paradoxes in the Christian life; “Always being sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” (2-Corn. 6:10) We think how can you rejoice in hardships , trials, and sufferings. It’s a paradox and seeming contradiction.

Today our culture says if your going to be somebody you need a successful career, wealth, reputation, and status. You have to gain peoples respect and leave a lasting legacy . The world says that you need to look out for # 1 and get what is yours. It’s all about looking out  taking control of your future, and making your own destiny. Not realizing that we’re not that good at knowing what’s best for us

Ways We Try To Save Our Life’s

• We try to save our lives by becoming a workaholic, that there’s no time for God.

• We try to save our lives by engrossing ourselves in entertainment, doing things we enjoy.

• We try to save our lives by handling the situation & outcome ourselves rather than on God