For Christ's Sake


This is my sermon text for September 16, 2018. The text for my message was from the Gospel of St. Mark, Mark 8:27-38. + pBRC


May God’s Grace through the Good News of Jesus Christ be at the center of your lives forever.  AMEN.

Today’s Gospel lesson is said to be the turning point in Mark’s story of Jesus Christ. Between last week’s lesson and today’s, Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 people. Then he was challenged to present a sign to the people of who he was. Between this lesson and next Sunday’s, Jesus will take some of his disciples with him to the top of a mountain, where he will be transfigured.
In the midst of these miracles and signs of power, Jesus asks his disciples who the people they encounter believe Jesus to be. Then, he turned the question to them. "But who do you say that I am?" (Mark 8.29a)
 Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah."’ (Mark 8.29b) Then Jesus unpacks what being the Messiah entails. “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.” (Mark 8.30) While he had ordered them to secrecy about who he was, he was open and clear about what was to happen to him.
It was not what they expected and not what they wanted to hear. To them, the Messiah would come in glory and power. How could the Messiah restore the Kingdom of Israel to power by suffering, rejection and death? No one thought that the Messiah would be the Suffering Servant referenced in today’s lesson from Isaiah, as well as other passages from Isaiah.
Jesus knows the role of the Messiah is to restore the world to a righteous relationship with God, and that can only be done by the Messiah suffering and dying, and then being raised to show we cannot do anything to lose God’s love.
As Jesus turned the question of who he is to his followers, I turn it to you, here and now, who do WE say that Jesus Christ is?
But It’s not who do you say that he is that is important, but how do you show who he is is what matters. How do you live your life in response to the gifts of grace and love and mercy given because He is who He is?
It is not enough to talk the talk. Can you walk His walk?
It is not enough to testify with your lips, but we need to testify with our hearts, and with our hands, and with our whole selves.
It is not enough to say Jesus is LORD. Can you live a life of love in faith?
That is what Jesus explains to his disciples. If you say that I am the Messiah, and you claim to follow me, this is what that all means. "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For 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.” (Mark 8.34-35)
Any discussion of who Jesus is leads to what it means to be one of his disciples.[i] Jesus speaks plainly and clearly about what he expects.
Deny yourself, or put you and your wants and desires behind doing the will of God. Let THY will be done, and not my will.
Take up your cross, or give yourself over totally. Surrender your life. Remember, the journey to the cross is a one-way trip.
All Jesus wants of those who would follow Him is all that you have; to give your life in service of His mission.
“Those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.” (Mark 8.35) Jesus isn’t saying that losing one’s life, surrendering your life for his sake, earns you salvation. But a life lived in response to God’s gift of grace means you will live for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the sake of proclaiming and living  out the Good News.
One of assistants to the Bishop from my time in Wisconsin[ii], who is now their Bishop, would ask congregations, “For Christ’s sake, what are you doing?” She would ask again, “For Christ’s sake, for the sake of the Gospel, what are you doing?” Here, Jesus asks “For Christ’s sake, for the sake of the Gospel, what are you willing to lose?”
Individually, for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel, what are you willing to lose? Are you willing to give more to the church, and lose some free time and some assets? Are you willing to give of your financial and personal resources? Are you willing to give of your time and talents?
Collectively, for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the sake of proclaiming the Gospel, what are you willing to lose? As this church and this congregation and this covenant, what are you willing to give up and not get back? What are you willing to surrender?
Are you willing to give up your identity? Are you willing to give up your voice? Are you willing to give up worshipping how YOU want to, and to work WITH others? Are you willing to give up your history? Are you willing to see what you and others have built and defended and fought for and watch it close and die? Are you willing to renew your efforts and fight to watch it bloom and grow?
Normally, when I, and others pastors, preach on this lesson and the comparable texts from the other Gospels, the question of For Christ’s sake, what are you willing to lose? is a hypothetical question. It is asked to prompt an examination of the individual and collective call to discipleship. It is a call to reexamine and reflect upon what can be done for the sake of Christ.
Here and now, in the Covenant Churches of Oklahoma City, it is a question that needs to be thought about and answered by every member and every church. For Christ’s sake, what are you willing to lose? Doors aren’t on the verge of being closed and locked for good, but resources are thin. But the decisions on what direction we are going need to be made soon.
I guess the ultimate question I’m asking is this, are you willing to trust God to call all of us to do what is best for Christ’s sake, for the sake of the Gospel? Or to use the words from our Hymn of the Day, The Summons:
Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown, Will you let my name be known,
Will you let my life be grown in you, and you in me?[iii]
May God send their love to guide us where we need to go for the sake of the Gospel. AMEN.



[i] Sermon Brainwave podcast for September 16, 2018 from WorkingPreacher.org
[ii] The newly-elected Bishop Laurie Skow-Anderson (@lskowander)
[iii] Verse 1 of Will You Come and Follow Me (The Summons) text by John L. Bell

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