"Set Your Course"

Matthew 16:21

(ill) Nicky Gumbel tells of a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes. The attached note attached said: "I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes I had to send you this check. If I don't feel any better, I'll send you the rest."

T/S: One of the great difficulties in the Christian life is quite similar: we experience feelings of guilt. Or other bad feelings, and then begin to move toward God until we feel better. At which time we stop moving? until the next time a crisis emerges or we begin to feel bad. If your involvement with Jesus is an attempt to control the bad habits of your life, or you approach church as a therapy session that makes you feel better, you will invariably find yourself in a halting, inconsistent, immature relationship with God.

One of the great lessons that we can learn from Jesus, about life with the Father, is tucked away in the Gospels surrounded by much more ?flashy" passages. This morning I'd like to examine this action in context from Matthew's Gospel, but Luke words the event so pointedly, in Chapter 9:

And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; Luke 9:51 (NASB)

Doesn't sound like much, does it? No miracles, no healings, no big crowds. No real action, in fact. That would all come when Jesus DID arrive inJerusalem. And yet, it is this moment in Jesus' life upon which His story of the kingdom of God turns. Why? Because Jesus "SET HIS FACE."

(ill) I heard about a wedding ceremony that was going along nicely, until it was time for the bride's nephew to process down the aisle carrying a pillow with two rings on it. The little boy began the trip, stomping one foot after the other and growling towards both sides of the aisle. The ripples of laughter spread through the guests and when the boy arrives at the altar, the groom asked him why he was growling and making mean faces. "I'm the ring bear," the little boy proudly proclaimed.

T/S: He believed his job was to march up that aisle acting like a bear, and they couldn't get married without him doing that. So guess what, he put on his best bear ace and started growling. Jesus knew that the kingdom of God depended upon an encounter between grace and justice on Calvary. So, He SET HIS FACE and Jesus marched toward Jerusalem.

What does it look like when you set your face? Give me your best "I'm setting my face" look. (ill) An old family picture of me, my dad and my grandfather, demonstrate that the Hebert set face look is genetic. The three of us were working on something that demanded our total effort, and the picture captured the moment when all three of us had our tongues sticking out.

T/S: I want you to remember this teaching by thinking about what your face looks like when you are intent and attentive .. when you are totally consumed with something. Because if you remember that kind of approach, you'll be closer to learning what Jesus is teaching in this moment of His life.

I'd like to unpack this Scripture, and apply it to our lives, because I believe the timing is appropriate. We are days away from the beginning of the season of Lent, a time on the church calendar when Christians prepare for the observance and celebration of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection. We may celebrate Christmas more lavishly, but in terms of our faith, Easter carries much more significance. As we begin to approach Easter, few lessons could be of more relevance to us than this one - that directs us to follow Jesus as He sets His face toward Jerusalem and the cross. Let's look at this together and see what God has to say to us this morning as we try to determine what it means for us to set our face as Jesus did.

Acknowledge that your salvation is the beginning of a journey.

à This point of the narrative begins a journey to Jerusalem. Stories have much left to tell, but now there is a destination.

à And the starting point of the journey is Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ.

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He began asking His disciples, saying, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:13-19 (NASB)

(parallel passage in Luke 9:18-20) Peter says: "you are the Christ of God." NKJV

Do you know why we begin someone's spiritual life with a confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God? Because it is upon that belief, accepted in faith, that our life in the kingdom of God is based.  Christ is not a part of Jesus' name, but it is a job description. The Christ, the Messiah - same word in Hebrew of in Greek - was the promised "anointed one" of God who had been prophesied about, taught about and looked forward to throughout most of the Jewish people's history. One of the great subplots of Easter is how so many people looking for Someone, actually missed Him when He showed up. Because He didn't wave a magic wand and make the Romans disappear. He didn't lead them in revolt. He wasn't what they wanted.

In the same way, a great many people miss the true message of Jesus today. They want ?church" to make them feel better, without making changes in their lives to become better. Many people see the end of an aisle or an altar, and the decision they make there as the destination. The end. But in reality, deciding to become a Christian is merely the beginning. Of a journey.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." (Thomas Edison)

What's this mean for you and me? If Jesus set His face, with such determination, to go to Jerusalem, we should be asking with the same kind of vigor: Where am I going? In a different way we asked this question during 40 Days of Purpose 2 years ago: What on earth am I here for? But many of us have not asked that question of ourselves since then? Is your spiritual goal merely to be in church on Sunday, avoid some sins and have your obituary read that you were a member of such and such a congregation?

If that's he extent of your direction and journey, you're missing the trip. But you have to decide that you want to go somewhere if you're going to walk with Jesus. He is not static or stagnate or still. He is alive (that's the resurrection) and He is with us. And He is ushering in the fullness of His kingdom and has invited you and me to participate with Him.

Where are you going? With Jesus or to church?  (That's the first step: acknowledge that there is a journey to make. And if you have not received Christ, confessed Him as Savior and been baptized into His death, burial and resurrection ? you haven't made the first step. But you can .. today.) What's the next step?

Be open and in submission to God's leading and will.

à From the earliest Christians until today, the battle has raged over who is in control of us. We love the idea of Jesus' substitute death for us. We love the idea of Jesus' forgiveness and grace and love. We balk and dig in our heels at the notion of Jesus' authority and dominion over us. I other words, a great many people want to be saved by Jesus the Savior, but resist Jesus as Lord of their life.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." Matthew 16:21-23 (NKJV)

Peter demonstrates his spiritual arrogance and pride, by literally saying "May God be merciful to You" - in effect, chastising Jesus for daring to mention that something bad might happen. He is moments removed from confessing that the One before Him is God's Chosen One. He is moments removed from confessing the Lordship of the Messiah - You are the Son of God. And yet, Peter still finds it appropriate to rebuke God's Son. Why? Because Jesus dared to offer a way of the kingdom that differed from what Peter wanted.

T/S: The Wednesday night CONNECTION study that we are engaged in, has some of the most vital and necessary teachings for the church today about listening to God and being open to His voice. It's needed, because we are not teaching and practicing submission to God.

Don't raise your hands - but I wonder how many of us are living life - trying to do our best - and assuming that by going to church and reading our Bibles we are fulfilling our Christian responsibilities, and then imagine that whatever happens must be God's will. How many of us are "praying for God's guidance" in different areas of our lives, but never opening ourselves up to Him and, listening to see what direction he aims us in?

There are two crucial applications evident from Jesus' story here: (1) Attitude. Are you open to listening for God's direction? Jesus began to show them, the Scriptures say. But Peter never heard. He may have heard, but he wasn't listening. His heart was not open to God's direction, because Peter thought he knew better. Peter had a better way.

How many people and how many churches have spiritually nose-dived for just the same reason? They wanted to live their lives the way they wanted to .. the way they thought was best. And they were not open to listening to God. So they crashed and burned. Almost every church split can be traced to a few someone' who dig in their heels and decide they know what's best - regardless of what God says. It's funny - usually those people duke it out in the name of God. Trying to protect what's "right." Individuals follow this course by deciding for themselves what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Thinking that they have the right to decide what spiritual path they will take, and assuming that God will find that acceptable. Because they are doing it "for Him."

(2) Habits. What are you doing to hear from God? I think this season is a time to break out of the ruts of spiritual stagnation. So often we get in the habit of being a Christian - go to church, read my Bible, say my prayers, write my check. Go to church, read my Bible, say my prayers, write my check. Go to church, read my Bible, say my prayers, write my check. And we start to act as if we believe that we are getting some brownie points, some reward for doing those things.  All of those habits: worship attendance, Bible reading, prayer and giving - are instruments of grace. They are all means towards living With-God, but none of them are the end, that is the goal of living With-God. The goal of our Christian journey is to live in God's presence. That's' why heaven is described around the Presence of God Himself. The Lamb will light that place. Our faith is replaced with sight. We will see Him as He is.

You have to view your habits correctly, or else you stifle your journey. Have your habits become all there is to your faith? Or are your habits leading you to a better understanding of God's will and a closer, more intimate relationship with Him?

Be intentional - avoid casualness.

à When Jesus started toward Jerusalem, He knew. He knew He would suffer unimaginable. He knew He would die painfully. He knew He would be betrayed, rejected and abandoned. And yet He went.

à He was not casual about following God the Father's will and voice. He was intentional. He was determined. He was persistent. If you really are serious about being a Christian, you too need to be intentional, determined and persistent.

Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Matthew 16:24-27 (NKJV)

Count the cost - are you willing to make your With-God journey the priority of your life? I ask that, knowing full well that none of us can predict exactly what that will mean for our lives. But have you even given it any thought? Or do you just ?come to church?' How strongly do you feel about following Jesus, being one of His disciples and living in submission and obedience to His voice? You reap what you sow - so don't give a partial commitment to Christ and expect a total reward.

By the world's measurements, following Jesus will require sacrifice - will you make them? How much of your time are you willing to offer Jesus - an hour, 2 hours, maybe three? On a daily basis, how much of your life - your minutes and hours, are spent with Him? What level of financial sacrifice is God calling you to? Are you willing to live in smaller house, drive a less expensive car, wear your clothes a little longer - so that you live financially as God calls you to?

What's your plan? Are you fixed on the reward? Have you determined what value you place on your soul? Where do you need to deny yourself? What cross do you need to pick up? Do you even have a plan for how to grow in Christ? Or are you just going with the flow, hoping that spiritual growth happens? Is there a sin you need o face and eliminate? Is there a new spiritual habit God is calling you to engage in?

(ill) "In his speech at his induction into the baseball hall of fame, baseball great Mickey Mantle turned to the baseball commissioner and said, 'Thank you very much, Commissioner. I would really like to thank you for leaving out those strikeouts . . . I was the world champion in striking out.' And he was. His 1,710 strikeouts topped Babe Ruth's record of 1,330. Yet both are recognized as some of the greatest baseball players in the history of the sport.

T/S: "What is that factor that keeps others going while you're ready to throw in the towel? Mickey Mantle decided to keep going. Tenacity is the ability to put a shoulder to the boulder. To keep pushing until there is a breakthrough. Mantle is in the hall of fame because he refused to let the strikeouts rule his thinking or his life. Because of his tenacity, Mantle is better known for his hits than his misses.

"What will be your story? Will you be known more for throwing in the towel than for carrying the torch? I like the story of the little boy who threw a baseball into the air and tried to hit it with his bat. After about six strikes he turned to his father standing nearby and said, 'You know, Dad, I'm a pretty good pitcher!' decide today to persist! Decide today to do whatever it takes to follow Jesus. Decide today to set your course on God's roadmap.

Close: Jesus KNEW the outcome at Jerusalem, yet He still resolved (made up His mind firmly) and did what was necessary to get to Jerusalem and obey His Father.

Are you resolved?

Are you willing?

Are you obedient?

Is your source set?