Jesus' Announcement and Peter's Rebuke

In this part of the sermon: This section details Jesus' teaching, highlighting its novelty as a new phase of instruction, its substance (must suffer, be rejected, killed, and rise again by the Sanhedrin)…

The word 'rejected' is explained by analogy to testing a coin for authenticity and casting it aside if counterfeit, illustrating the formal evaluation and dismissal of Jesus by the Sanhedrin.

And the word for rejected is the word one would use and the word for rejected is the word one would use and the word for rejected is the word one would use if he were testing a coin to see if it were the real thing and upon discovery that it was counterfeit would cast it aside as worthless. It speaks of a rejection preceded by an official or formal evaluation. It is the word used again and again in the New Testament whenever we find the statement, the stone which the builders rejected. And those of you who have watched amazing work, you know, what that means.

10:39 - 11:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: This section details Jesus' teaching, highlighting its novelty as a new phase of instruction, its substance (must suffer, be rejected, killed, and rise again by the Sanhedrin)…

The word 'rejected' is further illustrated by a builder sifting through bricks to find the perfect one, casting others aside as worthless, emphasizing the deliberate and formal nature of Jesus' rejection.

Someone is looking for a brick to fit in a strategic place and it must be a perfect brick and he goes through the pile of brick that are before him and he looks at one after another and one after another is rejected until that brick that is properly to be placed or that will fit properly and blends in with the given setting of that particular course of brick is chosen. Well, that's the whole connotation of this word. He must be rejected. There will be a formal, legal trial and in the face of that trial he will be cast aside and then the rejection will lead to his murder.

11:14 - 11:56 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes Peter's action of taking Jesus aside and his vehement rebuke, motivated by love but ultimately opposing God's will, as recorded in Matthew's parallel account.

Peter taking Jesus aside is compared to tapping someone on the shoulder for a private word, illustrating Peter's attempt at courtesy before his rebuke.

Better translated, Peter took him aside to himself. It is the picture of what we often do in a group of people when we have something that we want to say. That is of a more private nature. And we may tap someone on the shoulder and say, come here, I'd like to have a word with you.

17:34 - 17:52 Read in full sermon

The point: Never pick up your Bibles, come to Sunday school, or any preaching service without crying with the psalmist, 'Lord, open Thou my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy love.'

Peter's continued prejudice after Pentecost, requiring direct revelation to preach to Gentiles and later rebuked for backsliding, serves as an example of the ongoing need for the Spirit's work even in believers.

And though there are some fundamental differences this side of Pentecost, and the outpouring of the Spirit, and in one sense the most immature, simple believer under plain gospel preaching knows and understands more and the moment of His spiritual birth than Peter understood here, I understand that principle. Yet, nonetheless, there is an, undergirding spiritual reality here. And that undergirding reality is that any truth from whatever instrument that comes to us, however simply, forcefully, lucidly, does not gain a sympathetic entrance into the human heart without the attendant presence and ...

27:45 - 29:14 Read in full sermon

The point: As a wife, if you set your heart upon doing God's will, be prepared for an adversary in the person of your own husband, or vice versa.

A husband or wife becoming an adversary to their spouse's determination to follow God's will (e.g., in parenting or finances) is given as an example of intimate friends becoming opponents.

The revealed will of God is made plain to us in Scripture. And it may be that as a wife you set your heart upon doing that will of God. And there is an adversary in the person of your own husband or vice versa. It may be as a husband you're determined with Joshua to say, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

35:21 - 35:43 Read in full sermon

The point: Allow no one, no matter how intimate or close the relationship, to stand between you and your doing of the clearly revealed will of God. Pray for the disposition of the Lord Jesus to say, 'Get behind me, adversary.'

Imagining dropping in via helicopter and hearing Jesus call Peter 'Satan' is used to illustrate how Jesus' actions might seem harsh without understanding the full context and his loving motives.

Jesus says, he that loves father, mother, brother, sister more than me is not worthy of me. He calls us to a life of discipleship in which we will allow no one, no matter how intimate or close the relationship to stand between us and our doing of the clearly revealed will of God. And we need to pray for the disposition of the Lord Jesus to be our disposition. That when anyone, no matter who he or she may be, would stand between us and the path of obedience to say, get behind me, adversary, I will not countenance your opposition. You'll be accused of being harsh. You'll be accused of being hear...

36:15 - 37:19 Read in full sermon

The point: Beware of mere pragmatism in evaluating the issues of God's kingdom, and beware of importing worldly business principles or concepts of success into the church.

A perceptive commentator's quote is used to explain Satan's policy of promoting self-interest as the chief end of man, linking it to Peter's 'spare yourself' mentality.

One perceptive commentator has written as follows, for the whole aim of satanic policy, is to get self to be recognized as the chief end of man. Satan's temptation aims at nothing worse than this. Satan is called the prince of this world because self-interest rules the world. He's called the accuser of the brethren because he does not believe that even the sons of God have any higher motive.

42:08 - 42:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Treat language that encourages 'sparing yourself' exactly as our Lord did, regardless of the mouthpiece or plausible excuses.

Martin shares his personal experience of being prodded by few to greater devotion but by dozens to 'spare yourself' (e.g., 'you'll grow old before you're 30,' 'you're too serious,' 'you'll kill yourself'), illustrating the pervasive nature of human wisdom opposing self-sacrifice.

And I can testify over the years the people I've met who have prodded me on, by life, by example, by precept, by exhortation, the people I've met who've prodded me to greater devotion, to greater zeal, to greater sacrifice, to greater earnestness, to greater prayerfulness. They have been few and far between. But those who said, spare yourself, I can number them by the dozens.

43:39 - 44:09 Read in full sermon