Incentives to Discipleship

Mark 8:35 - 9:1 Gospel of Mark

In this sermon, Pastor Albert N. Martin expounds Mark 8:34-9:1, presenting four compelling incentives to discipleship after outlining its non-negotiable terms: self-denial, cross-bearing, and following Christ. He argues that true life is found in losing one's self-centered existence for Christ's sake, that gaining the whole world is profitless if one forfeits their soul, that nothing can be exchanged for a lost soul, and that the certainty of Christ's glorious return and judgment demands allegiance now. Martin passionately calls all hearers to count the cost and embrace Christ's terms, validated by the prophetic announcement of the kingdom's coming with power.

3 illustrations in this sermon

Introduction: The Non-Negotiable Terms of Discipleship

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Long Journey Analogy

Driving home: Oh, may we in this place today taste the powers of the world to come, and may every thought and every value system, every ambition, and every relationship be adjusted to suit the

The act of discipleship (coming after Christ) is compared to taking a long journey, requiring three things: saying farewells (denying self), picking up baggage (taking up the cross), and starting the journey (following Christ).

called unto him the multitude to do so. And we have seen that in the course of our expositions of the Gospel of Mark. He would join the existing group of the inner circle and he speaks these words to all of his hearers and in them sets forth the non-negotiable terms of discipleship, life, and salvation. And as we examined those terms last week, we saw that they are very straightforward. If any man is willing to come after me, that's the essence of the gospel. And he is willing to come after me. And he is willing to come of discipleship. It is attachment to Jesus Christ in faith, in love, and o...

6:11 - 7:29 Read in full sermon

Incentive 2: The Unanswerable Question of Gain and Loss (Mark 8:36)

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Accountant's Ledger

The point: Identify and relinquish any idolatrous attachment to self, such as pride or reputation, that prevents full attachment to Christ.

To understand the profit/loss of gaining the world and losing one's soul, Jesus is imagined asking a person to draw a ledger, listing all worldly gains on one side and 'lost soul' (with all its eternal consequences) on the other, to do the arithmetic.

now think of the setting it's as though jesus anticipates someone saying but lord to lose my life is to lose you this and that the other and they begin to enumerate and jesus says all right i'll give you a sheet of paper as long as the red sea and i'll put a pencil in your hand and i want you to do a little work of an accountant and i want you to draw a line and on the one side put gains and on the other side put loss and under your gains or your assets he says write down every single commodity that is of worth in the eyes of the world in the eyes of the world in the eyes of the world Right un...

32:08 - 33:28 Read in full sermon

Incentive 3: The Unanswerable Question of Comparable Worth (Mark 8:37)

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Lost Guitar in Pawn Shop

In this part of the sermon: The third incentive asks, 'For what should a man give in exchange for his soul?' Martin illustrates this with a pawn shop analogy, arguing that nothing in the universe, no price…

A man loses his guitar, finds it in a pawn shop, and buys it back. This illustrates the concept of 'exchange' and 'comparable worth,' where money is exchanged for the guitar, showing that nothing can be of comparable worth to a lost soul.

And this commercial concept of exchange is dominant. In those usages. Let me illustrate it this way. A man loses his guitar.

38:23 - 38:35 Read in full sermon

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