WEEK 7- BRYAN BARLEY
WHY DOES THIS MATTER FOR PEOPLE’S LIVES?
Mark 8:27-30
Below is an outline of the sermon, along with some additional comments.
Who is Jesus? What did others say? What did the disciples say? What do you say?
Read Mark 8:27-28 | Who do others say?
Jesus is not after vague, positive affirmation, but a personal decision and confession. A confession that comes with an identification with him as Savior, and a submission to him as Lord.
- John the Baptist: (Mark 6:16) The local Roman authoritarian view of the moment
- Elijah: (2 Kings 2) – Elijah is a prophet who doesn’t die, but is actually taken up by God, and so some people are saying, “he’s now back, that’s why he has this unique power.”
- Prophets: “Jesus is just a continuation of the prophets that God sent back in the Old Testament”
Do you merely affirm Jesus lived, and you affirm he was influential and important? Or do you have faith and believe Christ is alive and still changing lives today?
Read Mark 8:29-30 | Who do the disciples say?
Peter tells Jesus on behalf of the group – “You are the Christ.” Peter makes the declaration that Jesus is not just a prophet, but that he is the Messiah.
Jesus is the Christ who has come to liberate God’s people from slavery and forever establish his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven…but his path to conquering is not through military might, but rather through the cross.
The disciples were physically closest to Christ, but they still didn’t fully understand what was going to happen. Do you trust God fully, even though you might not comprehend all he is doing in your life?
Read Romans 10:9-10 | Who do you say?
What the Scriptures are telling us is that we are not meant to simply affirm Jesus’ existence historically, but we are meant to confess with our mouths and believe in our hearts. This is a a confession that comes with an identification with Jesus as Savior, and a submission to him as Lord.
When all seems lost – we have this hope: “I know him. And he knows me. And he loves me. And he lived for me. And he died for me. And he resurrected for me. And he makes intercession for me. Not because of what I’ve done, but because of my confession that is my identification with Jesus and his work, I will enter into the throne room of grace like a child bursts into their parent’s bedroom – I’m going in!”
Have you made this confession that Jesus is Lord of your life?