Consumer Or Follower, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word, Pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. What would you rebuke the Son of God, the sinless Son of God? Would you rebuke him? Who would do that?

Consumer. You see that doesn't fit my agenda. That doesn't fit. So he rebukes Jesus.

I couldn't imagine doing something like this. But turning around and seeing his disciple, he rebukes Peter and says, Get behind me, Satan. Wow. Wow. Peter said, You're the Christ. Well, this is wonderful. Get behind me, Satan.

Where did that come from? Notice what Jesus says, For you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's. By the way, that's the mantra of the consumer. I want God to be for me what I want God to be for me. You see, I have an agenda and I want God to help me with my agenda.

That's why I want to have God in my life to help me with my agenda. Thank you for joining us today on this edition of Fellowship in the Word with Pastor Bill Gebhardt. Fellowship in the Word is the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible Church located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now, as once again, he shows us how God's word meets our world. Some time ago, I read a book.

The title of the book was called More, and it was written by a man named Greg Hawkins. And the book dealt with a megachurch in Chicago that was trying to figure out. Why they were not creating committed disciples of Jesus Christ. Why I would call them followers of Jesus Christ.

They were not committing those. They had hundreds of programs and hundreds of pastors. And yet they were not creating followers. And so what they decided to do as a first step was they had someone in their church who did it for a living. They decided that they would administer a survey to figure out where their people were in this church. And so what they did is they did the survey to thousands of their people and then revealed to the congregation what groups they fell into.

And they thought that there would be three groups, but there were actually four. The very first group of people that were attending the megachurch and Hawkins writes this, he says in group one are people who, for the most part, believe in God, but they're unsure about Jesus. The relationship with God is impersonal. Some of them are actively seeking God or investigating the claims of Jesus, while others have stopped their act of pursuit and yet continue to show up at our church, simply gone through the motions so they could be actively seeking or stagnant.

They might typically describe themselves in this way. I believe in God, but I'm not sure about Jesus. And my faith has no significant part in my life in group two are people who believe that Jesus is God's son and who are working on what that means to their lives. Their relationship with Jesus is personal, but it's not very close. Most of them would say, I believe in Jesus and I'm trying to figure out what that means for me to really know him. Then in group three, there are folks who have a close relationship with Jesus in which they look to him for help and comfort and direction. They have chosen to have him influence some of their daily lives. They might describe themselves by saying, I feel really close to Jesus and depend on him daily for guidance.

That sounded good to me. And I was hoping most of the people in our church would be in that category. But the man who conducted the survey said there's another group and that group is group four.

And that includes people who describe their relationship with Jesus as the most important relationship in their lives and say that it defines everything that they think or do. The big difference between group three and group four is that the people in group three, Jesus is important to their lives, but the focus is still on their lives. While group four people have decided that their own lives don't really matter, Christ has become the center of their lives.

They have set aside the agendas for their lives in attempting to follow God's agenda for their lives. When they finished the survey, they did it around the nation. They surveyed hundreds of thousands of evangelical believers just like us.

And when they finished it all, here was their conclusion. The total amount of evangelicals who are what we call group four followers of Jesus Christ is 12 percent. One out of every eight.

Now, most of them were in group three, some of them were in group two. But it was an amazing thing that only one out of eight evangelicals are followers of Jesus Christ. Hawkins writes, he says, This group sees my imagination. Here is a group of people who most strongly resonated with the statement that Christ is the center of my life. My relationship with him is the most important relationship in my life.

Every decision I make is connected with that relationship. These people are not to be admired only for their commitment to Christ. What is compelling about them is that they are the group who reports the highest levels of love for God. And less predictably, they exhibit the fruit of the spirit, love, joy, peace and patience and so on.

In measurably greater amounts than any other group. And even though they have set aside their own agendas, their own lives, they are by far the most satisfied and fulfilled people. They are living proof of Jesus words that if you want to gain your life, you must lose it.

Think of the difference in that. The group three people are characterized by the idea that I love Jesus and I want a relationship and I need him for my life. And so we add Jesus to my life. I would call them consumers.

That's how they view it. I want to add Jesus to my life as I live my life and I want him to help me my life. Group four, though, are what I would call followers of Jesus Christ. The question this morning for you is simple. Are you a consumer?

Or are you a follower? Because there's a tremendous difference, not only in that category, but in the idea of what you get out of your faith. In some ways, I understand that when we all start out, we're all consumers to a degree. When someone shared the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of Christ with you as a consumer, we want him. You know, we want we want to take advantage of what he's done for us. And we want we want to be able to have our sins forgiven because of what he's done. And of course, we all want to go to heaven and not go to hell. So we like this idea when we believe as a consumer that Christ died for our sins. The irony is, though, that when you read the New Testament, Jesus has a different expectation for you than that. His expectation is that you're a follower of Jesus Christ.

And I want to tell you, it's not as easy as you think. Open your Bibles to Mark Chapter eight, verse twenty seven. Mark Chapter eight, verse twenty seven.

In verse twenty seven, Mark writes this, he says, Jesus went out along with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way, he questioned his disciples and he said to them, oh, by the way, who do people say that I am? Who do people say that I am? Now, we know this in Matthew 16. He said this in one other occasions and it says they told him, saying, John, the Baptist, others say you're Elijah, but others, you're one of the prophets. And he continued, he said, but who do you say that I am?

And Peter answered and said to him. You're the Christ. You're the Messiah. Christos means Messiah. You are the Christ.

Now, this is interesting because this is Mark's adaptation. That's all Peter says in Mark. You're the Christ. Now, remember, Matthew says you're the Christ, the son of the living God. And then Jesus said to Peter, upon this petros, I will build my church.

Now, here's what's interesting. Who wrote John Mark? Mark, John Mark, that's who wrote it.

Who dictated Mark? Peter. This is Peter's gospel. Notice that Peter didn't say he's going to build his church on me. Wouldn't that be a temptation?

I mean, if you're going to build it on me, I'm going to put it in here. He doesn't say a word about that. In fact, he has no reason to because this is not necessarily a high point in Peter's life.

As you'll see in just a moment. Jesus then said to them, he warned them to tell no one. And he begins to teach him. And here's what Jesus says. He said, the son of man must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed. And after three days, I'll rise again. It's not the only time he has said this.

He said this several times throughout the gospels. But he says, look, I'm going to tell you what's going to happen here. I'm going to suffer many things. I'm going to be rejected by all the spiritual leaders.

I'm going to be killed and then I'm going to rise on the third day. But he was it. Mark even emphasizes it differently. Notice the next verse. And he was stating this matter plainly. Now, that didn't even have to be added, except that Peter said, put that in. So I have a hunch Jesus stops and said, let's get this straight again. I'm going to suffer.

I'm going to be killed by the leadership of Israel and I'm going to rise on the third day. You got that? Do you understand that? Consumers don't.

They have a different agenda. Watch what happens next. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. He's the son of God. OK, what would you rebuke the son of God, the sinless son of God? Would you rebuke him? Who would do that?

Consumer. You see, that doesn't fit my agenda. You see, that doesn't fit. So he rebukes Jesus.

I couldn't imagine doing something like this. But turning around and seeing his disciple, he rebukes Peter. And he says, get behind me, Satan. Wow. Peter said, you're the Christ. Well, this is wonderful. Get behind me, Satan.

Where did that come from? Notice what Jesus says, for you are not setting your mind on God's interest, but man's. By the way, that's the mantra of the consumer. I want God to be for me what I want God to be for me. You see, I have an agenda and I want God to help me with my agenda.

That's why I want to have God in my life to help me with my agenda. Jesus rebukes it in the harshest terms imaginable. You see, Peter said, look, he's the Messiah. He's coming back. He is the Messiah of Israel. Guess what he's going to do? He's going to throw the Romans out and he's going to set up his messianic kingdom in Jerusalem. And he's going to rule the whole world from Israel. And I'm going to get a great spot. I'm one of the 12.

This is going to be great. Jesus says, that's man's interest. That's not God's. That's the dilemma of being a consumer.

You see, I know what I want. You know, in that same book, I remember Hawkins saying something that was just stunning to me. He said 30, 40 years ago in America, you would view the people who attended evangelical churches as sheep. Who wanted to follow the shepherd and their under shepherd. But today, he said, we term them shoppers. That's what they do.

They shop. I want to find out who has something for me. I want to find out what church has it for me. That's what I want. I have an agenda. Can you meet my agenda?

The trouble with that is you move from follower to shopper. Anyway, Jesus rebukes it on the harshest terms possible. Notice Peter started out and he said exactly the right thing. He said what all of us would say. You're the son of God. You're the Christ. You see, but notice where he ends up going. He actually rebukes the son of God.

It's hard to imagine. Jesus says, look, let me make this clear. Verse 34. And he and he summoned the crowd and the disciples and said to them, he said, look, don't think for a moment.

I'm just talking to Peter and don't think I'm just talking to apostles. Bring the crowd in. I want everybody to hear that.

That includes you and me. He said, let me teach something here. He said, if anyone wishes to come after me, that's a follower. If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross.

Follow me. Now, they were aware of what this meant. This meant two things to them that must have really bothered them. These people have all seen people crucified. The most famous way of dying in their world, the most horrible way of dying in the world. They saw people crucified. It's a shameful, terrible thing to be crucified. But it's not just the pain of the crucifixion. It's the shame that comes by being crucified. You see, when you were going to be crucified, what the Romans would do is they'd strip you naked. Then they'd put whatever crime you committed against Rome around your neck. Then you would take the cross beam of the cross and you would carry it through the town to the site where you're crucified. The shame was unimaginable to the Jew. That's why Jesus said you have to take up your cross.

Luke writes daily. Now, he didn't say you have to get up on the cross. He said you have to take up your cross.

You have to be willing to experience the shame of being a follower of Jesus Christ. You also have to be willing, if you're going to follow him, that I'll follow him everywhere, even to my grave if I have to. But I will follow him. His point in verse 435 is whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake in the gospels, he'll save it. He said, look, what there's a profit a man to gain the whole world loses soul. The best option in life is to follow me.

Now, you don't think that. You think it's your agenda. I've got my life to live. I've got my plans. I know what I'm going to do and I want Jesus to help me with my plans. I want to make a career myself. I want to be somebody.

I want to accumulate a lot of stuff. Listen, you won't take one thing with you to the grave. There will be no stuff. In a generation or two, you're completely forgotten that you were ever alive. That's reality. That's what Jesus is saying. That's reality.

Don't think for a moment. Why would you think that's life? That's not life.

He said you want life, lose your life for my sake. That's life. That's the difference that Christ says. That's the difference between a follower and a consumer. What's interesting to me is the Apostle Paul understood this. He understood that following Christ is not sacrificial.

Following Christ is beneficial. Go with me now to Philippians chapter three. Philippians chapter three in verse four. Now understand the context. Paul wrote this. You have to understand what it's about and where he wrote it from. He's in prison. And he's waiting for the emperor of Rome to decide whether he lives or dies. He'll either give him one of these or one of those.

That's it. Now here's the theme of the book. It's not what you and I would make it.

You and I would make it woe is me, woe is me, please pray, please pray, woe is me, woe is me. The theme of the book of Philippians is joy. Paul said I have total joy. But wait a minute, you could be dying.

Yeah, I have total joy. Now remember, Paul's not a consumer. He's a follower.

So notice what happens here. Paul says, although in verse four, I myself might have confidence in the flesh. He said if anyone has a mind to put confidence in, I far more. Look, if you want to talk about living life out there in the real world, I have unbelievable confidence. I can brag about it. You see, I can really brag about my life.

I could do that if I wanted to. He said, let me explain. He says, I want you to understand, I've been circumcised on the eighth day. Male Jewish boy, typical of the Jews.

But guess who that eliminates? All the Gentiles in the world. I'm a Jew. We're the chosen people of God. Gentiles are not. I'm Jewish.

But he doesn't stop. He said, I'm of the nation Israel. I'm of the tribe of Benjamin.

Now, you've heard me say this before. If you're the tribe of Benjamin, you're from the best tribe in Israel. The Benjamites are considered the elite. They're the ones who lead Israel in the battle.

They have a great reputation. He said, that's me. I'm from Benjamin. That's my heritage. I'm not just Jewish. I'm from Benjamin.

But he's not done. He said, I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. You can't be more Jewish than me, Paul said. If being Jewish means something, I'm the most Jewish man you'd ever meet. He said, I'm a Hebrew among the Hebrews. And then he goes on and he said, and asked the law. He said, I'm a Pharisee.

Now, you hear me say this in the past and some of you may not have heard it. If you were a Jewish mother at this time and you had a little girl, you would pray she would marry a Pharisee. Now, they have a bad reputation because we look back over the centuries in history and see what they're like. But if you were Jewish at the time, these are the most righteous men in Israel from your point of view. These are moral good men. And he said, yeah, I was a Pharisee. But he's not even any Pharisee. In fact, another passage said, I was the Pharisee of all the Pharisees. Because you got to understand, I was trained by a rabbi. His name is Gamaliel.

You want a modern day equivalent? I got my MBA from Harvard. Where's yours from? I went to Harvard. You see, I have the best credentials you could have. I was trained by Gamaliel, the greatest rabbi in Israel. He trained me to be a Pharisee, to keep the law. He goes on and says, and as the zeal, I was a persecutor of the church and as the righteousness which is in the law, I was found blameless. No one ever came up to me and said, you violated the law.

I never did. Now he knows he's a sinner, but that's a different issue. He said, I was blameless in the law. He said, so if you want to say you should really invest in this life, he said, I had it all. But notice then what he says, whatever things were gained to me, these things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things.

And I count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. That word rubbish. It's not a great word. The word it really is, is even less great.

It's done. You can use any colloquialism you want, but Paul said, that's what I think of my former life. He said, look, you got to understand, I walked away from my heritage, my family, my education, my career, my position in society, my agenda. I walked away from all of it, but I'm not unhappy I walked it away.

I count that all but done. Everything that we say is life indeed, he said, that's not life. Now you have to understand here, he has a piece that he explains beyond all comprehension while he's in prison. He has a joy that has nothing to do with the circumstances. And then if you look over chapter four, verse 13, he makes a life verse there. And in verse 13 of chapter four, he says, I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

There's his power. Right before that, by the way, guess what he says? I learned how to be content. He said, you know, when I'm content, always. You know, when I'm joyful, always. When do you have peace? Always.

Has nothing to do with circumstances. I've learned a secret of contentment. You see, with a secret of contentment. Yeah, he said, look, if you put me in a palace, I'm content.

You put me in a prison, I'm content. Does that describe you? You see, does that describe you? Because that describes a follower of Jesus Christ. I've learned a secret.

What is it? I can do all things through him who strengthens me. You see, that's what Paul was saying. I've learned that secret. I am a follower.

And that's difficult for us, I think, sometimes to understand. You've been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the Radio Ministry of Fellowship in the Word. If you ever miss one of our broadcasts, or maybe you would just like to listen to the message one more time, remember that you can go to a great website called OnePlace.com. That's OnePlace.com, and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online.

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