Speaker: Deacon Youpri Ardiantoro
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 8: 31-33
8:31. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
8:32 He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
8:33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
This is about the first announcement of Jesus' suffering. Jesus teaches about the cross.
The crossmeans as follows.
There are God's power and wisdombehind the cross.
1 Corinthians 1: 23-24
1:23. but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
GOD'S POWER
It means as follows.
GOD'S WISDOM
Proverbs 31: 26
31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
The wisdom refers to the teaching Wordor the revelation of God's Word. The more a servant of God willingly dies or suffers in the flesh without any sin, the more God gives him wisdom or the revelation of His Word.
Likewise, the more the congregation willingly dies to sin, the more they can understand, believe, and obey the true teaching Word.
Proverbs 9: 1
9:1. Wisdomhas built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
'has built her house'= the spiritual house refers to the building of the body of Christ.
The person who willingly suffers in the flesh without any sin until the flesh does not speak anymore will be given the wisdom and used in the ministry for building the body of Christup to the perfection ('has hewn out her seven pillars'; the figure seven refers to perfection).
Unfortunately, there are many people (the people of the world, the sons and servants of God whom He uses) who reject the cross.
Philippians 3: 18-19
3:18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.
For example, Peteris a great senior servant of God, but he rejects the cross.
Why can Peter reject the cross?
The answer is in verse 19: 'who set their mind on earthly things', namely because his mind only thinks about the worldly or carnal things.
Consequently, the Lord rebukes him, saying 'For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men'.
What is the function of Jesus' crucifixion for our life (the mind of God)?
There are three signs of the perfection as follows.
Peter rejected the cross, so his tongue was not right by denying Jesus three times.
The consequences are as follows.
God does not want that the men He has created, especially His servants like Peter, will be the same as Satan because of rejecting the cross. Therefore, He makes efforts to return Peter to the His image to be glorified.
How can the Lord help Peter?
Genesis 1: 26-27
1:26. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
If we become the first creation or we can be obedient, love God and die willingly, we will get the results as follows.
John 6: 70-71
6:70. Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
6:71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
There was a servant of God who became the devil, namely Judas Iscariot. Why?
Because he did not confess when the Lord was preaching the Word showing his mistake, even he blamed the other eleven disciples and Jesus. He kept his sin even when the hardest Word in the Holy Communion rebuked him.
Consequently, Judas never gets the help. He died by hanging himself and fell headlong. His entrails gushed out. He perished forever.
We still get the opportuinity from God. Let us confess and ask the forgiveness of God after we are corrected by the Word. All things are finished.
God blesses you.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Mark 8: 31-33
8:31. And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
8:32 He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
8:33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
This is about the first announcement of Jesus' suffering. Jesus teaches about the cross.
The crossmeans as follows.
- The flesh suffering for stopping sinning.
1 Peter 4: 1
4:1. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, , - The flesh suffering without any sin. It means that one still suffers although he has not sinned anymore.
1 Peter 4: 12-13
4:12. Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trialwhich is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ?
4:13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
It is like the suffering of Jesus until He dies on the cross. We suffer in our flesh until the flesh does not speak anymore. For example, we do not reply when others mock us.
There are God's power and wisdombehind the cross.
1 Corinthians 1: 23-24
1:23. but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
GOD'S POWER
It means as follows.
- The power of God in His resurrection.
2 Corinthians 13: 4
13:4. For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of Godtoward you.
It cannot be hinderedby anything like Jesus' resurrection after He dies for three days. The big stone that covers the tomb and the soldiers who guard it cannot hinder Jesus' resurrection, even they run away.
The power of resurrection is able to break through all things; even the impossible problems like dead person can be solved. - There is God's power to renew our life to be as glorious as Jesus behind the cross. It is called as the power of glory.
Philippians 3: 20-21
3:20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
3:21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
GOD'S WISDOM
Proverbs 31: 26
31:26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
The wisdom refers to the teaching Wordor the revelation of God's Word. The more a servant of God willingly dies or suffers in the flesh without any sin, the more God gives him wisdom or the revelation of His Word.
Likewise, the more the congregation willingly dies to sin, the more they can understand, believe, and obey the true teaching Word.
Proverbs 9: 1
9:1. Wisdomhas built her house, She has hewn out her seven pillars;
'has built her house'= the spiritual house refers to the building of the body of Christ.
The person who willingly suffers in the flesh without any sin until the flesh does not speak anymore will be given the wisdom and used in the ministry for building the body of Christup to the perfection ('has hewn out her seven pillars'; the figure seven refers to perfection).
Unfortunately, there are many people (the people of the world, the sons and servants of God whom He uses) who reject the cross.
Philippians 3: 18-19
3:18. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:
3:19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.
For example, Peteris a great senior servant of God, but he rejects the cross.
Why can Peter reject the cross?
The answer is in verse 19: 'who set their mind on earthly things', namely because his mind only thinks about the worldly or carnal things.
Consequently, the Lord rebukes him, saying 'For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men'.
What is the function of Jesus' crucifixion for our life (the mind of God)?
- So that we, the sinful, can be saved.
Matthew 15: 24-28 ('about the woman of Canaan')
15:24. But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
15:25 Then shecame and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"
15:26 But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."
15:27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."
15:28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Actually, Jesus was sent to die on the cross for seeking for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The woman of Canaan or a Gentile asked the mercy.
Jesus died with four wounds, namely two in hands and two in feet. There was no opportunity for the Gentiles. Nevertheless, a Roman soldier pierced the side of Jesus on the cross, so the blood and water came out of it. This is our part as the Gentiles. Jesus has died for saving both the Israelites and Gentiles.
The signs of being saved from the sins for the Gentiles are as follows.- Believing in Jesus.
- Repenting or stopping sinning to return to God or being dead to sin (the sign of blood).
- Being baptized of water to get new life or righteous one (the sign of water).
A mistake happens when we do not bear the cross or the flesh does not suffer, but we want to get the blessings first. It will be a danger because Satan may give such blessings.
Proverbs 12: 26
12:26. The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.
After living in righteousness, there is no difficulty for being shepherded. The shepherding pen is the place to make our righteousness firm. We are shepherded to the true teaching Word, not to any human, church organization, church building, and so on. We are shepherded like a branch that dwells in the True Vine.
John 10: 27, 5
10:27. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.
10:5. "Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will fleefrom him, for they do not know the voice of strangers."
'hear My voice' = hearing the true teaching Word.
The sign of being shepherdedin John 10: 27 is hearing and obeying the true teaching Word.
How can the pastor and congregation be shepherded?
verse 5= the sheep does not want to hear strange voice.
Jesus as the Good Shepherd gives His soul for the sheep. The mind of Godis Jesus must die on the cross to bring us to enter the shepherding or we can be shepherded well.
Peter was not willingly shepherded. The proof is "He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him."
It means that Peter did not willingly obey the Lord(using the mind of human).
Using the mind of human, one will not want to get the cross. He does not want to suffer nor live in righteousness or shepherding. On the contrary, we are able if we use the mind of God. There is nothing impossible for God. - Uniting usto enter the oneness of the perfect body of Christ between Israelites and Gentiles.
Ephesians 2: 15-22
2:15. having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
2:16 and that He might reconcile themboth to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
2:17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
2:18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
2:20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
2:21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
2:22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
This is the greatest unification, namely the international Christ's body between Israelites and Gentiles.
Jesus is crucified to unite us, not to divide. The unification of the perfect body of Christ begins from these things.- In marriage or household or the smallest body of Christ.
- In the shepherding.
- Inter-shepherding.
- The oneness between Israelites and Gentiles.
The requirements of entering the oneness of the body of Christ or united marriage are as follows.- verse 20: 'esus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone' = being built upon the sacrifice of Christ.
The marriage may be built upon the sacrifice of Christ through the reconciliation.
verse 16= 'reconcile them'
The ways are as follows.- As for the sinful, they must realize, regret, and confess sins seriously. We do not repeat the sin after being forgiven.
- As for the right, they must forgive and forget the sin.
- Being built upon the apostles and prophets.
The apostles refer to the books in New Testament.
The prophets refer to the books in Old Testament.
They refer to the Word written in Holy Bible or the one true teaching Word.
- Perfecting us.
Hebrews 10: 14
10:14. For by one offering He has perfectedforever those who are being sanctified.
Jesus is crucified not only for saving us, but also uniting and perfecting us.
When does the perfection happen? It happens when Jesus comes a second time. The dead will be resurrected and the alive will be changed into perfection. We meet the Lord on the glorious clouds and enter the one thousand years kingdom of peace and New Jerusalem.
There are three signs of the perfection as follows.
- Obedience (the work of faith), regardless of any risk we have to take.
James 2: 22
2:22. Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? - We can love one another, regardless of any risk we have to take.
1 John 4: 12
4:12. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfectedin us.
We can love others, even the people who make hostility toward us.
Matthew 5: 46-48
5:46. "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
5:47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
5:48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. - Not stumbling in word.
James 3: 2
3:2. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.
It begins from saying right words, namely we say 'yes' if yeas and 'no' if no, until someday we do not stumble in words. We become perfect man.
Peter rejected the cross, so his tongue was not right by denying Jesus three times.
The consequences are as follows.
- Peter became the same as the devil.
The person who rejects the cross will be the same as the devil and destroyed forever. - The Lord will deny one who denies Him.
Mark 8: 38
8:38. "For whoever is ashamedof Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamedwhen He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
God does not want that the men He has created, especially His servants like Peter, will be the same as Satan because of rejecting the cross. Therefore, He makes efforts to return Peter to the His image to be glorified.
How can the Lord help Peter?
- Jesus willingly dies on the crosswith His marred face, not as the son of man anymore, but the devil. It is for reaching us who have been the same as the devil because of rejecting the cross.
Isaiah 52: 14
52:14.Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; - The Lord shows the right shepherding.
John 21: 15-19
21:15. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs."
21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep."
21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.
21:18 "Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish."
21:19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Peter always heard the voice of the Lord or the Word coming out of Jesus' mouth in the right shepherding. Such Word is able to sanctify our heart. Peter was corrected about his obedience, love, willingness in the suffering.
By the repeated Word, he could realize that he had no love, but had denied the Lord three times.
The Lord wants to help us through the true teaching Word and Holy Communion.
The way to get the helpis by confessing our condition, so the sacrifice of Christ forgives us. The face of Peter that is like Satan's can be changed into the first one, namely the glorious face that is full of love, obedient, and willing to die for God (John 21: 18) although he was afraid of the death. This is the result of the shepherding, namely our face is changed to be the same image as God.
Genesis 1: 26-27
1:26. Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."
1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
If we become the first creation or we can be obedient, love God and die willingly, we will get the results as follows.
- We are preserved and protected by God like the first men who were put in paradise where all things are provided.
- We have the victory over Satan the trinity or the source of problems. The first men ruled over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle that refer to Satan the trinity.
- We are brought in the one thousand years kingdom of peaceor the Future Paradise. We have not entered it yet, but now we can already feel its peace in our heart, marriage or household, work, and shepherding.
John 6: 70-71
6:70. Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"
6:71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.
There was a servant of God who became the devil, namely Judas Iscariot. Why?
Because he did not confess when the Lord was preaching the Word showing his mistake, even he blamed the other eleven disciples and Jesus. He kept his sin even when the hardest Word in the Holy Communion rebuked him.
Consequently, Judas never gets the help. He died by hanging himself and fell headlong. His entrails gushed out. He perished forever.
We still get the opportuinity from God. Let us confess and ask the forgiveness of God after we are corrected by the Word. All things are finished.
God blesses you.