 Good afternoon, Pastor David. Hey John. Welcome everybody to an unfiltered a random moment with Pastor David on Tuesdays we talk about current events and On Thursdays we we like to talk a little bit more about a previous study you've given and or things related to the Bible Today I want to ask pastor last week you Last Sunday you spelled out for us the true mark of discipleship and in Mark chapter 8 verse 34 He said if any the Bible says if anyone what if any would come when come after me He must deny himself take up his cross and follow me And so we know that a true follower of Christ is Someone who clearly sees that it will cost to follow Jesus I wanted to ask you how has this cost to follow Jesus? How has it been cheapened today? You know, that's a that's a good question. It's a really a Very very important question and especially in our age because It seems that sometimes the point of a of a message Is to get an emotional response from the here? so a touching story or a Sad memory Something that will draw from people a an emotional response may be used at the Conclusion of a message and then the tearful come to Jesus moment occurs and and instead of basing your your message on just a clear presentation of Man's need for God and the requirements of Repentance and confession and all of those things we end up appealing to emotion and Jesus never did that Jesus would not give a Emotional plea because he knew that emotions will die after a while and and that kind of an invitation if you will Isn't going to produce lasting fruit and so when Jesus was speaking to his men there in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 8 He had made it clear to them that he was going to to be tried by the Jewish Priests and all and that he was going to die and be raised from the dead and And the Apostle Peter didn't want to hear that neither did any of the other men and and that's why he says in Matthew's Gospel let this thing be far from you that you should die and That's why Jesus spoke to him and said to him get thee behind me Satan you're an offensive me you savor the things of man and not of God and so The idea that Jesus would lay his life down and die was very difficult, but then he went on to say you're going to do the same You know if any man desired to come after me He's to die also there there is a there is a mentality of a full commitment to the end He never called us to be part-time followers, but full-time disciples and Leaving those things behind in pursuing that which is in front of us, right? And so I believe that that that invitation has been watered down in many ways And so the demands of discipleship that picking up up across daily You know the instrument of torture and death and shame picking it up daily and following him as Luke adds in his account of the same same teaching I believe that that has been watered down to the point where people think that that Just saying yes at an invitation means I got saved but in fact that does happen I do believe that that people receive Christ I wouldn't give an invitation if I didn't believe that but When you water down the the call that Jesus gave and you make it into something like he'll give you a blessed day Or you're gonna be healthy and you're gonna be you're gonna be wealthy and Things of that that nature appealing to the flesh and the greed of man and the fear of man in the sense of I want to always be healthy well, you end up with people who look at At at the gospel is kind of an insurance policy of some sort that I'm gonna benefit from If if I just just agree to sign on the dotted line And so what happens is you have watered down messages and you produce people who who are Believing themselves to be saved when in fact they've never confessed their sins. You've never forsaken them They've never Repented they've never said God be merciful to me. Fill me with your spirit They don't develop a hunger for the word of God They don't get involved in fellowship and they still live in the same lifestyle They did before they live in fear or they live in in a variety of ways and And so yeah, I think that today the the gospel as it goes forth sometimes is really not the true gospel But rather an invention of man. I like what you said These are some of the the quotes that you've you made in in our last study last Sunday Regarding this cheap and discipleship quote all you have to do is just be good avoid the cross and You'll make it to heaven Another one is faith that costs nothing is worth nothing. Well, you know Satan basically who was inspiring The Apostle Peter's words That's basically what we're saying. He was in Peter's advice to Christ was don't go to the cross Let this thing be far from you but for this purpose he came Jesus came to lay his life down For us, he's the Lamb of God and so for Peter to say don't do it And that's why Jesus would say get thee behind me Satan adversary opponent Your your mind a moment ago was inspired by the spirit When when you said you are the Christ the Son of the living God and that's why Jesus had said bless That are you Simon and by Simon by Jonah flesh and blood is not revealed as to you but my father in heaven You were inspired by God's spirit, but now Satan has Interposing your mind Something contrary to that the inspiration of your thought was not from God But was actually from the the adversary from Satan and that's why he says get thee behind me because your influence is Going to not only bleed over to To others but it could go further than just this the circle here around me So no you get behind me because Jesus came in order to fulfill the will of his father, which was to embrace across So, you know, we hear this commandment for discipleship and And then we also hear what will man give an exchange for his soul Yeah, and so there is a cost either way we either sold out and live it for Christ or we live in this cheapened discipleship this cheapened grace that That doesn't cost anything. Well, you know, yeah, that's that that that's that very famous Quotation from Dietrich Bonhoeffer a cheap grace a grace that costs nothing a grace that costs nothing And there are quite a number of people who don't understand the depth of grace the cost of grace and the things related to grace because again And I'm sad to say this is a truth, but it's it's not a pleasant thing to say but they're they're quite a number of of places called churches with pastors who Don't teach the word Who are caught up? It seems sometimes to just try and fill the pews you know to get the finances to be able to to become popular I guess you know and You know you you you don't serve God like that you You don't profit off the the the gospel. You just don't There's blessings and benefits of following Christ, but you certainly don't preach the message to be admired by man and become wealthy and become famous John you preach a Costly cross, you know because discipleship is costly Yeah, so what will it profit a man if he should gain the world and lose his soul? What will a man give an exchange for his soul? Those are merchandise terms profit and loss and gain You know those Jesus was saying in and in ways that had a material sense to him That the follower of Christ is one who loses to gain, you know It may seem that in the in the dying to myself that I'm I'm losing in in fact I am I'm losing myself But I'm also gaining a new a new self, you know a reborn selfie a new life a new value system And a new final destination and so what will it profit a man if he if he if he would gain everything You know you and I just yesterday. I had to take my car in for an oil change and and as we were walking past the Parking lot and all these beautiful cars, and I happen to be someone who appreciates the beauty of it of a car I have always appreciated it, but I look at it in many ways This is like a piece of art and there's no way I'm going to try and purchase something like that But remember we were looking at a Corvette, you know a 2020 it was a used models two years old and how much were they they were charging a hundred and forty three thousand dollars for that and What would a profit a man to be able to drive that Corvette and still go to hell I mean, what is it profit you to be able to? Drive a beautiful car that you're constantly concerned about that somebody might swing their door and in nick the paint or You might get in an accident or somebody may steal it, you know, that's why Jesus taught us He said you lay your treasures up in heaven and so there is an eternal perspective that we must have and I believe that it it's a perspective many Christians don't have You know an interesting pastor and we'll close with this that Jesus is using business terms But yet he uses loss and profit and profit and gain and loss and gain In the same sense for loss and gain but with an eternal result Which probably didn't make sense to the businessmen if you think about you know the loss if you lose your life You'll gain it, you know thinking okay. Well, but Jesus was not thinking obviously with a mind that's that is Earthly-minded but a heavenly perspective. Yeah, he said that's what he came to do is to give us a glimpse of what was awaiting us You know, I thank God for the beauty of the blessings. He gives to us now. I thank God for a home to live And I thank God for friends. I thank God for my wife my children my grandchildren I thank God for so many things that have material substance in value. Of course. I do God is the giver of every good gift, you know, and I bless him for that But he would not have me to fasten my eyes on things below my eyes are to be fastened under things above You know, and so if I if I understand I'm a pilgrim that I'm a sojourner, you know, I am Just passing through and I I use things, but I don't let those things use me It when I understand that I have freedom But if I I work so hard because one day I'm gonna hopefully be able to buy that boat get that cab and take that trip That one who I'm married to may not survive long enough to ever enjoy those things And that's why I share with the church the most important thing that I've discovered in life Is relationship it's relationship, you know, because home to me is not the house I live in I thank God for it But home to me is wherever my wife is wherever my my Maria's I'm home because she is To me what life matters on earth because as a gift from God I have the ability to have Woman that that shares this with me but without her And what good would it be what what does it matter if I have that Corvette if I'm driving with nobody in the passenger seat John You know and as I'm growing older. I've been saying this to our church. It becomes more real it becomes more settled in my heart that I'm just passing through and the only thing that matters at the end is Is this relationships with God and encouragement To others to have a relationship with him and to we have have relationships in the Lord Thank you pastor for that. That's uh This was a good conversation. I you know really enjoyed the the teaching you gave on this With that want to invite you guys to come out to our Sunday morning services 8 30 and 10 45 as you're still taking us through the book of Mark a great opportunity I'm not going to spill the beans, but you were sharing with something with me earlier that you were working on it So you guys got to come on out great surprises this Sunday. We'll put it that way. Yeah. Oh, yes. Yes You guys got to come on out for that. You're not gonna want to miss this. So come on out invite your friends and family Then Wednesday, we have the Coutinas coming up. They're gonna lead us in worship They're actually gonna take over the whole night and giving them tonight. That's gonna be amazing Invite your friends and family to come out. I mean they harmonize so well Beautiful I just love these guys. So guys come on out. And so we look forward to seeing you. Thank you for tuning in pastor David, thank you so much. God bless you guys