Don't Think Like the Devil!

Introduction

If you have your Bibles this morning, please take them and find Mark 8:31.  One of my goals this morning is for my sermon title to shock you to some degree, “Stop Thinking Like the Devil!”

 

Beginning with today’s text, Jesus is going to announce God’s plan for Him, specifically related to His ultimate mission.  This first of three announcements take place in 8:31.

 

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.

 

It happens again in Mark 9:31 and for a third time in 10:33-34.

 

31 For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.”

 

33 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; 34 and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

 

Again, I said this was God’s plan.  That may sound weird to you, but it is undeniable in Acts 2:23 from the mouth of Peter.

 

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;

 

Every time Jesus made this prophetic announcement regarding His death and resurrection, He followed it with a lesson on discipleship. 

 

Here’s today’s lesson on discipleship: the disciple of Christ should set his or her mind on the things of God rather than the things of men.  In other words, a disciple of Jesus should stop thinking like the devil, and start thinking like God.

 

 

Main Point

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. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 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.” 

 

Look again at verse 31.  That’s were see this first announcement from Jesus of His death and resurrection.  Specifically, He said He was going to experience persecution, execution, and resurrection.  All of this would be at the hands of the Jewish Religious Leaders: the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes.  Verse 32 is where we see this is the first time that He spoke openly, plainly, and clearly about His death.

 

Peter wasn’t thinking like God, and when Peter heard this announcement, verse 32 says he took Jesus aside and rebuked Him.  So Peter did understand that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but he didn’t understand fully yet.

After Peter rebuked Jesus, Jesus rebuked Peter, and notice verse 33 says all of the disciples too.  He said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan.”  Does that mean that Peter was filled with Satan?  No, but it does mean that Peter was listening to Satan allowing Satan to speak through him.

 

What was Peter’s problem?  He was not mindful of the things of God but the things of men.  In other words, Peter was thinking like the Devil instead of like God and Jesus. 

 

Peter’s mistake applied to his attitude, his desired actions, and the timing.  Peter’s attitude was one of wanting to be delivered from Roman oppression.  His actions including the promised Messiah doing just that through force, and he thought the timing should be sooner rather than later.

 

Beginning in verse 34, Jesus went on to further explain what thinking like God meant, and I want you to notice that was His expectation for all followers of Christ not just the Twelve.  Notice verse 34 says He called all the people to Himself, with His disciples also, and His invitation is “For whoever.”

 

Sometimes there is a false dichotomy in the minds of the Christians thinking that all followers of Christ are Christians, and those more mature followers of Christ are disciples.  Again, that is false dichotomy or division and cannot be justified biblically.  What Jesus is about to say applies to the Twelve and to everyone in this room who is a follower of Christ. 

 

 

1. Thinking like Jesus means denying self.

 

This invitation to follow Jesus begins in verse 34 and relates back to not thinking like the Devil.  Followers of Jesus and thinking like Jesus means denying self. 

 

What does it mean to “deny himself?”  It does not mean to deny your personality.  It does mean that your world needs to stop revolving around you.  You need to stop thinking about you all the time.  It means to turn away from self-centeredness and egocentric living.

 

In Rick Warren’s “Purpose Driven Life,” the very first sentence says, “It’s not about you.”  For the follower of Christ, you must deny self.   You must move from being self-centered to being Jesus-centered and others-centered. 

 

Think about what that would do for your marriage if spouses denied self.  Think about what that would do for finances if you denied self.  Think about what that would do for your health if we denied self.  Think about what that would do for our church if we denied self. 

 

If you denied self, you wouldn’t worry about what I’m wearing.  If you denied self, you wouldn’t worry about my facial hair.  If you denied self, you wouldn’t be worried about kind of songs were singing. 

 

 

2. Thinking like Jesus means demonstrating submission.

 

What does it mean to “take up his cross?”  We often use the cliché “my cross to bear,” and we use it incorrectly.  A hard-nose boss is not your cross to bear.  An unfair teacher is not your cross to bear.  A certain illness or handicap or financial setback is not your cross to bear. 

 

The cross was a tool for execution.  It was a sign of death.  Paul understood that from Galatians 2:20. 

 

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

 

However, it was also an acknowledgment of submitting and being obedient to the authority over you.

 

When Jesus was required to carry His cross through Jerusalem, He was demonstrating His submission to the Romans. Today, followers of Christ must think like Christ which means demonstrating our submission as well.

 

First, we must submit to God.    See James 4:7.

 

7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

 

God or Jesus has to be the single authority in your life.

 

Second, we must demonstrate our submission to one another.  Instead of being concerned with you and your preferences, it is imperative that as a follower of Christ, we need to be thinking about and submitting to our neighbor and what is best for them.  See Ephesians 5:21 and 1 Peter 5:5.

 

21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

 

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

 

Third, we must submit to government.  Please understand that the Bible says this doesn’t apply when the government requires you to do anything contrary to this book, but generally speaking, followers of Christ should demonstrate their submission to the government.  See Romans 13:1 and 1 Peter 2:13.

 

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

 

13 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,

 

 

3. Thinking like Jesus means displaying the Savior.

 

How do we display the Savior?  We display the Savior by losing our life and confessing Jesus in this world…at home, at the office, in the classroom, in the locker room, and at the restaurant. 

 

Please understand, I’m not talking about bumper stickers on your car or t-shirts or jewelry.  I’m talking about actions and lifestyle and responses and attitudes. 

 

I often hear folks say their faith is private.  That might sound good to some, but it is not biblical.  Your faith is always personal, but it is never private.  On the contrary, biblical faith is personal and public.  That is what it means to display the Savior.

 

If we choose not to display the Savior in this world because we are ashamed, Jesus is going to be ashamed of us in heaven. 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

So are you thinking like the devil, if you are, you need to make some changes if you’re going to live your life as a follower of Christ by denying self, demonstrating submission and displaying the Savior. 

 

For some of you in the room, you have never started following Jesus.  Would you do that this morning? 

 

For our guests, one way that you can display the Savior is by uniting with a local church, the bride of Christ.  If God is leading you to EBC, we’d be glad to welcome you.