Message of the Week

The Little White Community Church

Scripture: Mark 8:27-37 Aug.24, 2025

Message: “Personal Opinions!”    

By Pastor George Gnade

PersonalOpinion

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Introduction:

1. We live in a country where everyone has his own opinion. We are all free to hold different opinions. 

2. In our passage today, Jesus asked His disciples what other people thought about Him.

a. Because of His unique teachings and amazing miracles, the disciples shared how many thought Jesus was John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the other prophets.

b. The disciples knew those opinions were not true. But Jesus wanted to know what they believed. So in vs.29, He asked them: “Who do you say that I am?”

3. Peter, speaking in behalf of the rest of them, replied: “You are the Christ!”

a. “‘The Christ’ is not Jesus’ last name. It is affirming that He was the promised Messiah. It meant He was the one the whole O.T. had predicted would come into the world. Having seen all of Jesus’ miracles and observed how even the wind and the waves obeyed Him, in their opinion, Jesus was the promised King of the Jews who would come into the world.

b. In our day, we as Christians, take this for granted. But in Jesus’ day, it was a dangerous thing to say. Jesus warned the disciples not to tell anyone about Him, at least not yet.

4. That is because the Pharisees and leaders of the Jews had a different opinion. Jesus knew, if He openly admitted this, they would try to kill Him.  As we all know, that is exactly what happened. 

a. But the disciples had not figured this out yet. So in vs.31, now that they knew who Jesus was, Jesus began to prepare them for the future. 

b. So He told them: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and teachers of the Law and that He must be killed and after three days rise again.”

A. Please notice the difference between opinions and truth. 

1. Opinions change.  Truth doesn’t change. Our faith must be grounded in truth. There are many different opinions and many different religions.  But to be saved, you must know and believe that Jesus is the truth and spoke the Truth. 

2. But when Peter heard what Jesus told them, in his opinion, he believed Jesus was wrong! Yes, he even took Jesus aside and tried to correct Him.

a. Can you imagine correcting Jesus? Yet people, even ministers, often change what Jesus taught us and teach you something else instead.

b. Having seen all of Jesus’ miracles, Peter knew no one could harm Jesus without His permission because Jesus had the power to stop them. So he told Jesus, “This could never happen to you.”

3. Jesus looked at all the disciples to make sure they were listening and replied to Peter: “Get behind me, satan, for you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of men” (Mark 8: 33)!

a. Satan was trying to use Peter to keep Jesus from doing what He knew God wanted Him to do. Peter sounded right but his opinion was dead wrong.

b. Often people mean well by correcting Jesus or the Bible. But their opinions are not based on truth. In John 17:17, Jesus said: “Sanctify them with your truth. Your Word is Truth.” Christians must learn to listen to Jesus, not the opinions of the world.

4. Jesus knew it was God’s will that He die on the cross before rising from the dead, ascending into heaven, and offering salvation to all who would choose to believe in Him.

a. I once went to a meeting where a missionary was speaking to us and told us of all the Muslims he was leading to Christ. But when I asked him if he had told the Muslims about the death of Christ, he said something like: “O not yet. They don’t want a weak Savior. We will tell them more about that later. “

b. Sadly, that missionary was not teaching the truth. There is no salvation accept through the death of the Lord Jesus on the cross. As Paul once said: “God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

B. In light of all this, consider how Jesus described the Christian life.

1. In Mark 8:34- 35, after correcting Peter, Jesus called the crowds to Him along with His disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

2. In plain words, Jesus knew what would happen to Him could easily happen to those who followed Him.

a. He would die to pay the penalty for our sins and offer us forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift.

b. But if we choose to believe in Him, then we are expected to follow Him and live like Him and possibly die for Him.

3. To “take up your  cross and follow me” was a warning to Jesus’ disciples that following Him was not an easy path. It could and would often involve changes and sacrifices that could be painful.

a. It would begin with the call to repent and make changes in our life that would please the Lord.

b. It could also cause loved ones or friends to reject us because we have chosen to believe and follow Christ.

c. It could literally involve suffering and death as it often has in many parts of the world. 

4. But unless you know and believe in the price Jesus paid on the cross to save us, you would not understand the price we are often asked to willingly suffer for Him. 

In Conclusion:

1. Toward the end of His earthly ministry, before dying on the cross, Jesus set His face toward Jerusalem. Because He knew God’s will for Him, neither Peter nor anyone else could distract Him from accomplishing God’s will for His life.

2. Sadly, many Christians are easily distracted from God’s plan for their lives. We forget these words of Jesus: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” 

3. Our country is all about getting richer and having fun. These are all forms of covetousness. The church in Laodicea fell into that trap. They thought they were rich, but spiritually, Jesus said they were poor (Rev. 3: 15-20).

a. They were far more concerned about having fun than seeking ways to live for the Lord. 

b. May God help us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and be willing to deny ourselves and make choices or decisions that may help draw people to Jesus. Amen!