February 29, 2016
WHO GETS THE GLORY?
Matthew 16:21–28
Audrey Daniels
Central Truth
Our sin nature, full of pride, pulls us toward living by our own rules and being our own master. But following that path gains us nothing in the end. God calls us to a different path—fighting our sin nature, living for His glory, following His will—truly LIVING!
Key Verse | Matthew 16:26
“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26a)
Matthew 16:21–28
Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! 1 16:22 Or [May God be] merciful to you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance 2 16:23 Greek stumbling block to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Take Up Your Cross and Follow Jesus
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life 3 16:25 The same Greek word can mean either soul or life, depending on the context; twice in this verse and twice in verse 26 will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
Dive Deeper | Matthew 16:21–28
Achiever, Analytical, Input, Intellection, Learner.
According to StrengthsFinder, that is me. I see that list, and my sinful heart swells with pride. After four years of being home with my kids, I returned to a career that fully utilized those strengths. On Day One, my severe battle with pride returned. I did struggle with pride as a stay-at-home mom, but, in general, that was a way more humbling gig. (God is constantly using my kids to show me my own sin.)
Now, back in the office, I have to battle my pride constantly. I recognize it as sin, confess it to God and to my community group, and humble myself. (But even in my humility, I see pride like, “Look how awesome I am at being humble!” Arrgh! So ugly!) After all, isn’t it God who gave me my strengths? My brain could not even function if it weren’t God’s will!
So why did He give me strengths in the first place? So I could perform well and “gain the whole world” (verse 26)? Absolutely not! I believe the purpose of everything is to bring glory to God (see Isaiah 43:7 and 1 Corinthians 10:31). So, if I work hard for my own glory, I might get an impressive title and an awesome plaque, but there would be no lasting benefit. How crazy would that be if I stood before God at heaven’s gates and said, “Yes, I know you had plans to use me for Your glory, but check out this plaque!” One of my favorite artists, Lecrae, sums it up like this: “I’m not here to impress, I’m here to impact.” The ONLY name worth glorifying that will have lasting impact is the name of Jesus Christ!
Everyone struggles with pride—with wanting God’s glory for ourselves and thinking we know best. As verse 25 says, if we want to save our own lives, we can try, but we will fail. True LIVING involves humbling ourselves before God daily and asking God how He would have us use our gifts and resources. It’s important to work hard, but know that without God, we are nothing.
Discussion Questions
1. What gifts did God give you? Any special talents or skill sets? Are you using them for your own glory? How can you use those gifts to serve the body of Christ (the church), to serve others, and to bring glory to God?
3. What does pride look like in your life? Even self-hatred can be a form of pride (thinking your sin is somehow worse than someone else’s). Ask your community group to point out pride in your life. Be humble and listen to them.
3. Oftentimes, the problem is not what we are doing (our job function), but the state of our hearts. Ask God to transform your heart and to use you for His glory in your current workplace. Are you trying to impress or to impact?