Sermon Summary
Matthew 16:21-28 (NIV): “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Jesus also asks, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”
Peter had just made one of the greatest declarations of his life. He recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Yet almost immediately, Peter found himself struggling with what Jesus said would come next.
Jesus explained that He would go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised to life. Peter could not accept it. His response was immediate: “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”
Peter believed in Jesus, but he did not yet understand the path Jesus had to take. As Rev. John Phillips explained, this reveals a struggle that is deeply human. “The human problem with the divine will of God is we don’t always agree or understand what the will of God is.”
At the heart of that struggle is control versus surrender.
Like Peter, we often approach life through our own emotions, expectations, experiences, and limited understanding. We may believe we know what God should do, how a situation should turn out, or which difficulties should be avoided. When God’s direction does not fit those expectations, trusting Him becomes harder.
Peter’s desire to protect Jesus may have sounded loving, but it placed Peter’s wishes in opposition to the Father’s purpose. Jesus responded strongly because Peter was trying to stand between Christ and the work He had come to accomplish.
The same danger exists for us. We can become so convinced of our own understanding that we begin placing conditions on our obedience. Yet, as the sermon reminded us, “Sometimes we may not fully understand what God’s wanting, but if we obey Him, He’ll eventually bring it to our understanding or help us to accept it.”
Jesus then turned the conversation toward discipleship. Following Him means denying ourselves, taking up our cross, and following His way rather than insisting upon our own. This is more than agreeing with Christian beliefs. It is a daily surrender of our plans, preferences, pride, and need for control.
Rev. Phillips illustrated that commitment through the story of Arthur Blessitt, who spent decades carrying a large wooden cross throughout the world as a visible witness to Christ. Most believers will never be called to carry a literal cross across continents, but every Christian is called to live under the direction of Jesus wherever our feet, hands, and lives take us.
The question is one of faithfulness. “Are we able to lay aside the things of mankind, human beings, and let God be God?”
The main point of the sermon is clear: trusting God’s will requires surrendering our own control and faithfully following Jesus even when we do not completely understand the path ahead. This week, examine where you may be resisting God’s direction. Pray without attaching conditions to the outcome. Choose obedience in one area where fear, pride, or personal preference has been leading you. Then ask yourself each day, “Am I following Christ, or am I asking Christ to follow my plans?”