Soul Opinion

Scripture Reading: Mark 8: 27 - 38 (NIV)
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Message: “Soul Opinion”
Your opinion matters
I could ask today: What’s the latest trends on Jesus?
What’s the opinions about Jesus? (Perhaps determined by an online survey or a media opinion poll?)
And strong opinions you will find all over the place…
And what if I were to put on the spot today - what is your opinion?
Think about this for a moment - what is your opinion on Jesus?
What would you say if you need to explain yourself?
Imagine a situation where you would have to explain yourself in the circles where you live every day… what would you say to your family about your opinion on Jesus? What would you say to your colleagues at work? Or the man in the street?
Today you need to realize that your opinion matters
What you say and think about Jesus is of great importance
Opinion determines behaviour
It is important that you make up your mind about Jesus, because it will determine your behaviour
Jesus calls us to be his disciples to this very day
You will not respond to Him unless you are convinced
Even in this passage, right after Jesus asked about their opinion, He gets round to what it means to follow Him
If you want to be a follower of Jesus, ie a disciple of Jesus, you need to take up your cross
You need to act and your convictions need to translate into action
That is why your opinion has such great value - it will determine your behaviour as a disciple of Jesus
It’s a matter of your Soul
Jesus goes further - your opinion and your consequential discipleship is a matter of the state of your soul
He asks: “what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”
What happens to you soul is intensely affected by your opinion
And I think it matters in way that also influences the quality of your life right now
We are beings of body, mind and soul
You will struggle in life if your soul is lost in the dark
Therefore, do not be ashamed of Jesus in your opinion of Him
For I truly believe that there is a connection between your opinion and the state of your soul
And my prayer for you is that you will experience peace in your soul in knowing Who Jesus is in your life
My Opinion
If I were to be asked today about my opinion on Jesus, I would answer:
Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life
Jesus is Way to freedom in this life, without Him my life will be lost
Jesus connects me with God - He shows me the Truth about God
Jesus gives me reason to live - finding purpose in love
Jesus is my Saviour and My Lord, He is my Teacher and my Friend
You might have something to add on my opinion, I’m sure
The point is, your option about Jesus matters
It will determine your behaviour
Your opinion is truly a soul matter
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