OUR MISSION IS THE CROSS,
NOT THE COUCH
– Matthew 16:21-26
The military has code names for their operations. You’ve heard of Operation Desert Storm, the code name for the U.S. invasion of Iraq back in 1991. There was also Operation Moolah? A military operation in the early ‘50’s aimed at enticing North Korean pilots to defect during the Korean War. And it was called Operation Moolah because the first pilot to defect with their Soviet-built MiG-15 fighter plane would be offered $100,000 – a lot of moolah, or money in those days. If you were to look up the names of other military operations, you would notice that most somehow describe the mission’s objective or the mode in which that mission was to be carried out. Desert Storm, for example, was called that because the U.S. military was intent on whipping up a storm as it raced across the Iraqi desert to capture Baghdad, the capital city.
In our gospel today Jesus describes a divine mission for both himself, his disciples, and for us Christians. Had he given the mission an operational name it would have been the “Operation Cross.” The Apostle Peter, however, didn’t want that. He felt that this divine mission should instead be called something less frightening like Operation Couch. But today we’ll see that it’s the cross, and not the couch, that defines our mission as Christians.
In our gospel last week, Jesus asked his disciples who the they thought he was? Do you remember Peter’s wonderful answer? He said: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” Jesus must have beamed – the way a mother does when for the first time her baby says, “Mommy.” For this rock-like confession Jesus gave Simon, as he was formerly known, the nickname “Cephas” or “Peter.” But in today’s Gospel Lesson the Savior called Peter, “Satan” and told him to get out of his sight! So, what happened?
It all went bad when Jesus told his disciples clearly for the first time ever that “he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” And this was shocking to them. Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God suffer and be killed in Jerusalem? Oh, that couldn’t be God’s plan. Yet when Peter expressed as much to Jesus whom he had taken aside as if he was a little kid who needed a talking to, Jesus said: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men”
Cephas, now a Satan? Seems like Jesus may have been over reacting. Hadn’t Peter meant WELL by insisting that Jesus didn’t have to do this? But as much as Peter may have had good intentions, he had inadvertently thrown at Jesus one of the temptations Satan himself had used. Remember that temptation Satan used when he told Jesus that if he wanted to receive glory and honor from all the nations, he didn’t have to suffer on the cross. He could just bow down to him instead. You see…. Satan was offering Jesus a crown without the cross. But Jesus knew that wouldn’t work for us.
“You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men,” Jesus told Peter. And isn’t that still true today? Believe it or not there are those who are offended by the cross of Jesus and think that a suffering savior is the wimpy way out. Why, “Just be good!” Isn’t that enough? It should be. Did you notice, however, that Jesus compared “the things of men” with the thoughts of Satan? Whenever someone thinks that they just need to follow the Golden Rule to get into heaven and “do unto others as he would have them do unto him,” these seemingly pious thoughts cause lots of happiness in hell. You see, Satan is quite content to have a world full of law-abiding citizens who mow the lawn for the shut-in down the street and who return dropped $20 bills instead of pocketing them as long as these people think that by doing these good acts they don’t need the cross of Christ.
Peter telling Jesus that he didn’t need to suffer and die would be like telling your insurance company that it doesn’t need to pay for the damage to your vehicle. Well, if the insurance company isn’t going to pay, then who is? Someone has to if your car is going to ever get fixed. Likewise, if Jesus hadn’t died on the cross, we would still be on the hook for our sins. Ditch the cross and leave us sinners to fend for ourselves? Aren’t you glad Jesus put Peter in his place? Aren’t you glad that Jesus understood, very well, that his divine mission was defined by the cross and not the couch?
The cross, however, doesn’t just define Jesus’ divine mission; it defines the mission for all Christians. Jesus put it this way: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”
Jesus’ cross was made out of wood but what does your cross look like? You might think of things like migraines, loneliness, a learning disability, unemployment, family problems, a bad back… But while these ARE certainly challenges that God allows into our lives, they are not the cross Jesus speaks about here. Look carefully again at his words. How does Jesus say a Christian takes up their cross? By denying himself and following him. Here’s are some examples of that. When your spouse wants to eat Italian but you would prefer Chinese, you deny yourself when you defer to your spouse’s choice, not because you have to but because you are happy that God has given you such an EASY way to show love to your spouse! You also deny yourself and carry the cross when you stop your friends at school from going on to say how much they like you better than that other kid. Sure, you would love to hear them go on and on but that kind of talk simply strengthens your sinful pride. That’s not denying yourself and following Jesus.
But that’s hard to do! Of course it is. That’s why Jesus compares it to carrying a cross and not to lounging on a couch! Denying ourselves is hard because, by nature, every breath we take is hoping to accomplish our own will and goals. Take babies for example. They don’t learn how to talk so they can complement Mom on how she looks. They learn how to talk so they can communicate more efficiently their needs and get what they want whether food, companionship, or even just a clean diaper (Daniel Deutschlander). This self-centeredness doesn’t end when a baby becomes a toddler. If anything, it gets worse. As we grow older, we sometimes get better at hiding our desire for comfort and ease but we’re still always thinking: “If only I had…then I would be happy.” It never works out that way though does it? As soon as we upgrade to the latest smart phone we think we need a smarter one. As soon as we manage to stretch a high definition television screen across a wall in our house, we start wishing we had a better sound system. But Jesus solemnly warned: “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?”
The cross, not the couch! That’s our divine mission. Deny your desire to accumulate more and more stuff and set aside that longing to get your way. Instead lose yourself in Jesus. And that’s not as hard as it sounds. You do it all the time when you board an airplane. You “lose yourself” in the belly of that plane when you entrust its controls to that highly trained pilot. Sure, it might be fun to fly that plane yourself but it would also be a sure way to ruin your life and the lives of others. In the same way, if you want to save your life, then lose it in Jesus. Entrust your life to him whose every word, every thought, and every deed was never for his own comfort and convenience but for the benefit of others…and still is. Spend your time and energy serving him now as you put him and others first.
Yes, Peter must have been surprised when Jesus called him Satan. But, had he really listened, he would have known that while the cross defined Jesus’ divine mission, it wasn’t the end. Jesus also plainly taught his disciples that after he was killed he would rise again three days later. Neither is the cross the end for us. Those who continue to put Christ and others first, motivated and empowered by Jesus’ forgiving love, will one day find that the cross has given way to the crown – a crown of everlasting happiness when Jesus raises us from the dead to be free forever from our sins and their painful consequences. But before the crown comes the cross. So bear it. Every day. It won’t be easy….. but it’s worth it in the end. Amen.
Welcome: The family of Zion welcomes you as we worship the Lord today. We encourage children to worship with us. However, if you need to leave with your child, there is a nursery room to the right as you exit the sanctuary. The rest rooms are located in the hallway between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Visitors, please sign our guest book to the right, just outside the sanctuary. We’re glad that you are here and pray that through our worship the Lord grants you peace.
W h a t T h i s S u n d a y i s A b o u t
A CHURCH THAT TAKES UP ITS CROSSES
Some churches teach that if one follows God, God responds by granting prosperity and peace. Today Jesus teaches that is nonsense. The Son of God tells us that if we are his disciple, if we are part of his Church, we will have to bear crosses. Believers will suffer in this world, oftentimes for no other reason than they are believers. It is painful to struggle against the temptations and priorities of this world. It can be agonizing to face the same scorn and ridicule Jesus faced.
Why bother? We carry our crosses in gratitude for Jesus carrying his cross, one too heavy for us to bear because it was weighted down with our sin. We carry our crosses because we know that in those moments of struggle, we are forced to turn to Christ and rely on his strength. The church takes up its crosses, because this is the Christian path, the one Jesus himself walked: first the cross, then the crown.
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ORDER OF WORSHIP……………………………………………….……………..…….p. 154
HYMNS: 601 – 704 – 826 – 867
PRAYER – Almighty God, your Son willingly endured the agony and shame of the cross for our redemption. Give us courage to take up our cross daily and follow him where he leads; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON – Jeremiah 15:15-21 (pew Bible p. 547) – God renews a promise that he had made at the beginning of Jeremiah’s ministry. He didn’t promise to remove the persecution, but to make Jeremiah strong enough to take it.
PSALM FOR THE DAY………………………………………………………………………..31
SECOND LESSON – Romans 8:18-25 (pew Bible p. 800) – St. Paul teaches God’s church that no cross can compare with the crown of glory that is waiting.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION – Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia / Your words are my joy – and my heart’s delight / Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
GOSPEL LESSON – Matthew 16:21-26 (pew Bible p. 694) – When Jesus spoke most clearly about his cross, Peter spoke Satan’s words of compromise. Thanks be to God that our Savior saw the necessity of the cross before the crown! Now for Christian followers, cross comes before the crown as well.
SERMON…………………………………………………….………….…Matthew 16:21-26
“OUR MISSION IS THE CROSS, NOT THE COUCH”
FIRST LESSON – Jeremiah 15:15-21
15 Lord, you understand;
remember me and care for me.
Avenge me on my persecutors.
You are long-suffering—do not take me away;
think of how I suffer reproach for your sake.
16 When your words came, I ate them;
they were my joy and my heart’s delight,
for I bear your name,
Lord God Almighty.
17 I never sat in the company of revelers,
never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand was on me
and you had filled me with indignation.
18 Why is my pain unending
and my wound grievous and incurable?
You are to me like a deceptive brook,
like a spring that fails.
19 Therefore this is what the Lord says:
“If you repent, I will restore you
that you may serve me;
if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,
you will be my spokesman.
Let this people turn to you,
but you must not turn to them.
20 I will make you a wall to this people,
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you
but will not overcome you,
for I am with you
to rescue and save you,”
declares the Lord.
21 “I will save you from the hands of the wicked
and deliver you from the grasp of the cruel.”
SECOND LESSON – Romans 8:18-25
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[a] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
GOSPEL LESSON – Matthew 16:21-26
Jesus Predicts His Death
21 From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
ANNOUNCEMENTS
FELLOWSHIP AND BIBLE STUDY AFTER THE SERVICE – Please stick around for fellowship and Bible Study after the service today.
THANK YOU to all who have been helping out w3ith refreshments after service.
NEXT SUNDAY – Next Sunday we will celebrate Proper 18 at 9:00 with fellowship at 10:15. The readings will be: Ezekiel 33:7-11 / Galatians 2:11-16 / Matthew 18:15-20.
NEW ORDER OF SERVICE AND COMMUNION SWITCH – In September we’ll be offering communion on the 2nd and 3rd Sundays of the month (13th and 20th). On September 6th we’ll be using a new order of service (p. 266) and pastor will be playing the hymns from the piano.
ELS-WELS MEN’S RETREAT – The 2026 Men’s Retreat will be held on Saturday, September 19, at Redeemer Lutheran Church’s Family Life Center in Rolla, MO. The theme of the retreat is “Life As The Lord’s Man.” Our area pastors will lead as we look at how the Lord raised up and employed Nehemiah to be a blessing to others in his time and to consider his inspiring example for how we live our lives. The retreat begins with registration starting at 8:30 a.m. and ends with farewells at 3:00 p.m. The cost is $25/person and includes Saturday lunch. Guests are welcome. Men should bring a Bible, and any special refreshments and snacks. Redeemer Lutheran is located at 1701 Highway 72 East, Rolla, MO 65401. The church phone number is 573-364-7071. Please let Pastor Krueger know that you will be coming by September 15. If you have questions about the retreat, you can direct them to Pastor Jim Witt at 314-501-4924 or jgwitt3@yahoo.com.
AUGUST FORWARD IN CHRIST AND MEDITATIONS – These are available in the Narthex.
THE WEEK IN REVIEW– Last Week’s Worship Attendance: Members-25; Guests-10 / Communion-37 / Fellowship-Bible Class – 23 / Sunday’s Offerings-$598.00
THOSE WE REMEMBER IN OUR PRAYERS – Barbara & Larry Long; Liz & Roger Lisenby; Greg Miller; Russ Perry, Deb Hunt’s father, in hospice care at home; Patsy Mickelson (Jane’s mother); Khendra Murdock; Norine Richardson.