Follow Me, Vanity Fair (sermon)

“Follow Me, away from the Vanity Fair” Mark 8:31-38 I would like to start today’s sermon by looking over the February 2007 issue of Vanity Fair magazine. Who here is familiar with this magazine? Who likes to read it? (Read through magazine.) This magazine talks about the most powerful, the most beautiful, and the sexiest and richest people in America. You know what people reading this magazine want by looking at the advertisements. Advertisers know you want these things. Admit it, there is something very attractive about this. But let me tell you where this name “Vanity Fair” comes from. While in prison for preaching without permission from the Church of England in 1675, John Bunyan wrote this Christian allegory, or parable. The main character is Christian, and the story is about his conversion and journey to the Celestial City, which is Heaven. In his journey, he meets with all kinds of difficulties and situations that are represent similar situations in the Christian life. In one part, Christian and his friend, Faithful, are traveling on the road to the Celestial City and need to pass through a town called Vanity. Here is how Bunyan describes it … [Read from book.] Bunyan says that Christian and Faithful walk into the fair and run into trouble for several reasons. First, they look and talk different. The people at the fair think them very strange. Most importantly, Christian and Faithful refuse to even look at the things for sale. Because of this, there is a growing ruckus and commotion. Christian and Faithful are arrested and put into a cage to stand trial for causing unrest at the fair. They are mocked and beaten, yet do not return insults but bless those that hurt them. Their actions cause even more disturbance as some at the fair defend them, while others are more enraged. Finally, they are put on trial, where they are accused by false witnesses. Faithful gives his defense. Bunyan writes … [Read from the book.] In the end, Faithful is killed, but Christian escapes, and along with him, a new friend. Hopeful is another character that lived in Vanity Fair, but was so impressed and convinced by the witness of Faithful that he accompanies Christian throughout the rest of the journey. Please keep this story in mind. I just wanted to share it to let you know that Christians have always faced the same challenge we face today: the struggle to remember who we are, and to keep from loving this life apart from God. Let’s turn to Mark 8:31-38. I’m going to read from the New Living Translation, which isn’t exactly the most accurate translation, but I believe is much easier to understand in this case. 31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[a] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious

law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. 32 As he talked about this openly with his disciples, Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things.[b] 33 Jesus turned around and looked at his disciples, then reprimanded Peter. “Get away from me, Satan!” he said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[c] 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” I believe there is so much here that is relevant to us today. I believe this is a very important message for us to consider again and again, because it is so easy to see things from “merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” The Bible tells us that not long before this incident, Jesus asked his disciples who people said he was. People believed Jesus was a prophet and religious teacher. Jesus asked His disciples, and Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one sent to save the world.” Peter believed Jesus was Lord and Savior, but was still thinking from a human point of view. He rejected Jesus’ message about suffering and the cross. Remember, the cross was the most wretched and humiliating death possible. It is understandable that Peter would reject this. I believe the other disciples felt the same way, but were not as bold as Peter. But look at how Jesus answered Peter! He said, “Get away from me, Satan!” Peter was not Satan, but Satan was present. Satan was surely speaking into Peter’s mind, convincing him that Jesus didn’t need to suffer and die. Jesus loved Peter, but didn’t want him to listen to Satan. Later on, after Jesus died and was resurrected, the Bible says that Jesus had a heart to heart talk with Peter. Peter had denied knowing Jesus three times. Jesus basically told Peter that all was forgiven, and asked Peter to prove his love by caring for the church. Then Jesus said to Peter: I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!" Peter had become more humble. He realized what Jesus had been talking about, and also realized that he didn’t know what he himself had been saying. Eventually, Peter himself would follow Jesus and be crucified.

The apocryphal Acts of Peter, which is an orthodox book but was not included in the New Testament because it was written in the second century, records the church tradition of Peter’s death. According to this tradition, Peter had gone to Rome to help the growing church there. After the city experienced a terrible fire, the Emperor Nero accused the Christians of starting it and there was a tremendous persecution against them. The believers urged Peter to run away, but he answered, “Shall we be deserters?” They convinced him to leave in order that he could continue serving God. But as Peter was leaving through the city gates, he saw Jesus entering. Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered, “I am going to be crucified.” Peter realized this was a sign from God, and probably remembered the incidents recorded in Mark 8 and John 21. Peter returned, was arrested, and was crucified upside down, since he did not want to be killed in the same way as Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I hope you are not confused by what I am sharing with you today. I want these stories and sharing to be relevant. It is extremely important that we understand the decision we are asked to make. We are no different than Jesus’ disciples at that time. We also need to listen and understand what Jesus was saying. Let’s look at Mark 8 again, starting at verse 34: 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. 35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. 36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[c] 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Many times, as we are following Jesus, we feel that we have sacrificed too much or gone too far. But Jesus is saying that we must be ready to give up everything in order to follow Him. Will you give up your life, your dreams, your reputation, your boyfriend or girlfriend, your possessions, your career, your family for the sake of Jesus and the gospel?! We must be ready to do so, brothers and sisters. There is no arguing with this. Does that mean God doesn’t want us to love our family or succeed in our career? No, of course not, but let us hold on lightly because these things are temporary blessings from God. What counts is your eternal life. Jesus asks you, “What would you give in exchange for your eternal life?” Listen to me! The devil will give you all kinds of reasons why we should reject this teaching, but God cares about you and the devil only wants to bring as many as possible to eternal hell with him—who are you going to listen to?

I want to live a sold-out life for Christ! I want as many people as possible in this church to be sold-out for Jesus and the gospel. I want to listen to God and “offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, because this is my reasonable act of service!” (The NIV says “spiritual,” but the word can also mean rational or reasonable, and is translated “reasonable” in the KJV.) If the world tells me that I am strange and ridicules and insults me, then I know all the more that I am right! I recently came across a touching story in a book I’ve been reading. Can we please show the slide? [Look at the carving slide.] Archeologists discovered this carving in a Roman building on Palantine Hill in Rome, where the emperors had their palaces. They believe this was a servant’s quarters, especially for the young boys who served in the rich people’s houses. Someone carved this image and wrote, “Alexamenos worships his God.” They are making fun of Alexamenos for being a Christian. We have to remember that it was more than 300 years before Christianity was legalized in the Roman Empire, and that Christians were subjects of scorn and derision. But under this picture, in different handwriting, someone wrote, “Alexamenos is faithful.” Who wrote this, I don’t know. I like to think that Alexamenos wrote this himself, standing for his faith and praying for those who made fun of him. Or, perhaps one of his friends was converted by his faithfulness and wrote it. Young people, be like this boy! Stand up for Christ and don’t be ashamed of Jesus. Christians throughout the centuries have given their all for Christ. They have been ridiculed, persecuted, and even killed for following Jesus. I love to learn about these people because it inspires me to live radically. I don’t want to be a wishy-washy Christian who is holding on to things in this world too tightly. I want Jesus to return and say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” I don’t want to be ashamed before Him.