Matthew 16; Mark 8 – October 19

There is a mindset that will keep you from fulfilling God’s will. Peter had this destructive mindset in Matthew 16 and he was trying to convince Jesus to have it too. This was so serious that Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:23, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

What was this mindset? Jesus had told his disciples that He would “suffer many things… and be killed, and be raised the third day," and Peter responded “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!" In Peter’s mind, Father God would never let this happen to Jesus. He knew there would be trying days, but in his mind never would He let Jesus suffer and die.

We will never be “mindful of the things God” if we confuse happiness with the success God has for us. We will never be “mindful of the things of God” when our focus for achievement is in this life instead of in the age to come. We must be willing to surrender this life to God’s will because we believe the light afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come. We must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. The Father perfectly loved His Son and led Him to the cross for the joy that would come after. The Father loves you and is leading you to pick up your cross and follow in the steps of Jesus because of what He has planned for you. 

Matthew 16:24-27 
Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.