o But, if we get
really honest with ourselves
o A more accurate phrase
o For representing our world today
o Would be, "It's all about me!"
o In fact, the internet literally
o Abounds with this claim
o Type in the phrase, "It's all about me"
o & You will find literally thousands
o Of self-declarative, self-proclaiming, self-expressing folks
o All professing, "It's all about me!"
o Whoever "me" might happen to be
o In fact, you can go to E-bay
o The popular online auction site
o & Create your own "about me" page
o According to E-bay,
o "Your 'About Me' page
o "Is a great way for people
o "To understand who you are."
o You simply describe who you are
o Or maybe, who you think you are
o Or who you wish you were
o & Instantly you have a web page
o That defiantly declares to the world
o "It's about me!"
o "It's all about me!"
o "Me, me, me, me!"
o "Notice me! See me!"
o "Here I am! I matter!"
o "Read about me! Know me!"
o Oh my!
o Jesus knew all about this, didn't He?
o Jesus knew all about
o The "all-about-me" mentality
o He especially knew
o Just how destructive it really is
o That is why He turned
o To His disciples & to the crowd
o & Warned them that
o Those who would follow Him
o Must be willing to deny themselves
o Before they could be counted
o As true disciples
o Jesus understood, didn't He,
o That the only thing that stands
o Between God & me
o Is me
o I am in my own way
o Every time I try to walk alone
o I trip over what? - over myself!
o This is what makes Peter's confession
o So remarkable / so extraordinary / so almost inconceivable
o For a moment -
o Maybe for the 1st time in his life -
o Peter got out of his own way
o For just a moment
o Peter stopped thinking about himself
o In just a flash of insight
o Peter gets it!
o Peter understands
o It's not about ME!
o It never was
o & It never will be
o In effect peter proclaims
o For all the world to hear
o "It's all about You, Jesus!"
o "It's all about You!"
o Can you see
o What is going on inside Peter?
o Right at that moment?
o Can you sense how Peter was becoming
o Smaller inside himself?
o & Allowing Jesus to become
o Bigger inside him?
o It is exactly what John the Baptist
o Had said earlier about Jesus
o "He must increase,
o "But I must decrease." (John 3:30)
o "It's all about You, Jesus!"
o "It's all about You!"
o Wouldn't it
be wonderful
o If all the world would make
o This great confession of faith?
o If all the world would say together,
o "It's all about You, Jesus!"
o Unfortunately we must remember
o That 2 weeks abo Jesus reminded us
o How easy it is
o To honor Him with our lips
o While our hearts are far away
o Peter has just make His great confession
o That Jesus is the Messiah
o The Christ / the holy One of God
o & Then as Jesus begins to explain
o That He must suffer & die
o Peter cannot stand it
o Peter takes Jesus aside
o & Begins to explain to Jesus
o How Jesus is supposed to act
o As the Messiah
o Peter is teaching Jesus
o - The Son of God -
o Peter has just said,
o "You, you, you . . . Jesus!"
o "It's all about You, Jesus!"
o & Moments later he is saying
o "Me, me, me . . . ! It's all about me!"
o "Don't go to the cross, Jesus."
o "Or I will lose my place
o "In the New Economy!"
o Jesus' response is swift!
o "Get away from Me, Satan!"
o "Me, me, me" has no place with Christ
o This is the home of Satan
o This is the tool Satan uses every day
o To destroy our lives
o & Bring us into his domain
o Of death & eternal damnation
o Let me give
you some examples
o Of "me-ism"
o & How Satan is using it to destroy lives
o 37% of teens today
o Do not live with their fathers
o 11% live with stepfathers
o 17% do not have a male
o In the household
o Where are all those fathers?
o Some are raising
o Another woman's children
o Others have just abandoned
o Their families for whatever reason
o "It's all about me!"
o The number of unmarried couples today
o Is up 700% since 1990
o "It's all about me!"
o Hugh Hefner is dating 22-year-old twins
o "It's all about me!"
o That has always been
o The motto of pornography
o But the list goes on
o 24% of Americans identify themselves
o As among the 'have-nots'
o Of our country
o & 78% of these claim they do hot have
o Enough money for even basic needs
o Shouldn't some of it be for them?!
o Every workplace has its share of thieves
o But 79% of employees steal
o From their employers
o At a cost of more than
o $120 billion a year
o That is more than
o The cost of shoplifting
o "It's all about me!"
o Families today are becoming
o Increasingly "time-poor"
o Married women with children under 18
o & Who work
o Rose from 38% in 1969
o To 68% in 1996
o Almost 7 million kids are home alone
o When they get home from school
o Should some of it be for our kids?!
o Money issues are the #1 factor
o In 57% of all divorces
o "It's all about me!"
o A recent Gallup poll found
o That only 13% of Americans
o Have what can be called
o A deep, transforming faith
o Clearly it is not all about God
o A 15-year-old Ohio girl
o Sues the school district
o When she did not make
o The cheerleading squad
o "It's all about me!"
o Now, some of
you will say these examples
o Are symptoms of an
o "It's-all-about-me" culture
o Others may feel they are not
o Representative of our society
o As a whole
o That is your call
o But I can tell you one thing for sure
o We who call ourselves Christians
o Are not immune
o To the "me-ism" virus
o A virus that is certainly present
o Here in our nation
o Peter proved that even those
o Who are unusually close to Christ
o Can fall into Satan's "me-ism" trap
o But Peter also showed us the way
o Out of this trap
o By his great confession
o Of the deity of Christ
o Jesus said that
o Those who focus only on themselves
o Will lose their own souls
o But those who set aside themselves
o & Put Christ 1st
o Will find the true life
o You see, it is not about me
o & It is not about you
o It is time for us to move
o From me to Thee
o It is time for us to say,
o "It's all about You, Jesus!"
o "It's all about You!"
o I want you to
take out of your bulletins
o The sermon outline
o There on the back side of it
o You will find a "Prayer of Faith"
o Let us join our voices together
o & Pray responsively
o As we, the body of Christ
o Affirm together that
o It's all about Him
o & Not about us
PRAYER OF FAITH
Lord, when we
are overwhelmed by our burdens and responsibilities, and feel we have
nothing left go give, help us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
When we are tempted
to give up, lay down the cross, and seek the comfort of self-indulgence,
help us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
When we are discouraged
and disillusioned, afflicted with doubts and despair, help us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
When we are tempted
to take control, to manipulate others and bend them to our will, help
us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
When we find ourselves
becoming weary in well-doing, help us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
And when we think we lack the vision and the strength to be Your followers,
help us to remember:
It's all about You, Lord!
Amen.
o Now may our lives live out
o What our lips have just proclaimed
AMEN
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