Praise and possessions.

Those are two dominant idols of our age, the desire for self-glory and the desire for

material wealth.

So what is the Christian's relationship to the praise of the world and to the possessions

of the world?

Pastor John explained in a really helpful sermon at the 2019 Gospel Coalition National Conference

in Indianapolis and a sermon on Jesus' words in Mark 8 verses 31 to 38.

I'll begin by reading the text.

Mark 8, 31 to 38, and he, Jesus, began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many

things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed,

and after three days rise again.

And he said this plainly, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, but turning

and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, get behind me, Satan, for you are

not setting your mind on the things of God but on the things of man.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, if anyone would come after

me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, for whoever would save

his life will lose it.

But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.

For what does a prophet of man to gain the whole world and to forfeit his soul?

For what can a man give and return for his soul?

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation

of him, will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with

...