“Our Daily Bread” http://odb.org
The Daily Devotions of Greg Laurie http://www.harvest.org/devotional
Posted by Pastor Randy Burbank for “Kingdom Pastor” @ https://kingdompastor.wordpress.com
Original post @ https://kingdompastor.wordpress.com/2023/09/25/what-would-you-do-for-a-klondike-bar/
WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A KLONDIKE BAR?
Posted on September 25, 2023 by Pastor Randy
It’s been a while since I’ve done this–sharing my Sunday Morning Messages. And The Spirit has been prompting me–well, actually pushing me to publish them. So be forewarned, these are a little longer than my usual posts. And if you think they may speak to someone else, feel free to share them. Here’s the first in this series.
I’ve found over the years, that commercials are the most entertaining thing about television. Not only are they entertaining, but some can make you really think—that is—if you are prone to thinking. One such commercial series is the one by Unilever for one of their products—The Klondike Bar. In 1982 they began an ad campaign with the byline—“WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A KLONDIKE BAR?” They show all kinds of things people would do.
I remember one where 2 muscular weightlifters played patty-cake. The implication is that it is so good that you would do things you never would otherwise do. And even now, you can go to their website and upload your own video of what YOU would do for a Klondike Bar.
As fun as it is to watch these commercials, and they are fun, there’s a more serious question that needs to be considered: “WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE NOW—AND FOR THE FUTURE?” I’ll tell you what—I’m simply going to bring it down to a short and to-the-point question: WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR LIFE? The question asked about Klondike Bars is a very good question—when it comes to LIFE. This series will follow along with several different people in the Bible, how answered this very question, and the outcome of that choice.
LIFE isn’t free. LIFE always carries a—call it what it is—“a price tag”. We give up something in order to obtain this thing we think is called LIFE. Even those who are just sitting around and waiting for LIFE are paying a price—making an exchange all in the hope of obtaining LIFE. Ever heard the expression—“YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR”? It’s true, isn’t it? Finding LIFE is a series of exchanges. Before there was revolving credit and easy payments for goods and services—LIFE has regular and repeated payments that are required from everyone who wants LIFE—WHATEVER THAT LIFE MAY BE.
Before we get into some of the people from the Bible that answered this question, I’m convinced that we need a good foundation for this series. And almost instantly, I leaned in on this passage:
34 Then, calling the crowd to join His disciples, He said, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, 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? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? (What Would You Do For A Klondike Bar) 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.”
Mark Chapter 8, Verses 34 thru 38 (NLT)
What is LIFE? That’s the real question that everybody is trying to answer. Look at all the ways we try to answer that question. Sex, power, money, possessions, toys, even those who want what is called a LIFE OF EASE. If we could just sit back and that everything would just come to us. Wasn’t that the issue with the farmer in the parable Jesus told? He had the best crop ever. He looked at it and what he determined that it was enough to live on for the rest of his LIFE AS HE DEFINED IT.
That’s what he was going to do. He was going to have LIFE without doing anything at all for the rest of his LIFE. He believed he had finally arrived at LIFE. No more long hours in the field—fighting drought and insects. No more watching the markets to see what the prices are that day. But what did Jesus say? “Dummy! Your LIFE ends tonight? Then what happens to all this stuff?”
And if LIFE could be easy—then we wouldn’t be seeing hardly any of the problems that are out there. The real problem we are having out there is that people are GIVING LIFE THE WRONG DEFINITION. Everybody has their own definition of LIFE—what makes LIFE—LIFE. Everyone thinks they know what LIFE LOOKS LIKE AND FEELS LIKE—AND WHAT LIFE SHOULD REALLY BE. What we determine to be LIFE—will be what we pursue—and it is what we are willing to do for the KLONDIKE BAR THAT WE CALL LIFE. And it is where we will make our installments on—what we are willing to give just for OUR DEFINITION OF LIFE.
And this leads me into TODAY’S BIG IDEA: GOD DEFINES LIFE! LIFE is God’s Idea—Not Ours. We don’t get to define what real LIFE is all about. LIFE is God’s Creation—not ours. We do not get to determine what our LIFE becomes or looks like or feels like.
Defining LIFE is way beyond our Pay Grade. WE ARE INEFFECTIVE, INCAPABLE, AND INADEQUATE—UNQUALIFIED, UNSKILLED, AND UNSUITABLE—TO DEFINE WHAT LIFE REALLY IS. We don’t have what it takes—but God does! And so much of what so many call LIFE can promise us a lot now—but in the end it will fail us. Let’s look again at today’s passage.
Did you pay attention to how VERSE 34 opened? One word needs to grab and hold our attention. That word is THEN! THEN means something had just happened. Do you know what had happened? PETER TRIED TO DEFINE LIFE FOR JESUS!
Ain’t that a hoot? Peter is trying to tell the one who CREATED LIFE—how to FIND LIFE! Jesus had pulled His inner circle aside to let them know that He was going to suffer, be rejected, and killed. But that on the Third Day He would come back to life. So Peter pulls Jesus aside and tries to correct Jesus. For Peter, he’s not willing to do that for a Klondike Bar. AND JESUS SHOULDN’T DO THAT FOR HIS KLONDIKE BAR! Capeesh?
And Jesus said to Peter, “Gee Willikers, Peter. I didn’t mean to offend you. OK, you talked me out of it! I won’t do that for a Klondike Bar!” Not hardly—just a few moments earlier, Peter made his declaration that Jesus is The Messiah. That’s a good thing. But now, Jesus changes Peter’s name—again! This time, Jesus calls him Satan!
THEN—THEN JESUS DEFINED LIFE! What should WE do for a Klondike Bar? Here goes—and it’s what Jesus said we should do for that Klondike Bar!
-
GIVE UP OUR OWN WAY!
Somehow we’ve gotten the idea that LIFE is a series of trade-offs. Give up this for that. That God has somehow gotten into the bartering business. That He will be the Cosmic Monty Hall or Wayne Brady who is always ready To LET’S MAKE A DEAL! It isn’t about trading one thing for another.
IT’S ABOUT TOTAL AND COMPLETE SURRENDER OF EVERYTHING TO GOD—WITHOUT RELUCTANCE OR HESITATION. It’s the life of surrender—of giving up our ways in order to fully and completely embrace His way. It’s giving up the right to give ourselves an identity. The Who, What, and How is released from us—and given to Him. He and He alone gives us our true identity. That means He tells us how to find and live in that identity. We have to confess—agree with Him—repent—turn away from our old way—and believe that Jesus is both Savior and Lord.
-
TAKE UP OUR CROSS!
THE CROSS IS ALWAYS ABOUT DYING. It’s not about suffering or being tortured. It’s not about being inconvenienced. Plain and simple—IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DYING! Die to our old way. Die to our old life and sin-infected desires. It’s about the death of our Will! OUR WILL HAS TO DIE BEFORE WE CAN EVER DO GOD’S WILL. Too many folks don’t want to do it that way. Remember what Jesus prayed in Gethsemane before He was arrested? I don’t want the cross. But not my will—but always YOUR will!
LET’S DEFINE THE WILL AS THE CAPACITY AND ABILITY TO CHOOSE. To choose how we act and react. To choose what is important and not important. To choose what is right and what is wrong. THE WILL IS WHAT GUIDES US THROUGH EVERY DECISION—EVERY SITUATION—AND IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE. The Cross is where we put our will to death.
And listen—it’s not a one and done thing. At any moment, in any situation, in any circumstance—we can go back to our old will—the sinful will. The Cross reminds us that God determines what the life of holiness is all about. So we live—live from that Cross where our will is put to death—and put to death many times.
-
FOLLOW JESUS!
Following Jesus means He’s out front, leading the way. And Jesus is leading the way to find the least, the last, and the lost. JESUS IS LEADING THE WAY INTO THE DARKEST AND DIRTIEST CORNERS OF THE EARTH. Why does Jesus go to those places? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN THOSE PLACES NEED JESUS! Following Jesus isn’t like a Chinese Buffet—where you get to pick and choose whatever you like—whatever you want.
FOLLOWING JESUS IS ABOUT DISCOVERING AND FOLLOWING YOUR LIFE PURPOSE. Jesus has a purpose for every part of our lives. In our private lives, Jesus is helping us fight off the temptations that lead us into sin—and away from our purpose. Jesus is there in our private lives working and developing our relationship with Him. He’s teaching us what it means and what it looks like to reflect His Glory living in us. It’s what we do privately, far from the eyes of others—that determines what kind of relationship we have with Jesus!
In our public lives, Jesus is equipping us in more ways than we can count to be His ambassadors right here and right now. In our public lives, He’s guiding us into that life of holiness of heart, mind, and purpose. Surrendering what we want to do—and take up what He is calling us to do. Following Jesus is all about the purpose for LIFE that He and He alone can and will give us—if we are surrendered to Him.
ANY LIFE OUTSIDE GOD’S DEFINITION OF LIFE HAS A LIMITED SUPPLY. A limited duration—that ultimately fails to satisfy, and leaves us empty. That’s how it works when you make that exchange. But thankfully, there’s another way to spend our time that will give us Life now—and Life forever.
And since we can’t follow Jesus and stay where we are, HERE’S OUR NEXT STEP:
Decide If The Life You’re Living Is Really Worth It. If Jesus Isn’t Defining Life For You, It Isn’t Worth It. Let Jesus Define Your Life!
And it can and will happen in you—if you surrender everything to Him right now. What would you do for a Klondike Bar? Better yet, what would you do for Life?
***************************************************************
P.S. (from bruce) When there is no other place to turn…turn to God !! If you’re not a “born again” Christian, is the Holy Spirit urging you to open this link ?? Here is the truth about how God’s grace is received to become a Christian in God’s eyes; through understanding and obeying the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ… https://godsmanforever.com
To my brothers and sisters in Christ, please feel free to share this message of the cross with those in need…
You say you are a “born again” believer… BUT is your soul “ON FIRE” for the Lord ?? If not, open this link – https://godsmanforever.com/2020/08/01/are-you-a-christian-in-gods-eyes-and-on-fire-for-the-lord-or-not/
God's group 