In our second session, Mack Stiles continued to bring the heat of God’s Word to hundreds of college students. He began discussing the simplicity of living for God and serving him daily. Christ’s death on the cross was the ultimate gift, freely given, that we don’t deserve, is it that difficult for us to live for him? Mack focused on a passage in Mark to better explain this concept;
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. And he 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 gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and 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 the holy angels.”
Mark 8:27-38 (ESV)
Mack used this passage to challenge the audience with the question of “Who do you think I am?” that being Christ. After this challenge, Mack transitioned back to what it truly means to follow Christ and how it ought to show in our lives. He used the above verses to display that. Finally, we must consider a few things. If Jesus died on the cross and paid the penalty for our sins, why not give up your life? What is there to lose on this earth if you will gain Heaven?