Now that's an amazing statement to make, because I hear that all the time, you need to look after yourself. Actually it's true, you must be responsible for yourself. There's a difference between being responsible for yourself and your needs, which are valid needs, and then being preoccupied with yourself. That's quite a different thing. Here is a direct statement from Jesus of His purpose, His life's purpose; and someone's saying: there's hardship in that, don't take that route. Well I feel God's calling me to do this. Oh, that sounds pretty tough, don't take that route. I feel God's calling me to get up, and do this. Oh, well don't take that route, it'll be difficult for you. Now I tell you what, there'll be a Peter in every person's life, to say: don't take that route, look out for yourself. What will happen to you financially? What will happen to you if you do that? If you gave your life to serve the Lord, what would happen to you? Oh, I don't think that's a good move. You know, Jesus said: sometimes the enemies of the call of God, are within your own household; trying to keep your family members happy, who don't carry the same spirit of faith towards the things of God that you do. He said: that's why, in discipleship, there would come choices you'd have to make, as to the priority you place on the call of God, or the work of God, in your life. It's quite a challenge, and no one escapes it. How many can identify a time, when you felt committed to do something that was going to be costly for you, and there was some resistance, and people tried to talk you out of it? How many have had that happen to you? See, it's almost everyone here. Interesting isn't it aye?
So here's the next thing that Jesus did. Now what Jesus did is quite interesting. This is what He did. He turned and said to Peter: get behind Me Satan, you're an offence to Me. You're not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men. Now in that is a tremendous amount of insight. I want you to have a look at the first thing He said - He actually confronts the mentality. He confronts it strongly, and says: behind Me Satan. Now here's the interesting thing. He ascribes to Satan, the mentality: look after yourself, give me. Of course Satan was the great give me, give me, give me person. That's where it all stems from; and so when He heard that thought come through, look out for yourself instead of - put yourself before God's purpose for Your life, He immediately ascribed it to the devil, and rightly so. The devil will obstruct every attempt you make to fulfil the course of God, by saying: look out for yourself, it'll cost you too much.
The second thing He said: you are an offence to Me. That word means, you are putting in my path, something that will stumble and hinder me going forward in this purpose of God. When people tell you: hey, look out for yourself, take pity on yourself, have compassion for yourself, and it's all about you, it stumbles you fulfilling God's purpose in your life. It's not all about you. It's about the Lord and what He wants. Isn't the deal one of covenant? My wife married me, it was a covenant. She agreed to follow me, wherever I went. I was a Catholic boy when she married me. She didn't know I'd go all over the world casting demons, and doing weird things all over, in different countries. No one told her that. I was a teacher, and earning quite good money; and she didn't know, when she said she'd follow me, that that would involve hardship and difficulty, which she would have to embrace her part in it. This is the thing you see, is that you don't know. When you give your life to Jesus, the deal is one of covenant, not casual: if I agree with you, I'll go there; if I don't agree with you, I don't. If I like it, I'll say yes; if I don't like it, I'll say no. That's not the deal we're in! We're in a deal of covenant, where He makes everything available to me. I make all I have available to Him as well. That's the deal. It's covenant! It's actually a commitment to engage in a journey together through life. This is why today's generation needs this message, because they don't understand what it means to journey through life, and stick through thick and thin, when it's tough. They need to actually get a message life is about covenant relationships, not casual. It's about: make me to serve; not: give me what I can.