Will You Walk Away From Jesus?

Introduction:

When I was around the ages of 9-11 - pretty random, I know - my grandma enrolled me in karate. Does anyone in here know karate?

I was psyched at the idea of learning karate. I would learn to do the cool fighting techniques that I had grown up seeing on tv and in movies. Movies like “The Matrix”. When I was a kid, Neo was the coolest movie character that there was. He looked cool, he dressed cool, he walked cool, he fought cool, and he had a cool way with the ladies. One of the coolest scenes of the movie is when Neo begins to believe that he was The One. He woke up from death and began fighting the agents single handedly. That is exactly what I thought I would turn into from my karate lessons.

Unfortunately, karate lessons were too hard for me. It wasn’t that I wasn’t athletic or didn’t want to learn karate, it was my teacher. A mean old white woman that walked around hitting students on the shins and feet for messing up. What kind of grandma signs up her baby to be beat on by another grandma?

Karate was too difficult for me, so after one practice I walked away. My grandma’s money and my pride were down the drain.

Transition: Fallen human nature is seemingly wired to walk away from difficult things.

We walk away from difficult sports like karate.

We walk away from difficult jobs.

We walk away from difficult relationships.

We walk away from difficult habits like strict diets and workout regimes.

The easier something is, the more likely we will stay. The tougher something is, the more likely we will leave.

Unfortunately, this shows up in Christianity all the time. Following Jesus isn’t easy, and because it isn’t easy, it is abandoned frequently.

This evening when I speak of following Jesus, I am not speaking of making a decision at a camp or church service. I am not speaking about praying a prayer once never to return to Jesus again. I am speaking about the nitty gritty repenting and believing in Jesus that is to go on every day in the life of every believer.

BO:

As we have already read, the man in our story found following Jesus to be difficult. He came to Jesus to add comfort to more comfort. The man already had everything that he could have ever wanted on this earth. He had money. He had notoriety. He had an abundance of food. He no doubt had friends in high places. He was the type of guy that could walk into a fancy restaurant that had no more reservations and could end up with a reservation. This man was a shot caller. He was likely included in town financial decisions. He was well favored at the temple, being one of the highest givers to the Lord’s work. He was a friend to the Romans. He never missed a tax deadline and always had the money to be paid.

It makes sense that he would come to Jesus. Who wouldn’t want comfort now and comfort in eternity? Who wouldn’t want to live like a king now and like a king in eternity? Only a food wouldn’t want their cake and eat it too.

But as it so often is with Jesus, you can’t always have your cake and eat it too. Sometimes you might have to give up the cake altogether. That is what he called this young man to do. Give up not just a slice of his cake, but the entire sheet.

Transition: In our story the main is faced with something to gain, something to lose, and a choice he would have to make. So, what was there to gain?

What is there to gain?

Matthew 19:16 NCPB

And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’

The thing to be gained was eternal life.

Eternal life is just that. Life that is unending.

Now it kind of makes sense why he would ask for such a thing. Perhaps he was thinking that he could take his current life with him to the great unknown of life after death. We can be like this at time. I have heard people ask…

“Will I be married to the same person in heaven?”

“Will I have my dream house in heaven?”

“Will I be reunited with all of my dead and gone pets in heaven?”

Perhaps he was actually inquiring about the eternal life in the kingdom of heaven Jesus frequently spoke of. It makes sense that he would want that. This we have already discussed.

Illustration: To this man, reserving a spot in eternal life was like buying your movie tickets online before the movie comes out. It gurantees you access to the movie before it is ever even released. When movie time comes you don’t even have to wait in line with the rest of the schmucks. You walk in the door, hand over your ticket, grab a snack, and take a seat.

Yes, this man was essentially asking Jesus for the link to eternal life so that he could reserve his spot. Master, give me something to do. Where can I go? How can I secure my spot in your kingdom eternally?

That is what is to gain here: eternal life. Life unending. Life that never stops. Life that keeps going and going and going. It has the potential to sound boring if you don’t have a very good understanding of what heaven is going to be like.

That is what is to gain here for you: eternal life. Some of you will receiving the blessing of eternal life while some of you will receive the cursing of eternal damnation. Not because God has hand picked some of you for life and some for death, but because of what you do with the gospel.

Transition: Eternal life is what we stand to gain. What do we stand to lose?

What is there to lose?

Matthew 19:21 NCPB

Jesus said unto him, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me’.

In almost everything you do, something has to be given up.

Good grades - less time in front of a screen for entertainment.

A healthy body - less late nights, sugar, and the sedentary lifestyle must go.

Purity - the chance to date.

Great in a sport - more time in the gym than time with friends.

Following Jesus is no different. Something will be lost. It comes with a price. Their is a price that God paid, and their is a price that we pay.

The price that God paid was the death of His Son. This is the ultimate price. No price on earth has ever been greater. God knew that if he was ever going to give man a chance to reclaim their original humanity and identity, some price would have to be paid. That price was his son.

The price that we have to pay is losing whatever stands in our way of following him. It could be anything.

It could be a friendship.

It could be a job.

It could be a career path.

It could be a habit.

It could be the way you want people to see you.

Or it could be what the man in our text stood to lose… everything.

He was looking for a kingdom to upgrade to after he died, not a kingdom he was looking to throw away his life for now. He was looking for comfort to add on to more comfort, not for comfort later and poverty now.

But Jesus said that there was one thing that stood in his way of having eternal life - his current life.

I can imagine him pleading with Jesus…

“Come on, there has to be something else. Is there anything else at all? Is there any other way? Is there something else that I can do that will allow me entrance to your kingdom? Please, I’ll do anything. Anything but this.”

When following Jesus, he often doesn’t often ask us to give up everything. He asks us to give up the one thing that stands in our way of following Him.

What is that for you? What is the one thing standing in front of you tonight that is keeping you from being a fully devoted follower of Jesus?

Transition: Lastly, what will you choose?

What will you choose?

All of you know me and my wife as being one thing - a youth pastor and youth pastor’s wife. Before we were serving in ministry and before we met each other, we both had aspirations of our own.

Mine were much more outlandish and much more unlikely. I wanted to be an NBA player until I realized that white man can’t jump. Then I went on tho Barber College. There I wanted to be an influencer in the barber game. I wanted to go to barbering conferences and have a platform. I wanted to be followed on social media. But in 2014, everything changed. I felt God calling me to preach. It came like the sound of a mighty rushing wind. It was obvious and it was clear. I would have done anything to pursue the life I believe God wanted me to pursue. And I did. Now I am here. I didn’t feel like I was having to give up anything. I still don’t. Being here before you all this evening is still my greatest honor. I love preaching. I love ministry. And I love you all…

Taryn on the other hand…

It wasn’t that simple. Taryn had real dreams. Like, achievable ones. She wanted to go to a different Christian college than she went to and get a business degree. She wanted to be in corporate America and she wanted to open her own business. She wanted the life she grew up experiencing her entire life - the Jesus version of the American dream - nice house, nice car, but still serving the Lord. Nothing is wrong with this if this is what you’re called to like her parents are.

But that isn’t what Taryn was called to. Taryn, like myself was called to ministry.

She didn’t want to do ministry. She wanted to start a business. Taryn came to a point in her life where she would have to make a choice. Give up the one thing keeping her from following Christ’s plan for her life, or choose her own will.

In Matthew 19, the man is given a choice. Give everything away to the poor and follow Jesus and have eternal life, or keep everything that was standing in his way of having eternal life, and go away grieved.

He chose to keep everything in the here and now, and lose in the end.

My question to you this evening is this, “What will you choose?”

Will you choose to let go of anything that is holding you back from following Christ? Or will you walk away from Jesus, holding on to whatever that is now and lose in the end?

Application:

Unsaved - to you I want to invite you to give up whatever you need to give up. Repent and believe in Jesus.

Saved but backslidden - I want to give you the opportunity to repent and return to the way of Christ. Following Him, loving Him, and enjoying God through Him. What is the one thing that has you off of the path?

Saved and growing - Thank God he has kept you on the path. Keep going. Keep living a life of repenting and believing. Keep believing that giving up your life now is worth the life you have in Christ and will one day experience the full benefits of.

Transition: Here is how I want to conclude…

Conclusion:

Concl 1: Take your piece of paper provided for you and write down the one or multiple things that is holding you back from following Jesus.

If you are willing to commit, come renounce it and throw it in the trash.

Concl 2: At the altar or at your seat, I want you to imaginatively hold in your hands the one thing, or multiple things holding you back from being a follower of Jesus. Tell God what it is. Be honest with Him. And when and if you are ready, let it go. Give it up. Give it to him.

You might think that this is impossible, but it isn’t. With God’s help tonight, by His grace you can do this.

If you don’t know Jesus would you just slip your hand up. What is holding you back? Would you give it up tonight? Would you repent and turn to Jesus?

Don’t leave sorrowful tonight, young people.