Follow Me 2
Luke 18:18-30
18 A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-- except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 21 "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." 23 When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26 Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?" 27 Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God." 28 Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!" 29 "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
#1 Keeping the Law!
Ø Why couldn’t this man follow Christ?
o Money? No totally. This was something much deeper.
o Who then can be saved? "What is impossible with men is possible with God." Did you hear that it is impossible for man and only possible with God!
Ø "You still lack one thing. This reminds me of the Bible verse in 1Cor. 13:1-3
1Cor.13:1-13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. “Who then can be saved?"
#2 Spiritual gifts, wisdom, power faith, give all you possess, martyr
Ø IF I...
o What is the problem here? If I…
o There is a tendency that we have to learn of God, but not be connected with him in a living relationship. The problem was If I! We are doing these things alone.
o The power without the personality! Is that possible? Can we do the works of God without knowing him? “Who then can be saved?" What is impossible with men is possible with God."
Matt 7:12-23
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.(LOVE) 13 "Enter through the narrow gate(LOVE). For wide is the gate(SELF LOVE) and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15 "Watch out for false prophets (wide gate preachers). They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. (The fruit is Love) Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
#3 Here we have the third scripture that tell us it is possible to do all the right things for the wrong reasons and come up empty handed.
Ø “Who then can be saved?" What is impossible with men is possible with God."
o If you don’t follow me, have not love, and do not know me!
Luke 7:37-47
37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is-- that she is a sinner." 40 Jesus answered him, "Simon, I have something to tell you." "Tell me, teacher," he said. 41"Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?" 43 Simon replied, "I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled." "You have judged correctly," Jesus said. 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." (NIV)
#4 In order to understand Love we must understand Forgiveness.
o Forgiveness, is it free?
o Yes? It cost God everything.
o What does it cost you? Nothing? Wrong, it will cost you all. This has nothing to do with earning it. You have a debt that you could never pay.
Ø What about Jesus´ words “sell all that you have and follow me.”
o Have you ever had to sell your belongings? To search through your stuff and find something worth selling?
1. First what you discover is a lot of things that are not worth anything. Junk!
2. Then you find all the sentimental stuff, "I can't sell that" "oh remember that?" baby things, drawings, etc...
3. Then there is the things that we think we could someday USE again.
4. Now we come to the stuff are still using, now.
5. Then you have your treasures. Collectables, things that you feel identify YOU. (still junk)
6. Then the things you actually use. Furniture, machines, and clothes you still like and wear, etc...
7. What is left to sell after you have sold all? Yourself!
That is what Jesus knew would keep the young rich man from following him. What if Jesus would have said "sell all that you have-put it in your bank account and follow me"? Everything else is easier to lay down but when we come to ourselves we have to die.
There are two things that have to motivate us before we will do this.
1. Love God with all our hearts
This will put us in a position of obedience. It may lead us to friendship with God, but the least is obedience.
2. Hate sin with all our hearts
2 Chr 7:14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
Why did God send Jesus? Yes because he loves us, but also because he hates evil. ( 1Jn 3:8 ..to destroy the works of the devil) The Father and Jesus hate your sin so much that he did something about it, he crucified his own son.
For most of us knowing that God loves us isn't enough to motivate us to the cross that we are to carry daily. We cannot love the people enough until we hate sin more. We see the sin that is destroying their lives and this love-hate motivation drives us to the cross. First it leads us to Jesus' cross for ourselves and then to our daily one for others.
This love-hate life is a must. Only then will we know what true repentance is, and only then will the gift and sacrifice of Christ mean something to us.
What is the wickedness? Gods people not seeking HIM!