Then Come, Follow Me

The Ruler

Main Passage Idea: To follow Jesus is to give everything here and gain everything there.

Main Passage Idea: To follow Jesus is to give everything here and gain everything there.

Main Sermon Idea: If we have faith in the promises of God, we will joyfully obey the call of Jesus when he says “Come, Follow me”

Problem: We do not live Christ pursuing lives because we are afraid

Sermon Solution: Seek out how he is asking you to follow him, trust in the promises of God given through Jesus, obey his call.

Setting: Jesus rebukes the disciples for keeping Children away.

He not only shows the importance and preciousness of children, but actually elevates their spiritual state above the adults— Paradoxical.

Notice the contrast: little children vs important rich dude

One was stopped, one wasn’t

Rich young ruler asks how to get/earn eternal life

Kinda stuck up thing to ask, but its honest.

That is what many people just want to know: How much is this whole “religion” thing really gonna set me back. Monthly payments? 10%? whoo... kinda steep. But a bargain for eternal life I guess.

This really is the MO of a lot of people in regards to american Christianity.

Jesus’ first challenge of the Rich guy goes unnoticed. By asking the man about his question Jesus points to two things

By asking the man about his question Jesus points to two things

1. The man knows he needs some help with the whole “good” thing

2. The man is coming to Jesus as an authority on what is holy.

In essence Jesus points out “if you are asking me this question then you realize that you need help and that I am the one to help you.”

The Rich ruler really is stuck up to think that he has kept the law perfectly, but Jesus humors him and doesn’t correct the ignorance of the statement

This is similar to when you are witnessing to people and you ask if they are a good person. “Yeah, I am pretty good.” “yeah, i’m alright”

If you press that at all you will find some wickedness hiding under the thin piece of reputation.

These next 2 verses are heartbreaking to me — Jesus actually gives him 4 commands.

“Follow me”

Go, Sell, give, and then come and follow

Notice that it seems like 5 but Come and Follow are together. You can’t come to Jesus and not follow him. You either follow or you don’t.

There is no benched players on Jesus team. Everyone is running full speed.

You come to him and you don’t try to attach yourself to this world with things and cares and worries and selfishness— you follow.

Or you don’t follow. This man didn’t.

This man didn’t.

Sure, he saw the value in the treasure. He wanted eternal life.

He just didn’t want it to make him uncomfortable. That’s why he was sad.

He was sad because it would cost him something that he didn’t want to pay.

It’s hard. Jesus says so right there: “it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven” !!!!

Don’t think of someone richer than you. We are all the rich people here. You got running water? Electricity? You are the rich one.

We don’t want to give anything up to follow Jesus, we are so comfortable

We do not want to give anything up. And we see God’s grace coming in again

We are astonished that Jesus would tell us that getting into the kingdom is impossible for us to do. BUT it isn’t impossible for God to do.

He will work in us to create faith, to help us understand, to show us so we can see!

Good old Peter chimes in to pat himself on the back: Hey Jesus, we did it, right? You’re proud of me, right?

Then out of the mouth of Jesus comes a promise. He says this will happen!

He says: Those who follow me will gain more than you can imagine AND eternal life.

But before we leave the room thinking we have it all figured out he adds a paradoxical end to this

It isn’t going to be how you think. It isn’t going to be run how your brain wants it to be run.

To do this right it will be a constant run to the back of the line, a constant competition in holy humility— you are going to be uncomfortable.

If this is really what Jesus is asking us, to give up pleasures of today for joys of eternity, what does that look like right now?

What is the correct response?

For real, are we going to let this change us?

If this passage taught that we are supposed to sell everything, give to community action, and then regroup at the church--- would we make a change in our lives?

Let’s agree that we are going to be obedient to what this passage teaches us. No matter what it costs, we are going to respond the opposite of what this rich young ruler did.

Lets decide that now, before we go any further. We don’t need more good advice we aren’t going to follow.

So, what is Jesus asking this young man and us?

“Follow me”

Acceptable answers: Ok, drop what your doing (fishing, taxes)

Acceptable answers: Ok, drop what your doing (fishing, taxes)

Unacceptable answers:

Can I bury my dead relatives? Can I just go get a few things? ()

Let me figure out some stuff at home first because I love these people so much ()

Worry about having possessions or cares too much about what surrounds them (, )

That sounds hard and I don’t understand it ()

Let me figure out some stuff at home first because I love these people around me so much ()

All of these sound reasonable, but all of them lack trust

I’m not saying be irresponsible, I am saying be obedient

Ruler vs Faithful

Let’s compare the two characters in this story: the ruler who didn’t Follow and the Disciples that did.

One person has means, but no faith. The others have faith, but give up their means.

One leaves, hands full and heart empty. The others pursue God with nothing to their name now, and the heart bursting with joy.

What is the hinge point difference? Where is the fork in the road between these two groups? Trust in God.

One trusts what God has said and he is willing to risk everything to chase it. The other lacks the trust to live by what God has promised him.

For instance, most of us have heard: “Seek the kingdom first and these things will be added to you.” But have we lived that? Do we trust that promise?

The promise is self-enclosed. He said AS you obey Kingdom work you will see God provide for these temporal needs.

But, we are faint hearted when it comes to the promises of God. We doubt, so we don’t obey. Then we end up making the things of this life our top priority

Possessions. More money. More “respect”. More power. Better position. Bigger reputation.

When did we exchange faith for comfort?

The uncomfortable truth is that faith goes hand in hand with obedience.

A lack of obedience is revealing a lack of faith that God will provide what is best

(- “By faith Abraham....obeyed.”)

Us Now

So, what call is it that we obey? Refer back to Jesus’ call to the young rich man: come and Follow me.

Give up what you think is more important than following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Give up your reputation and let people know that Jesus is King

Give up trusting in your money to give you peace and security- support those who are fighting for sex slaves or starving children or unreached people groups.

Give up trying to earn love from others with your actions

Give up trying to earn God’s love by trying to be “good enough”

Follow Jesus to the cross.

That is where you will find the promises of God answered

That is where you will find acceptance

That is where you will find forgiveness and hope and peace and true, lasting joy.

Maybe that doesn’t sound worth it to you though:

Maybe you are in the shoes of the rich man as he walks away.

You feel saddened by the thought of leaving all your riches, your human approval, the little empire that you have built.

Maybe you aren’t sad to follow Jesus, you’re scared. You have so much weight, so much security you’d leave, so many scars, so much damage and shame would happen if you were to follow Jesus.

Brother or sister, there is freedom in Jesus.

When we trust in him and follow him we can leave those weights behind.

That is the paradoxical truth: we aren’t really sacrificing anything to do what He asks.

Maybe you aren’t walking away, but you are approaching Jesus to get some direction for your life.

This might be the first time for some here. You maybe never considered living for Him instead of for you

Maybe you know you are a child of God, but you have allowed the weeds of this world to grow around you and you feel heavy and choked with the things of this world

This might be a reminder of what Christianity is.

I don’t know exactly where you are. But, I do know this: Jesus’ invitation to follow him is here in front of you right now.

Give up yourself, your heart and reorient the vision of your whole life. Center yourself on the Cross of the risen Savior of the world.

We

Ask yourself, does my life look like I am following Jesus?

A beautiful thing about how God works is that when he calls us, he calls us all differently.

We aren’t all goers, we aren’t all senders-- But we are one of those two.

We don’t all have careers we should give up, but some of us do.

We don’t all have money stored up for ourselves that should be given, but some do.

Some of us feel this tension: we aren’t living fully committed to God, but we know we need to be.

That is ok. That is where the conscience and the Holy Spirit can work in your prayer life and marriage and bible reading to point you in a direction.

Pursue that. Chase it. Plead with God to teach you.

Some of don’t know the exact changes that need to be made by faith. But some of us do.

To those that do know, I will encourage you to commit. God has made promises and even through hard, painful things that doesn’t mean he isn’t blessing you.

To those that know what they are being asked to do: Obey. Have faith. Trust his promise to provide. Find joy. There is no cost great enough that should keep you from pursuing Him.

Exit

And that goes for me too. I need that reminder. I need to have faith to obey what I know God is asking of me- even if it is uncomfortable, or hurts, or is scary, even if it costs me everything that seems important

This is real for me, because I mean it.

The scary and exciting movement of God in Kaitlyn and myself has pushed us to take a next step in our journey of following Jesus.

At the end of this summer we will be leaving Keokuk.

We will be moving to Dallas,Texas

I have been accepted into a seminary program that begins in the fall.

This whole sermon, for me, is not just something to learn on paper.

Kaitlyn and I have wrestled with God’s leading and we came to a hard conclusion: in order to follow Jesus we need to leave a place that is filled with friends and their laughs and their hugs.

Kaitlyn and I have come to the conclusion to leave a place filled with warm hugs and laughs and friends to follow Jesus.

To leave a place where we are comfortable. Where we feel loved and can love others.

We are leaving a place of successful ministry, successful relationships, a successful church, a home, and this family--- because he said “follow me”

Kaitlyn and I are confident that God is calling us to take this next step.

Which, honestly, is scary. And it hurts.

But, it is exciting too. Exciting that God is going to be changing what life looks for us, and what ministry at E-Free here in Keokuk looks like.

We have decided to follow Jesus

We know he has been preparing someone else to step into this role, and we know that they will be who he has planned. He is going to provide beautifully.

Over the next few months, during this transition, we plan to serve this church with our hearts full. There are no hard feelings. The elders, Jack, myself- we have had this conversation openly and no one is pushing against anyone else.

“Follow me as I follow Christ” ()

I’ll ask you to consider your own lives. What is he asking of you to leave and follow him?

This simply has been a hard realization that in order for us to follow Jesus, we have to walk away from our home here.

Prayer

I am sure that people have questions or want to talk. And I want to discuss all of this with everyone that would like to. Please come talk to me.

But, first, I am going to ask for prayer.

Prayer for us to be obedient and wise during this step

Prayer the church health and the church family

Finally, Prayer for the next pastor that God has called to come and love his people here.

So, I am going invite the elders up to lead us in that prayer.

thoughts

This is all a lesson in what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

Mark

Mark 10 ESV

And he left there and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan, and crowds gathered to him again. And again, as was his custom, he taught them. And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ ” And he said to him, “Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.” And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.” And Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

(Previously) The lifelong commitment in marriage

The lifelong commitment to childlike faith

Generally, children are ready to trust and free from pride of self-assured value

The lifelong call of willingness to relinquish possessions

The lifelong hope, in this life and the next even during suffering

This whole discussion is about eternal life, remember that

He starts out asking how to get it, and Jesus answers that questions.

The upside down values of discipleship/kingdom

PAssage

“good teacher”

Good to mean perfect. Only God is perfect.

The commands are all from the 10 commandments, except Do Not Covet has been replaced with Do Not Defraud.

This is probably a jab at the fact that the rich at that time could easily defraud people and steal land.

“I have kept all” VS “but one thing”

Jesus calls him out: you’re wrong. You are not perfect. Even if it feels that way.

Notice that the reason Jesus tells him any of this is because He loves him

In the Greek this back and forth is “but..but…but…but”

Finally it lands where this man says he is perfect and

***In the Greek this back and forth is “but...but…but…but” reveals a pattern. As mark writes, with every “but” that you have with Jesus you move farther away. His commands are clear- follow me.***

Jesus’ command:

Go

Sell all you have

Give to the poor

Then you will have treasure in heaven

Come and follow me

---------------------------------

He leaves distressed, Matthew adds that he is sad— Why?

He had many things. He has so much to give up

He has many things that separate him from a child

He has many things that separate him from a child

He has so much security it is strangling him

He has so much security it is strangling him

He is so comfortable, he will rot there

He is so comfortable, he will rot there

He has such a great life that he will die

He has such a great life that he will die

That’s hard. It is hard to walk away from things that you love in order to follow Jesus.

That’s hard. It is hard to walk away from things that you love in order to follow Jesus.

Notice that Jesus calls his Disciples “Children”.

They were completely dependent on him.

How dependent are you on God? How does his kingdom fit into your plans?

“Rich man to enter” -

The comparison Jesus is making it between his kingdom and the worlds

Riches get you somewhere in this world. Not in his.

We forget this even today: do you feel more blessed when you get a bonus or buy a new car?

Jesus is particularly pointing out that riches do not equal divine favor

That is why the disciples are so astonished- they thought the rich people were in for sure.

“who then can be saved”?

they still are not picking up on the contrast between children and rich men.

God’s upside-down Kingdom doesn’t work the way we want it to

Peter pipes up about how they left behind everything, they are committed to being disciples of Jesus.

Then Jesus responds with this promise to those who have left (as in followed him): they will receive much more in the afterlife, plus eternal life itself. They will also receive blessings in this life and persecution.

This is the bargain: depend only on God, give up what you are trying to use to make yourself secure, understand that you need a savior, and follow Jesus as a disciple.

Note that the next thing mark writes about it is his painful death. There is an end to this journey he is inviting everyone on: the cross.

Setting

SERMON 2

Mark is cataloging Jesus’ teaching and explaining what it looks like to be a lifelong disciple of Jesus

1. Lifelong Faith- like a Child

MARK READ SLIDE

2. Lifelong Call- willing to give

3. Lifelong Hope- even in suffering

Child

Lifelong Faith- Like a Child

Mark begins by showing us a comparison that we are all probably aware of. One person’s importance is elevated above another’s. Why? Demographic.

These children were stopped from coming to him. Yet, he points to the children as the example for our faith.

Next, without any issue, a rich man approaches Jesus.

This seems quite upside down

Man

Lifelong Call- giving to follow

Next, a man is allowed to come directly up to Jesus, presumably because he was important.

He had wealth, he had power, he had potential. All things that humanity seem to worship.

This young man is fairly brash and he wants to know about eternal life. He is convinced that he should be fine on his own, he is pretty secure. (Remember how rich and cool he was?)

He calls Jesus “good” and Jesus points out that only God is good. Only God is perfect. No one else is really good. So, when Jesus throws some questions back at him they are pretty pointed.

You are not perfect. Allow me to demonstrate

This list of commands swap out Do Not Covet with Do Not Fraud. A specific thing to say. Jesus is doing something here.

At that time it was really common for rich people to defraud people of their land by going through the government. It seems that Jesus poked this guy right in the conscience.

So his “I kept them all” is brought up against “you’re missing something”— and Jesus points to his wealth.

Whether he gained this wealth dishonestly or not, it is clear that he was using his money, power, reputation as his security.

He was dependent on these things for his life, even his eternal life.

He would rather hold on to what he loved, then follow Jesus.

In the Greek this back and forth is “but...but…but…but” reveals a pattern

All these excuses, but there is no excuse.

We all have a “but” and they all stink.

His commands are clear- follow me.***

Jesus

Jesus does answer him though, he says: (21)

Go

sell

What you have: sell

give, what you have: is in heaven, come and follow

Give

What you have: is in heaven

Come and follow

Notice that you have to “go” and leave the way you have been living in order to “come and follow” Jesus in this new life. Notice that what you “have” here should be used as well as you can imagine to celebrate what you “have” in heaven. The rest of our life is just “given” to those who need God’s love most.

This is a paradigm for Christianity

Response

This idea makes him leave, distressed, sad. Why?

He had so much. He had so much dependency. He had so much security. He had so much respect. He had so much power.

Give it up!?

He loved it, but Jesus was asking him to leave it.

He has so many things. He has so much to give up

He has so many things that separate him from a child

He has so much security it is strangling him

He is so comfortable, he will rot there

He has such a great life that he will die

It’s like someone starving themselves because they will only eat spoonfuls of sugar.

The addict that is driving everyone and everything away from themselves

That’s hard. It is hard to walk away from things that you love in order to follow Jesus.

That is hard. Jesus even says so. He says it twice! Especially for rich people.

It’s hard. Jesus says so right there: “it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven” !!!!

Don’t think of someone richer than you. We are all the rich people here. You got running water? Electricity? You are the rich one.

And it is hard for us to see the need for savior when we are comfortable.

But, recognize what he calls those who do follow him: Children.

These disciples are the ones who are not dependent on possessions, they do not find security in the systems of this world.

Instead, in an upside-down sort of way, they are secure leaving all of that behind and having only Jesus.

To demonstrate this look at the comparison that Mark and Jesus are making:

Rich man VS Child

"I have it all” VS "You’re missing something”

Wealth VS Heaven

Impossible VS possible

Rich people are blessed more VS first shall be last and last shall be first

Jesus is making a familiar argument:

Lifelong Hope- even through suffering

Then out of the mouth of Jesus comes a promise. He says this will happen!

He says: Those who follow me will gain more than you can imagine AND eternal life.

But before we leave the room thinking we have it all figured out he adds a paradoxical end to this

“Oh great, so I just give the church my stuff and leave my family, that’s it.”

It isn’t going to be how you think. It isn’t going to be run how your brain wants it to be run.

To do this right it will be a constant run to the back of the line, a constant competition in holy humility— you are going to be uncomfortable.

If this is really what Jesus is asking us, to give up pleasures of today for joys of eternity, what does that look like right now?

Application

But, in this story, we are seeing the full effect of that reality: make a decision who to serve.

What is the correct response?

For real, are we going to let this change us?

+++++++//

If this passage teaches us to do something that we don’t want to do--- will we make a change in our lives?

Let’s agree that we are going to be obedient to what this passage teaches us. No matter what it costs, we are going to respond the opposite of what this rich young ruler did.

Lets decide that now, before we go any further. We don’t need more good advice we aren’t going to follow.

So, what is Jesus asking this young man and us?

“Follow me”

Acceptable answers: Ok, drop what your doing (fishing, taxes)

Unacceptable answers:

Can I bury my dead relatives? Can I just go get a few things? ()

Caring more about my family than my King. ( )

Caring more about my comfort or safety than my King()

That sounds hard and I don’t understand it ()

Let me figure out some stuff at home first because I love these people around me so much ()

Acceptable answers: Ok, drop what your doing (fishing, taxes)

There is no excuse to leave that is good enough to walk away on your wedding day. We will follow what we love most.

There is no excuse good enough to walk away when Jesus asks us to follow. You will simply follow what you love most.

This is reallly why that young man left so sad: he wanted eternal life, but he loved this death more.

Maybe this is

He was mourning for himself.

Maybe you can relate to him:

Maybe you are struggling, feeling the pull to do something extreme with your money, your company, your career, your family.

There is some serious fear involved when we talk about removing the things in this world that make you feel secure.

I want to offer you this encouragement: God is trustworthy. Go to him and trust him to care for you.

I would challenge you to go and consider what you are dependent on for security or hope. Get those things out from under you. Work to create a life that is life-giving and love-giving. This is what it looks like to come and follow Jesus.

Maybe you can relate to the disciples, and you are simply working hard in your faith to do what is right

You need to not let the comforts of the world settle in around you and allow your joy to rot and your faith to be strangled

Moving forward I would challenge you to evaluate what your priorities are. Consider what you are following. Talk with those who know you best (Honestly, ask someone this week). Pray often and hard about orienting your life on the cross.

I don’t know where everyone is with this: but I do know this, Jesus’ invitation to follow Him is here everyday for everyone of us.

It costs us everything this world can offer, but we gain everything it can’t.

(Review: lifelong disciple with a lifelong faith, call, and hope).

Exit

And that goes for me too. I need that reminder. I need to have faith to obey what I know God is asking of me- even if it is uncomfortable, or hurts, or its scary, even if it costs me everything that seems important

Lastly, I want to stress that this goes for me too. I need that reminder. I need to have faith to obey what I know God is asking of me- even if it is uncomfortable, or hurts, or its scary, even if it costs me everything that seems important

This is real for me, because I mean it.

The scary and exciting movement of God in Kaitlyn and myself has pushed us to take a next step in our journey of following Jesus.

At the end of this summer we will be leaving Keokuk.

We will be moving to Dallas, Texas

I have been accepted into a seminary program that begins in the fall.

This whole sermon, for us, is not just something to learn on paper. It’s lifelong discipleship.

Kaitlyn and I have wrestled with God’s leading and we came to a hard conclusion: in order to follow Jesus we need to leave a place that is filled with friends and their laughs and their hugs.

To leave a place where we are comfortable. Where we feel loved and can love others well.

We are leaving a place of successful ministry, successful relationships, a successful church, a home, and this family--- because he said “then come, follow me”

Kaitlyn and I are confident that God is calling our family to take this next step.

Which, honestly, is scary. And it hurts.

That doesn’t make it feel nice, but there is comfort that we are pursuing Christ.

This is really hard. But, it is exciting too. Exciting that God is going to be changing what life looks for us, and what ministry at E-Free here in Keokuk looks like.

We know he has been preparing someone else to step into this role, and we know that they will be who he has planned. He is going to provide beautifully. He is trustworthy.

Over the next few months, during this transition, we plan to serve this church with our hearts full. There are no hard feelings. The elders, Jack, myself- we have had this conversation openly and no one is pushing against anyone else.

This simply has been a hard realization that in order for us to follow Jesus, we have to walk away from our home here.

Prayer

I am sure that people have questions or want to talk. And I want to discuss all of this with everyone that would like to. Please come talk to me.

But, first, I am going to ask for prayer.

Prayer for us to be obedient and wise during this step

Prayer the church health and the church family

Finally, prayer for the next pastor that God has called to come and love his people here.

So, I am going invite the elders up to lead us in that prayer.

------ extra------

To demonstrate this look at the comparison that Mark and Jesus are making:

Rich man VS Child

"I have it all” VS "You’re missing something”

Wealth VS Heaven

Impossible VS possible

Rich people are blessed more VS first shall be last and last shall be first

Jesus is making a familiar argument:

There is something upside down about all of this

What would in the world make me want to leave what I love? Simple: something you love more.

**Adultery is understandable when people “love someone else more”**

You will follow what you love most.