Following Christ
Notes
Transcript
Following Christ.
Can be one of the most rewarding experiences in life
In fact I have never heard of a Christian
a true Christian
that has regretted their decision
however
We are suffering a drought in this country
in this Army!
The question is why
John Piper once mentioned
That quite possibly
The hardest place on the planet
To be a Christian
America
Simply because we are so easily distracted
We have a never ending supply of shiny objects so to speak
Material objects and money can do that to us
According to some sources
Born an American
Top 1% richest in the world
If making over 30k a year
On the polar opposite is the place where Christianity is thriving
According to other sources
Largest revivals in the world
China
Iran
America is and has been in a steep decline
In fact some sources argue that New England 83% unchurched.
The rest of the nation isn’t looking so good either
If you look at our army
As a mirror image
We aren’t looking so good either
We are very quickly becoming a nation
Without God.
So why are we becoming a nation / army that is abandoning God
Why is it so hard for us to follow Christ
That’s what we are going to be discussing today.
Turn with me to Luke 18:18-30
Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”
And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.”
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.”
And those who heard it said, “Who then can be saved?”
But He said, “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.”
Then Peter said, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Let’s open up in a word of prayer.
You know as a chaplain
The most frustrating part of my job
Is knowing what Christ can do for these soldiers
What Christ can do for you
What Christ did for me
Yet watch those people that come to me,
begging for relief
Begging for a change
Begging for peace in their life
Yet reject Jesus at every turn
unless it fits their narrative
It drives me crazy.
I found the source
But they won’t bite
I tell soldiers all the time
I wasn’t always a chaplain
I messed up a lot
I did stupid things
I watched my life go down the tubes
It wasn’t until I hit my lowest point
I finally surrendered and deeply sought after
A peace
An answer to my problems
It wasn’t until I lost all control
That I finally surrendered.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Isn’t that the truth!
Day after day
Soldiers Beg me to help them
Beg me to take the pain away
Beg me to solve their issues
Issues that wouldn’t be there
If they would surrender to Christ
I desperately try
But I watch them
Actively reject the answer
And is the central theme of today’s story
Our love for this world and the stuff we acquire steps in the way of our answer to peace and eternal life.
Our love of stuff compared to our love for Christ.
If you were to ask me
What is the underlying theme of why we don’t need Christ
A vast majority
Believe
we are saved by how good we are
The rich ruler in this story almost brags
I’ve kept the law
I’m a good person
I deserve to enter heaven
But he is asking
He wants to make sure
He wants to be 100% certain,
He has crossed every T and dotted every I
In my opinion i believe this man’s question is truly sincere
Just as many of us are sincere as well
I don’t think this man was trying to start a fight
I don’t think he was acting like a pharisee
I truly feel as though he was concerned
But where he fails is exactly where we fail
Its incredibly important to get this
To fully understand this
This man failed to recognize that his salvation could not be earned
That his salvation couldn’t be bought
That eternal life was a gift from God Himself
This man failed to recognize what Paul taught so boldly about in Romans
Salvation comes by faith In the Messiah!
You see what that does is it puts God in charge
It gives God all the glory
When man becomes passive in salvation
God becomes the only active participant
God becomes the merciful
God becomes loving
God becomes a loving parent figure in our lives
With a relationship
built on works
its a relationship built on fear
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
What this rich young ruler failed to recognize is that
Eternal life is an impossibility without Gods Grace.
Its never has been our righteousness
Its always been His righteousness that he so lovingly gives us.
You see without Christ we are nothing!
And this is where Jesus hits the man with a requirement
A challenge
A new paradigm or way of thinking
Jesus tells this man
So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
You know as I was going over this passage
Wife warned me
are you telling us we have to sell everything
Maybe but just your stuff
It was at that point my daughter started looking at me funny.
But seriously
Is he telling us to sell everything?
No.
And i want to make it clear
Every commentary on this passage was consistent.
It’s a heart issue
For this guy it was his riches.
It might be different for you
maybe a car
career
a secret sin
What is holding you back?
For this rich young ruler it was his possessions
Look at verse 23
But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.
I love what one pastor asked
Is there something more important to you than being in heaven?
If so I would argue your priorities might need to change!
The reality of life is that we are not promised tomorrow
We are not promised another hour
And if you are not certain about your final destination in eternity
Then you need to sort out your priorities
This is exactly whats going on here
This young ruler would rather have his blessings here
Than a guarantee of salvation
And I understand its hard.
We all live that way down here
No one ever said that the christian life is easy
Its hard to look toward eternal things
when your passion or addiction is staring you down
I get it
But the Bible teaches that our priority must become Jesus
Everything we do must be focused on eternity
We should be seeking Christ in everything
in our marriage
in our finances
in our careers
heck in what we eat for lunch
everything needs to have an eternal perspective
Without this perspective it becomes almost impossible to enter into the eternity on the right side of God
Jesus acknowledges this and warns it
Look with me at verse 24_25
And when Jesus saw that he became very sorrowful, He said, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God! For 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.”
Contrary to what you may have heard
Jesus was actually referring to a weavers needle
The point of the story is that it is
nearly impossible
for a rich man to be saved
Why?
Because our possessions
our life
our desires
Cloud our judgment
They keep us from God
But look with me at Luke 9 and verse 23
We are told what is required to achieve this near impossibility
Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Self denial
It literally means death to
Your wants
Your desires
Your addictions
Live a life of total dedication to our Lord and Savior
I understand that’s hard
I understand that feels impossible
But what does the word say
With God all things are possible
Its about keeping that eternal perspective
Following Christ
Luke 19 mentions another rich guy
I don’t think this was a mistake that this was put here
Zacchaeus and I’m sure you are all familiar with the story
Heres a man that gave up his desires and possessions
to follow Christ
Isn’t the Holy Spirit amazing
When Luke was penning this book
no mistake that the two stories are so close together.
Anything is possible with God
Last and certainly not least is our reward
I personally feel this is where so many people get the heart of the Gospel wrong
Where do the apostles get their hope. If your hope is in this life alone you’re in a sad state. You will die and everything you worked for will be for not.
Eternal reward.
Christ warns us here
We may lose our friends
We may even lose our family over our faith
But the benefit far outweighs the risk we take
Look with me Luke 18:29-30
So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”
Is Jesus promising riches and bountiful life here on earth.
No, thats a false Gospel
But he is promising a new way of life
A life filled with purpose
A life filled with meaning
filled with love
and a desire for God
Finally is the promise of eternal life
Eternal perspective in everything
A place where everything is perfect
And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Rope Illustration
Lets pray.