Give It Up, Turn It Loose!
Notes
Transcript
Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved? But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.
Main Points:
Giving things up to follow Jesus.
Entering the Kingdom of Heaven (being saved).
Following Jesus.
The reward for following Jesus.
I. What good deed must I do to gain eternal life?
There was a rich young ruler that came to Jesus as Jesus was on his way back to Judea. The Lord was on his way to Jerusalem to die, this rich young ruler not really knowing or understanding what was getting ready to happen asked Jesus this important question: “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”.
What must I do to be saved; what do I have to do to gain eternal life. This is something that we need to ask ourselves this morning, what do I need to do to be saved; what do I have to do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replies “Why are you asking Me about what is good?” There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” (NASB). What do I need to do to be saved? Keep (do) God’s commandments, keep God’s word, walk in His will, walk in the way of the Lord.
Now the rich young ruler asks an interesting question because he wants to know which one. During this time there was not a New Testament, Jesus hadn’t died and been resurrected at this point. Jesus was referring to the Old Testament commandments, in specifically the 10 commandments. Jesus begins to name some of those commandments: You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
However this rich young ruler knew that it had to be more to it than following these commandments. He had been doing this, but he felt like something was lacking and he was correct in his observation. There is more to serving God than just following rules and regulations, there is more to serving God than just being caught up in dogma and religious observations, there is more to it than just coming to church, picking up your bible, and saying your nightly prayers, these are good things that every believer should and needs to do.....but it’s going to take more! What do I have to do to be saved......what do I have to do to gain eternal life, what do I need to do to make it into the kingdom of God!?
II. Let go of what you love, come out of your comfort zone.
Jesus says if thou wilt be perfect, if you want to be perfect, if you wish to be complete, if you want to go on to spiritual maturity then you need to sacrifice! You gotta sacrifice! Jesus is speaking in a language that this young man understood, because the Jews were accustom to sacrificing. You gotta give something up.....if you want to be saved your gonna have to give some things up!
Jesus knew all along what was holding this young man back and Jesus knows the things in our lives that hold us back too and in order for you to follow Jesus you’re going to have to let go of the things that will hold you back, those things that will hinder you, those things that you love more than God, you’re going to have to give them up if you want to be saved! Some of us we know we have lifestyles that are in direct opposition of God’s will......if you want your soul to be saved you’re going to have to give it up!
Jesus tells this rich young ruler, the thing that’s holding you back is your riches. If you want to truly know that God is your keeper, your provider and sustainer, if you want to know that God will make a way out of no way.....you can’t put your trust in money, you can’t put it in friends, you can’t put it in your education, or your social status, you gotta put your trust in God! Jesus tells this young man.....sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Get ride of it! Give it up, turn it loose! No earthly thing can amount to the value of what God will give you! The gold and the silver, the mutual funds, the stocks, the bit-coin, can’t amount to what God will give to those who love them. Eyes haven’t seen, ears haven’t heard, nor has it entered into the hearts of man, what God has prepared for them that love Him. You might say “well Lord, I hear you but I love her so much, I love him so much, I love them so much, I love it so much, and he, she, them, it loves me back. But that love can’t touch the love that God can give you! If it’s contrary, let it go, if it’s wrong.....turn it loose......if you want your soul to be saved.....let go of the grudge.....let go of the hatred.....let go of the envy.....let go of the anger.....let go of the lust.....let go of the relationship.....if your friends are influencing them let’em go.....give it up, turn it loose!
This rich young ruler was wealthy and wanted for nothing. You can have all the money in the world but it can take away from your faith in God. God wants us to totally depend on Him.....not on our jobs, not on our money, not in our cars, or houses but on Him. Does this mean that material things are bad.....not necessarily, but in this man’s case his riches was his stumbling block.
So this young ruler went away grieving, because he owned much property, but he wasn’t willing to let go of it. Listen, if you hold on to it....it’s going to cause you to miss your ticket. If you hold on to it, you’ll miss the rapture, if you hold on to it.....you won’t enter the kingdom of Heaven. If you want your soul saved......how many want their soul to be saved.....how many here today want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.......then anything that opposes God, anything that is against his will, anything that we love more than God.....we gotta give it up and turn it loose.
III. The camel going through the eye of a needle.
Now Jesus tells his disciples something interesting here.....this is a good teaching opportunity. “Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” And here it is after Jesus has said this.....we still sneak and buy lottery tickets (jokingly). Here it is we are still lusting for that position or power.....naw if you know what was good for you.....you’d run the other way. Why lose your soul for all of this temporal stuff!? God specializes in addition through subtraction. We may have to give up some stuff in this life, we may lose some things in this life......but when it’s all over......God is going to give us double for our trouble!
So the disciples began to ponder and were “exceedingly amazed” the scriptures says (verse 25) and said thinking about the camel going through the eye of a needle; “Who then can be saved?”.
IV. Who then can be saved?
Who’s going to be saved? Everybody is not going to make it to the Kingdom! This is a sad reality that we have to know and consider. Jesus himself said:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Whose going to be saved? The Psalmist records these words:
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
V. Enter ye in the straight gate.
If you are going to be saved you gotta enter in at the straight gate.
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
Enter in at the narrow gate......the way to the kingdom of God you have to go through the narrow gate. You just can’t do what you want and think you are going to make it.....if you are going to ascend to the Holy Hill....your hands gotta be clean, your heart has to be pure!
Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Testify to someone near you and say neighbor.....I’ve got to make it!
Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
Same scripture.....different book......we’ve got to strive to make it in the narrow gate. That means it is not going to be easy. But if you make one step, He’ll make two. This is what the disciples didn’t understand......that asked Jesus.....how is it possible to be saved then.
(back to Matthew 19:26) Jesus then says “with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” My God can do anything! God can loose you, God can free you, God can lift you, God can deliver you, God can heal you, and with men it might seem impossible.....but with God all things are possible to them that believe! Every believer testify to about three people and tell them “My God can do anything!”
VI. We’ve given up all to follow Jesus.
The disciples begin to take self-inventory, they began to look at themselves......see you can’t be looking at what someone else is doing because you’ll mess around and miss the ship yourself. You need to look at you and take inventory.
They looked at themselves and Peter, the outspoken one said “Behold, we have forsaken all, and follow you. And this was a true profession because every single disciple left behind something to follow Jesus. Peter, James, Andrew, John, Thomas, Nathaniel, Philip were fishermen and perhaps business owners, Matthew was a tax collector, Simon the zealot was a political activist, Judas Iscariot was a thief and he ended up messing up and missing his ship because he couldn’t let go of the love of money and betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. That’s a lesson, you can follow Jesus but if you hold on to the thing that you love more than God it’s going to cost you your life.
VII. The reward for giving up all.
So Peter makes a statement as if to say “Lord we have forsaken all” some of us we left our business to follow you, some of us have left our families to follow you, we’ve left friends behind to follow you......what are we going to get for that, what compensation will we have.” Listen YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND NOT BE COMPENSATED!!!! God is going to see to it that you are compensated for your sacrifice, for your hard-work, for your due diligence, for the pain and the suffering you’ve endured....compensation is coming!
Jesus says “Verily (truly) I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration (the messianic rebirth of the world, in the new heavens and earth) when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. That will be a place of honor......Jesus knew that there would be people in there present life that would not honor them, that would despise them, mistreat them, and cause intense suffering.......but Jesus let’s them to know that “it’s going to be alright”......my God....I feel something there......tell your neighbor “neighbor.....no matter what you are going through......God says it’s going to be alright!” Well what about us....those of us that have surrendered, those of us that have given up sin, those of us that cut loose a life that opposed God, some of us we’ve lost family members, family members don’t want to have nothing to do with us, some of us we’ve lost jobs, we’ve lost friends, we’ve lost reputations for the sake of Christ.
Jesus says “and every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life. It will be worth it all after-while. All the pain, all the suffering, all the disappointments, all of the ridicule, all of the frustration, all of the temptation......WHEN I SEE JESUS........AMEN!
Main Points:
Giving things up to follow Jesus.
Entering the Kingdom of Heaven (being saved).
Following Jesus.
The reward for following Jesus.