Are You Interested or Devoted?

Youth 1/30 Interested or Devoted

Announcements:

Next week Josh is sharing

Two weeks we’ll be doing a super bowl party (we won’t be here though)

(H) Are you just interested in Jesus or are you devoted?

This is a question we all have to answer.

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IMAGINE in a WAR you’re going to a battle would you rather have 50 NAVY SEALS who are committed, or 500 RANDOM PEOPLE who are TERRIFIED to go and will probably turn and run?

More isn’t always better!

In fact, there’s a STORY like this in the BIBLE…

In Judges 7:3 GOD SHRINKS Gideon’s ARMY so he will get the CREDIT , and the first thing they do is SEND SCARED PEOPLE HOME! Shrinks his army from 22,000 to 10,000!

But there’s two things here,

GOD gets the GLORY when they’re OUTNUMBERED and still win

also, who wants to GO TO WAR with PEOPLE who are TERRIFIED and will probably turn tail and run? Not me!

In the same way, Jesus knew that he could do a lot more with a handful of devoted people than with an interested crowd.

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Questions:

How many disciples did Jesus have?

How many were in the inner circle?

Anyone know who the closest disciple was?

JESUS INVESTED most of his time with a SMALL GROUP of men that he KNEW could CHANGE the WORLD.

You know that Jesus fed 5,000 people, but he didn’t have 5,000 disciples…They just loved the FOOD!

A LARGE GROUP that is just INTERESTED will NEVER ACCOMPLISH anything!

JESUS KNEW THIS and so oftentimes he would SHRINK THE CROWD by SAYING TOUGH THINGS

In fact, some of Jesus’ statements would essentially root out those who would have been scared in the face of battle!

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I want to read one of these passages tonight to hopefully challenge you all:

Luke 9:57-62 NLT

As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

TALK IS CHEAP, following Jesus was a big deal and was difficult!

59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

Burying your father was a RELIGIOUS DUTY in their day!

We DON’T KNOW for sure IF the man’s father was DEAD, but even if he was the PROCESS they ended up using was OVER A YEAR LONG.…so basically this guy says, “Jesus I’ll follow you later”

60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus was likely crucified, resurrected, and ascended by the time this guy would have been ready to follow him…

Following Jesus was an urgent thing because he was only here for a certain amount of time. While it is slightly different today, WE DON’T WANT TO PUT IT OFF, don’t say you will take it more seriously when you’re an adult!

61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

You CAN’T LOOK with LONGING back at what it was like BEFORE you BECAME a CHRISTIAN..BEING a CHRISTIAN means you’ll GIVE SOME THINGS UP in life…

if you’re MORE FOCUSED on what you’ve GIVEN UP than getting Jesus that’s a PROBLEM…

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If you’ve truly made him first and most important in your life, you won’t believe what he can do through you.

But if you LIVE life on the FENCE, then he really CAN’T USE YOU.

THOSE MAKING EXCUSES WOULDN’T HAVE PREACHED TO FOREIGN NATIONS/DIED FOR HIM

EXCUSES/BAD PRIORITIES = DISQUALIFIED

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If we think this is hard…look at what Jesus did for us…

HE SACRIFICED HEAVEN.. to come to earth in order TO DIE for OUR SIN…

if HE can GIVE UP the GLORIES of HEAVEN and go through a TERRIBLE DEATH on my behalf…NOTHING I SACRIFICE COMPARES

So how serious are you? How much of a priority is your relationship with God? Are you just interested like the crowd? Or are you devoted like a disciple. That’s something I want you to consider. Because Jesus can do a lot more through a few of us who are devoted today, than a crowd who are all just interested.