Center Stage (Matthew 10:37-39)

In the Berlin art gallery is a painting only partially finished by the German painter Adolf Menzel. He intended to show King Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals. Menzel 1st painted the generals and then the background, leaving the king until last. Menzel drew the outline of the king in charcoal, but died prior to finishing the painting.

Many Christians come to the end of life without ever having put the King into His proper place, center stage.

Christ must have center stage in our lives, that is to say our life is centered around Christ. As the apostle Paul put it, “for me to live is Christ.”

Today I want to ask you this question what has center stage in your life?

The Bible teaches us that we are to love the Lord more than anything and with the totality of our being (Deut. 6:5)

CPS: The follower of Jesus must have Jesus center stage in their lives, loving Him supremely above everything else.

I. For Jesus to have center stage we must love Jesus more than everything, including our family. (37)

The mark of a true follower of Jesus is love for one another (John 13:35). The disciple must love their spouse, family, friends, and even our enemies but we must love Jesus supremely!

Love (Loveth) is the Greek verb phileō, it means to love with a primary love not unlike agapaō, but it semantically favors a love based on a relationship.

This is the same love that the Father has for the Son (John 5:20 “For the Father loves the Son, ) This is the love The Father has for us (John 16:27 “for the Father Himself loves you, ), and the love that we are to love Jesus with (1 Cor.16:22 “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to be accursed.)

This is a GREAT LOVE, so great that Jesus uses it for the closest relationships on earth.

A. We must Love Jesus more than our parents.

The Jews were taught that love for your parents was to be a great love, the first horizontal commandment is to honor your father and mother (Ex. 20:12) so that your days will be long in the land. We are called to love Jesus more than our parents!

B. We must love Jesus more than our children.

If we were honest with ourselves we would admit that our love for our children surpasses all love. Many put their children ahead of their spouse which is not biblical. The Bible teaches a man leaves his parents and clings to his wife becoming 1 person (Gen. 2:24) and a husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the Church laying down His life for her.

We get that order wrong as well, most of us put our Children above all things including Jesus.

ILL: I recall a conversation with two friends on our way home from the mighty men’s conference. One friend said I love Jesus more than anything including my wife but I can’t love Jesus more than my son and I don’t think God wants me too! I Guess He hadn't read this passage or Luke 14:26-27 ““If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

There is not a man in this world that loves his children more than I love mine but my great love for Jesus should make my love for my family look like pure hate.

We are to love Jesus Supremely and give Him center stage in our life and if we don't we are not worthy of being His disciple.

Worthy is the Greek Adjective axios which is used 3x in this text and 7x in this chapter. It means deserving.

Putting this in context, Jesus is teaching the disciples as He sends them out two by two. He instructs them to inquire of a worthy person to stay with as they enter into a village and to bless that home. If the house proves to be unworthy they were to take back their blessing and if any house or village refused to receive them they were to shake the dust off their feet and leave.

The disciples were called to be Jesus’ emissaries and those who lost their presence lost the presence of Jesus, those who claim to be a Christian and do not love Jesus supremely, above everything are not deserving of receiving the blessings of our Lord Jesus, THE GOSPEL which reconciles sinful man to God allowing us to stand in the presence of the Father.

For Jesus to have center stage we must love Jesus more than everything, including our family!

II. For Jesus to have center stage we must love Jesus more than everything, including our own lives (38-39)

We live in a “me” centered world, just a short conversation with another person will reveal many phrases such as; “I think, I want, I wish.”

ILL: I recall a story about the L.A. Lakers complaining to Shaquille O’Neal about Kobe hogging the ball. Shaq tells Kobe “Their is no “I" in team” Kobe responded “But there sure is an m e in that mother.”

Our love for Jesus is to surpass our love for our own lives, we must be prepared to die literally and figuratively as martyrs for Christ. The person unwilling to take up his cross and follow after Jesus is not worthy of being His.

Taketh is the Greek verb lambanō which means to take a hold of. In the context it literally means “SUFFER UNTO DEATH.”

In the Roman World one condemned to death was taken to the very point of death by hands of a skilled torturer, then he was required to take the cross beam on which he was to be crucified and carry it the longest possible route to his place of execution.

Followeth is the Greek verb akoloutheō which means to go behind. This means “Wherever He leads Ill go with a cross on my shoulders.

A. Dying Figuratively

All Christians are called to die figuratively Romans 6:11 “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” But here Jesus calls us to die to self. Taking up our cross means we have given over our individual rights to the king, together with any possessions, passions, pastimes, or people that might distract us from following him and serving Him whole heartily!

ILL: To the one who asked George Muller him the secret of his service, he said “There was a day when I died, utterly died;” and as he spoke, he bent lower and lower until he almost touched the floor – “died to George Muller, his opinions, preferences, tastes, and will – died to the world, its approval or censure – died to the approval or blame of my brethren and friends – and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God”

To give Jesus His proper place, center stage in our lives we must die to ourselves.

B. Dying Literally

As Jesus sends out the twelve He ells them “I send you out like sheep among wolves” (Matt. 10:16). He explains that kings, governors, and judges will be against them, their friends family will be against them and they will be handed over to be flogged and crucified.

Jesus is pointing to His death but also prophesying the death of many of His followers. Of these twelve original disciples all died a martyrs death except for Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus and hung himself, and John who died of old age yet did not escape the trials and persecutions. He was flogged, boiled in tar, and exiled to Patamos yet he followed Jesus and persevered.

The Bible is full of people who gave their lives for Jesus, from Abel to James. Church History is full of those who literately died for Jesus, there are Christians in the middle east this day suffering and dying for the Lord Jesus.

Our idea of persecution is a snide remark, a joke, a lost relationship. But the time is soon coming when we will lose or rights to worship freely and will have to choose between family and Jesus, physical life or Jesus. THIS IS THE CONTEXT OF THIS PASSAGE... the cost of discipleship!

Following Jesus is not free but costly, following Jesus is not easy but difficult. Jesus tells us that if we cling to our life on earth we lose our life in haven but if we lose our life on earth for Jesus’ sake we cling to life eternal in heaven!

When I think about taking up the cross and following Jesus I think of Simon of Cyrene, he gave up his will, being pressed into service He took up the cross that he might bear it after Jesus (Luke 23:26), and he took that cross to Calvary, following closely behind Jesus He saw what Isaiah prophesied and what Peter declared; 1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

Conclusion: Jesus is worthy of CENTER STAGE, Jesus is worthy of our Supreme Love, Jesus is worthy of our devotion and death. He is worthy because He is creator of heaven, earth, and all that is in them. Jesus is worthy because He is sustainer who holds the whole world together, and He is worthy because He is Savior… God who allowed Himself to be crucified that you may have life eternal.

Application: Jesus is worthy of having your supreme love and Center Stage but how do we get to that point? For the Christian the Love is already there, “for God has poured His love into our hearts by giving us His Holy Spirit” (Rm 5:5) but we must unlock that love and It is done by a deliberate and constant decision each day to love Him supremely and deliberately placing Him in His proper place.

As Becky and Donnie come forward to lead us in a hymn of invitation who would join me at this alter and make that deliberate and constant decision today?