Divine Replacements

28 Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 29 So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, 30 who shall 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.

Introduction

I believed it was June 26th when I preached a message titled “Self Denial - We Have To Deny Ourselves”

The Lord had me tell you that some modern preaching has messed up what Christianity is all about. We’ve moved away from what Jesus has told us about denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Him. Some of us saints have been focusing on ourselves more than we’ve been focusing on the gospel mission, the things of God, and people who have spiritual and natural needs.

We have taken a dangerous attitude of always looking at "what’s in it for me". Some of us have gotten slothful and lazy. Some of us have become complacent. Some of us have become critical of others without offering solutions. Some of us have become weary in our well-doing.

What Self-Denial Looks Like

If we’ve been studying our Bible like we should we have come across several examples of someone denying themselves to help advance the Kingdom of God right here on earth. One such example in Acts 2:44-45 comes to my mind:

now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

The people who were newly converted into the faith had all things in common. Perhaps they denied their social statuses and their titles. Perhaps they decided they weren’t going to look at others as inferior to them, but actually placed other people's needs before their own.

They sold their possessions and goods and divided it all among those who had a need.

This my beloved is what denying oneself looks like

The Rich Young Ruler

A rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus said:

You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ”

The rich young ruler proudly stated; “Teacher all these things I have kept from my youth”. And Jesus told him;

“One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

The scriptures say Jesus loved the young man. This tells us that Jesus loves all who come to Him and He wants us to know because He doesn’t want any of us to perish. But this young man went away sad because he had accumulated a lot.

The rich young ruler had the religious moves down pat, but he lacked the willingness to deny himself.

We can know scriptures, have heard the same passages for years, and practice them, but if we aren't willing to deny ourselves like Jesus is saying to us; "One thing you lack..."

God Is Wise

God is wise and He knows what we need before we ask Him for it. Because He is so wise, He knows how to replace what we give in the way of time and resources when working in the vineyard. And one of the many things I love about the Lord is He replaces what we give with some of what He promises to give us later.

Jesus then turned to His disciples and explained how hard it is for a rich man to get in heaven. Jesus said it is easier to thread a camel through an eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven.

They spoke among themselves asking; “Well who can be saved then?” Jesus said;

“With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

This astounded Peter up. Peter had walked away from a lucrative fishing business to follow Jesus and He said; “See we have left all and followed you.”

Conclusion

Jesus knew their concerns and explained the benefit of denying themselves. We should take note of what He told them because He is telling us the same thing today:

We may be presented with a situation where we might have to leave family members behind. Sometimes family members won't be able to understand the call and assignment on your life. If they weigh us down with criticism, doubt, and maybe even envy, we have to be willing to walk away and do what God has told us to do.

We may be challenged on a valuable, secure, and good-paying job because of our faith. We have a choice—either compromise to keep the job or walk away and do what God has told us to do.

We may have to walk away from lifelong friends but we have to be willing to deny ourselves and get involved with the great commission issued to us in Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

We may have to walk away from the things we've worked so hard to obtain. Some people have denied themselves cars, homes, and all the comforts of life to be a disciple of Christ.

God's wisdom has allowed Him to know His people will lose some things for His and the gospel's sake so He came up with a plan:

Those who have left or will have to leave their home, family, or land for the Lord and the gospel's sake will receive much more in return.

All of these blessings will come with persecutions, but they will hit different with divine replacements.

There will be divine replacements in this time and the world to come eternal life!

There will be divine replacements that will overshadow us in return for our sufferings and sacrifices.

Divine replacements will come to those who have decided to go a little further!

When I was praying this morning, the Lord told me to tell you to go a little further in your giving of time and resources. He told me to tell you not to be afraid, He will be with you! He told me to tell you to come up higher!