WHY DENY?

INTRO: (ME)

There’s this track athlete back in the mid-late 70s. To protect his ID, We’ll call him tony. I don’t know if you’ve ever met one of those people that are naturally talented people. But they are able to do things extraordinarily w/o or very little practicing. There aren’t very many that are like that. Tony was one of those types of people.

Through High School he was one who was good enough to compete in the state track meet for all of his events. But hadn’t achieved what it took to go to state until his senior year in HS. He had broken a few records at his school and finally qualified for the state championship. Still w/ no extra practice. Something else that Tony struggled w/ was punctuality. Late to classes, to hangout w/ his gf, late to his job, etc. Well the time came for Tony to got to the state competition. It was the night before his track competition & he believed he had everything he needed to go and compete. He didn’t come from a super wealthy family so they didn’t stay in a hotel before they had to drive up. They had to meet his coach at 6am to leave to get to the meet by 11am. Tony wakes up to bright light’s and birds chirping. He sits up.. OH NO! He looks at the Alarm clock he though he’d set, it was 8am. His coach is BANGING on the door, trying to get him up to leave. He grabs his bag hops in the car, and they head off to the meet. Tony praying on the way up is hoping that his events were scheduled for later in the day. They get there, and thankfully they find out His events don’t start for 30 min. Tony puts on his track suit, and reaches in his bag past his extra set of clothes, wraps etc. to the bottom of the bag. He reaches back in the back one more time searching for his track spikes. He then realizes he left his spikes on the back porch after cleaning them the day before. Thankfully his coach had an extra pair of cleats. If you know anything about being good at sports you know your equipment helps make up the difference b/w a good and a great play. Well Tony made it to state but ended up placing second to last in almost all of his events. It was really sad that his last track meet ended up a bust because he took advantage of freedoms at the wrong time.

What are somethings Tony could’ve done to give himself a better chance of doing his best?

(We) Tony’s not alone right? We’ve all been in tony spot in one way before right. Tony’s biggest problem was that of discipline. He wanted to do the bare minimum. It didn’t catch up to him until he faced competition unlike he’d ever faced before. Luckily it only costed, a potential State gold medal and some bragging rights. If he knew had’ve known for sure that if he wouldve been a professional athlete as a result of practicing & denying himself freedoms in certain things, I’m sure that would’ve changed the way he interacted w/ his process getting to state.

(God) If we take a look at Jesus, and the plot that it took for us to be reconciled to the father. What Jesus tells us in scripture is that “There’s none GOOD but God.” What scripture also tells us, is that Jesus fulfilled prophecy by coming, living a morally perfect life, died the prophesied death, ressurected and sent the Holy Spirit so we could have not only a guide but power to live the life he’s called us too.

Most of that is recorded or implied in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

But often times people stop there instead of going a few passages over in the conversation being had w/ a rich man.

It says Mark 10:17-25 “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may 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,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to 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.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again an…”

We see a couple of things in these passages of scripture.

The first thing we can take from it, is Jesus in the questions/statement Why do you Call me Good? None is Good but God? Leading to think about who he was asking How to inherit eternal life. ( It’s almost like he was just coming to Jesus as a regular wise rabbai, and Jesus was bringing his attention to the fact that he was GOD)

The Second thing he lead the rich guy to was a reflection of the commandments and how he measured up.

The Third thing he lead him to was to examine his heart further to something that is one of the only things he could have put above following Jesus.

Throughout scripture what we find is Jesus w/ his quote of teachings & sayings that just following what’s morally accepted in society is never the standard.

We see in Matthew 4:18

Matthew 4:18 CSB

As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.

Where the fisherman are told to give up their livelihood to follow him.

We see in Luke 14:26

Luke 14:26 CSB

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.

He says your love for your parents should seem like hate compared to your love for me.

In Luke 9:23

Luke 9:23 CSB

Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

He says Deny yourself, take up your Cross (Dying to the flesh) daily, and follow me.

Couple of Questions we need to answer that these Passages bring up.

Are these passages telling every believer that they need to quite their Job when they come into relationship w/ Jesus? NO

Are these passages telling us we need to Hate our parents/ family Jesus because we love/ follow Jesus? No

Are these passages telling us that we need to literally crucify ourselves on a cross daily? OBVIOUSLY NOT!

What these passages are painting a picture of is, Jesus requires your EVERYTHING, your LIFE.

Most people in the room if not all have at least in word expressed Jesus as your savior, but not the LORD of your life.

Jesus is your savior, but if you haven’t submitted to his authority completely, you’ll find yourself, still looking at porn, in relationships you know you shouldn’t be in, disrespecting parents, Lying, stealing, being gluteness, gossiping, finding hate in your heart towards people, bitter, etc.

Philippians 2:9–11 CSB

For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

His name is above every other name even emotions, connivence, anxiety, desires, the flyest, the most true thineself etc.

I challenged you, Don’t only accept his sacrifice for your life, Submit to his lordship his authority.

Some of you guys have had an encounter God this summer or in years past. But know this encounter w/o submission/change is just emotions.

One of the ways you can tell you’re walking in the spirit, is that your hearts start to change. Youre more willing to give up, what God tells us too, you’re more willing to find out what it is that Gods actual standard for your thoughts, relationships, etc are, and submit to the standard.

Whether you have only allowed Jesus to be your savior or haven’t allowed him to be your Savior or Lord, pray w/ me.