Who God is...Who we are

We have been looking over the last few weeks about what it means to follow Jesus…truly follow Him…to sacrifice all in order to follow Him wholeheartedly.  Today, let's consider why following Jesus is so very important.

To start, I want us to consider who God really is.  Now, there is no way for me to completely describe God.  It is important, though, to look at the characteristics of God.

When we think of God…many of us have ideas that pop into our minds automatically.  We could picture God as a loving God who sent Jesus to take on the sins of the world.  Some people picture the big father figure who is standing in judgment and we should be afraid of.  Then there are others who have a view that fits how He was described growing up.  But, it is most important that we don't try to change who God is to fit who we want Him to be.

For some reason, we could get the idea that the God of the New Testament is much kinder and more loving than the God of the Old Testament.  We divide the two as if God had a change of heart between the two.  We could split them…God of Old versus God of New.  But that isn't correct.  God is the same yesterday, today and forever.  God doesn't change.  He hasn't changed ever.  His love hasn't changed ever.  He hasn't become a softy through history.  He is the same.

God is still a jealous God and expects us to put Him first.  He is still God that has wrath towards liars, hatred towards sinners.  He still expects obedience from His people.  That can all seem so harsh unless we consider that He does all of these things for our good.  He expects us to put Him first because that is what we were created for.  He doesn't want us to fall in the traps of sin.  He doesn't want us to go our own way that leads to destruction.  Like a loving parent, He shows us the way and provides guidance for us all along the way.  There are consequences to our decisions…as there should be.  That can make us squirm a little in our seats.  We sometimes forget that He is High and Holy…Powerful and Mighty…Sovereign King…

Given what we just considered about who God is, let us think about who we are.  In order to do that, let's look at Ephesians 2:1-3.

In just a few short verses, we begin to see who we are.  Not a pleasant view of humanity.  We are dead in sin, we follow fleshly desires, we are disobedient, we deserve wrath.  Without God, we are in hopelessness.  We deserve punishment. 

Just like we don't want to think about who God is, we don't want to think about who we really are either.  We don't want to think about how we are disobedient and are influenced by the devil.  We don't want to think about how we go our own way.  We want the pretty pictures.  But, humanity doesn't have a good side with sin.  The wages of sin is death. 

So, we have God who hates sinners…and we have us…sinners.  That is a picture for you.  We see in the Old Testament where God is trying to redirect and His people keep making really bad choices.  Even those who God directly told to do better didn't.  They were doomed and so are we…

What do we do?

Acts 2:37-40.  Peter was asked the question about what to do.  His response was to flee the world, repent and be baptized.  They were told to repent…turn away from their sins.  They were instructed to be baptized (a public showing of their decision…one that could be very dangerous).  They were told to flee what this world has to offer in order to follow. 

Let's continue by looking at Ephesians 2:4-10.  Because of God's GREAT love for us, God – who is rich in mercy – provided grace.  We were dead in our sins.  We were hopeless.  But, God didn't give up on us.  He loves us.  Through Christ, He provided a way.  It is only by grace that we are saved…and grace is a gift from God…completely undeserved.  We can't do anything to earn it.  We were created by Him…and reborn in Christ Jesus…to do good works!

Sinners…provided a way…through an unearned gift…to do good works.  And yet, we have a problem with total surrender.  Why wouldn't we surrender to the One who has provided so much already?

The Heart of the Matter

Growing up in church, I often questioned why we couldn't do what we wanted to do…why we couldn't do the things we chose – especially when they didn't involve anyone else.  Who was I hurting?  Who would even know?  Would God care about that?

My Dad often got the majority of these questions because he was my Sunday School teacher many years.  He always summed it up to…it is a heart problem.  You will make decisions and do things based on what is in your heart.

At that time, it at least helped with some of my questions.  But, as I grow older, it means more and more.  In following Christ, our lives should reflect the character of Christ…we should care for what God cares for…we shouldn't ignore the things that God considers important.

That means I end up loving things that I wouldn't necessarily want to love…it means that I end up doing things that will seem crazy to the rest of the world…but right on with God.

Let's look at a scripture…thinking about getting to the heart of things.

Mark 10:17-31

Today's scripture is much like the last 2 weeks.  This is one of those difficult scriptures because our first thought often is…Is Jesus asking me to sell everything I have if I follow Him?  Our next question to automatically assume that Jesus wouldn't ask us to give up our possessions…so we can just move on.

Jesus may actually ask you to give up all you have and follow Him.  That may actually happen.  You certainly wouldn't be the first…and I am sure you wouldn't be the last.  There are people all over our world who have sold their homes and left the comforts of their jobs and lives in order to follow Christ to the ends of the earth.  There are people listening to God and saying YES as He is asking them to step out on faith and trust Him.

The issue is not whether Jesus is asking him or us to sell everything.  Jesus is calling for total surrender.

It is important that we realize that salvation isn't about our actions.  Good works do not get you into heaven.  We can't get into the game of seeing who has done the best works and comparing because no works compare to the blood of Jesus Christ.

We don't do good works to be saved.  We are saved…so we do good works.  Our heart is in the right place.  We are changed by the power of Christ…the Holy Spirit is working in us…we desire to reflect Him.  We are changed to be more like Him because we totally surrender it all.

Look at 1 John 2:3-6

When we look at this scripture, we can easily go down a path that is not the right one.  We could find ourselves looking at this scripture and identifying other people who claim one thing but live a different life.

Sins…we are quick to look at people and code them as not following…despite what they claim.  Can point out what is wrong with the way they are living.  No problem with that.  Can look and see their fruits are not reflective of Christ. 

But, it is quite a different issue when we look at ourselves….That plank in our own eye is quite large.  We begin to compare sins and think about how our sin isn't as big as someone else's sin or we think about how terrible someone else is living but don't want to look at ourselves.  We could think that we are doing it all correct because we never take inventory…

How about caring for the poor?  What about indulging in more and more stuff while ignoring the poor…How about looking at what we have and seeing if we are using it ALL for the glory of God.  How are we spending our time…how are we living our lives…

Have we actually allowed Christ to change us?  Are we actually following Him?  Are we doing what He is saying?  If not, now is the perfect time to repent of that and ask Him to change us.   We want Him to change us to help us to reflect Him!

Finally, it is important not to leave discouraged…wondering how we are going to do one more thing.  Don't leave here thinking about what you need to do.  How about be encouraged to know that when we come to Him with our whole hearts and totally surrender…He will come and rescue us and change us.  It is about becoming more and more like Him and less and less like the world.  Now that's something to look forward to!

Your Treasure

Last week, we began a series based on the study Radical.  We looked at what it meant to come to Jesus on His terms rather than ours.  Have we tried to make Jesus more like us and our society OR are we willing to follow the Jesus of the Bible.  Remember that we looked at what He requires in following:  Superior Love and Exclusive Loyalty.

Today, I want to continue to look at this and what that might mean for us as Christians today.  Let's begin by looking at what happened when Jesus called the disciples.  Matthew 4:18-22.

Notice what Jesus didn't say to them…He didn't tell them to believe in Him.  He asked them to follow Him.  In order to follow, you must believe.  Otherwise, the following will be a short lived whim that is not a lifelong change.  They followed.  What did they give up to follow?

They gave up their nets…their career and source of food.  They gave up their boat…their possessions.  They left behind their father…their family.  They gave up everything in order to be a disciple of Jesus…Superior Love and Exclusive Loyalty.

What about me and you?  What did we have to give up or sacrifice in order to follow Jesus?  My fear is that we are still clinging to everything this world has to offer and we still haven't completely agreed to follow Him.  We want to follow…but we are holding to tightly to the things of this world.

If you will remember last week, we looked at Luke 14:25-35.  In that scripture, verse 28 talks about counting the cost.  If Jesus really requires absolute obedience and commitment, then this isn’t something we do half-heartedly or with waivered commitment.  This is something that we do with our whole heart. 

Was Jesus really serious about what He is asking us to do?  Or have we just given a ton of excuses why He didn't really mean what He said?  Are we following out of convenience?  Or are we following out of wholehearted devotion?

As we think about that, let's look at Matthew 13:44.  The man in this parable had found something really really important to him.  He had found something that was more valuable than anything else.  He had found something that was worth selling everything else he had in order to have this one thing.  He wasn't forced to sell all he had for this one treasure.  He found something worth losing everything else in order to obtain this. 

Is Jesus your treasure?  Is He worth selling all you have in order to follow?  Is He worth all of your love and devotion?  Is He worth exclusive loyalty and superior love?  We are told that where our treasure is, our heart will be also.  Something to think about for sure!

Matthew 16:24-27 – In this scripture, we are reminded that we have to be willing to give it all up…because ultimately what matters is Him.  We have to be willing to evaluate all we have and give it all to Him.  We have to be willing to look at our time, our talents, our gifts, our service…our everything and see if we are clinging to something that is keeping us from following.  Are we holding on to something that is good…but is keeping us from being exclusively loyal to Him? 

I want to wrap this up with a final thought.  We are Christians in a time of war.  We are in a battle.  We have a job to do.  We are called for exclusive loyalty…commitment…all in to follow Him.  If we are all in, we are called to put on the whole armor (Ephesians) and prepare for the battle.  There are people who have not heard.  There are people who do not know.  This world is looking to take our devotion away from Him.  The enemy will try to steer us in the wrong direction.  We are in a time of war…not a time to sit around and admire what we have.  Let's count the cost…take up our cross…and follow Jesus.  Are you in?

Are you really a follower?

Today's message is based on the study, Radical by David Platt. 

What does it mean to REALLY follow Jesus?  I have felt that we might be missing something as a church and as His followers.  There seems to be something missing as we casually follow Him.  What would it mean to have our lives so given over to Jesus that we give Him control over everything?  What does it look like to be that kind of follower?  Do you really want to go there?

We should start with what Jesus told those who wanted to follow Him.  Be prepared because Jesus didn't have the same terms of becoming a disciple that we do.  We often want to do things our way…we just want Jesus involved in what we are doing.  Let's look at what it means to follow Jesus on His terms.

Luke 14:26-35

This is one of those parts of scripture that we look at…we think about…and we move on.  We don't really look at what it means to follow Jesus like this.  This kind of following is serious.  This kind of following requires more devotion than we normally want to give.  This kind of discipleship isn't comfortable to discuss…so we move on to something much easier…something that fits us better.

Today, we are going to look at what it means to follow Jesus on His terms.  What did He ask of those who wanted to follow Him and what does He ask of us?

First, Jesus requires superior love.

What does that mean?  We get a glimpse of superior love here…except we can get confused.  How is it that we can love our brothers and sisters…we can respect our parents…love our children more than words can express…and yet hate them at the same time? 

In order to begin to look at what this means, let's look at a couple of other scriptures along these same lines.  Matthew 22:36-40

This is a verse that we talk about often.  We memorize this verse.  We love the idea of the verse…but rarely do we put this into practice.  Rarely do we find someone who is so in love with God that they love Him with all that they are.  But, Jesus is telling us that this is what is means to follow.

What does a life like that God is your all in all?  What does a life look like where we are completely and totally given over to God?  What does it look like to love God so much that our decisions and our very steps are led by God? 

If we can get a glimpse of that kind of love…a love where God is everything…a love where God isn't first – He is all there is.  If we can begin to open our eyes to the kind of love that He is calling us to…this superior love, then the verses in Matthew begin to make more sense.

Loving God should be your everything.  If we love God with our everything, then the love for the things of this world looks like hate in comparison.  If our love for God is supreme…it drives our lives…it leads and guides who we are.  If our love for God is supreme, it determines what we do every day. 

Many of us aren't willing to love God that much.  We are willing to give Him a little time on Sunday maybe…we are willing to call on Him when we need Him…we might even read the Bible if we have a few extra minutes.  But, following like that isn't following the way that Jesus has called us to follow.

Jesus doesn't call us into a casual relationship with Him.  He is asking us to have a superior love for Him.  He is asking us to love Him with all that we are.  We can't give Him our leftovers.  We must give Him our everything.  Do you want to follow Jesus?

Second, Jesus requires exclusive loyalty.

If we really want to follow Jesus, we will give Him our entire lives.  Jesus asks us to take up our cross and follow Him.  What did it mean to take up a cross in Jesus time?

Think about it.  When did Jesus carry a cross?  He carried a cross when He was going through town on His way to be crucified.  People didn't carry around their crosses casually.  They didn't carry them around as an accessory.  It wasn't something pretty that they would do just so people could identify them.  The cross was a way of execution.  It was carried when you were on your way to be killed. 

Why would Jesus ask us to take up our cross and follow Him?  In order to follow Jesus, we have to be willing to give up our entire lives…everything…and follow Him.  Let Him be in charge of our lives…our families…our actions…our thoughts…let Him be in control.  That kind of authority we don't give easily.

The only way we do that is to die to self and alive to Christ.  That isn't the kind of following that we are accustomed to.  We don't often think about what it means to follow Christ with everything.  We talk about it…but we don't often do it. 

This isn't your casual following.  Being a disciple…a follower isn't something you take lightly.  This isn't something that Jesus said you just do. 

If you look at scripture, you will see that people weren't flocking to be His followers.  You will see where people started following and then walked away.  If it was easy and fun and a walk in the park, everyone would have followed.  But, it was difficult and dangerous and a big decision. 

What kind of follower am I?  Am I ready to give Him superior love and exclusive loyalty?