You Can Have It All.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Welcome to Village Church. [0:01] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve. [0:03] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church, [0:05] and I’m thankful and grateful to see each [0:07] and every one of you this morning. [0:09] Just by way of announcement, if you came in,

[0:12] there was another card on your seat as well, [0:15] and that is for you to use to invite people [0:18] as well as to inform you of an upcoming series [0:21] that we’re gonna start in two weeks. [0:24] That is the Seven Basic Commands of Christ. [0:27] And what’s gonna happen over those seven weeks

[0:30] is that we’re going to take a look at kind of [0:32] a synthesized list of seven basic things [0:36] that Jesus taught that our lives are to be all about [0:40] while we’re here on earth, while we’re seeking [0:43] to follow Him. [0:44] There are commands like repent and believe

[0:47] in the name of Jesus, commands like be baptized [0:50] in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. [0:53] Go make disciples. [0:55] Just simple commands that kind of encompass [0:59] all of the many, many, many commands that Jesus made [1:03] while He was on earth.

[1:05] Can we actually look and say what kind of life [1:08] specifically does Jesus call us to live? [1:13] And so that’s what we’re gonna be taking a look at, [1:15] and I truly believe that over those seven weeks [1:17] that we will be able to become a people [1:20] who are truly following Jesus if we will simply look

[1:24] at what He says, believe in what He says, [1:27] trust in who He is, and actually seek to live the lives [1:33] that Jesus Himself has called us to live. [1:36] So please make every effort to be here during that series [1:40] as well as use those cards that we’ve put there, [1:43] take them with you, we don’t wanna have to clean them up

[1:46] later, and use them to invite others, friends, family, [1:50] coworkers, people that you really don’t even like. [1:53] Invite all sorts of people to that series [1:55] because one thing’s for certain, [1:57] that they all need to hear God’s word. [2:00] Now we are in the sixth week of a series called

[2:05] All You Need Is Love and Other Lies I Used to Believe, [2:08] and over the past five weeks, we’ve been taking a look [2:11] at the different philosophies that our culture embraces [2:15] through the popular phrases that summarize [2:17] those different philosophies. [2:19] These phrases are meant to comfort,

[2:21] these phrases are meant to offer people advice [2:24] as they make hard decisions in life, [2:26] and they’re also just ways that we view the world as a whole [2:31] as we seek to live the lives that we want to live, [2:35] to get all of the joy out of life that we can possibly get, [2:38] and to really just be happy people,

[2:41] but the problem is, is that at the foundation, [2:44] every one of these phrases is a complete lie. [2:47] It’s unrealistic, it’s unhelpful at best, [2:50] and destructive at worst, [2:53] even if we have the best of intentions [2:56] as we give these different pieces of advice.

[2:59] Now this week, we’re going to take a look at the phrase, [3:01] you can have it all, [3:03] and this is a phrase that is meant to embolden our vision [3:07] for our lives. [3:09] It’s meant to give us just this vision for our lives [3:11] that we can do anything, that we can be anything,

[3:14] that we can have everything, [3:16] and that we don’t need to make any sacrifices [3:21] as we seek to have the life that we want to live. [3:26] There’s even a local car dealership [3:28] that uses this phrase as an advertising slogan, [3:32] to convince you to buy a car

[3:34] that is probably more expensive than you can afford. [3:37] You can have it all except for the hundreds of dollars [3:40] every month that you’re going to have to pay them [3:42] to have that car. [3:44] Now our culture has embraced this idea [3:46] with no honesty about the impossibility

[3:49] of this phrase and this philosophy [3:52] and this way of looking at life is to actually be true. [3:55] It’s just absolutely impossible to live life in this way. [3:57] You can’t possibly have it all [4:00] because to choose one thing [4:03] is always a choice against another thing.

[4:08] The fact is that you cannot in any way ever have it all. [4:12] There are always sacrifices [4:14] that you’re making every single day of your life, [4:17] but what this phrase seeks to convince us to do [4:21] is to deny that, to believe that when we make a choice [4:25] towards one thing,

[4:26] we’re not really choosing against something else, [4:29] we’re not really making any type of sacrifice, [4:32] and really the heart of a phrase such as this [4:35] is a denial that most of our decisions [4:38] are usually completely selfish. [4:41] That if you’re really seeking to have it all

[4:44] at its root, your philosophy of life [4:48] is one that is completely self-absorbed. [4:52] It is one that is completely self-centered. [4:56] And often in our strivings to make money, [4:59] businesses and companies will convince their employees [5:02] that they can have it all when in reality

[5:04] what they’re calling you to do is sacrifice your family. [5:08] What they’re calling you to do is sacrifice your time. [5:11] What they’re calling you to do is sacrifice [5:14] every semblance of a normal life in order to engage [5:18] and in order to pursue their vision for your life [5:22] above absolutely everything.

[5:24] The reality is is that when you do that, [5:26] you are making sacrifices. [5:30] The Gospel of Jesus has a very large emphasis on sacrifice. [5:37] I believe that there is an honesty within Christianity [5:40] that fully admits and even encourages us [5:43] with the reality that we can’t have it all.

[5:46] We must choose who and what we will serve with our lives. [5:51] But when you seek to have it all, [5:54] the reality is that you typically end up sacrificing [5:57] the thing or things that God has called you to do [6:01] for the thing that you would actually rather do. [6:06] God has called every one of us to take a hard look

[6:09] at our lives and the life that God has called us to [6:13] through the cross of Jesus and he tells us [6:16] time and time again through his life. [6:18] Jesus looks at us and he says, [6:20] count the cost of the decisions that you’re making, [6:24] especially if you’re making the decision to follow him

[6:28] into a life of living his mission. [6:32] He calls us to pursue the life that promises [6:34] that he promises will give us ultimate joy, [6:39] eternal pleasure and everything that stands [6:42] in the way of following Jesus then, [6:45] Jesus is very honest,

[6:49] anything that stands in the way of you following him [6:51] must be sacrificed or you can’t possibly follow him. [6:57] Here’s the way Jesus puts it in Luke chapter nine.

[7:01] Starting in verse 23, Jesus looks to the people [7:04] that are following him and he said to all, [7:07] if anyone would come after me, [7:10] let him deny himself and take up his cross daily [7:16] and follow me. [7:17] You see that he doesn’t say this is a one time event,

[7:20] instead Jesus looks to us in an honesty, [7:23] he says this will be a daily decision [7:27] that you will have to deal with, [7:29] you will have to struggle with the reality [7:32] of what it means to deny yourself, [7:35] what it means to bear the cross that Christ calls you to

[7:39] every single day. [7:42] Then he says for whoever would save his life will lose it, [7:47] but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. [7:52] For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world [7:57] and loses or forfeits himself?

[8:02] Those are in my summary,

[8:07] three verses that contain really some of the hardest [8:11] teachings that Jesus gave while he was on this earth. [8:15] Because these teachings and these verses [8:17] force us to take a look into our lives, [8:21] they are a mirror into who we are and who we are becoming [8:26] versus what Jesus wants us to be

[8:31] and what Jesus calls us to be becoming in our lives. [8:36] And what he gets at, at the foundation of this call [8:40] to deny self, to take up the cross, [8:43] to follow him, to realize that if we lose everything [8:48] that is about us for everything that he wants to give us, [8:50] we’re actually going to save our lives,

[8:52] but if we don’t do that we’re actually going to lose [8:54] our lives. [8:56] And what does it actually mean to live a life [8:58] that’s profitable? [9:01] What he means to do is give us a real hard look [9:04] into just how selfish, how self-centered

[9:06] and how sinful we actually are. [9:10] Because at our root by ourselves we are not the people [9:14] that God wants us to be. [9:17] And what Jesus really is saying is, [9:19] is that if you want to be who God wants you to be, [9:22] it will be the hard task of unlearning

[9:25] every natural instinct that you’ve probably ever had [9:28] about your life and relearning them through the lens [9:32] of the cross of Jesus Christ.

[9:35] That is not an easy thing. [9:38] That is not an easy teaching. [9:40] That’s why the disciples and all of the Jews [9:42] that would surround Jesus counseling looked at them [9:44] and said, Jesus, this is a hard teaching. [9:46] Who could possibly understand you?

[9:49] The fact of the matter is, is that if you’re honest [9:52] with yourself, nothing that Jesus says [9:54] in these three verses is unclear.

[9:57] Nothing that he says in these three verses are confusing. [10:01] You could leave them there and let them be a sermon [10:03] unto themselves, but the problem is, [10:05] is that what we do because we’re selfish [10:07] and we do not actually want to make real sacrifices, [10:11] is that we take a look at these verses

[10:12] and we try to explain away. [10:15] And say, well, Jesus doesn’t really mean, [10:17] well, Jesus can’t possibly say that everything [10:20] in my life needs to be sacrificed. [10:22] He couldn’t really mean that I need to deny myself.

[10:28] Clearly he means something else.

[10:31] Well, no, that’s literally what Jesus said. [10:36] When he says deny himself, you have to deny yourself. [10:41] There’s really no other way to teach that specific thing. [10:45] And so the task that we have is in really looking [10:50] into the life of Christ, really looking [10:52] into what the scriptures say as to what

[10:55] are we denying ourselves for? [10:58] What do we need to actually pursue in our lives? [11:01] And what is it that we actually need to sacrifice? [11:05] Is this some ethereal, mystical teaching [11:07] that Jesus is giving us where it’s like a spiritual [11:09] reality where I’m denying myself spiritually,

[11:12] yet actually living the exact same life [11:14] I’ve always lived apart from Jesus? [11:16] Or are there actually practical things [11:18] that we really need to do in our lives? [11:22] As a number one, I want you to understand, [11:25] first and foremost, that denying yourself

[11:27] is required in following Jesus. [11:30] Denying yourself is required in following Jesus. [11:32] In other words, you can’t follow Jesus [11:34] if you’re not denying yourself. [11:36] To follow Jesus is literally a denial of self. [11:41] It is looking into yourself saying, I am sinful.

[11:44] My natural instincts for what I should be doing [11:48] with my life, for how I should be spending my time, [11:51] for how I should be making my decisions, [11:55] and for what I need to be gathering for my good is wrong.

[12:03] And only Jesus knows what is right. [12:06] Therefore, to follow him is literally to deny yourself. [12:09] It is to turn from one life to another. [12:13] That’s what is meant by the term conversion to Christianity. [12:17] That’s what repentance looks like. [12:21] It’s to actually turn from one way of living

[12:23] to another way of living. [12:25] And apart from that, you cannot follow Jesus. [12:29] The simplest definition of a disciple [12:33] is a person who follows Jesus. [12:37] It’s as simple as you can make it. [12:39] But the process of being and becoming a disciple

[12:43] is very difficult. [12:45] Let us not pretend that it is easy. [12:50] Discipleship mandates a life rejecting [12:55] self-centered interests. [12:58] It is the rejection of one thing [13:00] in order to live for another, namely, Jesus.

[13:03] A disciple is to be one who seeks to fulfill [13:07] the will and the teachings of Jesus in everyday life.

[13:14] Is that your focus? [13:16] Is that your pursuit? [13:19] Is that your mission in life? [13:22] Or are there other things informing [13:24] how you make your decisions? [13:26] Are there other reasons that you get up in the morning?

[13:29] Are there other things forcing you to live the life, [13:32] work the job, do the hobbies, do the things, [13:36] engage in the activities, invest in the specific things? [13:40] Are there other things informing that? [13:42] What Jesus is telling us is that we have one primary thing [13:47] that is to motivate every pursuit, every activity,

[13:52] every decision, and that is, is this aiding you [13:56] in following him?

[14:00] That’s the line that Jesus is calling us to. [14:04] And he says everything else is expendable. [14:09] You should not be so committed to anything else [14:13] in this life as to say that this is keeping me [14:19] from following Jesus, this is keeping me from obeying him. [14:22] But the question is, is are you honest enough with yourself

[14:27] to be able to admit what those things are? [14:30] The fact is most of us are not. [14:33] We are the, typically for ourselves, [14:36] we’re the least helpful critic that we have.

[14:40] You typically are not a good critic of yourself [14:42] because you’ll excuse yourself, [14:45] because you’ll give all the reasons why you need this thing [14:47] in your life, you’ll give all the reasons why, [14:49] you’re the exception to every rule under the, [14:52] if literally all of you are exceptions to the rule

[14:56] if I ask you. [14:58] Every single person, so if everyone’s the exception [15:01] to the rule, there are no rules.

[15:04] There’s just a collection of individuals [15:06] who write their own rule book. [15:09] And Jesus is saying don’t do that. [15:11] Jesus is saying there’s one ruler, there’s one judge, [15:15] there’s one authority, and it’s him. [15:18] Well that certainly is a lot of power for one person

[15:20] to have, it is unless you’re God.

[15:25] Now if you’re God, you can handle it. [15:29] The problem that you’re really having with it [15:31] is that you want to be God. [15:33] And you are pretending to be God in your own life, [15:38] defining your decisions by your own rule book. [15:42] It’s like that no one else gives the option

[15:46] to offer you other alternatives.

[15:49] Namely, Jesus doesn’t get that option. [15:53] Now the reality is that the grace of Jesus takes you [15:56] exactly as you are, where you are, with your sin, [16:01] and everything that you have, everything that you’ve built [16:04] your life on, everything that you’ve done apart from him, [16:07] and he offers you complete forgiveness,

[16:09] absolute forgiveness based totally on his work [16:13] rather than your own. [16:14] But what happens though is that in doing that, [16:18] Jesus gives you a brand new life.

[16:22] Jesus gives you a new life to turn to. [16:26] He gives you a new life to live.

[16:30] That’s away from the life that you used [16:32] to live without him. [16:33] And this is where we get muddied.

[16:37] Because in our culture, to call anyone [16:39] to a specific level of becoming better [16:44] or changing anything for better is just too judgmental. [16:50] You just need to accept me as I am, leave me as I am, [16:53] love me unconditionally, all the things [16:56] that Jesus never offers.

[16:57] Jesus never offers unconditional love. [16:59] Jesus never offers you to be able to just be [17:02] who you are apart from him. [17:04] In grace, there is a lesson that you need him [17:08] to become who he wants you to be. [17:11] His love is completely conditioned on who he is

[17:15] and what he does, and then he calls you [17:18] to let him come into your life and renew you day by day [17:23] so that you become more obedient, [17:25] so that you become more like him. [17:27] And if you are becoming more like Christ, [17:30] who will you becoming less like?

[17:33] You.

[17:37] So if you are satisfied with who you are, [17:43] if you are satisfied just sitting in the muck [17:47] of your struggles, satisfied with just sitting [17:51] in the midst of your disobedience, [17:54] sitting in the midst of your need, [17:57] sitting and wallowing in pity and shame and guilt

[18:01] with no vision of becoming more like Jesus, [18:04] then you have less than half of Christianity. [18:07] And in fact, the matter is you have no Christianity at all. [18:12] Because Christianity is defined by the vision [18:14] of who Jesus is and the fact that he enables us [18:17] to become more like him.

[18:20] He enables us to grow. [18:22] That is grace because it is not your work. [18:27] It is his work in you and through you. [18:30] And that’s what he’s calling you to in this passage. [18:33] It is clear. [18:36] He’s not left us just to deal with the reality

[18:38] of the life that we’ve made. [18:40] Instead, he has given us the gift of becoming new [18:45] in a new life with him, by him, and for him. [18:50] Now a problem that arises is that some will make [18:52] these verses a mystical calling so that you never [18:55] have to deal with practical choices.

[18:57] And some will only deal with the practicalities of life [19:01] so they just become more and more religious. [19:05] In both cases, you will only be left with a lackluster [19:08] obedience without any vision for growth or change. [19:11] And that is what Jesus is actually calling us to [19:14] in this passage.

[19:15] You need to have an answer for what it looks like [19:18] that you have lost yourself for the sake of the gospel.

[19:22] You need to actually have an answer for that. [19:25] What does it look like in your life [19:27] that you’re losing yourself? [19:29] Can you actually define? [19:31] Here is what it means that I’ve lost myself [19:34] for the sake of Christ.

[19:36] Here’s what I’m losing. [19:37] Here’s what I’m leaving. [19:38] Here’s how I’m becoming more like him and less like myself. [19:41] But the fact is, for most of us, we can’t say that. [19:43] We can’t really point to anything. [19:44] We can’t pinpoint anything.

[19:45] So our only option then is to treat it [19:47] as this ethereal thing. [19:48] I love becoming more like Jesus. [19:51] Oh, just every day, he becomes sweeter and sweeter, [19:54] greater and greater, lovelier and lovelier, [19:56] beautifuler and beautifuler.

[19:59] Isn’t he so good? [20:00] Oh, really, can you tell me something specific [20:02] about what Jesus is doing in your life? [20:04] How’s he engaging you right now in repentance [20:07] to become more like him? [20:08] Oh, man.

[20:10] We just sing some songs. [20:14] They’re so good.

[20:17] Yeah, amen. [20:20] We’re left completely bankrupt. [20:21] We have nothing.

[20:24] And what that should teach us is that, [20:28] are we actually allowing the word of God [20:32] to engage our daily living?

[20:36] If we can’t pinpoint anything, [20:38] if we can’t say, here’s what I’m losing for Jesus, [20:42] then are you following him? [20:45] Here’s what Jesus says a little bit later in chapter nine. [20:47] Jesus gets real, just specific [20:50] with people who are seeking to follow him.

[20:53] I think he gets practical as to specifically [20:56] what he’s talking about in verses 23 through 25. [20:58] In verse 27, the text tells us, [21:01] he says, as they were going along the road, [21:04] so they’re not sitting in a church service, [21:06] they’re actually doing things.

[21:08] He says, someone said to him, [21:10] oh, I will follow you wherever you go. [21:12] Have you ever said that to Jesus? [21:15] I said, I wonder what Jesus would actually say back to me. [21:19] Well, here’s what Jesus would probably say. [21:22] And Jesus says to him, he doesn’t say,

[21:23] oh, your faith is so good, I’m so impressed, thank you.

[21:29] You’re awesome. [21:31] No, Jesus looks back and he says, [21:32] foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, [21:35] but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. [21:37] Well, all right.

[21:40] Amen, every head bowed, every eye closed, [21:42] we’re done here. [21:45] Now, Jesus looks back and he begins to say, [21:49] I don’t think you know what you’re actually committing to.

[21:55] That’s what Jesus is saying.

[21:58] You need to count the cost of what it actually means [22:03] to go wherever Jesus is gonna go, [22:05] to do whatever Jesus wants you to do, [22:07] to be whoever Jesus wants you to be. [22:09] He looks this man in the eyes and he says, [22:11] have you considered that I don’t know

[22:13] where I’m sleeping tonight, do you want that?

[22:18] Have you considered the path of Christ? [22:21] And at the end of his physical road on this earth, [22:23] it did not land with him with 2,500 square feet, [22:27] a white picket fence and a lease on a car. [22:31] It ended with him on a cross.

[22:34] That’s the path of Christ. [22:36] It is the path of sacrificing what is less [22:40] for what is more and quite often that will come [22:43] into direct conflict with what this world says is more.

[22:49] That’s the truth of how Christ is challenging us. [22:52] That’s the truth of following him [22:54] is that it does not always lead [22:57] to a warm pillow at night under a roof. [22:59] For Christ, it meant I will be sleeping outside that evening [23:03] and are you ready for that?

[23:05] And Jesus is in no way rebuking him. [23:08] Jesus is simply looking him in the eyes and saying, [23:11] I appreciate the token of what you’re saying. [23:15] I appreciate the attitude from which it’s coming from, [23:19] but have you considered the cost [23:24] of what it means to deny yourself,

[23:26] of what it means to lose your life [23:28] so that you can gain his life? [23:31] There is a cost to following Jesus. [23:35] And it is great.

[23:38] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the pastor during World War II [23:41] often said to his people, he says the call of Christ [23:44] to follow him is a call to come and die. [23:49] This is the reality of what Jesus is engaging this man with. [23:53] Have you considered the cost? [23:55] You can’t follow Jesus if you haven’t sacrificed,

[23:58] if you haven’t counted the cost. [24:00] If you haven’t counted it, [24:03] how do you know you’re following him? [24:06] How do you know? [24:09] You see, the reality is, [24:10] is if we deal with this in practical senses,

[24:11] you can get very uncomfortable. [24:14] Because Jesus will say things like, [24:16] do you need a village group in your life? [24:18] Do you need a personal discipleship group in your life? [24:21] Do you need to be on a serve team with your life? [24:24] Do you need to be loving your wife more?

[24:26] Do you need to be engaging your children more? [24:28] Do you need to be doing these very practical things [24:30] that you’re avoiding for the sake of doing other things? [24:33] And if you’re not doing those things, [24:35] why are you not doing them? [24:37] More sleep?

[24:40] Less commitment? [24:41] More time for leisure and hobbies? [24:45] How is that denying yourself to follow Jesus?

[24:50] How is that? [24:53] It’s when we engage in the realities [24:55] of what following Jesus actually is. [24:57] And he says, deny yourself. [24:59] And we look back at him and we say, [25:01] as soon as I’m done with this thing,

[25:02] then I’ll get to all of the denying.

[25:05] And Jesus says, well, clearly you counted the cost [25:08] and decided it wasn’t worth it.

[25:11] The apostle Paul in Philippians 3, 8, [25:13] looks to the life that he was living apart from Christ [25:15] and the life that he’s living for Christ. [25:17] And he says, everything that I had before Christ

[25:21] is worthless. [25:23] It’s a pile of garbage.

[25:26] Because knowing him is worth more [25:29] than anything I’ve ever had. [25:31] Do you have that attitude? [25:33] And what can you point to in your life [25:35] that says, yes, I have that attitude?

[25:40] Secondly, this morning, trying to have it all [25:43] means Jesus can’t have your all. [25:45] We need to be honest about that. [25:47] Trying to have it all means Jesus can’t have your all. [25:50] You are sacrificing something every day of your life. [25:54] But understand that ultimately following Jesus

[25:58] changes your definition of profit. [26:01] Changes what you value. [26:03] In verse 25, here’s what Jesus says. [26:07] He says, for what does it profit a man [26:09] if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his life?

[26:15] I believe Luke 9, 25 [26:19] is one of the best, [26:22] clearest verses on discipleship in all of scripture. [26:27] Because it tells us [26:30] that if you follow Jesus, your definition of profit [26:35] will change dramatically.

[26:38] Your definition of worth will change dramatically. [26:40] Your definition of value will change dramatically [26:43] because it will change how you invest yourself. [26:47] And he’s challenging you with reality. [26:49] What does it profit you [26:51] if you gain everything under the sun?

[26:54] If you gain everything that this world has to offer [26:58] from material possessions to money, [27:01] to to success, to power, to fame, to sex, to everything. [27:06] If you get you get all of it. [27:08] And then at the end, you’re done. [27:09] You lose yourself.

[27:10] You’re condemned forever, eternally. [27:12] He says, was it worth it? [27:15] Was it worth it? [27:16] And your answer to that question will determine [27:18] what your faith might actually be in. [27:20] Because for some of us, yes, it could be worth it.

[27:24] But if you have children. [27:27] I want to connect with you on this level. [27:29] Your kids need to see a parent that is emulating, [27:32] denying themselves for the gospel. [27:34] There are so many things that you can make your life about. [27:37] The possibilities sometimes seem endless.

[27:40] But this verse puts us face to face with the reality [27:42] that unless you make it about Jesus, you will lose everything. [27:49] Do you understand that? [27:52] Everything. [27:52] Jesus does not say you’ll lose some things. [27:56] He says you will lose everything down to who you are.

[28:03] Are you prepared for that?

[28:06] Does your life show that you believe that? [28:09] Jesus is not ambiguous. [28:11] He’s completely clear. [28:14] If you do not follow him and count the cost of what that actually means, [28:18] you will lose everything. [28:20] And when you do not follow Jesus, you will not have any things.

[28:21] If you’re not growing in your affection for Jesus, [28:24] then quite frankly, you are growing in your affection for something.

[28:32] Yourself.

[28:34] Your things.

[28:37] Your pursuits. [28:39] Your power. [28:40] Your money. [28:41] Name it. [28:43] If you’re not growing in your affection for Christ, [28:45] You are growing in your affection for those things.

[28:49] Parents, you need to think about what it means.

[28:55] What does it profit your child?

[29:00] If you gain the whole world and he loses his soul.

[29:08] Parents, you need to deal with that.

[29:11] Fact of the matter is, is that we try to kick the ball [29:14] of dealing with this question down the field [29:16] so we can deal with it later. [29:18] But understand that every single day [29:20] you are passing a legacy. [29:22] Every single day the question that you should ask yourself

[29:24] is what is my legacy? [29:27] What am I leaving behind me for my children, [29:32] for my wife, for my friends, for people that I love, [29:37] for people that I want to follow Jesus? [29:39] Am I leaving them Jesus or am I leaving them [29:42] just a great big pile of me?

[29:47] Friends, when you try to have it all [29:49] you will sacrifice following Jesus.

[29:53] Understand that if you are more committed [29:56] to something else other than discipleship [29:58] that thing will become your child’s God that they worship. [30:03] What is assumed in one generation [30:04] is completely lost in the next generation. [30:08] What is not taught to one generation

[30:10] is totally denied in the next generation. [30:13] And understand that the things that you piddle around with [30:16] while giving the leftovers to the name of Jesus Christ [30:19] are going to be the very things [30:21] that your children commit themselves wholeheartedly to.

[30:26] And I say that because we have so many parents here. [30:30] I want to be as real as possible with you. [30:33] But oftentimes the reason that we say [30:35] that we do not have time to commit to things [30:37] that are called by many as investing eternally [30:41] is because we need to spend that time with our children

[30:44] doing things other than seeking to be discipled [30:48] for the sake of our children. [30:49] But when you do that, what you’re doing is [30:52] you’re either A, teaching them [30:54] that they’re more important to Jesus [30:55] or B, teaching them that whatever it is

[30:58] that you’re engaging in in that moment [31:00] is more important than Christ. [31:01] And what you will do in that generation is anti-evangelism. [31:07] You will teach them that the least important thing to you [31:09] is Jesus Christ. [31:10] Are you prepared to leave that legacy?

[31:14] And if you are, what does that say about your faith? [31:18] What does that say about your pursuits? [31:21] What does that say about this very clear command [31:25] that Jesus gives us in this text? [31:29] Jesus cuts it very clear in Matthew chapter six, verse 24. [31:32] Here’s what he says.

[31:33] He says, no one can serve two masters. [31:36] Oh, but how often do we try, don’t we? [31:40] How often do we try?

[31:44] Again, it’s not that Jesus is unclear here, [31:46] it’s that we are disobedient. [31:48] For either he will hate the one and love the other [31:50] who would be devoted to the one and despise the other.

[31:55] You cannot serve God and money.

[32:00] Things haven’t really changed much in 2,000 years. [32:05] Who often times when we’re reading the Bible, [32:06] we’re like, how can I contextualize this to this culture [32:09] because we’re not the same? [32:11] 2,000 years, nothing has changed.

[32:16] The term that’s actually used in this verse [32:19] is a Semitic term called mammon. [32:23] If you’re reading King James, [32:26] that’s the term that’s used in the Bible. [32:27] It’s in that translation. [32:29] What it actually means is both money and possessions.

[32:36] Jesus says, you cannot follow me and serve yourself.

[32:42] Can’t do it. [32:44] It’s impossible.

[32:46] This is a lie that our culture embraces and it says, [32:49] oh, you don’t have to choose. [32:50] Or we pervert the gospel and say, if you follow Jesus, [32:53] he will make your wildest dreams come true [32:55] and you will have tons of money and health. [32:58] The complete opposite of what Jesus Christ said here.

[33:03] It’s the choice for mammon that many of us make [33:05] and that is a choice to not deny ourselves. [33:09] And this example can be forwarded to anything else. [33:13] Some of you may be sitting there and you’re saying, [33:14] well, I don’t have a lot of money, [33:16] so I get to skirt that issue.

[33:18] No, you don’t. [33:19] In Hebrews chapter 12, the author of Hebrews tells us [33:23] to consider the legacy of faith by those in scripture [33:27] and to throw off anything that entangles us and sin [33:32] so that we can do that. [33:34] You know that sin comes after the things that weigh us down.

[33:39] See, there are things in your life [33:41] that are not moral or immoral, [33:44] but they can become immoral real quick [33:46] if they engage your commitment more than Christ. [33:49] Deny yourself, follow Jesus. [33:51] That’s what the author of Hebrews is saying.

[33:56] In Luke chapter nine, verse 59, [33:59] Jesus talks to another man along the path [34:01] and he says, follow me. [34:03] So Jesus doesn’t wait for this man to say, [34:05] oh, I’ll go wherever you go, Jesus. [34:06] Jesus looks to him in the eye and he says, you follow me.

[34:11] And that guy’s probably like, I thought I had an out [34:14] because I wasn’t as dumb as that last guy who just spoke up.

[34:18] Jesus looks to him and he says, follow me. [34:22] And that man says, Lord, Lord, [34:24] let me first go and bury my father. [34:27] And Jesus said to him, leave the dead, [34:28] bury their own dead, but as for you, [34:30] go and proclaim the kingdom of God.

[34:32] I’ve never tried that technique [34:33] of trying to get someone to commit during a funeral, [34:36] but I don’t think it would go over very well.

[34:40] What Jesus is probably speaking about here [34:45] is that in Jewish culture, in Judaism, [34:48] burial involved a one year period [34:50] from the time when the body was first buried [34:53] until a year later when the bones of the deceased [34:56] were placed in an ossuary box.

[34:59] But this was a basic family obligation in that culture [35:03] that everyone did. [35:05] And Jesus is teaching the priority of the kingdom of God [35:08] over even your own family.

[35:12] Jesus says, I don’t care [35:14] what your basic family obligations are. [35:17] You follow me, proclaim the kingdom of God. [35:22] He’s not telling him he can’t go to the funeral, [35:25] he’s telling him you let the dead bury the dead [35:27] because they’re spiritually dead, but you,

[35:30] even if you’re at the funeral, [35:32] proclaim the kingdom of God and forget about [35:34] a one year long commitment to your family, [35:36] you have an eternal commitment to Jesus Christ. [35:39] He says, you follow me. [35:42] How often do we use family obligations

[35:44] as our excuse for not doing the things [35:46] that Jesus has called us to? [35:49] Jesus challenges your commitment to even your own family [35:52] and I have to ask a question. [35:54] Is that your God?

[35:56] Or is Jesus your God?

[35:59] Where are you finding your identity? [36:01] Where is your allegiance? [36:03] As you try to have it all, [36:05] your faith in Jesus is being sacrificed every minute. [36:09] We do not need a legion of people [36:12] who are so committed to their families

[36:15] that they say, oh, I cannot go and commit [36:18] to this specific thing that I know [36:20] will further the mission of Jesus. [36:22] I’ve got to stay home and watch The Voice. [36:25] My wife needs me to call and vote.

[36:33] But how often is that the actual reason?

[36:40] Friends, I want to speak to men specifically.

[36:46] I understand that there are moments, [36:50] many, many moments where your family will need you [36:52] to be there above everything else, [36:54] but understand that your family needs one thing [36:56] above absolutely everything else, [36:58] and that is husbands and fathers who are being

[37:02] and making disciples of Jesus Christ. [37:06] And the vision that I take into my young children’s lives, [37:10] and I know that I’ve got a lot to learn, [37:11] and I know that I fall short, [37:13] is if my son, at 18 years old, [37:17] I want him to be able to say one thing about me,

[37:20] is that his father followed Jesus. [37:23] I don’t care about anything else. [37:24] I don’t care if I fail at everything else. [37:26] I want him to know that one thing about me, [37:29] and I know, and I’m honest, that will be hard, [37:32] it will be the most difficult pursuit

[37:33] I’ll ever have in my life, [37:35] but it is the pursuit that I must commit myself to [37:39] above all other pursuits. [37:40] That is exactly what your children need. [37:43] So they need of their fathers, [37:44] that’s what they need of their mothers,

[37:46] because if you engage the gospel with your all, [37:50] you will be the father you need to be. [37:52] You will be the husband that you need to be. [37:56] You cannot follow Jesus and not be the husband [37:58] you need to be. [37:59] You cannot follow Jesus and not be the father

[38:01] that you need to be. [38:02] So before you do anything else, [38:03] follow Jesus and stop making excuses as to why you can’t. [38:10] Stop making excuses that 36 Saturdays in a row, [38:14] you’re unavailable. [38:15] Doing what?

[38:20] Watching a bunch of 20 year olds in tight pants [38:22] throw a leather ball down a field.

[38:27] I don’t want to say that to Jesus on Judgment Day. [38:31] You don’t get to skirt the issue. [38:35] None of us do. [38:36] I don’t even get to skirt the issue, friends. [38:39] Every day I must ask myself

[38:43] and state the reality that I cannot possibly carry [38:48] Christ’s cross and my cross at the same time. [38:54] I have to choose one.

[38:57] Finally this morning, number three, [38:59] don’t be afraid to lose what you can’t keep [39:01] to gain what you can’t lose.

[39:05] Don’t be afraid to lose what you can’t keep [39:08] to gain what you can’t lose. [39:10] Missionary by the name of Jim Elliot said that. [39:13] I couldn’t say it any better so I stole it.

[39:17] It’s a man who sacrificed everything [39:19] to reach the unreached for the gospel of Jesus Christ [39:22] and he paid the ultimate price, [39:23] a price with his own life.

[39:27] His son was very young when it happened [39:29] but his son today is still a missionary [39:31] trying to reach those who have not been reached.

[39:37] Understand that the legacy that you are leaving [39:39] will require you to consider the commitments [39:42] that you are making with your time.

[39:45] Jesus completes his responses to the teaching [39:48] in Luke 29, 23 through 25 and verses 61 and 62. [39:53] Yet another said, see this third guy thought [39:56] he was gonna be smart so he tells Jesus [39:59] I’m gonna follow you but here’s what I need to get to first. [40:02] So he just kind of cuts Jesus off and he says

[40:04] I will follow you but first let me say farewell [40:06] to those at home. [40:08] That’s gotta be safe, I gotta go say bye to ma and Paul.

[40:13] Jesus said to him, no one who puts his hand [40:16] to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. [40:19] Jesus is unreasonable.

[40:23] God tends to be not a good negotiator [40:26] because he’s God and he’s just right.

[40:31] And here’s the key, you need to be okay with that.

[40:36] You need to be okay with God being right [40:39] because that means at least someone is [40:44] and it’s not you usually. [40:46] That’s the second thing you need to be okay with. [40:49] The message that Jesus gives is that [40:51] there is no turning back.

[40:54] You must either follow him or there is no place [40:56] for you in his kingdom. [40:57] Again it is not that Jesus is being unclear here, [41:00] it is just that we resist this type of authority. [41:03] Jesus confronts us with our refusal to submit totally [41:06] and our unwillingness to commit to actually following him.

[41:12] Instead we need a minute to return again to the life [41:17] that we can live apart from him. [41:19] That’s what that guy was saying. [41:21] He said I’m gonna follow you in a couple of months. [41:25] I got big plans for growing as a disciple. [41:28] As soon as I’m done not being a disciple,

[41:31] we commit to what we believe will have the best return [41:35] in our lives.

[41:37] Don’t you understand that? [41:40] That every commitment that you make in your life [41:43] is a statement to what you believe will have [41:48] the best return in your life. [41:51] When we choose to be more committed to our jobs [41:53] than we are to Jesus, it is because that is more valuable

[41:56] to us than Christ. [41:58] When we commit to a hobby more than we commit to Jesus, [42:02] it is because we believe that that hobby is more valuable. [42:05] When we commit to a sport, it is because we believe [42:07] that that sport is more valuable than Christ. [42:11] The reality gets more devastating when you realize

[42:15] that we have a command to make disciples. [42:18] Because when you realize that, [42:20] what you begin to understand is is that [42:22] when I’m obeying Christ, I’m making a disciple, [42:25] and when I’m disobeying Christ, [42:26] I’m also making a disciple.

[42:30] Question isn’t if you’re making disciples. [42:31] The question is what kind of disciples are you making? [42:34] Every commitment that you make and that you carry [42:39] is making a disciple of yourself and making a disciple [42:42] of every person that is watching you. [42:45] What kind of disciples are you making with your life?

[42:49] The cost is weighty, the cost is expensive, [42:55] but the reward of following Jesus [42:59] is pure eternal joy in Christ.

[43:05] Do you see that? [43:06] You know, I don’t do right because it’s right. [43:10] I don’t. [43:11] That’s a dumb motivation. [43:13] That’ll last about 10 minutes and then you’re back to sin. [43:16] I do right because of what God has promised me.

[43:21] God says, you are a sinner, lost, [43:24] you’re a sinner, you should be ashamed of himself, [43:26] and I look at the mirror that he places in my life [43:28] and I say, yeah, that sounds about right. [43:31] I can’t get out of this one. [43:33] You’ve got more than enough evidence to convict me on that.

[43:37] And then God says, but if you trust in my son who’s come, [43:41] been perfectly obedient, been perfectly submissive [43:44] to the will of the Father, [43:46] all the way to the point of death for my sin, [43:50] paid the penalty for me, [43:51] and then he rose again from the dead

[43:53] to give me a new life that will end in me going to heaven, [43:58] to the kingdom, to the new creation, [44:01] where the book of Psalms says, [44:03] God has pleasures forevermore in his right hand.

[44:09] It’s joy, no pain, no tears. [44:12] I see that and I say, I’ll sign up. [44:17] I’ll sign up because this isn’t about me [44:21] making myself do anything, this isn’t about me [44:25] becoming the better me, [44:26] this is about me following Jesus into joy.

[44:31] That’s the promise that he makes. [44:34] The Old Testament, in the book of Ecclesiastes, [44:37] Solomon is nearing the end of his life [44:39] and he writes to his children to warn them [44:42] to follow a different road than he did. [44:45] Could you imagine the pain of having to do that?

[44:50] Ecclesiastes, chapter two, he writes this, [44:52] he says, whatever my eyes desired, [44:53] I did not keep from them. [44:56] I kept my heart from no pleasure. [44:59] My heart found pleasure in all my toil, [45:01] and this was a reward for all my toil.

[45:04] Then I considered all that my hands had done.

[45:13] And the toil I had expended in doing it, [45:17] and behold, all was vanity, striving after the wind. [45:21] There was nothing to be gained under the sun.

[45:26] I would not want to write that to my son.

[45:30] I would not want to write in pure honesty [45:34] examining myself and confess to my children, [45:36] confess to my grandchildren right before I die [45:39] and say, I’m going to die. [45:40] I’m going to die. [45:41] I wasted my life.

[45:47] Then in chapter three, one chapter later,

[45:51] in a moment of amazing honesty, [45:53] he looks in verse 14 and he writes to his children, [45:56] he says, I perceived that whatever God does [46:01] endures forever. [46:02] Nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken away from it. [46:06] God has done it so that people fear before him.

[46:11] So he’s leaving them a lesson in Ecclesiastes. [46:14] Don’t waste your life like I did. [46:18] You need to make your life [46:19] about what God is calling you towards. [46:21] You can’t add to it. [46:24] You will never beat it.

[46:27] There’s only one way to true joy. [46:30] You submit your life to the mission of God through Jesus. [46:34] It is the one pathway to joy. [46:37] When Jesus tells us to deny ourselves, [46:41] it is because he has something better. [46:44] He’s not a cosmic kill joy.

[46:47] No, he’s a loving father who sees us going one direction [46:50] and says, I’ve got a better one. [46:53] He has what will endure your life [46:55] and give you eternal profit. [46:59] Friends, God is not trying to take your joy. [47:01] He wants you to have eternal joy.

[47:03] And the key to this is two things. [47:07] First, believe that he’s telling the truth. [47:10] We struggle with that. [47:11] Our inner lawyer tends to tell us, [47:15] no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, [47:16] there’s something better.

[47:18] No, believe him. [47:20] Start with that as your baseline, [47:21] that everything that God says in the scriptures is true.

[47:27] Believe him. [47:28] But then secondly, follow him. [47:32] Obey him and consider how is your life showing that [47:38] you cannot have it all, [47:41] but you can have God.

[47:45] And that is better than anything under the sun. [47:52] As the band comes up,

[47:56] communion of the Lord’s Supper is a time [48:01] where we admit that we need Jesus.

[48:07] We admit that we do not have everything that we need. [48:12] Instead, we need God to give it to us. [48:15] And then when we come and we eat the bread [48:17] and we drink the cup, [48:18] we are reflecting on the fact that Jesus gave [48:22] his very life because of my sin.

[48:25] And then as I eat and drink, [48:26] it represents me taking the life of Christ [48:30] into my own life. [48:32] That is why only followers of Jesus [48:34] should reflect on communion. [48:37] Because it is a confession.

[48:39] I believe Jesus and I will follow him. [48:41] That’s the confession.

[48:44] Friends, this morning, as I preach this [48:47] and as I’ve prepared this, [48:48] I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m the chief of sinners. [48:52] I have so many places in my life [48:54] that I still need to repent. [48:56] So many things in my life that I need to give over to God.

[48:59] So much more of myself that I’ve not given over to him. [49:02] Inside, outside, every piece.

[49:06] But the beautiful thing about communion is [49:08] is that every single week, because of the cross, [49:10] Jesus says,

[49:13] I know.

[49:16] I’ll give you what you need. [49:18] Just believe.

[49:21] So if you’re in the same spot I am this morning, [49:24] if you trust Jesus, [49:26] all the tables in this room are open to you, [49:27] not because I open them, [49:29] but because God has invited you to share a meal with him.

[49:33] Don’t deny him. [49:35] Trust Jesus. [49:37] And then turn around and follow him. [49:41] When you’re ready, come.