Steve Gentry
[0:00] If you have your Bibles, go ahead and open to Luke chapter 9. [0:04] Last week we started really just a short two-part series that we’re calling Sacrifice. [0:11] If you walked in this morning, you should have gotten, for lack of better and cooler [0:18] terminology, a bulletin. [0:21] It pains me to say those words for some reason. [0:23] But we have come to the point in our church where we have too much going on for me to
[0:29] spend a ton of time talking about it up here. [0:31] So we just gave everybody a handy takeaway so that you know what’s going on. [0:37] I just want to highlight a couple of those things really quick. [0:40] The first thing I want to highlight is the football field clean up. [0:44] We last year and this year have partnered with Clover Hill High School. [0:48] We went to them and said, how can we serve you?
[0:51] How can we be a part of the community? [0:53] And they told us that after the football, the home games are over, that the field is [0:59] filthy. [1:00] And I said, well, that’s fantastic. [1:03] Great. [1:03] That’s exactly what I wanted.
[1:04] I’m just kidding. [1:06] But they asked if we could clean the football field for them. [1:09] And we said, absolutely. [1:11] And so yesterday we had our first day. [1:13] We had a great turnout. [1:14] Didn’t take long at all.
[1:16] It wasn’t that gross. [1:18] But we cleaned up the mess. [1:19] We have another one coming up this Saturday morning at 8 o’clock. [1:22] They have a home game on Friday over at the new field at their new facility. [1:27] And we’re going to show up and we’re going to show the love of Jesus just by helping [1:31] them keep their stadium clean.
[1:33] And if you want to come and serve and get to know me, the best way to get to know me [1:39] is when I’m filthy, because then I’ll be really honest and authentic of how miserable I actually [1:44] am. [1:45] But come out next Saturday and we’re going to worship God through serving the community [1:49] at large by cleaning up the football field for them. [1:52] Also the China trip.
[1:54] We’re taking a mission trip to China at the end of next month, at the end of October. [1:59] And we’re really excited. [2:00] We’re sending a team of five out there. [2:03] And we just want to keep you guys just up to date on that so that you can keep praying [2:08] for this team. [2:09] Had the great opportunity last Sunday to go to the Grace Chinese Baptist Church.
[2:15] I believe that was the name of it. [2:17] And worship with some of our Chinese brothers and sisters. [2:20] And it was really, for someone as ignorant as I, it was a great experience. [2:27] And you know, I’ll just be flat out, I’m ignorant when it comes to ethnic culture. [2:31] I’m white bread, you guys. [2:33] But I went and worshiped alongside.
[2:35] And it was amazing just to see people from another culture to lift up the gospel and [2:42] to preach the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and to sing in worship of our great God and [2:48] King. [2:48] And then I got to have some home fellowship with some people from the church. [2:52] It was just a great night of experiencing the gospel with people who are right here [2:59] in Richmond, who are from thousands of miles away and who are bringing a lot of their
[3:03] culture here. [3:04] I don’t know if you have ever taken a look at the sociological landscape of the Tri-Cities [3:10] area that we live in. [3:12] But it is quite diverse. [3:14] There are Capital One and other companies that have come into Richmond, have kind of [3:19] brought some people from other cultures in.
[3:21] And we are so ethnically diverse right now that we could bring, and we are currently [3:26] bringing missionaries home from the field to reach the culture of Richmond. [3:31] We just a few weeks ago began supporting a Hispanic church plant that meets in Chester, [3:38] Virginia. [3:38] And they are here witnessing the people who do not even speak our language. [3:43] And this guy who is the pastor of this church has come here from Mexico.
[3:47] He got in trouble while he was in Mexico because he started telling all the drug dealers [3:51] about Jesus and well they didn’t appreciate it that much. [3:53] So he has now come here. [3:55] He has been given a green card by the U.S. and he is planning a church for his brothers [3:59] and sisters from Mexico who don’t speak English and who we really can’t have much contextualization [4:07] and be very missional towards because we are from a different culture.
[4:10] So we really asked the SBCV how we could be a part of reaching what is really a growing [4:16] Hispanic culture in Richmond and they said this would be a great part, a great way for [4:21] us to partner with them as they try to reach that culture. [4:24] So we are now supporting the church. [4:25] I would tell you the name of it but quite frankly I couldn’t even read it. [4:29] That’s how ignorant I really am folks.
[4:32] But it’s been a great week just seeing how God is not just working in our culture but [4:39] rather He is working all over the world right in our backyard. [4:43] And it’s amazing to see the sovereignty of God as He draws people from all languages [4:49] and all cultures toward Himself so that His grand vision in Revelation chapter 7 can [4:54] come to fruition at the end of time. [4:57] And it’s a beautiful picture of people of all tribes, all tongues, all nations worshipping
[5:02] Him as our great God and Redeemer. [5:04] All right. [5:06] But I did have a really quick announcement for you this morning. [5:11] Over the past few months we have been struggling especially where children’s space is concerned. [5:19] If you don’t have any kids you’ve probably never walked back there. [5:22] But we do not have what I would call adequate space to really minister to the students
[5:29] of Chesterfield County when they come in here. [5:31] Which really I don’t know if you know this but there are over 58,000 students in Chesterfield [5:37] County. [5:37] That is a lot of kids and we want to reach all of them with the gospel. [5:41] And we run out of children’s space and there are a lot of other things that you know if [5:45] you volunteer here you kind of walk in here on Sunday mornings like, well we over the
[5:51] past few months have been working really hard trying to find a new facility to meet in for [5:56] a great number of reasons. [5:57] Swift Creek has been wonderful but because of the age of the building it’s quite limited [6:01] as to what we can do here. [6:04] And it was really honestly I’ll be honest with you it was much harder to find a different [6:08] facility than I ever thought it was going to be.
[6:10] Real estate is at a prime in this county. [6:14] But we found and were able to work with the county to be able to lease Tomahawk Creek [6:19] Middle School which is don’t worry it’s only about two miles that way. [6:24] It’s really close if you know where St. Francis Hospital is it’s directly behind St. Francis [6:29] Hospital if you haven’t seen it that’s why it’s literally behind the hospital. [6:34] But it is a great facility and what it’s going to give us is an opportunity to reach the
[6:39] culture of Middle Oathian so much more because instead of having a cafeteria it has an auditorium [6:44] with its own lighting system so you don’t necessarily have to be in the dark anymore. [6:49] But it’s going to really open us up to be able to create a better environment for people [6:54] to hear a very uncomfortable message. [6:58] And also it has a separate cafeteria that is brand new the school is only three years [7:03] old and we’re going to be able to transform that and use the entire cafeteria for our
[7:07] children’s space so that village kids can have a place to call their own and so that [7:12] we can bring kids in and we can set them in a great environment and parents can be really [7:17] comfortable with where their kids are and we can set up screens for them like we set [7:21] up screens for you guys and really just the options and the creativity can be through [7:26] the roof in this building because it’s going to give us a lot of advantages that we do [7:30] not have here.
[7:31] We’re going to move there on October the 10th that’s a couple of weeks away we’re giving [7:36] you a couple of weeks notice as to where we’re going. [7:39] So on October the 10th if you come into Swift Creek’s parking lot you may be confused because [7:45] you will be all alone. [7:47] And we’re going to be over at Tomahawk Creek Middle School. [7:50] Please don’t panic it’s two miles that way it’s not that far the only difference is
[7:56] is I know that we do have some people that come that walk to church through the trails [8:01] at Brandermill you may have to get in your car. [8:04] But if you live in Brandermill I assume you probably have one anyway because I can’t [8:09] imagine living in this county without a car because we don’t have a transit system. [8:12] So just October the 10th we’re going to be moving over there and believe you me when [8:16] you set foot in there you’re going to understand why we made this decision.
[8:22] It was not made lightly it was we prayed a lot and we looked at a ton of different [8:29] places that we could go to and God just kept closing door after door after door and then [8:34] finally the door just went wide open over there and we jumped right on it just because [8:39] of the potential of taking the mission of Jesus to Midlothian is so much greater over [8:45] there than we believe that it is over here and it’s going to be a blessing especially [8:50] if you’re a volunteer.
[8:51] Now if you’re not a volunteer you should become a volunteer so that you can be blessed [8:56] on October 10th when you walk into that facility and you’re like oh my goodness all the petty [9:01] stuff I used to have to do I don’t have to do that but now I have new things because [9:04] of all the great stuff that we have over there. [9:06] We may even start serving coffee if we move over there I don’t know if you’ll be a fan [9:10] of that if you’re not then I’m not going to do it.
[9:13] But in Luke chapter 9 let’s go ahead I’m really looking forward to October the 10th. [9:19] Man it’s just it’s ridiculous over there it really is. [9:23] Luke chapter 9 last week we started this series called sacrifice and we’re really last week [9:33] we’re taking a look at two passages in scripture that are what I would really call two of the [9:38] harder passages of scripture not really in this what we in the seminary realm would [9:45] call it’s theologically dangerous you know what does it mean theologically but what
[9:49] I would say it is is practically it’s probably one of the most dangerous passages of scripture [9:54] and one of the hardest passages of scripture to really look at and be honest about ourselves [9:58] with because I think one of the first things that we want to do when we look into Luke [10:03] 9 and look into what Jesus is actually calling us towards is to say he doesn’t really mean
[10:13] that Jesus isn’t really saying that he’s exaggerating or he’s using hyperbole he’s overstating [10:22] this so that we’ll get his point. [10:26] But I come before you this morning and I want you to understand that this passage [10:31] for me personally has been one of those passages like many other passages throughout the scriptures [10:38] has been that has really challenged me to take a look at my faith and say do I believe [10:46] the gospel is the gospel real in my life because when I look at this passage what
[10:55] happens to me is I begin to identify different idols that I have set up in my life that [11:03] I very often will say not outwardly but inwardly by my actions I will say this is just a little [11:12] more important than my life where the gospel is concerned so rather than allowing God to [11:20] transform me by his word what I do is I begin to redefine the gospel to fit my life and [11:30] one of the hardest things for us to do in this journey that we call Christianity one [11:35] of the hardest things to do is to admit to ourselves that Jesus and his great gospel
[11:42] does not fit in my life so last week he said come and die to that life and we saw last [11:57] week that he was proclaimed as the king he was proclaimed as God and then shortly thereafter [12:04] he looks at the disciples and says if you want to follow me as God understand that [12:09] you must take up your cross you must deny yourself you must give over your life you [12:16] must come and die to the truth of who I am and we saw last week what he was telling us [12:24] was that the foundation that all of us build our lives around is not the true foundation
[12:30] of who he is and he wants us to come and die to the lie of selfish and sinful ambition [12:38] where we build a life that is completely created by our hands he says come and die to that [12:44] so that you can live in light of what truth really is truth being that he is the son of [12:51] God and that he is our way that he is our reconciliation with the father and it is very [12:59] easy to read that passage and especially read the passage today and to look at it and say [13:04] this is another commandment that God is laying out but this is another law for us to follow
[13:09] and if we fail then God does not love us as much as he would if we were obedient to this [13:18] but it is because quite often we just go through this passage thinking about ourselves instead [13:23] of looking at who is speaking and what he is saying because during that passage he looks [13:28] at the disciples before he says take up your cross and follow me and he says that [13:32] the son of man must go and suffer many things and he must die and rise again and he says [13:38] take up your cross and follow me before he dies on the cross so what is really taking
[13:44] place in this passage is that Jesus is prophesying about what he is setting his entire life’s [13:51] purpose towards that he is going to die on a cross and what he gives is he gives this [13:59] requirement of what God demands from us and then Jesus says I give this requirement but [14:05] understand I am going to fulfill that requirement for you and that Jesus does not just say okay [14:13] deny yourself live a joyless pleasureless existence do not live a life of sin and do [14:21] not deny any fun or any happiness that you could ever have in life be miserable for
[14:26] me because I think sometimes when we apply it to our lives that is what we say that [14:31] is what we believe but instead he is saying we don’t know what joy is we have misdefined [14:40] pleasure what he is saying is he is saying come and die to the lie of false joy and [14:47] false hope and false pleasure and I will give you myself real joy real pleasure real [14:57] happiness because it is found in Jesus so he bids us come and die so that we can actually [15:05] have life he says die to the lie so you can live in the truth and that is the gospel
[15:12] and then he himself gives us his spirit so that we can obey not under our power but [15:20] under his and what happens right after this is something really interesting Luke’s gospel [15:26] is like it is so focused in on the humanity of Jesus that it is through his miracles he [15:32] like he hits the fast forward button and he is jumping really fast from one thing to the [15:36] other and in Luke chapter 9 he packs in 62 verses of just so much stuff that it would [15:42] take us weeks to go through all of it and as soon as Luke records what Jesus demands
[15:48] of his followers to give him glory he records a very interesting miracle where Jesus goes [15:53] up into a mountain and he takes Peter, James and John with him and Peter, James and John [15:58] see him in his glorified body it is called the mount of transfiguration where he is [16:03] all of a sudden becomes totally different looking to the disciples and he is in his [16:08] glorified body and they see something even crazier than that he starts having a conversation [16:14] with two guys that have been dead for hundreds of years Moses and Elijah all of a sudden
[16:20] these disciples are in this moment where they are looking at Jesus and he is revealing his [16:25] deity to them and then they see Moses and Elijah two of their prophets that have been [16:30] dead for hundreds of years and Jesus is having a conversation with them and could you imagine [16:35] being in that circumstance? Well their response is let’s build a temple, let’s stay here but [16:46] of course Jesus has to go and die so he leaves there and then Luke records that Jesus starts [16:54] casting demons out of people so they have seen him feed 5,000 in two chapters they have
[17:04] seen him heal a woman with an issue of blood a disease that has plagued her her entire [17:12] life and Jesus heals her in an instant they have seen him raise Jairus’ daughter from [17:20] the dead and while he does it he is really snarky they are like oh she is dead forget [17:26] it and he is like silly she is just asleep and Jesus is very sarcastic then Peter says [17:36] he is God and Jesus says because I am God this is what it looks like for you to believe [17:42] that then they see him in his deity then he is casting demons out and at the very end
[17:49] of the chapter we see the disciples gaining this attitude where Jesus is their celebrity
[18:01] and they begin to go through villages and the disciples it is far more than 12 at this [18:06] point it is upwards of over 100 possibly a few hundred by the end of what he is going [18:13] to say he has 72 left because I think a few turned around and we see them going from [18:18] town to town and they go to the Samaritan village and the Samaritans reject Jesus [18:23] and two of the disciples look at him and say Jesus should we call down fire to burn this [18:28] place down don’t they know who you are and Jesus rebukes them they just don’t get what
[18:35] Jesus is talking about they are not getting the gospel what is happening now is rather [18:42] than following him and denying their desire for power because of these miracles that [18:49] Jesus is doing they are getting so power hungry because they have got God on their [18:54] side and they are seeing God do amazing things and we are going to get God to kill the people [18:59] we don’t like if you don’t like God we are going to kill you and what is happening now [19:04] is rather than being these people of God they are turning into nothing more than paparazzi
[19:10] following Lindsay Lohan around saying what is she going to do next they are nothing [19:16] more than glorified fan boys and in verses 57 through 62 Jesus turns everything that [19:28] they are following him for right on its head and over the next few verses he brutalizes [19:37] them look in verse 57 as they were going along the road someone said to him so I want [19:50] you to understand what is taking place they have left this Samaritan village that didn’t [19:55] believe and they are walking along a path Jesus somewhere amidst the crowd and they
[20:02] are gathered around him looking at what miracle he is going to do and out of all of them one [20:07] screams out to Jesus I will follow you wherever you go this man who is not identified says [20:18] Jesus I want you to know I am on your side I am one of your boys I am with you because [20:25] even at this point Jesus had become quite a controversial character in the culture especially [20:30] amongst the religious Pharisees and as the controversy wells up and Jesus begins to [20:38] show more and more of his deity he wants Jesus to know he is on his side but Jesus
[20:47] of course is God looks directly into his heart and sees the truth of who he is and what he [20:54] is actually saying this man is not reiterating what Jesus called for in verse 23 this man [21:01] is not saying Jesus I am taking up my cross no this man is saying Jesus if you are this [21:10] powerful the safest place on earth that I could be is by your side and I hope that I [21:16] am in with you because if I am with you I will be protected I will be safe I will have [21:22] all this power right beside me Jesus I am with you I want more and Jesus looks back
[21:31] at him and he is not flattered which is very perplexing to me because I am so weak that [21:43] if somebody is that in awe of me and all the cool stuff I can do thanks buddy I am [21:52] safe but Jesus responds and something that is very disconcerting to me he says foxes [21:58] have holes and birds of the air have nests but the son of man has nowhere to lay his [22:04] head Jesus responds with a riddle of sorts and usually we are not that honest about scripture [22:14] we usually just in our devotional time we go through that and say Jesus was homeless
[22:21] the king did not have a bed poor Jesus I do not think that is what Jesus was looking [22:32] for Jesus was not looking for a pity party what Jesus is doing is Jesus is looking right [22:39] back at this guy and saying you have no idea what you are talking about you have no idea [22:45] what following me really is because Jesus looks in him and the only conclusion that [22:52] I can come to from Jesus’ response is that Jesus knows that this man is following him [22:58] so that he can stay safe for fame for power possibly financial gain this guy sees Jesus
[23:08] as his big ticket to the show and Jesus looks at him and says Jesus is the only one who [23:15] knows what following me is all about because following me means that you are willing to [23:21] forsake the very safety that you desire Jesus looks at this man and says sacrifice is required [23:33] and sacrifice requires counting the cost Jesus looks at this man who clearly has no idea [23:44] he does not understand what Jesus is there for what Jesus is doing and he is saying [23:49] you have not listened you do not know what following me is all about you have not counted
[23:56] the cost because I may call you to forsake all of the earthly comforts all of the safety [24:03] of this life everything that makes you comfortable could be the very thing that stands in front [24:11] of you following me because they do not understand that the very path that Jesus is walking [24:19] is a path headed directly towards his death these disciples are following him and we [24:26] see a little picture of this in Acts chapter 1 where they say will you now restore your [24:31] kingdom what they are saying is are you going to go into Rome and overthrow the government
[24:35] for us? And so these men are walking with Jesus and say okay we are going to Jerusalem [24:41] we are going to take down this anhedrin then we are going to go after the Pharisees then [24:45] we are going to install Jesus as the high priest and then he is going to march us right [24:48] into Rome and we are going to take over and we are going to rule the world because clearly [24:55] the biggest thing on Jesus’ plate is world domination at that point.
[25:05] Jesus says you don’t know that following me requires sacrifice. Following Jesus is [25:16] not about an emotional high that seeing the more extraordinary and supernatural feeling [25:25] side of things brings us. The attitude that this man had is very similar to the attitude [25:34] that we often bring into a church service. Let me lay it down for you. Have you ever [25:41] been in one of those church services where the band hits that E minor chord just right [25:49] and the singer sang the words just perfectly and in that moment it is like I feel the presence
[25:56] of God and all the hands in the house go up everybody’s eyes close and you just feel this [26:03] amazing moment of worship but then it gets better because the speaker comes up and he [26:10] is well prepared. He times his dramatic pauses just right. And in those moments God is talking [26:26] right to you. When the sermon is over they sing a few more songs and you are just caught [26:34] up into glory. You feel like you are in the third heaven that Paul went to in 2 Corinthians.
[26:42] And you walk out of the church service and you say this is going to be the week. I am [26:47] going to read my Bible every morning and I am going to pray every night. I am going to [26:51] tell my co-workers about Jesus. I am going to invite everybody around me to church next [26:55] Sunday. And then on Monday at 10.03 you get a headache. God doesn’t love me. You hit [27:09] your thumb with a hammer and you cuss. I can’t pray tonight. I got sin in my life. By the [27:17] next Sunday those commitments were all gone. And then on Monday you get a headache. God
[27:25] is not about an emotional high. More often than not I wake up in the morning and the [27:32] last thing I want to do is read the Bible. Whatever. Like you are not in the same boat [27:39] with me. More often than not before I ever get to that prayer after my head hits the [27:48] pillow a little snoring takes place. More often than not I don’t want to tell people [27:58] about the gospel because I am embarrassed that they will reject me. Some Sunday mornings [28:07] go by and I just don’t feel like getting on the stage. What Jesus is saying is that when
[28:18] you are in those moments when your humanity is the most clear. In those moments when [28:26] you are down to your last out. In those moments when you feel his presence the least. Follow [28:39] him. He is saying die to your desire. He is saying die to your desire. He is saying die [28:48] to live for moments. Jesus doesn’t want your moment. Jesus wants your life. Jesus requires [29:04] radical and he calls for radical commitment. Sometimes I read the Bible and I think that [29:18] I don’t hear the voice of God. Especially if I am in the first Chronicles. Especially
[29:26] when I am hearing about splattering blood on the ram’s horn and then behind Aaron’s [29:31] ear and I am just like what? Sometimes when I pray I start thinking about what I want [29:39] for lunch. Sometimes I pray bad things happen to people. I pray that bad things happen to [29:48] me. Those are the most significantly spiritual moments of my day. There are moments in my [30:00] life when I find joy in things that are far from God. A lot of moments like that actually.
[30:14] Sometimes I sing and I read and I pray and I am just not feeling it. I am not getting [30:22] this joy. I am not feeling like I am filled with the Spirit. But Jesus still says in [30:41] the Bible, he says fight for joy. Deny the sinful temptation to base my commitment to [30:54] God on whether or not I feel good. On whether or not I feel like God is making me the center [31:03] of his attention. Because radical commitment goes far beyond the spiritual. I feel like [31:11] I am far past my feelings and my emotions and it goes to the very core of who I am.
[31:17] If I wake up tomorrow morning and I don’t want to be a dad, I still have a son. If [31:23] I wake up tomorrow morning and I don’t want to work, I still have to have a job. Let’s [31:32] go further. Then after saying this, Jesus says to another, I am not going to be a father [31:41] to you. Follow me. So rather than waiting for someone to look at him and say I am going [31:47] to follow you Jesus, Jesus now turns and he looks to a man and he says follow me. The [31:54] man looks back at Jesus and he says Lord, let me first go and bury my father. So what’s
[32:05] taking place here is that Jesus has got this man in front of him and Jesus looks at him [32:09] and says follow me. The man gives what I would call a very natural request. His father has [32:14] died and his duty, especially in the Jewish culture, that his family was very high, he [32:20] looks at him and he says leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and [32:31] proclaim the kingdom of God. In that culture, something like that was even more important [32:40] than in this culture. Could you imagine, I know some of you aren’t close to your parents,
[32:48] I am pretty close to mine. Jesus looks at me after my father’s death and all I want [32:57] to go is bury dad. Dad is precious to me. My father is dead and Jesus looks at me and [33:07] says Jesus, can I just have a moment to go bury my father and Jesus says no. Let the [33:16] dead bury the dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. These are the moments [33:23] that we look at scripture and we say surely Jesus isn’t saying what I think he is saying. [33:29] Yes he is. But why would Jesus say that? Why would Jesus call a man to forsake his family
[33:38] duties? Jesus is not simply being cold hearted. Jesus is not simply looking at this man and [33:48] then looking at us this morning and saying okay, everything about real life you forsake [33:54] it, let’s go move to this mountain and let’s ignore everything that happens in the real [33:59] world and you have to follow me that way. Leave your family behind. No, Jesus is not [34:04] saying that, but what Jesus is doing is he is getting right to the heart of what every [34:09] culture seems to be built upon. He looks down at culture and he sees safety. He sees family
[34:20] and in just a moment we are going to see friendship and Jesus says deny yourself, take up your [34:28] cross and follow me. In light of the truth you need to realize that I am more significant [34:34] than all of these things and you are all building kingdoms around safety, comfort, pleasure [34:43] from earth. You are building this kingdom around your family because all you want is [34:48] for your family to be safe. You just want to take care of them, you want to leave them [34:52] a little money once you die and you want to build a life around them and as long as
[34:56] they grow up and they make moral choices, well then the gospel has done all the work [35:02] that it needs to do and Jesus says forsake your family for me or you don’t know me.
[35:12] In that moment I step back and I say surely Jesus knows. That is what Jesus says. He [35:24] says but as for you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Verse 61, yet another said I will [35:35] follow you Lord. My dad is not dead. I will follow you. But let me first say farewell [35:42] to those at my home. Jesus said to him no one who puts his hand to the plow and looks [35:49] back is fit for the kingdom of God. So then Jesus attacks friendship. Why is Jesus being [36:04] so hard on us? It’s not that Jesus is being hard on us. It’s that Jesus is looking right
[36:14] down to what we value and he is saying that safety, family and friendship are not God. [36:27] He is. And to put any of those things in front of him is to deny his deity. We are [36:45] very good at building idols and then redefining the gospel so that it fits those idols.
[36:57] We want the gospel to fit the life of safety where we can be comfortable. Where we can [37:04] have the American dream and still go to heaven. We want to build our lives around our family [37:12] and worship at the altar of family and I understand that one greater than any other because I [37:17] love family so much. We want to build our lives around our social lives and we want [37:26] to be accepted by our friends. If people would just accept me I would be happy. And [37:34] Jesus is fighting that because he wants to be the source of our joy. Our safety shouldn’t
[37:45] be the source of our joy. Our family shouldn’t be the source of our joy. Our friends shouldn’t [37:56] or a poor substitute for God. And we are building our lives around all of these things that [38:07] aren’t God but we live as if they are. And you say, not me, Jesus is more important [38:13] than that. What does it take to keep you from living the mission?
[38:26] What is it that if God took it out of your life tomorrow, you’d be taken to your knees in misery?
[38:35] Is it your wife? Is it your girlfriend? Is it your children? Is it your financial stability?
[38:48] That is your God.
[38:53] Jesus doesn’t hate family. Jesus doesn’t hate friends. I don’t even think he hates safety. [39:01] There’s a reason I don’t go bungee jumping. I’m fat and it’s not safe.
[39:10] If you hear me this morning saying, go home and jump off your roof, Jesus hates safety. [39:15] Clearly we’re not communicating properly here.
[39:21] Please, don’t leave your family. There’s a lot of scripture that says one of the greatest forms of worship is leading your family into the gospel.
[39:35] But what I’m saying is, what if tomorrow you walked in and the company is downsizing?
[39:43] Would you blame God? Would you get mad at him?
[39:52] What if tomorrow I find out that my son has a terminal illness? Or my wife? Or even me?
[40:02] Will my joy be gone?
[40:05] See, Jesus is getting right to the heart of where our joy is and he’s saying, where is your joy? [40:13] Because if it’s not fully 100% in me, then you are not following me.
[40:24] In America this is abundantly hard because we have so much and there are so many things that we find joy in.
[40:42] But notice what Jesus tells them radical commitment looks like. [40:47] He’s calling for a really radical commitment. But what’s his point? Why is he calling for this radical commitment? [40:54] Notice what he tells the man whose father has just died. He tells him, he says, but you, in verse 60, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God. [41:09] What’s significant about this, in English we do not have the verbiage to lay this out just right. [41:14] When he says, let the dead go bury their dead, he’s using two different phrases here. [41:20] He says, let the spiritually dead go and bury the physically dead.
[41:27] He’s using terminology that goes to the heart of who these people are that are in his family. [41:35] And he’s saying, they don’t know me and if you go back and you just live for your father, what good have you done them?
[41:53] But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God. Jesus demands a life of mission.
[42:05] And we struggle to live it.
[42:09] Let me ask you this. What reasons do you give yourself every week for not going to community group?
[42:20] Well, I’d go to community group, but Thursday nights are tough. Well, we got one on Wednesday.
[42:31] Tuesday. Monday. Sunday afternoon. Saturday morning. Well, good Lord, what do you do?
[42:41] You might need to cut back those hours at the office, buddy.
[42:47] Well, I’d show up on Sunday mornings to help set up, to create an atmosphere so that people would be comfortable when they hear the gospel, [42:54] which is a very uncomfortable message. But well, I’d stay to tear down. But well, I’d come. But well, I would invite people to church. [43:08] But well, you know, I would live for the gospel. But I would read my Bible. But I would pray. But I would believe the gospel. [43:16] But.
[43:22] And we constantly say, the church is asking too much of me.
[43:31] Did you read what Jesus just told these men following him looked like?
[43:37] We don’t know what commitment really looks like. [43:42] Somewhere, we all convinced ourselves we deserve to sit in our recliner for days on end and watching TV. And that’s what commitment looks like.
[43:56] Jesus is telling people to forsake their families’ funerals, and we can’t muster up the strength to go talk to our neighbors about the mailer [44:07] that they got from the village inviting them to church next week.
[44:15] We can’t pray for the China team. We’re just so forgetful.
[44:27] And I’m not condemning you, because I’m looking in the mirror right now.
[44:34] Jesus says, satisfaction and joy in him is manifested in proclaiming the kingdom of God to people. [44:45] Folks, 80% of Midlothian goes to church nowhere. That’s a real statistic. I’m not making that up.
[44:56] I’m not saying you have to go to church to be saved. I’m saying it’s somewhat a decent indicator as to whether or not you are. [45:02] I’m not saying 80% of Midlothian’s going to hell, but I’m saying some of that 80% are. The question is, do you care?
[45:13] What is the point of everything that Jesus is saying? Jesus is making us go back to last week where he said, I am God, live in light of truth, and deny the lie.
[45:30] Jesus is our great reward. I struggle with texts like this until I find other texts. [45:43] Mark chapter 14 and verse 3. There’s this interesting story, and I’m going to close with this.
[45:52] I’m going to explain in a second how they connect, but it puts Luke 9 in this light where I get it.
[46:01] While he, Jesus, was at Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at the table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly. [46:16] She broke the flask and poured it over his head. I want to set this up. [46:22] John, the book of John, reveals to us that this is Mary Magdalene. This is someone that loves Jesus.
[46:36] Jesus comes and he’s reclining, and we know that she’s a very poor woman. She doesn’t have a lot. [46:43] Families would have these alabaster flasks filled with this stuff called nard, which was a very beautiful perfume. [46:52] It was typically reserved for when a very close family member dies. The tradition was you would take this very expensive ointment and you would show your commitment to family. [47:02] You would pour it on them as they’re dead so that they would smell good.
[47:10] She goes and she takes what is probably the most expensive thing she owns, the most precious thing to her, and she breaks it and pours it on Jesus’ head.
[47:24] Verse 4. [47:25] There were some who said to themselves indignantly, Why was the ointment wasted like that?
[47:34] For this ointment could have been sold for more than 300 denarii. [47:39] Given to the poor. If you are poor in that culture, 300 denarii is a lot.
[47:47] A denarii was basically a day’s wage. It was almost a year’s salary.
[47:55] And they scolded her.
[48:01] Put yourself in this situation. They scolded her. [48:05] We probably would have too.
[48:08] Why do you serve at the church so much? Why do you read your Bible so much?
[48:14] Listen to what Jesus says. [48:16] Leave her alone. [48:18] Why do you trouble her? [48:20] She has done a beautiful thing to me, for you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. [48:29] But you will not always have me. [48:31] She has done what she could. She has anointed my body beforehand for burial.
[48:37] And truly I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, proclaim the kingdom of God is what Jesus tells us in Luke 9. [48:44] Here he is saying, wherever the gospel, the kingdom of God is proclaimed in the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her. [48:56] Jesus looks at this and it is so significant that he says this moment is going to change the world. [49:05] And for years I have struggled to say, okay, good offering.
[49:13] Go marry.
[49:16] I didn’t get it. I just knew I couldn’t say she wasted anything.
[49:22] But this week, and I will just be authentic with you guys, I am sitting in my office and I am not a very emotional guy, but I was weeping.
[49:37] Because what she was doing, she goes back to her room. [49:47] Jesus is there, the man who changed her life.
[49:51] And she says, what can I do for him?
[49:57] Takes the ointment. [50:00] All she has, it’s all she has. [50:04] She says, I am going to give him everything I have got. [50:07] She goes, she anoints him. [50:10] What she is doing is she is saying, Jesus, you are more important to me than anything. [50:17] You are my everything. I love you.
[50:20] What can I do for you?
[50:27] And she is pouring her life out on Jesus.
[50:36] Something that most people would idolize because of its expense.
[50:42] She says, it’s nothing compared to the great reward of just knowing you, Jesus.
[50:55] Watchman Nee, a missionary to China, who was a martyr for the church.
[51:01] He once said, if we do not thank much of him, then of course to give him anything at all. [51:10] However small will seem to us a wicked waste.
[51:17] But when he is really precious to our souls, nothing will be too good. [51:24] Nothing too costly for him. [51:26] Everything we have, our dearest, our most precious treasure, we shall pour out upon him. [51:33] And we shall not count it a shame to have done so.
[51:39] What Watchman Nee is saying here is that when we look at our lives in comparison to Jesus, [51:46] and we look at everything we have in comparison to the great gospel, [51:51] the greatness that he has given us, which is himself. [51:55] When we look at the truth of who Jesus is, and we will say, God, I don’t have enough.
[52:05] I could give everything and it’s not enough for you. [52:09] Not in anger, but in anguish that we don’t have more.
[52:20] Watchman Nee planted 400 churches over that in China.
[52:27] And in 1952 he was imprisoned because apparently under that government planting churches was not popular.
[52:34] They imprisoned him.
[52:38] Nine years later he got a disease in the prison. [52:44] It wasn’t sanitary. [52:45] He died in his prison cell. [52:48] He died for the gospel. [52:51] There is a rumor, I don’t know if it’s true, [52:53] but that the government had to change out his guard every month
[52:58] because he had this funny way of over time leading the guard to Christ.
[53:04] And when his wife came to his cell, she found a note.
[53:12] What it basically said was that Jesus died and rose after three days.
[53:23] And this is the gospel. [53:25] And this is why I give my life.
[53:30] Because he understood it’s not that Jesus asks too much.
[53:38] It’s that Jesus gives everything that he has.
[53:44] And we don’t deserve any of it.
[53:48] We are not the center of his world, but he must become the center of ours.
[54:00] He says proclaim the kingdom. [54:02] Proclaim the mission. [54:04] In Philippians chapter 3, Paul writing to the church of Philippi, he says, [54:12] that I may know him in the power of his resurrection [54:15] and may share his sufferings becoming like him in his death. [54:19] Do you see it?
[54:21] Jesus has done so much. [54:23] May I just share in his suffering a little. [54:26] I will walk into death for who he is. [54:31] That by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. [54:35] Not that I have already obtained this or I’m already perfect, [54:38] but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
[54:44] Do you see the saturation there of Paul treasuring Christ? [54:50] Not treasuring him because he’s given him safety or he’s given him a big house [54:54] or he’s given him a nice car or he’s given him a great looking wife [54:57] or he’s given him such obedient kids. [54:59] Paul is just saying, Jesus, you alone are worth everything. [55:04] And I give my very life simply because of who you are.
[55:13] Because Jesus is our great reward.
[55:21] Jim Elliot, another martyr who died in South America taking the gospel. [55:30] See, it’s always in the missionaries that you find this great joy in who Jesus is [55:39] because they give their all. [55:41] He says, he is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
[55:50] So I just ask you this morning, do you treasure Jesus?
[55:59] Or do you treasure some of the gifts you think he’ll give you if you believe?
[56:08] Do you find yourself in awe of who he is? [56:13] Do you just worship because he’s our great God and King?
[56:22] If that’s true, then you won’t be able to do enough.
[56:35] You won’t be able to serve enough.
[56:40] Nothing will stand in your way of giving your all.
[56:45] Because every ounce that you pour out, you say, thank you God for who you are. [56:53] Not because we have to deny joy, but because living for him is our joy.
[57:06] There are so many people in this culture that have no idea.
[57:10] No idea.
[57:14] Is your life telling them?
[57:18] Is your life any different?
[57:22] Do you find joy in anything different than they find joy in? [57:28] Where is your worship?
[57:35] This week we sent out 30,000 mailers for our new series that kicks off next week called Story.
[57:46] It’s very significant because starting next Sunday, for the next six weeks, [57:50] what we’re going to do is we’re going to go through the entire scripture and we’re going to lay out the gospel.
[57:58] It starts next week. [58:00] Because people don’t know the gospel, guys.
[58:05] So what we’re going to do is we’re going to lay out the whole gospel.
[58:09] I’m telling you this because not for any selfish reason, but because people are dying and going to hell. [58:17] Jesus says, proclaim my kingdom. [58:21] Tell them the gospel. [58:24] Invite everyone you know. [58:27] If you got a mailer, then your neighbor got a mailer.
[58:34] Invite them. [58:35] Bring them. [58:36] Invite everyone you know. [58:39] And that reason that you have right after why you can’t do it, Jesus is saying, sacrifice.
[58:49] Get them in here. [58:50] People need to know the gospel. [58:55] They’re dying and going to hell.
[59:00] And you have the great reward of Jesus who is their hope. [59:08] Will you give it to them? [59:12] Or will you give some excuse as to why you can’t?
[59:22] I have a vision of packing this place out next week so that people can hear the gospel.
[59:30] But only you can make it happen.
[59:35] Only you can be real with yourself this week and say, where’s my joy coming from? [59:42] Because quite frankly, if you look at doing something like that, you’re like, I don’t get any joy out of that. [59:47] I don’t want to be involved. [59:49] This is one of those moments where Peter says, work out your salvation with fear and trembling and make sure. [59:55] Paul said that, but Peter says, make your election and calling sure. [60:00] If Jesus gives you no joy and no satisfaction, let me tell you this, you don’t know Him.
[60:08] I’ll tell you straight up. [60:11] You’re lost.
[60:17] Today, though, you can believe.
[60:23] You just need to trust Him as your God and Savior to redeem you from your sins and reconcile you with God the Father. [60:35] We’re entering into a time now where we’re going to reflect and we’re going to come forward and we’re going to proclaim the gospel to each other through communion. [60:41] We do this every week. [60:44] This represents the broken body and shed blood of Jesus. [60:47] And if you’re in here and you’re a believer, these tables are open for you. [60:53] But if you’re in here and Jesus isn’t your satisfaction, He isn’t your joy, just step out and come to the back.
[61:03] I’ll be back there. I’ll talk to you. I won’t embarrass you. [61:06] I just want to talk to you and I want to let you know that you can know Him today. [61:10] You can find that great reward of who Jesus is today. [61:17] Father, we come before you and we thank you and we praise you.
[61:24] God, that you would be our great reward and that you would be the one in whom we find great satisfaction.
[61:36] Lord, help us to worship you this morning.