Commitment.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] For the past few weeks what we’ve been doing is we’ve been talking about different ways [0:04] that we resist the work of the gospel in our lives. For the Christian, scripture informs us [0:11] because of the work that Jesus has done through his death and through the fact that he has taken [0:17] the penalty for our sins onto himself, that we are dead to sin and we are alive in Jesus. And we [0:25] six weeks after Easter talking about that life and now we’re taking six weeks and talking about the [0:31] different ways in which we resist that life or the different ways in which resistance wells up

[0:36] inside of us to our sin, which a few weeks ago from Romans 7 Nate talked to us about the fact [0:42] that sin now is to be considered like an outside force. It is no longer something that reigns [0:48] over our lives. Jesus now rules and reigns over our lives. He actually fills us with his spirit, [0:54] tells us to walk with him, actually pulls us along as he is walking and the spirit is pushing [1:02] us. The spirit’s informing us. The spirit is teaching us. But what happens often time is that [1:08] sin will deceive us and will convince us oftentimes that we’re still very much alive to it rather than

[1:18] Jesus. And so what inevitably happens in that time and in those moments of our lives and then [1:25] sometimes it can go on for a long time is that we will resist the very things that the gospel [1:31] promises and we will resist the very beauty of it and it’ll sometimes look ugly to us and say, [1:38] man, that looks tough. I don’t know about that. And so the first week we talked about resistance [1:42] to change and the fact that sin sometimes we’re not just creatures of habit in a funny sense, [1:49] but we’re creatures of habit in a very sinful sense and that the change that the gospel wants

[1:54] to do in our lives, the change that God brings makes us uncomfortable and we don’t like it. [2:00] And the last week we talked about resistance to growth and we talked about the different [2:05] environments in which God gives us opportunity and what’s the local church will give us the [2:10] opportunity to grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. But the different ways that we resist that growth, [2:16] the different ways that we resist those environments taking place in our lives, the [2:21] ways that we resist scripture, we resist prayer, we resist the very things that God has given us

[2:27] to bring us along into his presence, to restore us to worship. And this week we’re going to take it [2:37] to an even deeper level when change and growth are resisted and we say, okay, I’ll want to change, [2:44] I’ll want to grow. The thing that will keep us from even taking that one little baby step [2:51] is that word commitment. And for some of you, that’s a big one for you. You don’t like to [2:58] anything or you feel over committed to everything.

[3:05] If you’re a single guy, you’re getting up there in age, commitment’s a big issue for you. [3:12] Or a single woman. Or maybe you’re a kid who doesn’t play any organized sports because man, [3:18] that would be a lot of commitment. I’ve got so much PlayStation or Xbox going on. I can’t commit. [3:26] Maybe you just at every level of your life have struggled to commit or complete or finish [3:34] anything. And so when someone says for you to change, for you to grow, it is going to take [3:43] a level of commitment on your part. You’re like, whoa, whoa, I don’t know if I can handle that.

[3:53] But outside of yourself, commitment is seen as something as really ugly [4:01] because your biggest commitment lies inside of you. And commitment to anything outside of you [4:07] is something that is suspect at best and fleed at worst. So let’s deal with that issue of [4:16] commitment. Let’s deal with the issue because I think that we’ve kind of come far enough as a [4:21] church where we can at least say that at some level living the gospel-centered life or living [4:26] a life in which the gospel is rooted inside of you, where the spirit is moving in you, there does

[4:32] tend to need to be some level of commitment and your part to something. Maybe you don’t even know [4:38] what that thing is, but you know it’s going to take some commitment. Let me just take a poll [4:46] how many of you believe or unbelieve? January 1st, you have made a commitment. I will read the [4:57] scriptures through in its entirety this year. How many of you have ever made that commitment before? [5:02] I mean, I have. I have. Wow, wrong crowd for that one. Sometimes it’s like I know I’m going to get [5:09] them with this one and then I find out that you guys just don’t even like the Bible. So I’m like,

[5:13] let’s just forget that one. No one has committed to that. How many of you have ever committed [5:18] to anything and then it didn’t work out? Maybe this one will work. Wow, man, I’m shocked right [5:25] now. I’m reeling. I got TKO’d right there. How many of you in January 1st have said, I’m going to [5:30] lose like 10, 20 pounds this year? How many of you have ever done that? The rest of you are just out [5:36] of shape. You just need to hit the treadmills or something. I’m calling you out right there. [5:40] If you haven’t committed to that, you’ve got problems. You are lazy. We’ll talk afterwards

[5:44] if you want to fight me. But here’s the deal. Here’s the deal. We commit. We commit to something. [5:53] If you have a child, that’s a commitment. If you have a marriage, even if you’re divorced, [5:58] if you’ve ever had a marriage, that was a commitment. Whether it worked out or not, [6:04] that was a commitment. If you ever went to college, day one, guess what? That was a commitment. [6:10] And you’re like, that’s the only day I made it. For that day, you were really committed to that [6:17] degree. At the 101 level, you were so committed and then it was like, but here’s the deal. We

[6:27] struggle with that. Regardless of what it is, I don’t care if you’ve been married for 35 years, [6:32] there’s been that day. Remember that day when you were like, did I make a mistake? [6:41] My wife has that day almost every day with me. She goes in the shower and there’s just soap [6:47] everywhere. There’s shampoo on the floor. My loofah is hanging from the rafters and she’s [6:52] like, why did I marry this gorilla? You are struggling at some level with some commitment [7:00] with something at somewhere in your life. But here’s the biggest commitment that everyone in

[7:06] church struggles with. All right, let me tell you right now, it’s the commitment to church.

[7:13] It’s the commitment to church in general. Maybe you’re committed to like five different ones. [7:18] Let me fill you in. That’s a struggle. You’re resisting something with your attendance in five [7:23] to six different churches. Why can’t you just pick one? Why can’t you just at some level commit [7:31] to doing something in a church? Why is it that as soon as the pastor gets on the stage and it is [7:39] inevitably, I have to be the one to have this conversation with the crowd. So I get the glares [7:44] and I’m cool with it. But when the pastor says we have a need in this level, why is it that

[7:50] immediately 75% of the people look at me as if I’ve just stolen $20 from your wallet?

[7:58] Why is it that as soon as we ask for just a little bit more than you’re giving, [8:05] and I’m not even talking about financial, I’m afraid of that one. So we won’t touch that today. [8:10] Just a little more than you’re doing. When’s it going to be enough, Steve?

[8:18] I’m already showing up to one service a month. That’s 12 services a year. What else do you want [8:23] from me? What I want to deal with today is not at all what I want from you. Not at all. So what [8:33] I’m going to do today is I’m just going to stick with one text. I know for some of you that are [8:37] here every week, you’re like there’s no way you’re going to do it. Probably won’t. But at this point, [8:41] I’m going to say I won’t. By the time I’m done, you won’t even remember that I said this. [8:44] All right. We’re just going to go through a text in the book of Matthew and a parable of Jesus.

[8:49] And I want to see what Jesus has to say with what the commitments that we will have and won’t have [8:54] in our lives. What do they say about us? Do they define anything about our lives? All right. So [9:00] open up your scriptures to Matthew chapter 12. In Matthew chapter 12 is one of these parables [9:07] that for me, it encourages me greatly. And you’re going to be really confused by that as soon as we [9:13] start. But it encourages me greatly because there are moments in my life when as just a person that [9:19] has to stand up in front of you every week, I say, I don’t know about this commitment that I’ve made.

[9:26] You’re not alone in your struggle with commitment. Everybody struggles with it at some level. [9:32] And when I have those struggles, here’s where I have to go, which is why I was talking to [9:36] everybody this morning about it. I don’t even know how I’ve made it this far without preaching [9:39] this to you guys. But today we’re going to hit it so I can at least check that off the list. But [9:43] this is one of those passages of scripture that has defined not just ministry, but life in general [9:49] for me and how I need to use my life, what I need to do in my life. So I want to start with you in

[9:55] Matthew chapter 12, starting in verse 46. I’m going to finish this one out. And immediately [10:00] you’re going to be really confused. You’re going to think I have issues. But let me talk to you [10:10] behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside asking to speak to him. So let me set the situation [10:16] up for you. Jesus has just been teaching and book of Matthew carries so much of his teaching. He’s [10:22] been doing miracles. He’s been exercising demons. And then he’s speaking to a crowd of people. And [10:27] then it somehow, I don’t know if he was inside, if he’s outside, what’s going on here. But at some

[10:31] point his mother, and you remember her, she rode a donkey into a stable and she had him. That’s Mary. [10:36] She shows up where he is and he has brothers and they show up where he is. And they go up to [10:42] someone because there’s apparently a crowd around him and they can’t get to Jesus. And they say, [10:46] excuse me, I’m his mom. These are his brothers. We need to, I need to speak to my son. Go get my son [10:53] for me. And so scripture doesn’t really identify him. He goes and he gets to Jesus and he’s Jesus. [10:59] Your mother and your brothers are out there and they really need to speak to you. And here’s Jesus’s

[11:02] response. Who is my mother and who are my brothers?

[11:10] Is that offensive? It should be. Because in this culture it was very offensive for Jesus to say [11:16] that. Because clearly he knows who his mom is. All right. She raised him. And in a culture that’s [11:26] familial centered as a Jewish culture, for Jesus to say something like this was not just like an [11:33] over thought, oh, hey, it’s Mary, duh. And he’s making a point and he keeps going. And he says, [11:40] and he’s stretching and stretching out his hand toward his disciples. He said, here are my mother [11:47] and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.

[11:58] When you read this passage or other passages like it, like in Luke 9 and in Luke 14,

[12:09] something has to happen inside of you. You’re just like, I don’t understand what Jesus is saying [12:16] here. Why can’t he just talk to his mom? Why does Jesus have to make such a big deal out of

[12:27] you? But what Jesus is doing here is teaching an entire culture. And what he wants to do this [12:34] morning is he wants to teach an entire church of what his mission calls for and what his gospel [12:43] actually wants to do in your life where he is concerned, where the father is concerned, [12:50] where the work of the spirit in you is concerned, that Jesus wants to do something so [12:55] revolutionary that he has to challenge us to the very point of our family relationships, [13:03] just so that we will understand what his mission is doing in our lives. What he is saying, and I’m

[13:10] going to just let it right out of the bag. As soon as we start, I’m going to give you the conclusion [13:14] right off the bat. Now, what he is doing is he’s saying that the gospel is going to call you [13:20] to give him everything. The gospel is going to call you to say there’s nothing off base. [13:31] There’s no holds barred where my relationship with God is concerned, and he can ask me anything, [13:38] and I must give it. Life must be based on the gospel.

[13:54] For the life of the Christian, it can be based on nothing else. Nothing else can consume you. [14:02] Nothing else can have the ability to drive you. The gospel must. And here’s what Jesus is doing, [14:07] we’re going to get into chapter 13, and Jesus is going to explain this completely for us. He [14:12] doesn’t leave us confused as to why. Does he have a mom issue? Does his brother beat him up or [14:17] something? No, Jesus doesn’t leave us asking any questions in the next chapter. Jesus is telling [14:23] them at that point, my mission, the gospel, my disciples, the life of discipleship that I am

[14:36] lost trumps my family. That’s what Jesus is saying right there. He’s making a point to them [14:49] because to them, what they’re saying is because at this point, a lot of ministry is taking place. [14:57] And for them, it says, Jesus, you have to stop what you’re doing right now, and you must attend [15:03] to your family because that’s what their culture would have called for. That’s what our culture [15:08] calls for. You must put them in front of everything. And Jesus says, no, the gospel trumps all.

[15:26] My disciples are my life.

[15:32] They cannot call me away from the gospel. They must come with me.

[15:43] And I don’t think it’s by accident that the very next thing that Matthew records and the [15:53] next thing that he records is the gospel. I know you’re like, this is not the church for me.

[15:58] I like mommy. Bear with me because I don’t really need to explain it that much because Jesus is [16:06] going to do it for us. Go to Matthew chapter 13 verse 1. That same day, that’s a real tip off for [16:13] you right there that what he’s going to do next is connected to what he just did. Because I know he [16:18] just defended you, but he just defended like a thousand Jews at that point. That same day, [16:25] Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea and great crowds gathered around him. [16:33] So that he got into a boat and sat down. And I don’t know if his family followed him here. I

[16:38] don’t really know. It doesn’t tell us what happened with his mom and his brothers. I have a feeling [16:42] they may have, but I’m not going to even pontificate on that. It’s not really that useful.

[16:48] He got into a boat and sat down and the whole crowd stood on the beach. [16:52] He told them many things in parables saying, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds [16:58] fell along the path and the birds of the air devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground [17:04] where they did not have much soil. Immediately they sprang up since they had no depth of soil. [17:09] But when the sun rose, they were scorched. Since they had no root, they withered away. [17:14] Other seeds fell among thorns and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on the soil

[17:20] and produced grains, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears let him hear.

[17:29] So he says this overtly, just outwardly offensive thing about family and the fact that [17:36] he doesn’t even see his life in that regard anymore because his disciples are just as important [17:42] in the gospel. Working in other people’s lives is what’s driving his family life right now. [17:47] And then he goes out and he starts talking about seeds. And if you’re a gardener, you may understand [17:54] the practical implications of what he’s talking about. But whenever Jesus gives a parable, there [17:59] is a much deeper lifestyle spiritual implication to what he is saying. And what he says afterwards,

[18:08] the way he ended verse 9 when he says he who has ears let him hear, what he’s saying is [18:13] that only some of you are going to understand what I’m saying. He’s actually referencing the [18:18] book of Isaiah when he tells Isaiah at the end of chapter 6. And he says, I’m going to close their [18:23] eyes, I’m going to stop their ears, and they’re not even going to understand what the prophets are saying.

[18:30] So what he’s saying right there is that the parables are only going to be understood [18:33] by those who know God. And he takes a few verses to actually say that. But I want you to skip down [18:41] to verse 18. The disciples have taken him off to the side and the disciples are like, hey Jesus, [18:47] why don’t you just tell him exactly what you’re talking about? And Jesus says, because that’s not [18:51] what needs to happen right now. So he explains it to them. He says it this way. He says, hear then [18:57] the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the words of the kingdom and does not understand it,

[19:03] the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. That this, excuse me, [19:08] this is what was sown along the path. The first one’s really easy. So we’re not going to spend [19:18] that much time on it. He says that when the sower went out and he just threw some seeds, and have [19:25] you ever watched anybody seed their backyard, even when they have one of those expensive devices [19:30] that I don’t get that basically does the same thing as this? Why do you spend 50 bucks on a [19:35] thing that you can do with your wrist? And some of you are like, because I needed it. That’s fine.

[19:40] Whatever. I’ll probably get it next year. But here’s the deal. He says whenever you do that, [19:47] it’s just going everywhere. There’s really no rhyme or reason. And somebody’s like, yes there is. [19:52] Just go with it. Not a gardener. And he says some of it is going to fall along the path. Have you [19:58] been on a running trail back in the woods? And there’s always part of it where so many bikes have [20:03] gone through or so many people have run where the grass doesn’t grow anymore. And it’s just hard. [20:09] You would have to take a pickaxe to that to get yourself to the part of the soil that’s actually

[20:14] soft. Which he’s just saying, some of it fell on that path and birds came down. And because the [20:20] seeds didn’t go down into the soil, the birds just ate the seed. Then they flew away. And he says, [20:25] what that represents, because parables always represent something, is he’s saying, [20:31] when you preach the gospel, when I preach the gospel, when I say things like the disciples [20:38] are my mother and my brothers. Some people, no matter how clear you make it, no matter how [20:46] good you say it, are not going to understand a word that’s coming out of your mouth.

[20:53] Some people are just going to reject it wholesale. Some people just simply will not believe the [21:02] gospel. And he’s saying for them it is because Satan has come and he’s taken it away. They are [21:09] not believers. They are not Christians. They don’t get the gospel. And what he’s doing is identifying [21:18] for you, people in your life. Or maybe you this morning. And you’re like, I go to church, [21:28] I read the bible, none of it makes any sense to me. I don’t get one single aspect of it. [21:34] So much so that if I was really honest, I don’t really believe you’re being deceived.

[21:42] You’re being deceived. Pray to God that he would grant you the ability to understand.

[21:52] Because your lack of comprehension is not because you’re stupid. Well, no, I’m just kidding. [22:01] It’s not because you’re stupid. Your lack of comprehension is because you’re lost.

[22:11] You need to be redeemed.

[22:15] But I don’t think that’s the only struggle with it. Like, yeah, that makes, okay, okay. Let’s keep [22:20] on going.

[22:25] As for that, what was sown on rocky ground. This is where we’re going to start struggling, by the [22:30] way. This is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has [22:37] no root in himself, but endures for a while. And when tribulation or persecution arises on account [22:45] the word, immediately he falls away. This is what he’s talking about here. [22:52] When the gospel is preached, when the good news of what Jesus has done for us is preached, [22:58] there are some who will receive it and say, that’s the best news I’ve ever heard. This is great.

[23:06] Jesus has taken all of the problems of the world off of me, onto himself. He died for it. He came [23:15] to give me life and to give it to me more abundantly. Yes, I accept it. And this is even [23:20] for a while. It seems like they’re genuine and they love the Lord and things are going great. [23:27] But then as soon as a problem comes in their life.

[23:34] What? As soon as anything that they have to do or endure is a hard. [23:44] That’s not what I signed up for.

[23:49] The gospel was supposed to take all my problems away from me.

[23:53] There’s still a problem here.

[24:00] Wait, wait, wait, wait a second. You’re telling me that people can still hurt me. [24:07] Are you telling me that some of my family’s going to reject me because of the gospel? [24:11] Wait a second. You’re telling me that there are people inside of the church that will hurt my [24:15] feelings. You’re telling me that there are people inside of the church that will turn their backs [24:20] on me, that will stab me in the back, that will lie about me, that will cheat me.

[24:27] Telling me that there’s still going to be problems. Telling me that I’ll still get sick.

[24:37] What he’s saying is that as soon as that immediate problem-free life, health and wealth,

[24:46] at the moment that you realize that that’s not the gospel.

[24:53] I don’t know about this anymore. The gospel is not what I thought it was. [24:58] Here’s the thing. You’re right. It’s not what you thought it was. Here’s the gospel.

[25:10] The gospel is namely a future hope that has lived in a present reality. Here’s what I mean by that. [25:18] Sin has affected the world. I mean, I don’t think I have to convince you of that. [25:22] Sin affects each and every one of us at some level. A lot of us, the same level, at some of us [25:28] deeper levels. Some of us have been sinned against greatly. Some of us have sinned greatly. Some of [25:33] us have the sin of pride where we think we’re good people. But here’s the deal. You’re a sinner and [25:37] it offends God. And because of that, there’s a separation between you and God in what Jesus comes.

[25:42] And here’s what the gospel does. The gospel does not come and take your problems away. [25:48] Here’s what the gospel does. The gospel reconciles you with God.

[25:55] You are offensive to God at every level because you are sinful and he is holy. He is sinless. [26:05] He is perfect. He is eternal. He knows your sin and he does not like it. You have offended him. [26:11] And because of that, there’s a great divide between you and God. And the pain that you have in your [26:17] life is at some level because of sin. But what Jesus came to do was to reconcile us with the [26:24] Father to restore that relationship. And our great joy is then found in the fact that we know God, [26:32] that we are reconciled with him, that he does not have wrath towards us anymore because the Father

[26:39] poured his hot wrath for our sin onto his Son. And now the joy that comes into our lives, [26:46] which is true, is the joy that we can know God. We can be in relationship with God. [26:52] But here’s why it’s a future hope. Because through the gospel, he redeems us in a sinful world that [26:59] is still sinful. We will still physically die. I will still get sick because he has not yet [27:07] restored his kingdom. He’s promised to restore his kingdom, but he’s not yet done it.

[27:14] So people that are still sinful, guess what they’re going to do? Be that way.

[27:26] And guess who they’re going to take it out on sometimes? Me and you.

[27:35] Guess who still gets sick? Me. You. I’m going to physically die. [27:43] At some point. I don’t know when. God does, but I don’t.

[27:51] Sin, Scripture tells us, still reigns in this world. And God is going to restore it. But this [27:58] is what faith is. Faith is the belief that he will restore it. Not that he has, [28:07] but that through the work of the gospel as we live it, he will restore it. [28:13] It’s the most beautiful thing. And it’s our only hope because nothing else can give us eternal hope. [28:19] Only the gospel can. So when pain does enter our lives, here’s why we still have joy. Not because [28:27] I’m going to pray to my magic genie and he’s going to take it away, but because in the face of pain,

[28:33] I still have God. In the face of pain, I still have reconciliation with him. I know he loves me. [28:42] This pain is because of the effects of sin on me and this world. But my life is now found in God [28:49] through Jesus. I get him. I get my great treasure. I get my great joy. So when pain chokes out your [28:57] faith in God, you’re revealing that you don’t understand the gospel. You’re revealing that [29:05] your hope’s not in God. Your hope was in the alleviation of pain. God doesn’t want you to [29:11] have hope in him. God wants you to trust in him. Pain must not drive your life.

[29:21] When it does, you run the risk of showing that your seeds were thrown on rocky ground. [29:32] But let’s keep going. Oh, boy.

[29:39] Verse 22.

[29:42] As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the [29:48] world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and it proves unfruitful. So he went to a [29:55] total polar opposite here. He went from pain to pleasure. I mean, these two can’t be much different. [30:03] So he’s hitting us at every place in our lives. See, some of us respond to life out of pain. And [30:13] so we respond because we’re afraid of feeling more pain. So our responses in life are because [30:19] we don’t, I don’t want to experience that. So everything that we do is driven by that pain,

[30:24] the avoidance of it, the denial of it.

[30:31] But then there are others of us. And I think this is at some level, we’re all in both boats, [30:35] but I think this and this culture at this time, the deceitfulness [30:43] of the cares of this world and the riches of this world woo us so greatly. [30:49] And here’s what I want to show you first, why Jesus uses words so amazingly. Here’s what we see.

[30:58] Hadn’t God been good to me? He had his great house, his great car, his kids wearing name-brand [31:06] clothes. I have a great career. I have a vacation home. I get to rest all the time. I played 18 [31:14] holes of golf yesterday. I have a handicap of something, but I don’t know anything about golf, [31:18] I can’t tell you about it. Just look at how easy my life has gotten. I’m so secure. I’m so safe. [31:28] I’m so comfortable. I have so much free time on my hands. And we’re like, God’s been good to me. [31:35] And what Jesus says is, no, he has not. We see comfort where Jesus sees thorns.

[31:45] And I love it makes it so tangible to me that Jesus calls the riches of this world, [31:52] the cares of this world, which literally in the original language, the pleasures that life has [31:56] to offer me right now. He says, they’re not comfortable. He says they’re thorns.

[32:05] Be careful because you will get pricked by them.

[32:15] Because here’s why when we say, oh, God’s been good and all the evidences and all my stuff, [32:21] it’s in everything I can see. We have to understand the way he ended it because when he ends verse 22 [32:27] is that he says, and it proves unfruitful. Leisure is not a fruit of the gospel.

[32:44] Leisure is not a fruit of the gospel. For some of you, I have just challenged your entire value [32:50] system because for you, the work of the Holy Spirit in your life is a lazy boy recliner.

[32:57] All right. And I struggle with that one too. I have one. Satan tempts me nightly.

[33:04] You’ll get that one later. Leisure is not a fruit of the gospel. You see, what do you mean? [33:11] What are you talking about? Yes, it is.

[33:17] What are you driven by in your life? If pain is not driving your life and the gospel is not [33:21] driving your life, you’re probably believing the false gospel is changing your life. And that is [33:26] that Jesus came to make you healthy, wealthy and wise. And then you look at your life, [33:29] you’re healthy, wealthy and wise. And so what do you say? Pain free. God’s been good to me so far. [33:35] I love that Joe Walsh song. God’s been good. But what Jesus does is he challenges us and he says, [33:44] the very riches that this world has to offer, the very commitment of you to your career,

[33:52] the very commitment that you have to your hobbies, the very commitment that you have [33:58] to your family, the very commitment that you have to never committing to anything on a Saturday ever

[34:09] can woo you away from the gospel and ensnare you like a thorn. And in the end, you find [34:19] that you were not driven by joy in God, but rather you were driven by joy in the temporary [34:30] transient things of instant gratification in this world that actually turn you away from the gospel.

[34:46] What does it take to get you to say no [34:54] to things that you are full aware will further the gospel in your life and in the life of others?

[35:06] What commitments are more important to you than the commitment to God and his mission?

[35:18] Because that is the thorn of your life. You say, what do we mean, Steve? Here’s what I mean. [35:27] And then we’ll be done. Commitment must be driven by gospel fruit. Here’s what he says.

[35:36] This is the way he ends it. As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and [35:41] understands it. He indeed bear fruits and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, [35:48] and in another thirty. Here’s what Jesus is saying as he finishes this parable out. He’s saying [35:54] there’s only one type of fruitful seed that can possibly be sown. If you’re a gardener, [36:00] you get this. You till the soil. You wait for the right time of day. You plant the seeds. [36:09] You water it just right. And then and only then will it grow. If you give something too much

[36:16] sunlight, it will not grow. If you give something too little sunlight, too little water, too much [36:20] water, it will not grow. And what Jesus is saying is only one of these seeds grew and bore fruit. [36:28] And because of what he says in Matthew chapter seven, what he says there in a end, see, this is [36:32] where I’ll go to another verse. This is what he says in Matthew chapter seven is that, and you will [36:37] know my children, my followers by their fruit. If your pain drives your life, if your immediate [36:46] pleasure drives your life, and the scripture says that you are unfruitful and only one type of seed

[36:53] bore any fruit, then there’s only one type of believer in this passage. There’s only one type [36:59] of Christian in this passage, and that is the person who actually follows Jesus. Here’s what [37:05] we’ve done in our culture. We’ve said knowing Jesus and following Jesus are two different things. [37:10] There’s a class of Christian that just knows them as a casual friend. They still get heaven. And [37:15] there’s the super committed person that loves them, that follows them. Find that in the scriptures.

[37:25] Find it.

[37:30] You won’t. To know Jesus is to follow him.

[37:41] And that’s it.

[37:44] Because some of you come here this morning and you’ve got pain, you could write a book on it.

[37:54] All of us are like that. But here’s the thing, some of your pain [37:59] has been caused by people who claim the name of Jesus.

[38:05] Some of your pain has been caused by church.

[38:12] Some of your pain has been caused by living for the gospel.

[38:22] Living for the gospel didn’t do it, but it happened while you were trying.

[38:26] And you said, I will never again allow myself to feel that level of pain.

[38:35] And so your commitment to the local church, which is Ephesians chapter 3, 10, the manifold wisdom of God, Ephesians chapter 1, [38:46] it’s the fullness of Jesus who fills all in all. It’s how he identifies himself in this present age.

[38:54] As you allow your pain to drive your life and you say, I’ll commit to a certain level, but I’m not going to give too much because I’m not going to feel pain like that. [39:01] Here’s what the gospel does. The gospel gives you joy in God and the gospel says, if it’ll further the gospel, I’ll feel the pain.

[39:12] Because of the gospel, I will give people the opportunity to hurt me.

[39:19] I have to preach that to myself every day. [39:23] I have to give each and every person in this room the opportunity to hurt me greatly [39:28] because the gospel bids me to do it. [39:32] Because my faith in God is greater than my faith in your ability to hurt me. He’ll heal me more than you can ever hurt me.

[39:42] You must, if you’re in here and you’re hurting, you must believe that the gospel is greater than your hurt. [39:48] You must believe that the God who rose up from the dead has the strength and the power to heal your hurt.

[40:01] You must trust him for that. And the fruit of that, guess what, it’s not a Billy Graham revival, the fruit of that is that you will run headlong into the same scenario again claiming the truth of the gospel.

[40:16] That’s why some of you won’t come to community group. That’s why some of you won’t volunteer.

[40:24] That’s why some of you still doesn’t stand off. I’ll come and hear the preaching, but I’m out.

[40:30] Because you’re afraid.

[40:33] I want to say it’s okay. I’m not here to beat you up. I’m here to say I understand. [40:38] But I’m here to also tell you the gospel is greater. [40:43] God is more powerful. He’s more joyful.

[40:48] Some of you, I have seen joy in the midst of great pain. I can’t believe the strength that God gives some of you. [40:59] And I feed off of that. I am a fruit of your joy in your pain. Thank you.

[41:08] See the fruit, 30 fold, 60 fold, 100 fold. If you had run from the pain, there would never have been any fruit.

[41:19] Some of you, the cares of this world.

[41:26] Are sucking up all of your commitments to the point. [41:30] That before you’ll commit to anything that will further the gospel in my life or someone else’s life, I have to make sure it doesn’t interfere with any of my commitments to myself, my money, my family, my stuff, my livelihood. [41:49] I need to check with that. Because you’d never say that this physical life is more important than your eternality. [41:57] You’d never say it. But I don’t care what you say. I’ll watch what you do. And that tells me the whole story.

[42:06] But you do it.

[42:12] The village service starts at 8 a.m. on a Saturday. That’s sleepy time. Not gonna be able to come, sorry.

[42:22] You say that’s such a minor example. Is it?

[42:28] Because when you choose one over the other, here’s what we do. And I have to use a mouth because I struggle. [42:35] If I choose A over B, I am saying by my choice, A is more important to me than B. [42:43] I struggle to tell the people of the world that my sleep is more important than taking the gospel to them. [42:51] And you’re like, that’s not what I’m saying. Yeah, it is.

[42:57] Yeah, I’m sorry.

[43:04] I have all of these hundred commitments in my life. I can’t commit to one more thing inside of the church. [43:12] Because I have Girl Scouts, I have Boy Scouts, I have Dog Scouts, I have Doggie Day Care, I have Doggie Biscuits, [43:19] I have to take my dog to the groomer, then I have to walk my dog. Your dog takes up too much time, number one. [43:25] Be careful on that one. You know, our kid’s got baseball, he’s got football, he’s got basketball, [43:30] he’s got Voltron, he’s got PlayStation, he’s got every, wow, a hundred different commitments. [43:36] I can’t add one more, even if it’s for the gospel. Well, okay, let’s look at all your commitments.

[43:42] How many of those commitments are furthering the gospel in my life and in the life of others?

[43:52] Thorns.

[43:55] Here’s what I’m saying. The gospel will call you to do some crazy things.

[44:01] Like not take your dog to Doggie Day Care all the time.

[44:07] That’s what I’m saying.

[44:10] See, and the thing is, is what we want to do to avoid these types of commitments and these types [44:15] of conversations and to resist them, is we want to pretend that the pastor’s asking me to sell all [44:20] my stuff and go to India. I’m just saying maybe spend a less hour with your dog every week.

[44:28] Baby steps.

[44:31] Thorns, folks. Your commitments must be weighed by how much fruit they produce for the gospel.

[44:46] Then you are living a gospel centered life because most of you just aren’t even thinking about it. [44:54] You’re just doing. The gospel says, consider.

[45:04] Why won’t you come set up? Why won’t you stay and tear down? Why won’t you go to community group?

[45:13] Why won’t you go to village serve? Why won’t you free up space in your life to enter into maybe an [45:23] environment that we haven’t even thought of, but you have the gifts from the Holy Spirit. [45:28] First Corinthians 12, everybody has a gift, everybody plays their part. [45:30] You have a gift from the Holy Spirit to where you could innovate something for the village [45:35] that suits your gifting and it will produce fruit a hundred fold. [45:42] But you are so overly committed to this transient world, to the pleasures of your life or to the

[45:49] pain that’s driving your life that no fruit has any space to grow whatsoever.

[45:57] And the problem is that Jesus says, be careful because if the gospel’s not working in your life, [46:03] is the gospel in your life. [46:06]

[46:10] resistance to commitment.

[46:14] The gospel must kill that resistance.

[46:23] Father, we love you.

[46:29] We are such a needy people.

[46:34] Lord, you’ve reconciled us to yourself. You’ve wooed us to you. You’ve revealed yourself to us. [46:41] You’ve blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. May we live like people [46:47] who are overcome with the joy in knowing and being known by you and the power that is so [46:55] greater than anything else in our lives. God, in the beauty of knowing you, may it overcome [47:02] my problems with commitment.

[47:08] May I never live my life saying or living like there’s anything more important than you.