03/26/2019
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Do you
really want to be saved? Do you really want to follow the Lord Jesus? Are you
willing to GIVE UP everything to FOLLOW the LORD? Or, Will you have excuses as
to why you are not willing to start right now? Excitement in the thought of
following the One who can save your soul must come with the willingness to
endure the hardships that will come because of your decision.
Caleb characterizes a man who followed. He followed
Moses when Moses left Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, and traveled to Mount Sinai.
He obeyed Moses’ orders when he was sent to spy out the Promised Land {Numbers
13:30, Numbers
14:6-9; Joshua
14:7}. He crossed the Jordan River behind Joshua {Joshua
14:6-14}.
Jesus said, “And he who does not take his cross
[expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing
in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps
dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.” Matthew
10:38
Side Note:
Matthew 10:38 The historical background behind
this statement is that those who were about to be crucified had to carry the
crossbeam to which they would be nailed or bound. In addition to the terrible
agony that crucifixion inflicted, it was such a great indignity that some of
the Roman writers used the word cross
as a curse word in the expression “Go die on a
wicked cross!” {Latin - Abi in malam crucem!}.
In an article concerning
Salvation I came across I was amazed how subtle Satan can be when he is trying
to infiltrate the Body of Christ. I am sure this person was being sincere when
they said, “And it’s pure Grace that delivers us from the dominion of sin
because God gives each one of us who trusts in the Cross of Jesus a new heart –
literally a new life”; however in order for this to be a TRUE and CORRECT
statement it should read: “It is pure Grace that delivers us from the dominion
of sin through Christ Jesus who gives us a new heart – literally a NEW LIFE”.
You the first sentence takes the FOCUS off of what CHRIST JESUS did for us on
the CROSS and puts the attention on the CROSS which did nothing for anyone. It
is through subtle word changes that the enemy of God gets into the Church to
take the focus off the One who offers Grace, our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.
It is true that the death of
Christ Jesus on the Cross is important in that it was through that Sacrifice
freely made by Christ Jesus that Grace may abound to those who accept to FOLLOW
HIM.
We read in Ephesians
2:8-9; “For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing
you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and
given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves
[not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of
God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so
that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his
salvation].”
Too many people forget that it
is ONLY through the GRACE freely given by our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus that
we can be saved.
Let’s take a moment to witness 3
different people who may or may not want to TRULY follow Jesus and His response
to them. It may seem harsh, but see that Jesus is testing them to see if they
are TRULY willing to do what it takes to become a Disciple of His.
As they were going along the road, someone said to Him,
“I will follow You wherever You go.”And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but
the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” He said to another, “Follow
Me [accepting Me as Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me
first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow
the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread
the news about the kingdom of God.” Another
also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your disciple]; but first let me say
goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to him, “No
one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left behind] is
fit for the kingdom of God.”
We just witnessed 3 separate
situations; however there is ONLY a single answer for all 3 situations - DISCIPLESHIP. It’s found in Matthew
16:24-25 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If
anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside
selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure
whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in
living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For
whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it
[through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will
find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].” Jesus lived out this
model of following God and He expected no less from anyone who followed Him.
Read the following Scriptures to
learn more on the Cost of Discipleship:
Luke 8; 10; Luke
9:23; Genesis
2:7; 2
Corinthians 4:7; 2
Corinthians 5:17; Romans
8:6-7; 1
Corinthians 3:1-4; Galatians
5:16; Romans
12:1-2; Hebrews
5:13-14
Jesus came in a time when getting to Heaven was all about
keeping “RULES and RITUALS”. The problem with keeping rules and rituals
is that they DO NOT FILL the heart with what for which we are created—That Relationship and Partnership with
God.
And many people who listened to Jesus realized this, because
their hearts longed for more. This concept of being saved by The Gift of God, wonderful! No more worrying about
the Rules and Rituals. Therefore, people came running towards Jesus,
wanting this wonderful Gift. And in today’s passage, we find 3 typical
people wanting this Gift but without
the cost of authentically following Jesus.
Think about this: What good is wanting salvation
without the cost of following Jesus? The word missing from Church
vocabulary today that has ALWAYS represented the type of RELATIONSHIP God
expects from HIS Children is that of TRUE DISCIPLESHIP.
A true disciple of Christ is one who is totally loyal to the
Lord Jesus Christ. He or she is totally committed to Jesus and His cause. To be
a true disciple of Jesus Christ is to identify with Jesus and His cause whether
it is popular or not. It is to associate with Him and all that He stands for.
Here’s the definition of DISCIPLESHIP—“It is the process of
Learning, Applying, And Sharing with Others the Teachings of Jesus.”
Learning for you, Applying to yourself before Sharing with others is what marks
the difference between those who are “Christian”
in name only and those who are “Christian” in heart, mind and life. Salvation is free, but Discipleship is
costly. Here is why
it’s Costly:
1.
It Costs Personal Comfort
As they were going along the road, someone said to
Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.”And Jesus told him, “Foxes have holes
and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His
head.” Luke 9:57-58
Here we see a
man/woman just like us. This person wants to follow Jesus, however we see the
fire fading away as Jesus challenges them where they live: At the LEVEL of
COMFORT. People work hard to make sure they are COMFORTABLE; if they have
family, they work hard to make sure they are COMFORTABLE. We find that MOST
PEOPLE want to be COMFORTABLE following Jesus. However, JESUS NEVER OFFERED
COMFORTABLE to ANYONE {John 16:33; Ephesians 6:10-18}. Unfortunately MOST people who “occupy” the
pews across this land ONLY want to “Sacrifice” to God what COSTS them NOTHING.
Discipleship means
YOU MUST GIVE UP PERSONAL COMFORT – to at least TRY even at the RISK of
FAILURE. Jesus is demanding and following Him is even more demanding.
Discipleship means we RISK EVERYTHING for Jesus. You simply CANNOT FOLLOW
JESUS in your COMFORT ZONES!!!
2.
It Requires Immediate Commitment!
He said to another, “Follow Me [accepting Me as
Master and Teacher].” But he said, “Lord, allow me first to go and bury my
father.” But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own
dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:59-60
There are those in the pulpit that try to soften the
HARSHNESS of JESUS by saying the gentleman’s Father was not yet deceased.
Therefore, it is just an excuse to postpone following Jesus at that time. But
in the Talmud, the Bible during the time of our Lord on this earth, it is
stated, “He who is confronted by a dead relative is freed from reciting the Shema {Deuteronomy 6:4,
11:13–21; Numbers 15:37–4}, from the eighteen benedictions, and from all the
commandments stated in the Torah.” The Shema is the centerpiece of the daily morning and evening
prayer services and is considered by some the most essential prayer in all of
Judaism. An affirmation of God’s singularity and kingship, its daily recitation
is regarded by traditionally observant Jews as a biblical commandment.
In other words,
according to the RULES and “TRADITIONS”, nothing
is more important than a funeral. But Jesus shocks this man and
the whole crowd when He says, “Nothing
is more important right now than The Kingdom of God.” Jesus was
PROCLAIMING that DAY that the OLD WAY of doing things was GONE, because HE was
showing them a BETTER WAY to HONOR GOD.
Rev. John McNeill {1854-1933}, was a
less known preacher to us but he was famous at his time and actually earned the
title of “The Scotch Spurgeon”. He even preached alongside the famous American
preacher D.L. Moody.
There was a story of
him that he was scheduled to begin a series of meetings in England. His
father died in Scotland on the day the services were to begin. He was
told that it would be OK to cancel the services, everyone would
understand. But hear John’s reply: “This same Jesus stood by me and
seemed to say, ‘Now, look. I have you. You go and preach the Gospel
to those people. Would you rather bury the dead or raise the dead?’ And I
went to preach.”
“Would you rather
bury the dead or raise the dead”?
There can be a
thousand reasons for people to delay following Jesus. Jesus knows every single
reason that you have. In fact, some of them may seem so urgent, like burying
one’s father.
“The Work of God’s
Kingdom is not Postponed”
People are walking
dead - spiritually dead. The Lord needs workers to reach them with the gospel
message. People need to be led in discipleship. People need to be nurtured,
cared and prayed for. There are no excuses for postponing your
discipleship—learning, applying and sharing the Good News!
3.
It Involves Unlimited Commitment
Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord [as Your
disciple]; but first let me say goodbye to those at my home.” But Jesus said to
him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back [to the things left
behind] is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:61-62
Jesus is not looking
for double minded people {James 1:5-8} who say they want
to follow Him, “BUT” they have other things they want to do first. There is a
growing trend that is not unique to our time, people wanting a LITE VERSION of
JESUS. Since the beginning of time people have looked for the EASY WAY or LITE
WAY to get to Heaven. Following “JESUS LITE” may make you feel better about
yourself, but it DOES NOT make you a “CHRISTIAN” and it will NOT bring
TRANSFORMATION to our CULTURE.
Each of the individuals in Luke 9:57-62 had an excuse as to
why they could not or would not drop what they were doing and follow the Jesus.
Two of these individuals were very direct with their excuse. Their excuse is
the MAIN excuse you hear when someone really doesn’t want to follow through;
they are just trying to make themselves look good in the eyes of their peers.
The THREE words that let you know if you can expect follow through is: FIRST
LET ME. Take a moment to reflect on these two questions:
When building a
relationship with JESUS do you have a “First Let ME’?
What is your “First
Let Me”?
The “Church
Buildings” are filled week after week year after year with Well-Meaning,
Carnally-Minded men and women who want to attend “Church” get their “feel good” revved up and then it’s back out into the
world doing the same ole thing everyone else outside of Church is doing.
GOD is CALLING YOU OUT of this CARNALLY-MINDED way of thinking. He wants you to
be so consumed with HIS GLORY that others will be so overwhelmed by the LIGHT in
you that they will want what you have.
Carnal
Christian
Carnal Christian –
What does Scripture teach?
The word “Christian” is used in many
different contexts today. However, very few people understand what a “Carnal Christian” is all about.
If we search, we will not find the phrase “Carnal Christian” in the Bible but the Scripture does
teach about being carnally minded and living out of
our old sin nature or what we inherited as part of humanity.
The biblical word translated “carnal” is also translated “flesh” and it denotes mere
human nature or the earthly nature of mankind apart from divine influence, and
therefore it is prone to sin and opposed to God. A Carnal
Christian is a believer in Christ who is more influenced by their human
or earthly nature rather than the nature of God.
Scripture teaches that we have our
treasure in an earthen vessel {2 Corinthians 4:7}. An earthen vessel is made
from dirt and {Genesis 2:7} says that God formed Adam from the
dust of the ground. We could then say we have what is ours as believers in
Christ in a body of flesh or dirt. We are also told that when we come to Christ
we are a “new creation” {2 Corinthians 5:17}. However, the new creation
has to do with our spiritual life and is not a transformation of our old flesh
or our carnal body. The issue then is what controls our treasure. Are we as
Carnal Christians controlled by our carnal or fleshly sin nature or do we
surrender to the new creation, which is empowered by the Spirit of God?
Carnal Christian – How
is it defined?
The Apostle Paul speaks about Carnal Christians in {Romans 8:6-7} and {1 Corinthians 3:1-4}. The characteristics spoken of in these passages are that the carnal or fleshly mind, which is human viewpoint, is enmity against God or is anti-God. It cannot please God, is unable to digest solid spiritual food, and is filled with strife, envy, and division. These are very unhealthy spiritual traits and the reality is that all believers are carnally minded at one time or another. It is a matter of growing up and becoming mature. That is a process that continues on a daily basis as we acknowledge our need of grace and submit to the process. We fully surrender to the LORD as He works through every situation in our life to conform us to His image.
So then, we know that a Carnal Christian is one who is characterized by inner mental attitudes that are not in agreement with God’s viewpoint and from our inner mental attitudes come our actions. We could then say that a Carnal Christian is one who does not focus upon God’s Word, does not see the necessity of obeying God and does not experience the abundant peace and joy that is the believers if they submit to the power of the Spirit in their lives rather than being led by their old carnal nature {Galatians 5:16}.
A Carnal Christian is often very frustrated because the Spirit of God is faithful to us and convicts and convinces us that when we are operating out of our carnal flesh, we are not fulfilling God’s purpose for us. Our purpose as children of God is to bring glory to Him in all our choices and actions and so since we are not fulfilling our true spiritual purpose, we suffer self-inflicted misery.
Carnal Christian – What
is the remedy?
How can you be transformed from being a Carnal Christian to being a Spirit-led Christian? We find an answer in {Romans 12:1-2} where we read that you can choose to submit your flesh or carnality as a living sacrifice or what that is set apart unto God and not be conformed or molded by the pressure of the world and the flesh. You can be transformed, which is a continual process, through allowing the Word of God to renew your mind so that we may prove or authenticate, to put to the test, what is the good and acceptable or fully agreeable and complete will of God.
It is God’s will then for a Carnal Christian to mature and grow strong in their faith and walk of obedience. The ongoing process that takes a believer in Christ from a Carnal Christian or what Hebrews calls a “babe in Christ” to one who is engaged in maturing as a child of God is the choice to take in the solid food of the Word, which equips us as Christians to be able to discern or reason what is good and what is evil and what is good and what is better {Hebrews 5:13-14}.
Believers Are Dead to
Sin, Alive to God
What
shall we say [to all this]? Should we continue in sin and practice sin as a
habit so that [God’s gift of] grace may increase and overflow? Certainly not!
How can we, the very ones who died to sin, continue to live in it any longer?
Or are you ignorant of the fact that all of us who have been baptized into
Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We have therefore been buried with
Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead
through the glory and power of the Father, we too might walk habitually in
newness of life [abandoning our old ways].
For if we have become one with Him [permanently united] in the likeness of His
death, we will also certainly be [one with Him and share fully] in the likeness
of His resurrection. We know that our old self [our human nature without the
Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin
might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. For the
person who has died [with Christ] has been freed from [the power of] sin.Now if
we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live [together] with
Him, because we know [the self-evident truth] that Christ, having been raised
from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has power over Him. For
the death that He died, He died to sin [ending its power and paying the
sinner’s debt] once and for all; and the life that He lives, He lives to
[glorify] God [in unbroken fellowship with Him]. Even so, consider yourselves
to be dead to sin [and your relationship to it broken], but alive to God [in
unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus.Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that
you obey its lusts and passions. Do not go on offering members of your body to
sin as instruments of wickedness. But offer yourselves to God [in a decisive
act] as those alive [raised] from the dead [to a new life], and your members
[all of your abilities—sanctified, set apart] as instruments of righteousness
[yielded] to God. Sin will no longer be a master over you since you are
not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s
favor and mercy]. What then [are we to conclude]? Shall
we sin because we are not under Law, but under [God’s] grace? Certainly not!
Do you not know that when you continually offer
yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you
obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which
leads to righteousness (right standing with God)? But thank God that though you
were slaves of sin, you became obedient with all your heart to the standard of
teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. And
having been set free from sin, you have become the slaves of righteousness [of
conformity to God’s will and purpose]. I am speaking in [familiar] human terms
because of your natural limitations [your spiritual immaturity]. For just as you
presented your bodily members as slaves to impurity and to [moral] lawlessness,
leading to further lawlessness, so now offer your members [your abilities, your
talents] as slaves to righteousness, leading to sanctification [that is, being
set apart for God’s purpose]. When you were slaves of sin, you were free in
regard to righteousness [you had no desire to conform to God’s will]. So what
benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed?
[NONE!!!] For the outcome
of those things is death! But now since you have been set free from sin and
have become [willing] slaves to God, you have your benefit, resulting in
sanctification [being made holy and set apart for God’s purpose], and the
outcome [of this] is eternal life. For,
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God [that is, His remarkable,
overwhelming gift of grace to believers] is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
It is my prayer that
you will chose to FOLLOW Christ Jesus with every ounce of your being ignoring
the subtle lies of the enemy {Satan} that would temp you into doing whatever
you want since you have been saved by Grace being set FREE from sin.
I will leave you
with Scriptures for further study. May the Holy Spirit fill your heart and mind
with the TRUTH from the Word of God as you continue to STUDY to show yourself
approved unto to God {2
Timothy 2:15}.
Forever in Christ
Jesus Service,
Scriptures for further
study
Deuteronomy
5:33 - You shall walk [that is, live each and every day]
in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, so
that you may live and so that it may be well with you, and that you may live
long in the land which you will possess.
Psalm
119:133 - Establish my footsteps in [the way of] Your
word;
Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You].
Do not let any human weakness have power over me [causing me to be separated from You].
Deuteronomy
31:8 - It is the Lord who goes
before you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or abandon you. Do not
fear or be dismayed.
John
8:12 - Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, “I am the Light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in the
darkness, but will have the Light of life.”
2
Thessalonians 3:5 - May the Lord direct your hearts into
the love of God and into the steadfastness and patience of Christ.
Deuteronomy
13:4 - You shall walk after the Lord your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled
reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you
shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him.
Matthew
10:38 - And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to
My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of
faith in Me] is not worthy of Me.
Galatians
5:25 - If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must
also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral
courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].
Mark
8:34-38 - Jesus called the crowd together with His
disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to follow
Me [as My disciple], he must
deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a
willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need
be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. For
whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose
it [through death], but whoever
loses his life [in this world] for
My sake and the gospel’s will save it [from the
consequences of sin and separation from God]. For what
does it benefit a man to gain the whole world [with all
its pleasures], and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his
soul and eternal life [in God’s kingdom]? For whoever is ashamed [here and now] of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son
of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father
with the holy angels.”
Ephesians
5:1 - Therefore become imitators of God [copy Him and
follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]
Psalm
128:1 - Blessed [happy and sheltered by God’s favor] is
everyone who fears the Lord [and worships Him with
obedience], Who walks in His ways and lives
according to His commandments.
John
12:26 - If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My
example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith
in Me]; and wherever I am [in
heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If
anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
Ephesians
2:10 - For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a
work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually
transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for
us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them
[living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
1
Peter 2:21 - For
[as a believer] you have been called for this purpose, since Christ suffered
for you, leaving you an example, so that you may follow in His footsteps.
Colossians
3:17 - Whatever you do [no matter what it is] in word or
deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus [and in dependence on Him],
giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
John
8:31-32 - So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed
Him, “If you abide in My word
[continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. And you will know the truth [regarding
salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].”
Psalm
37:23 - The steps of a [good and righteous] man are
directed and established by the Lord, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].
Matthew
19:21 - Jesus answered him, “If you
wish to be perfect [that is, have the spiritual
maturity that accompanies godly character with no moral or ethical
deficiencies], go and sell what you have and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me [becoming My
disciple, believing and trusting in Me and walking the same path of life that I
walk].”
James
2:17 - So too, faith, if it does not have works [to back
it up], is by itself dead [inoperative and ineffective].
John
13:35- By this everyone will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.
Joshua
24:15 - If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the
gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the
gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord.
John
15:8 - My Father is glorified and honored by this,
when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My
[true] disciples.
Proverbs
4:27 - Do not turn away to the right nor to the left
[where evil may lurk]; Turn your foot from [the path
of] evil.
Psalm
119:60 - I hurried and did not delay to keep Your commandments.
Hebrews
13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace [the source of
serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified
the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and
strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be],
accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
John 3:30 – He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.
John 3:30 – He must increase [in prominence], but I must decrease.
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