Are You Willing to Give Jesus Everything? Luke 14:26
Following Jesus will always require faith. He doesn't call His followers to a life of comfort, predictability, or self-reliance, but to a life of complete surrender and continual dependence upon Him. In this episode of the Light on Life Podcast, discover why Jesus asks for everything, why faith always involves stepping beyond your comfort zone, and how God's greatest adventures begin when you trust His Word more than your own security. If you've been holding onto a "security blanket," this message will encourage you to risk your lower life so you can discover the higher life found only in Christ.
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Episode Notes
We are going to talk today about giving Jesus your security blanket.
Luke 14:26 (TNIV)26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even life itself—such a person cannot be my disciple.
Following Jesus is an all or nothing deal.
He will not give you assignments that you can do with the comfort of your own abilities.
Why does He do this? 1Corinthians 1:26-29 tells us why.
1 Corinthians 1:26–29 (TNIV)26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him.
There is something about the human make-up because of the fall of man that requires a leaning on God so that no one may boast before Him.
Let us repeat this again; if you are not challenged by His will, you don’t know it yet.
If your Christian life is a nice neat package, you are missing it somewhere.
If your idea of Christian life is being nice to a few people, going to church, praying a little bit, giving a little bit (not too much just a little bit) and staying in your comfort zone, you have a distorted view of what following Jesus means.
Jesus will keep you trusting God.
QUOTE: John Maxwell on Accomplishments“Most of the accomplishments I’ve achieved in life I began to attempt before I was really ready. When I was teaching pastors leadership in 1984 and they asked for ongoing teaching, I wasn’t ready to give it to them. But during a conference with thirty-four people in Jackson, Mississippi, I decided to pass around a legal pad and get the contact information for anyone who wanted to receive a monthly leadership tape. All thirty-four signed up. Was I ready to start a monthly leadership subscription series? No. Did I start it anyway? Yes. When I needed to raise money to relocate my church, did I know how to do it? No. Did I start to do it anyway? Yes. When I founded EQUIP to teach leadership to people in countries around the world, did I have a proven strategy to get it done? No. Did we get started anyway? Yes. Nobody ever got ready by waiting. You only get ready by starting.”[1]
Following Jesus can be difficult and risky.
Following Jesus will pull you out of your comfort zone.
Following Jesus will cause you to give up your security blanket.
John 15:5 (ESV)5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
So, if you are looking for a life that has no challenges, you are in the wrong business trying to follow Jesus.
Jesus will challenge and elevate your life.
Understand that stepping out on faith to do something that He has asked you to do as a feeling of risk attached to it.
Giving Jesus Everything is Risky Business.
Give anybody everything is risky business.
Jesus states without apology that He wants everything of your life (Matt 22:37).
We must trust Him enough to know that if we give Jesus everything that everything is going to turn out alright.
Fear will try to speak to you and tell you that things will not turn out right if you give everything to Jesus.
The Word ‘Risk’ is a Bible Word.
Acts 15:24–26 (ESV)24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 16:3–4 (ESV)3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.
DEFINITION: risk/ὑποτίθημι/hypotithēmi – to expose oneself to the possibility of death.
When you take a risk, you expose yourself.
Philippians 2:26, 29–30 (ESV)25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.
There is no risk without the possibility of loss.
So, when we talk about following Jesus is risky business, what exactly is the loss potential?
What exactly would you lose by giving Jesus everything?
What would you lose by stepping out on the particular Word that He has spoken or witnessed to your heart?
What would the loss be if we stepped out on the dream that you have inside of you?
Matthew 10:38–39 (AMP)38 And he who does not take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conforming wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also] is not worthy of Me. 39 Whoever finds his [lower] life will lose it [the higher life], and whoever loses his [lower] life on My account will find it [the higher life].
According to Matthew 10:38-39, the loss would be your lower life.
But, what would be the potential reward?
You would gain the higher ‘zoe’ life of God.
What is the higher life?
One component is being dead center in the will of God.
This is another word, in connection with the word ‘risk’ that we should look at.
It is the English word ‘adventure’.
DEFINITION: adventure - “To put at risk,” “to dare,” referring always to an undertaking attended with some peril in the hopes of a favorable outcome.
In Acts 19:23-24, Demetrius, a shrine maker for the Temple Diana, (Artemis is the Greek virgin goddess originally of hunting and animal fertility. [3] ) stirred up the people into a frenzy over the loss of revenue surrounding the Temple.
People were giving their lives to Jesus and no longer buying shrines or visiting the Temple.
Acts 19:28–31 (KJV)28 And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 29 And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. 30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.
Bible Adventures in God
What is Bible reading?
Isn’t Bible reading sharing other people’s adventures?
Aren’t you reading the adventures of others that have stepped out on God?
Isn’t that what some of the Bible, is about, people taking a risk in God?
The Bible is a book full of people who had adventures with God.
Adventures Take You Into The Realm Of The Unknown.
Some people want to know everything and how everything is going to turn out before they start.
Nothing in God works that way!
Nothing in God’s economy works with you knowing everything before you start.
In fact, probably the only person that you act that way with is God.
Call to Action
What does this all mean to you? One gentleman penned these words.
Is that your desire today?
What dreams, what words from the Spirit of God have you not acted on?
What areas have you not been willing to take a risk and step out on the naked Word of God?
It is simple to go back and take up again those words from Him and bring them in front of Jesus in prayer and say ‘Lord, I can’t do this by myself, show me how to do it, help me get it done.’