What is wrong with indulging our sinful nature once in a while?
Jesus put out this invitation: "Follow Me...forsake all...lay down your life...submit to My authority...turn from your sin...repent...obey."Let us look at Mark chapter 8. Verse 34, "He summoned the multitude with His disciples, said to them, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me, for whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel shall save it. What does it profit a man to gain to the whole world and forfeit his soul?"What's a man going to give in exchange for his soul? "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him." If you have shame toward Christ He'll have shame toward you.Where does "Jesus' way" still conflict with "your way"? What is the cost-benefit ratio of each course?
In Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44, the parable is very simple. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found and hid...from joy over he goes and sells all he has and buy the field. Another parable, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. On finding the one pearl of great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it. Very simple parable. A man found something of value.. sold everything he had, took it. Both men sold all they had to have the treasure. It's a picture of the exchange, I give up all I am for all He is.Compared to the man and the merchant, how valuable is the kingdom to you and why: (a) It's worth more than anything else? (B) I think I'd miss too many of the other things? (C) I'm not ready to carry all this so far? What dose it mean to "sell everything" for the kingdom?
When you gave your heart and soul to Christ and submitted and bowed the knee before Him in submissive salvation and yielded your life to Him all under the power of the Spirit of God, you began a life in which He is Lord and progressively your life should be evidencing that obedience to His Lordship. He is called Lord no less than seven hundred and forty-seven times in the New Testament. In the book of Acts you have the preaching pattern for the rest of the centuries of the church's life, 92 times in the book of Acts, Jesus is called Lord. Lordship was at the very heart of gospel preaching in the early church. The very heart of it was affirming His Lordship. Peter says in Acts 2, "It shall be that salvation comes to everyone who calls on the name of the...what?...the Lord."To repent and be baptized in Jesus' name meant to turn away from all other loyalties and affirm allegiance to Jesus. In what ways does this call still present a challenge to you?
In Romans chapter 10, verse 9, "If you confess with you mouth Jesus as...what?...Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Verse 12, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord." verse 13, "shall be save." And Lordship implies that He is sovereign. It implies that He is in charge. You go back through the gospels and the whole New Testament and you have affirmation after affirmation of the Lordship. Chapter 14 of Romans, verse 9, "For to this end Christ died and lived again that He might be...what?...Lord."
Jesus put out this invitation: "Follow Me...forsake all...lay down your life...submit to My authority...turn from your sin...repent...obey."Let us look at Mark chapter 8. Verse 34, "He summoned the multitude with His disciples, said to them, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me, for whosoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel shall save it. What does it profit a man to gain to the whole world and forfeit his soul?"What's a man going to give in exchange for his soul? "Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him." If you have shame toward Christ He'll have shame toward you.Where does "Jesus' way" still conflict with "your way"? What is the cost-benefit ratio of each course?
In Matthew, chapter 13, verse 44, the parable is very simple. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found and hid...from joy over he goes and sells all he has and buy the field. Another parable, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls. On finding the one pearl of great value, he went and sold all he had and bought it. Very simple parable. A man found something of value.. sold everything he had, took it. Both men sold all they had to have the treasure. It's a picture of the exchange, I give up all I am for all He is.Compared to the man and the merchant, how valuable is the kingdom to you and why: (a) It's worth more than anything else? (B) I think I'd miss too many of the other things? (C) I'm not ready to carry all this so far? What dose it mean to "sell everything" for the kingdom?
When you gave your heart and soul to Christ and submitted and bowed the knee before Him in submissive salvation and yielded your life to Him all under the power of the Spirit of God, you began a life in which He is Lord and progressively your life should be evidencing that obedience to His Lordship. He is called Lord no less than seven hundred and forty-seven times in the New Testament. In the book of Acts you have the preaching pattern for the rest of the centuries of the church's life, 92 times in the book of Acts, Jesus is called Lord. Lordship was at the very heart of gospel preaching in the early church. The very heart of it was affirming His Lordship. Peter says in Acts 2, "It shall be that salvation comes to everyone who calls on the name of the...what?...the Lord."To repent and be baptized in Jesus' name meant to turn away from all other loyalties and affirm allegiance to Jesus. In what ways does this call still present a challenge to you?
In Romans chapter 10, verse 9, "If you confess with you mouth Jesus as...what?...Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." Verse 12, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek for the same Lord is Lord of all. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord." verse 13, "shall be save." And Lordship implies that He is sovereign. It implies that He is in charge. You go back through the gospels and the whole New Testament and you have affirmation after affirmation of the Lordship. Chapter 14 of Romans, verse 9, "For to this end Christ died and lived again that He might be...what?...Lord."
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