Well, we are thankful to be here. We were just moved to Dubuque and we have unloaded trailers and things like that and we've been able to find matching clothes again.
And even got a car in a garage and so we're thankful to the Lord for all of that journey and without mishap and everything has worked out.
And we're thankful for your prayers also. Looking forward to whatever the Lord is leading us.
2 in terms of having a ministry among the students at a mass.
What we're gonna be talking about today has to do with kind of purpose in a way. It kind of revolves around the question of is it worth it?
And that really fits in nicely with the, is it worth it? And that really fits in nicely with the National, the International Day of Prayer and thinking about people who are willing to risk a lot.
To know the Lord and to follow the Lord. Because as Fred mentioned as is clear from the video it's a tough thing to Read the Bible in other countries, you'll be persecuted for reading the Bible if you're caught.
Another in some other countries or for naming the name of Jesus and it it it comes with a price take.
So the question is Is it worth it? And you know the thing is we have all sorts of ways that we use that phrase every day.
Is it worth it to? Oh, I don't know, fix something that's broken. Right?
We have some of us who like to fix things have learned that it's not worth it to fix something that's broken.
Because it costs more to fix it than just buy a new one. Right? And so you get on Babylon, I mean Amazon.
Dot com and you. You order it and it'll be there tonight maybe, you know, depending upon what it is and where you live and all that kind of stuff.
You know, so you have to, yeah, is it worth it to, Yeah. Oh, I don't know.
Get involved in a certain relationship or somebody offers you something at work. Is it? Is it really worth it to get involved in that thing?
Or is it, is it worth it to, Oh, I don't know. We just have things like that, but what I'm really getting at is the idea is it worth it.
To say no to stuff.
For something that's more important. Now, you know, in terms of maybe our neighbors or. Medical things it's definitely worth it to be cautious.
But what about when we get into situations or we're asked to go into a situation where we really have to say no.
To something. Spiritually speaking or just obedience wise. We would say we might say no to premarital sex.
Or to seen images. That are sexual or anything like that. Is it worth it to say no to that?
Is it worth it to fight? In a sense, to stay away from that kind of stuff.
And more and more nowadays, especially, you know, outside of the church, people are saying it's just not worth it.
I mean, premarital sex that that thing has gone a long time ago but I'm even reading about people that are conservative that are talking about things like pornography and saying,
What's the difference? There's a huge difference, I think. But is it worth the stream?
Is it worth putting yourself under?
The teaching of the Bible. To do a certain thing. Is it worth it really to get involved in the life of a neighbor?
Is it really worth it to get up early and to focus on certain things. In the world of education, rigor.
The idea of steam with a project when it's tough. Is disappearing. People are able to find their answers by googling or asking Siri.
And if I say that too loud, my phone will come on.
Is it worth it to work? Is it worth it to do hard things? Is it really worth it?
To be so super serious. About being a Christian. That's what we're going to be looking at.
And what's kind of interesting is that The more you read the Bible, the more you see things that God just designs.
I mean, God is a great educator and he and his interest for us shows us how he actually puts things together.
So we're going to be looking at a passage of Scripture in Matthew. 19.
But what is interesting, you can turn there. I want you to kind of go with me. We're going to go really quick.
Kind of over the entire chapter.
And the reason I want you to see that is because Jesus is about 2 weeks before his persecution and what God the Father is doing is designing situations for Jesus to walk into, to teach as disciples that they have to make the right decisions.
There are decisions to be made. And to evaluate is it worth it? To take this so seriously.
So in Matthew, 19.
Just before, okay, so I'm just going to give you a little bit of context and I'm going to try to run as quick as I can through this.
Some Pharisees come to Jesus and they're asking about divorce and remarriage. And Jesus answers them and basically his answer is same.
One man, one woman. A man cleaves to his girlfriend or wife. What do you guys think?
Wife! Right? Okay. And the 2 become one flesh and what God has put together, let not man put asunder.
And at the end of this, the disciples are kind of freaking out and they say, they say, you know, if this is the case, this is verse 10, if this is the case with the man and the woman that you really can't get out of marriage that there's no escape clause or something like that.
Maybe it's better not to marry in and then Jesus says something really interesting. It's kind of like off topic.
He says there are some people. Who are called to be single, not everyone, but it's this thing about Unix, where there are eunuchs who have been Ben so from birth or eunuchs who have been made unix by men and there have been eunuchs who have made themselves Unix, that's saying they're making the choice for the sake of the kingdom of heaven.
Let everyone who is able to receive it receive it. Now what he's doing is he's saying.
Is it worth it? I mean, what if what if this makes sense to you? What if you are so involved in following Christ that you just say, I don't have time for that.
I mean, I. I just don't feel the need. Gotta sort of taking away the need for me.
There's very rare individuals. Many people here know John Fiscal. John Fiscal was a man like that.
He is the only person I have ever met like that. But the point is When you consider the option that Jesus is giving here and it's only your decision to make.
Is it worth it? What are you going to miss? I mean, and in our culture, we, we don't say it's worth it at all.
But that's interesting. Right after this, you look at verse 13. They bring some kids to Jesus and to disciples.
They apparently the disciples when people came to Jesus they did crowd control and so in the crowd control they're bringing infants to Jesus what does an infant know what why even bother with them and Jesus sees it and he's offended by it He's inignant and he says, let the children come to me, don't hinder them for to such belong the kingdom of heaven and in all of his teaching, he
says, unless you are willing to humble yourself like a child, you will not see the kingdom of heaven, you may not even enter the kingdom of God.
The point being, is it worth it to be that trusting? Because Jesus is saying, this is a model.
He called the little child up next to him. He says, unless you humble yourself like this little child, you're not going to get into the kingdom of God.
You need to, is it worth it to be that gullible? That trusting that I don't know what you can put the word in here, but It's something that's challenging the disciples as they're getting closer to the cross.
Then right after that. And Matthew is giving a great chronological account here. Jesus is on his journey the next day.
He's setting out and a rich young ruler. Runs up to him.
And you know the story, this is actually going to be our text here.
But the story is this man wants to know what do I have to do to inherit eternal life?
What do I, is there something I'm lacking here and Jesus tells him that in the man walks away?
Because it wasn't worth it to him. In the disciples that we'll be talking about this in length, but this really poses a huge problem for the disciples because correct interpretation of this passage has more to do with
With your life and what you possess and decisions you make than riches per se. But the question is, would it be worth it to deny yourself anything that you can have?
I mean, it says that God furnishes us with all things richly to enjoy. Hmm, how do you put all that together?
So then immediately after that.
Jesus ends the the thing for the disciples and verse 30 But many who are first will be last in the last woman first and then he tells a story about the vineyard.
Now that's a really interesting story because all of us can relate to it. Especially if you've ever belonged to a union.
That's why vineyard should all have unions because the guys who were in there for 12 h working, they only got one denary.
And the guys who came and the eleventh hour and only worked 1 h, they also got a denary.
What is wrong with that picture? Huh?
In Jesus throws it right back in their face, saying, is it worth it?
You see, because what he's talking about there is the harvest.
Is the harvest worth it? I remember one time in Germany We had 2 cherry trees. And in Germany because of the climate and everything else.
It was like within a week they ripened and rotted. So you had to be on the trees and we had 4 kids so we had plenty of help, right?
Wrong. So one day I don't know what my problem was, my German gene took over and I thought I've got a harvesting streets.
I got to get something out of the trees, you know, for the kids and for the family. I like them too.
Well, so I'm in the trees and I'm realizing how many rooted cherries there are up there.
And then in the tree right across from me. A blackbird comes and he swoops down on a branch and he looks at me like I'm going to show you.
A cherry, which just made it inedible as far as I'm concerned. And then he flies away.
And I'm thinking. Oh, loud. I'm thinking, Lord, I would, where's the help when you needed anybody if anybody came in here right now I'd be happy.
And I thought to myself about this parable. What wouldn't it if if the harvest was the most important thing for you, wouldn't you be happy at any if they even came 10 to 12?
Just get in the field and help. But is it worth it? Because there's a price tag approach to working in the harvest.
And then Jesus foretells his death. This is in chapter 20, verse 17. He foretells his death.
He sees that they're on their way from Bethany where John originally baptized them. They're on their way to Jericho.
And they're walking uphill from the Jordan. And Jesus is walking ahead of him and he looks behind and he sees that the guys are really, they've internalized some of this, he's really gonna die.
And or something they don't understand. They don't like it. So Jesus goes back and he coaches them a little bit.
He says, this is what's going to happen. And, you know, I'm going to be raised on the third day, which apparently just went over their head.
And right after that.
The mother of James and John. Comes to Jesus. Cause women travel with Jesus. Do any of you have seen chosen?
That's a good depiction of what what it looked like there were women who actually went along with them and one of them was Jesus's aunt, his mom's sister, and John and James were his cousins.
Thank you.
And yeah, I always like this, you know, the sort of Milwaukeeism, it says here.
She came to ask him for something and in verse 21 it says, Jesus said to her, what do you want?
Well, I'm sure that's not always said it. If he was from Milwaukee, maybe he would have said it like that.
But anyway.
And she says, I want my 2 sons. To be granted to sit one on your right hand and one in your left hand when you're coming to your kingdom.
And Jesus said, you don't know what you're asking for. Would it be worth it to you?
Are you willing to pay the price? Kid, will you be baptized with my baptism and drink from the cup I drink from?
And they said, yeah.
And we'll see. We know the story, how that goes, but Jesus says it's not.
It's not my decision to make it. For those to whom it has been granted by my father.
In all of these things, what, and then the disciples get indignant. With, James and John that probably looked kind of interesting for a while.
You know, one of them, James goes to sit on a rock and somebody kicks the rock out of the way and he falls on the ground and you know, Jesus.
Comes the situation and the way he ends it is this. The Son of Man did not come to be served.
But to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Is it worth it?
For Jesus, we've been talking about this morning breaking the bread. It was definitely worth it. You shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul.
And be satisfied, he satisfied, it was worth it. But is it worth it for us? And that's a question I want you to ask yourself today.
Is it worth it for me to ramp it up a little bit or maybe to torque it down a little bit or to wake up a little bit earlier to to give more devotion to Jesus to stay in the Bible a little bit more concerted.
Is it really worth it to follow him?
Because I think we all have to keep asking ourselves that question. As life goes on because the times in the pressure of this world are set to hold us down.
They are set to dampen us. They are set to attract us and take away our attention and take away our focus.
And it's sort of like every day kind of renewing ourselves. Is it worth it to follow him?
So the story that we're going to be looking at is the rich young ruler. All 3 of the gospel writers, Matthew, Mark and Luke say that he's rich, so we know that.
It's Matthew who says he was young and it's Luke who says he was a ruler and that's how we get all these things going together.
So we have the ritual ruler and Jesus is already talked to his disciples about having the innocence and the the faith and the humbleness of a child and then the next morning this guy runs up to Jesus.
And so we have this in verse 16. It says, behold, a man came up to him.
And as he was setting out. And he said, teacher. Good teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?
And putting all the gospels together, he says, why do you call me good? There's only one who is good in and that is God alone.
And you know that's an important thing. You've heard of probably some sermons on it.
And that really is going to be the the crux of this first session. A section, but he says, why do you ask me what is good?
There is only one who is good. If you would keep, if you would enter eternal life, keep the commandments and he said to him, which ones in Jesus said.
You shall not murder, not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness on your father and mother and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The young man said, Teacher, this is what you get from Matthew and Luke. He said, teacher without the good.
I have kept. All of these things since I was a youth, what do I still? Now, here, let me tell you something good about you, people.
I'm guessing, but I'm thinking. None of you have murdered anybody this last week.
Hopefully, you haven't committed adultery, done anything like that. You haven't stolen, you haven't born false witness, you've honored your mother and your father and you love your neighbors yourself.
Maybe on those last 2 there's some falling down but generally you're good people right Yeah, not, not, yeah, I mean.
Okay, but here's the thought, right? Is that all it takes to make God happy? Is that all it takes to be a Christian?
Stay out of trouble.
Wouldn't that be cool? All you had to do was stay out of trouble, be incognito your whole life.
You know, you, you don't even register what, what party you're going to vote for.
You can't get on anybody's bad side. You're just like a chameleon walking through this earth, almost like the invisible person.
Right? That is not what it means to be a Christian. I think sometimes we define Christianity by just not being in trouble.
Oh, I am, I'm doing all Jesus wants me to do, obeys commandments.
Guess what? Most of Jesus commandments don't have anything to do. With not committing adultery and that stealing or smoking or swearing or any of that stuff.
Most of the commandments that got the disciples in trouble were the ones above bearing witness for him. So anyway, it says here that G, looking at the man.
Love him. That's what we get from Mark. Isn't that great? Picture this.
Jesus challenges him right away and he says, why are you calling me good? No one is good but God alone.
So when he starts up again, he says, teacher, he doesn't say good teacher. He says teacher.
Apparently that's a point, but it still says that Jesus loved him. Jesus wanted to give him a chance.
And so what does Jesus say? He says, One thing yet, sell everything you have. And give it to the poor.
And you'll have treasure in heaven. He's talking about an attitude thing. He's not talking, you know, one to one trade off between earthly stuff and heavenly stuff.
He's talking about the attitude of the guy's heart. You'll have treasure in heaven and it'll show where your value really is.
By the fact that you're able to do that. And then he says, and this is the important thing.
Come and follow me. Come and follow me. Let me can't do it. No, I guess the first point.
That I would say here, what's really important. What this guy didn't grasp and what we can lose sight of.
Is it is all about. Jesus, it is all. About the person of Jesus Christ. It is not about your worldview.
It is not about comparing Christianity to other religions. It is not about religion. It is not about Christianity.
It is about the person of Jesus Christ. You know, the disciples are really interesting like that. Like when Nathaniel comes up to Jesus and Jesus says You know, I saw you before Philip called you sitting under the fig tree.
He says. Truly, you are the Messiah, you are the King of Israel.
Where did he get that from? He had it in his mind that the Messiah was to be a very special person.
Jewish theology showed that the Messiah is that guy in Daniel chapter 7. The Son of Man.
And Jesus used that title all the time. There's something about the person of Jesus.
And that isn't, you know, and that's not even the crucial part here because I obviously this guy didn't know it and that didn't trip Jesus up at all.
It didn't make you mad. It didn't, it, he just said. You really want to know what you're lacking?
Do that and then follow me.
And it's the follow me. That is so important.
The first point here is you have to understand who Jesus is. And be willing to follow him. See, because that almost like covers a multitude of malfunctions.
If you understand that, is the savior that Jesus loves you like no other that Jesus gave his life for you even if you you're just at the place of sort of believing that.
Can you act on it like a child? And just follow him. Because in following him And that's the point in following him, that's how he becomes more real. What do you mean more real? How does he become more real?
He's in our experience. You know, I was really, it was really interesting this morning that people were quoting out of Ezekiel.
Okay, now I have an advantage over you. In terms of reading Ezekiel. And that is I read out of a German Bible.
So here's the thing. In the German in the English Bible it says Oh, and this is a key.
This does get the hair in your neck coming up on you. It's It says, and they will know.
That I am the Lord. That they will know that I am the Lord. You know what the German word is?
They will experience. That I am the Lord. In other words, they're not just going to know it like up here.
It's gonna it's gonna grab their hearts. They are gonna understand completely they will experience that I am the Lord and it's the same thing in following Jesus.
You know, he takes us where we are and he says obey. Okay, some of us before we were believers we like to lie some of us before we were believers we trusted in other things some of us when we were believers we put all of our time and all of our money in some something and those things are out there and they've just gotten more sophisticated and more addictive and the thing is But he says
follow me. And so what do we do? We start following him. And then he leads us into experiences.
I remember one night. You know, basically when I became a believer and my uncle took off, you know, it was like I became believer while he was still on furlough from.
Columbia. And so then he takes off, right? And so it's like I'm coming here, but I really like coming here.
And there was a I tried to come to basically every meeting, but the women said I shouldn't come to the women's meetings.
There was a Bible study for high schoolers at somebody's house. And I go to the, you know, it's like, yeah, yeah, go out there.
I knew the guy and I thought, yeah, I'll go out there and go out there and after the Bible study.
And yeah, I didn't know how to shut up. I mean, I started volunteering stuff.
But anyway, the end of it. The party was cookies and coke.
And I'm driving home. And all of a sudden it occurs to me as I'm driving home.
Do you realize you just said you had a great time? Eating cookies and drinking coke. Where about a month before that I was smoking part in New Zealand, It's like, what in the world?
Just happened to me. That's following the Lord. And he proves over and over again. We have to keep following.
I don't know what it means for you to follow the Lord. What I would say is this, ask seek and knock.
This is what a disciple is always every day supposed to be doing, asking, seeking and knocking.
And when you're doing that, if you're saying, Lord, would you open a door so that I can do something with my neighbor?
Can you open a door at work so I can talk to this person? Guess what? He will do it and you'll experience that and you will praise his name for it and then you're gonna go in and go Lord, now what do I say?
And don't let me make a jerk out of myself and you may anyway, cause it may be as well for you to be a jerk at that situation.
So the other person really has to extend a lot of belief and grace or whatever. But the point being, if you're doing stuff with the Lord.
It becomes the experience that deepens your faith. The disciples. Had a time where they could have taken off from Jesus.
In fact, it's right after the feeding of the twelfth, the peating in the 5,000, the feeding of the 5,000 is sort of like a pinnacle event because after that his popularity, Jesus popularity.
And at that, right after this is John chapter 6, you look at the end of John chapter 6, it doesn't look very rosy at all.
It says after he said these things many of his disciples left he probably had a crew of 200 guys following him.
And women and after they heard him talk about the bread of light they thought, no, that's a little bit too steep for me.
I'm not gonna do that. And they took off. Jesus looks over to the 12 and he says, Do you also want to go?
He gave him an out.
And Peter says to whom are we going to go? You have the words of eternal life and we have believed.
And have come to know. That you are the Holy One of God. We have believed. And that set us on our journey.
And in all of our following you, we have come to know. From situation after situation after one catastrophe after another, never get in the boat with Jesus.
There's always a storm. And what did they learn out of the storm? Believe it or not, just before this event.
This is where Jesus walked on water and Peter walked on water, but John doesn't say it, but you can read about it.
When they got to shore, they worshiped Jesus and they said, truly. You are the Son of God.
And a loving Father brought that situation to be that little crisis.
So that it could strengthen their faith to the next crisis. And God does that with you. He makes you stronger by following.
So the first point I would say, and this is really the the whole mistake this guy made is
He, he didn't understand who Jesus was, he wasn't willing to follow. He had too much stuff.
Or he had. Different expectations of life. You can figure out what what happened there. But let me go on to the next point then.
So Jesus sees this guy leaving. Hmm. In verse 22 it says when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful for your head.
He was very rich, but in all the Gospels together, he was very rich and had great possessions.
And Jesus says to the disciples, Truly I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven.
Again, I tell you it's easier for Camel to go through the eye of a surgical needle.
Then for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, what Jesus is saying is nearly impossible. But here's the thing, now this is just from the context.
The disciples? Are having some allergic reaction to what Jesus said. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished saying, Who can be saved?
Now, do you understand that in a sense, just in the text of maybe it's just me, this doesn't make any sense.
Jesus says it's impossible. Nearly impossible, very, very difficult. It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Then for a rich person get into the kingdom of God.
I understand that. Right, when you got so many toys to play with, I mean, why do you need God, right?
I mean, we just about every Probably every person in this room has a piece of plastic in their pocket.
Thank you, take the place of God. I mean, you need your need? What pray? You just go and, you know, get, get on Babylon and in order something.
Or go to the store why ask God you got it in your pocket you don't need that Wait, so I get it.
I mean, I really get it. What I don't get is the reaction of the disciples and this is key.
Cause it only gets worse. When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonishing, who then can be saved, and Jesus looked at them and said, with man, this is impossible.
But with God all things are possible and then Peter apparently puts his foot in his mouth. Up to the Then Peter in reset in reply, look Lord, we have left everything and followed you.
What then shall we have?
Hmm.
No, some people could say that Peter was probably well off and he was rich and so maybe he thought he fell in his category.
Looking at here is the astonishment of the disciples and Peter saying what then shall we have? Because as they were standing their disciples right now
They weren't carrying suitcases full of stuff behind them. They weren't carrying little ox cart.
Like every disciple had his own ox card of his stuff and back there. They had basically what they had on their back and a bag hanging from the shoulder.
And Peters says we have left. Everything. And followed you. What then shall we have?
That's the key phrase here. They left. Everything.
And just in case you need some reinforcement. For this or some more proof. Jesus looked down at.
Verse 29 and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother and father or wives or children or land.
I'm putting all the Gospels together there. He's saying everyone who has left everything.
So the the point is what they understood from Jesus is this. It isn't just the ritual are in trouble, everybody's in trouble.
Who? Then can be saved? If this is the case that if you have possessions, if you have desires, if you have things that are
Important in your life. They may block you from getting into the kingdom of God. Let me block you from being able to have a relationship with him.
What are you going to do?
And I read one commentator, it's just funny. He gets to this phrase and he says.
Is common as something like. A senseless, mindless. Outburst on Peter's part.
I don't think it was senseless at all. I think Peter got the point.
Remember phrases like, you know, like the when you read verse 29, Jesus saying in this one situation, he says, if anyone would be my disciple, if anyone would follow me.
It does not hate his mother and father, brother and sisters, wives and children, even his own life.
He cannot be my disciple. I mean, those are things where you just take it. He's just, What do you call it?
A hyperbole or you know something like that. Did he really mean that? Here's another thing, when we talk about sin and we talk about the totally gravity of man, whether you're a Calvinist or not, it doesn't matter.
You know, how do you praise his man? Well, if you read Romans chapter 3 it says No one does good.
No one is righteous. No one seeks after God and you say, O contrary. Yeah, people seek after God.
You know why they seek after God is cause God seeks after them. God is the one throwing out breadcrumbs.
We're not. The implication of that passage is we are so totally messed up because of sin so totally separated from God that without His help.
We would never, ever, ever. Seek for him. We seek for him because he is so gracious and he throws out breadcrumbs.
We seek for him because he he forms the inner structure or the infrastructure of societies so that that evil is not rewarded and so that good is protected.
He is the one who does that.
Not us, not without his help. And I think what Jesus is saying here and what the disciples are getting is that you mean Anything.
Not just riches, but anything that we desire. You know, it says that this guy had great riches.
What if a guy had or a woman had a great career. A great job. What if somebody had a great family?
I mean, I've really heard 2 occasions where people have said. What would my wife say? Or what would my family say?
And you see now we're talking about.
Christians being persecuted in different parts of the world because that's what they have to think. Is it worth it?
To follow Jesus. My allegiance to my family, my allegiance to my country, my allegiance to my job.
The fact that I have these desires that are being fulfilled here, the fact that I like comfort.
The seed that did not bear fruit. So among the thorns. And it said this. And as they go, they're choked by, by the desire for riches and pleasure and the cares of this world and their fruit does not mature and so they remain fruitless.
They actually bear ears of grain. But it never matures because of other things. The point I'm getting at here is I think Jesus is the same.
That we need to leave. That if you if you're looking to you know to look for a word right out of the passage Peter says we have left.
Everything. And my question is, are we willing? To leave. You know, and the thing is the Lord asks us to do that at different places.
In our lives. When I became a believer there were There were kind of sins that I dragged into the relationship.
I mean, I didn't give up everything right away. But I remember the more I read and the more I was around you people and the more I was praying and the more I was seeing the Lord work in my life, you know, it came to a place one day where I just said.
You know, I don't think so. I could imagine, you know, it was smoking pot.
It was like I can imagine that that Jesus and the boys would be under bridge at night, you don't pass on or join around or something.
I mean, it's stupid. I knew it was stupid, right? And so finally, I just sat down with the Lord one night and I said, you know what?
I said, I don't think this is right and I can't convince myself, can you help me?
And he did. And he did in a big way. I was reading Philippians. My uncle gave me a living Bible.
And it may not be accurate, but it sure was good. It still was the Word of God. And I read this portion that said how natural it is that I feel about you the way I do.
Paul talking to Philippians and I thought that's what I want in my life. I don't want to crutch.
I don't want to say, well, the reason I was in a good mood was because of this or that idea.
I want it to be about Jesus.
And I left. I went up on the railroad tracks, Milwaukee Road and kind of northwestern, we're right near where we lived, went up on the Rover tracks and I got rid of the whole thing.
Do you realize that? One of the marks of a disciple is the ability to leave things behind. And the thing is, I don't know what God would put his finger on in your life.
It may not be the same thing. But here's what I do know, and not many people track this down, is that when I do know, and not many people track this down, is that when Jesus chose his first disciples, that when Jesus chose his first disciples, And you find this in John chapter one and 2.
They were down. 75 miles south of the Sea of Galilee with John the Baptist, they had already left their jobs.
John and Andrew were there. And then it says, and now if you watch it chosen, this will mess you up a little bit because Chosen kind of didn't get this one right.
Andrew goes and finds he was He went first and found his brother Peter. Peter was not up. In Capernaum, Peter was down there.
That was a 75 mile journey. I mean that guy would have had to have been like the flash to ran all the way up there, grabbed his brother and ran all the way back.
Down to Bethany. Peter was already there because it says the next day then. Jesus said, Jesus decided to go.
To Capernaum and on the way he finds Philip. Philip had apparently been down there with John the Baptist also.
And then Philip finds Nathaniel before. They get to Kenya where Phil or where Nathaniel was from.
These guys had already left. They had already made a decision. I'm just saying here. In terms of whatever Jesus is saying here in terms of is it worth it?
He may ask you to leave some things.
And you need to make that decision. Is he worth it? Not is Christianity worth it, is our perspective of life worth it?
Is our worldview worth it? None of that is Jesus. Worth it.
And then Jesus goes on. And the third point is simply.
How would I? How would I even? Label this. In the new world.
Jesus says, you know, Peter says, what shall we have? And Jesus said to them, truly I say to you in the new world.
The new age, when the son of man will sit on his glorious throne, we're talking about the millennial kingdom.
You who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Now good news for people who are in Ezekiel is kind of a spoiler because when Iszekiel mentions the millennial kingdom and he talks about the millennial temple.
He mentions that Israel is going to be divided into 12 portions. One for each tribe. That means that who will be the the rulers who will be the governors of those portions.
Right here. The 12 disciples. And this is the part that gets good.
He says, and everyone who has left. Houses or mother or father, brother and sister. Wives and children or lands.
For my sake, will receive now in this time also.
A hundred-fold. Houses. And you put all the Gospels together, this gets kind of interesting.
Houses.
Mothers, brothers and sisters and children, he left fathers and wives out. How interesting, right?
Because you have one father. Your Heavenly Father. And he only allowed for one wife anyway so you don't get a bunch of wives like some other religions might say.
Very interesting. With persecutions and in the age to come eternal life. And then he says, but many who are first will be last and last will be first.
Is that hope of the future worth it? Because this is what he's offering and this is what I mentioned in a previous sermon.
You don't lose anything. You may lose it now, you may. Choose to bypass it.
Jesus did not marry. He did not win any foot races. He could have won everyone. He could have won any competition he entered.
He did none of that. He had one purpose. He stayed out mission. And he accomplished what his father wanted and we are the fruit of that.
He didn't feel like he lost anything. In the world to come we will know love like we have never known love I mean a lot of people are fearful they're gonna miss out on love I understand that.
I really do. I have an unmarried daughter, I, you know, I keep praying that the Lord would Help her find a guy who loves the Lord.
You know, I'm, I don't worry about it, but you know, it's on my heart because I'm a dad, but you know it's on my heart because I'm a dad, right?
But the thing is, I realize she will never lose love. She will no love at its fullest because on the day that she's with Jesus Christ everything will be fulfilled and I know that people have Here, physical ailments.
And there are things that they would like to do, but you know what?
All of that will be fulfilled in the future. When we are, when we, it says in Romans chapter 3, the resurrection of our body for in this hope we are saved.
Everything will be and then we will really be able to serve the Lord and then we will really be able to comfort people and then we'll really be able to help people without sin dragging a stone.
We will not lose anything. And Jesus is saying the new world is coming. And in that new world.
You will serve with me, you will reign with me, you will be helping people. I will honor you because you have followed me.
And right now on earth all these things I'm going to make sure you have all these things. 100 who who here has a hundred houses?
Anybody? Laura and I have had like, what are we working on? 12 now? I don't know what it is, you know, but it the Lord gave me that verse one time.
Do I need to own a house again? And what if our living situation is always temporary?
People are always asking you, didn't you buy a house, you're going to lose your, you're saving up for the future.
The Lord will do that. And he does. And he does, you put yourself out there and you follow the Lord.
And he just shows in 100 different ways he can put food on the table when you don't have a job.
He can bring people into your life who you can help. Or who can help you? He is so active.
He is so active. And he's just saying, are you willing to trust? That there is a new world coming in.
I'm going to be with you right now. I'm going to give you a hundred moms who here would want a hundred moms.
Not too many. Yeah, there we go. I like that.
100 brothers and sisters, a hundred children, some people. Have never had their own children. But Jesus is saying, you follow me, I'll give you children.
They they're they're going to be through adoption or maybe through new birth.
Rebirth. But I'm going to do that for you. I'm going to put you into a community where you have family.
So the question is, Is it worth it? We know Jesus's answer, is it worth it?
But see, these are the things as the days are getting darker that we need to deal with. Are we willing to?
Do that. So I'm gonna close by reading. Something out of Philippians.
Because I think the apostle Paul thought it was worth it too.
He says,
You said I was blameless under the law verse 7, but whatever game I had accounted as lost for the sake of Christ.
Indeed, I count. Everything is lost because this is the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.
For his sake, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes from faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know Him in the power of his resurrection and me share in his sufferings becoming like him in his
death. That by any means possible, IMA team may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I've already attained it or I'm already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ has made me his own brothers.
I do not consider that I have made it my own, but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, streaming forward to it lies ahead, I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upper call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let those of us who are mature
Think this way also. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your love. We thank you for your word that just bees us every day and shows us when
When we're holding on too tightly to things that shows us that our fears are unwarranted and we bring these to you and show us that our Lord is glorious.
He gave everything for us. And wouldn't it be just like a loving servant to be willing to give everything for him?
That's what we want to do. We're sorry for the richly on your ruler because he just made the wrong decision there, but we thank you that we're here and Not only have you led us to our Savior, but.
Every day, you renew our hearts. So we can fulfill our our commitment to him. And tell others about his love and why he came into the world.
So we just thank you for that. In Jesus name. Amen.
And you all