"What the Gospel Demands"

Several weeks ago, when I was home for an all too short weekend from camp, I was watching a segment of a David Platt sermon entitled "What the Gospel Demands." For me, it is one of those sermons that hits me where it hurts, while pumping me up for radical change in Jesus' Name at the very same time! In the clip I watched, he begins by talking about the radical implications of the Bible if we TRULY believe what it says. In Luke 14:33 Jesus says, "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." I think there is a common misconception with verses like this one that speak of giving up everything we have...many people think it is a reference to material possessions. It no doubt includes material things, but if we put the verse in context, we see just what Jesus meant by saying this. Earlier in the same chapter, in verse 26, Jesus says, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." I don't know about you, but for me, this is one of those verses that smacks me in the face a few times! Hate is an incredibly strong word, and to see Jesus using it in reference to family is shocking when you first read it. But, in verse 33 Jesus said to give up everything, and that is exactly what He meant. Should we actually be hateful, bitter, deceitful, rude, and malicious to our families? Absolutely not. But our love for Christ and our passion for furthering His Kingdom should be so much greater than our love for everything else, including our families, that it actually looks like hate in comparison. That is the cost of being one of Jesus' disciples.

Here's another doozy. In Matthew 16:24-25 Jesus tells His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." As followers of Christ, we are called to pick up our cross every single day and follow the Lord. We no longer live for ourselves, our families, our friends, our hopes, our dreams, our careers...none of that has significance anymore. Our lives are to be devoted to God, and God alone. That is the cost of being a follower of Jesus Christ.

But what does that life look like? The most wonderful part of all this is that God actually tells us over and over and over again throughout the Bible, but my favorite scripture that embodies this lifestyle is in the last chapter (28) of Matthew. In verses 18-20, Jesus so plainly states, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." My top two LEAST favorite excuses from my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are the excuses of being "too old" and "too poor" to be involved in the Great Commission. Age is not an object, and neither is money. We're talking about God here. He is completely limitless. He can use anyone! Not just the young. Not just the wealthy. You don't have to go to Africa, Asia, South America, or anywhere else to spread the Gospel. You can walk over to your neighbor's house to share the Good News! Anyone can be used. At any place and any time.

This is what the Gospel demands. Will we obey God or disobey? Exodus 19:5 tells us to obey God and leave all the consequences to Him. If we trust and obey Him in all circumstances, we will receive what is best for our lives; and that will be far greater than what we could ever obtain on our own!