More than willing | SermonIndex

H

havok20x Feb 25, 2014

Luke 14:25-33

"Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it””-lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple."

I have been wrestling with this and I definitely need someone wisdom on it.

When I think about what I have given up--what it is costing me right now--to be a follower of Christ, the list is really short. Not that I should glory in some lengthy list or anything like that, but when I think about what the disciples gave up and what other Christians around the world lay down, I begin to be troubled about what I am doing.

And I understand in some places that there are things that they HAVE to give up automatically--friends/family etc who reject them for following Christ.

I have prayed on many occassions, "Lord, I am willing to lay everything down for You."

Is the Lord interested in me just being willing, or am I to go ahead and step out on faith and lay them all down?

I am not asking this to start a discussion about generalities. This is something that has been hard and heavy on me for several weeks.

sermonindex Feb 25, 2014

You lay things down as God brings your attention to them. You don't lean on your own understanding.

Some people have sold everything they had and realized later that God was not asking them to do that or left their unsaved family members and not spoken to them for years because they thought God was asking them to do that.

Don't have time for further explanations, and hope you get the gist. Listen to Him, follow Him and heed His voice to YOU. He will lead you here a little, there a little. He is raising sons and cannot do it all in one day. But, let everything you do be motivated by love and directed by His Spirit and not compulsion or emotion.

Exo_23:29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

Exo_23:30 By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

H

havok20x Feb 25, 2014

Okay, I can understand that.

The things that I am grappling with are stuff that He has already commanded or suggested in the Scriptures, like in the verses that I posted and several others.

I do not see the exception in scriptures, "...but only as the Spirit leads."

I always thought that if I sacrificed something good for the Lord, that He would honor it. Is it a sacrifice if I wait for Him to tell me to do it?

I keep going back to that great cloud of witnesses that surrounds me and looking at there lives and then looking at mine and saying, "What's the deal? Why am I not stepping out on faith like that?"

sermonindex Feb 25, 2014

What is the answer? Why are you not stepping out in faith?

What are two things the Lord has commanded you to do and what is holding you back?

He will perform His word spoken to YOU, but He won't perform for us because we "sacrificed" something and are expecting pay back, now. He is not on our timeline, we are on His. What if He does not honor His word to you for 40 years? What if you got locked in a deep dark dungeon for 8 years with 1 meal a day? Would you consider that He is honoring you? What are you looking for from Him? How do you want Him to honor His word to you?

People talk about God honoring His word if they step out and do this or that and the emphasis is on I, ME, MY. The emphasis is not really on the Lord at all, is it?

Read your last sentence. "What's the deal? Why am I not stepping out on faith like that?"

Your issues are deeper than lack of performance and you should deal with them, first.

Luke 17:10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

H

havok20x Feb 25, 2014

I don't mean honor as in getting something out of God. I mean honor as in Him accepting it.

I would be more than willing to be thrown in a dungeon, if that is what the Lord desires.

sermonindex Feb 25, 2014

Ok, understand. But if He tells you to do something and you do it, only HE and you will know if it is accepted because your heart and it's motivations is a central part of our relationship with Him. If you ask Him, He will let you know if it is accepted.

I

InTheLight Feb 25, 2014

Is the Lord interested in me just being willing, or am I to go ahead and step out on faith and lay them all down?

This scripture came to mind;

Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. (2 Corinthians 8:11-12)

These verses are in the context of giving to the poor but I think the principle can be applied elsewhere; namely that willingness should be accompanied by performance according to ability. God accepts what we can do and does not reject us for what we can't do.

I am also reminded of the Lord's word, "be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." The serpent speaks of being zealous but the dove balances the zeal with calm discretion.

In Christ,

Ron

H

havok20x Feb 25, 2014

Brother,

I think you and I are talking about different things. I understand to do something if God tells me, "Hey! Do this!" But I don't have to wait for the Holy Spirit to lead me to do what is already in the Scriptures.

Verses like those found in Luke 14 are difficult for me to handle, because I really do try to live out what I believe; however, not sure how exactly to apply these verses.

sermonindex Feb 25, 2014

Can you give me an example of something that is already in the Scriptures that you are avoiding?

G

ginnyrose Feb 25, 2014

My understanding....

Jesus teaches us that one should count the cost of following him when he makes the decision to do so. Doing so may mean you have to break with your family - they may oppose you, throw you out of the house. Or, it may mean you will lose your job because you cannot function in that position or because your boss just does not want a Christian working for him.

Unless you are willing to do without these things that make life comfortable, secure, you cannot be His disciple. You must make Jesus first - you cannot allow your family, your job to determine how you will follow the LORD. Jesus wants to be first. Always.

This is how I understand this scripture.

sermonindex Feb 26, 2014

We are constantly learning what the cost entails and constantly being encouraged, wooed and challenged to surrender yet another area of our heart that we were unaware of.

H

havok20x Feb 26, 2014

That makes sense, Ginny. Thank you.