Don't Quit
Notes
Transcript
Series Intro
Commitment: the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.
Our culture is one that does not see commitment as something of importance any more. Here are just a few statistics to prove my point.
Signs of Reduced Commitments in Life (America 1990)
1. The divorce rate is climbing: half of all new marriages end in divorce
2. Adults feel that they have fewer close friends than did adults in past decades
3. Brand loyalty in consumer purchasing studies has dropped in most product categories, and by as much as 60% in some categories.
4. The proportion of people willing to join an organization is declining in relation to churches, labor unions, political parties, clubs and community associations.
5. Book clubs and record clubs are less likely to attract new members when multiple year or multi-product commitments were required.
7. The percentage of people who commit to attend events but fail to show is on the rise
Cited from The Frog in the Kettle by George Barna
Commitment Issues impact us.
Commitment issues—also known as commitment phobia, or fear of commitment—are when a person finds it difficult to dedicate themselves to a long-term goal.
Commitment issues are rooted in fear… fear that I’m not good enough.. fear that I’m not disciplined enough and because of that I don’t want to commit I want make room for my inability to see it through.
Some of us can’t finish reading a book much less writing one.
Can’t stay on a job.
Can’t stay on budget.
Can’t stay in a relationship.
COMMITMENT ISSUES
The same lack of commitment carries over to our walk with God.
Intro
There is a great old hymn that I love to sing. Maybe you know it. It goes like this:
“I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
I have decided to follow Jesus,
No turning back, no turning back.”
Remember it? There are some other verses.
“The world behind me, the cross before me.”
“Though none go with me, still I will follow.”
You get the picture.
Well, it’s mighty easy to sing that song, but let me ask you a question: are you serious when you sing it?
Are you really ready to follow Jesus, no turning back?
Are you really ready to leave the world behind, to really follow though none go with you?
I ask myself, and quite frankly, I don’t like how I answer it all the time.
Here we are in the Gospel of Luke
Why did Jesus seeming discourage someone who was willing to follow?
I. A Need To Filter Freeloader / Fair Weather Friends
I. A Need To Filter Freeloader / Fair Weather Friends
The text says that somebody came to Jesus saying I will follow you where ever you go and Jesus’s response just doesn’t seem to fit.
Jesus hold one you’ve been going around inviting people to follow you now… you have the never to give this kind of response.
And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
Why would Jesus respond like this… who is this person who asked to follow?
Matthew 8 helps us… Matthew tells who he was a scribe.
It was a scribe who came to Jesus and said.. I will follow you. Ok let me teach for a min.
The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel The Third Part: When Jesus Faced Jerusalem (Chapter 9:51 to 18:30)
Matthew (8:19) calls the first man a scribe, one whose profession was the interpretation of the Old Testament and of the rabbinical traditions. This man was himself a teacher who had graduated in law and was qualified by the Jewish authorities. Many scribes were Pharisees and as a class joined the opposition against Jesus. But this man is an exception, one whose association with Jesus had brought him to the point of offering himself to Jesus as a permanent pupil
The Interpretation of St. Luke’s Gospel The Third Part: When Jesus Faced Jerusalem (Chapter 9:51 to 18:30)
What better offer could Jesus wish? It is without if or but. “I will follow thee” is volitive; the man had come to this resolution. “Wherever thou wilt go away” (the futuristic subjunctive) is the present tense and durative: wherever at any time, to any destination (ἀπό in the verb), no matter what the distance or the hardship of the way. The offer seems almost too good.
Ok so… during that time… here’s how discipleship worked.. a student would find a teacher and ask to be their student.
For Scribes y’all they were like celebrities…they were on everyone VIP list.
They skipped to the front of the line.
They got served first.
They had status, they had importance.
And this scribe notices that Jesus has a major following
This scribe notices that people are responding to Jesus.
And he says… wait let me hook up with him because if I hook up with him that can elevate my status.
If I follow him… then I’ll get to share in his glory.
Jesus helps us here because he shows us how to filter.
Sometimes we struggle with filtering.
Here Jesus shows us how to filter, fake and phony freeloading friends.
Watch the text… Jesus does not tell him no.
Jesus says I get it you are eager to follow me.
I get it you see the crowds and get excited about that.
I get it you think I have some influence and you want to leverage that.
But have you counted the cost?
Following me ain’t all cookies and cream.
Being my friend ain’t ease.
Rolling with my gets difficult.
He says don’t be fooled by the crowd, if you gonna roll with me you’ve got to be able to endure that heat that comes with it.
If you gonna be my friend you’ve got to be able to scwabble.
If you gonna be my friend you’ve got to understand that some attacks will come.
Here Jesus shows us how to filter, fake and phony freeloading friends.
Maybe some of us need to take a page from Jesus and review some of our friends.
I get it you commited to me as long as I pay.
I get it you commited to me as long as I’ve got your back.
I get it you commited to me as long as I’m there for you.
But can I count on you?
In 1988 a major question was asked…by a group called New Edition
On a perfect day, I know that I can count on you
When that's not possible
Tell me can you weather the storm?
'Cause I need somebody who will stand by me
Through the good times and bad times
She will always, always be right there
Sunny days, everybody loves them
Tell me, baby, can you stand the rain?
Storms will come
This we know for sure (this we know for sure)
Can you stand the rain?
But wait we’ve got to ask an introspective question.
Are you only committed to God when the going is good?
Are you only committed when it’s your season?
Are you only committed when He’s blessing?
Are you only committed for the Sunny days?
Are you only committed for what you can get from God
not for how God can use you?
Are you a freeloading, fake, phone Christian?
Jesus doen’t tell him no.. he simple shares with him that there’s a cost.
Not only do we see this… there are two others in the text that Jesus invites to follow him and his response to them show us the second thing this text is tailored to teach us.
II. A Need to Prioritize the Kingdom
II. A Need to Prioritize the Kingdom
But there’s some tension in the text that arrested me.
Here it is Jesus has disciples whom he has called… and I began to wonder what must they have thought seeing Jesus give the responses he gave.
Here you have someone coming to Jesus volunteering to follow and Jesus cautions him… wait a minute Jesus I didn’t get that caution.
Wait a minute Jesus I didn’t get that warning.
I’m out here with you now, I’ve left my tax booth.
I’ve left my fishing nets… and now you want to issue some warnings.
III. A Need to Commit to Jesus
III. A Need to Commit to Jesus
Y’all I struggled with this all week… God what was the difference and God show’ed me
For many are called, but few are chosen.”
I had to unpack that… Matthew 22 is the story of the wedding feast… Jesus tells this story and says that the Kingdom of heaven is like this....
He says a host prepared a reception and sent his servant to call the invited guest… those who are on the VIP list.... those who are of status… those who deserve to be at the reception… those who have it together… the good people.
And they say they are to busy then the text says the host told his servant to go to the highways and sideroads and
get the people that are overlooked…
go get the people that are messed up… go get the people who have never been selected.
Go get the people who are always overlooked.
Go get the people are are on the margins.
Tell them that they have a seat at the table.
Then he says… many are called but few are chosen.
ohhhhh
Y’all that shouts me because it says to me that God choses those of us who were broke busted and discussed.
God doens’t mind chosing folks who don’t have it all together.
God doesn’t mind choosing folks who have flaws.
Go doesn’t mind choosing folks who got a little dirt on them.
God doen’t mind choosing folks who past is questionable.
God doens’t mind choosing folks who come from broken homes
God doesn’t mid choosing folks who are barley holding on.
Many are called but few are chosen
and if you are here today it is not by accident but divine providence.. GOD CHOSE YOU.
And this is where the tension in the text comes to life…WILL YOU CHOOSE GOD.
Will you commit to him who commited to you?
Will you who are imperfect commit to He who is perfect.
Will you commit to Jesus?
Will you who are full of sin commit to him who knew no sin but… chose to die one Friday on an old rugged cross as they hung him high and stretched him wide… for your sins and my sins.
Becasuse who chose to love us… even death could not keep him… for Early Sunday morning he got up…
And when I think abut what he did to save me I have to sing with the song writer...
Close
I have decided to follow Jesus;
no turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
no turning back, no turning back.
And I wonder this morning if there’s somebody in Uplift who can say with my I have decided to follow Jesus… I’m committed to him.
I’m not turning back I’m commited to him.
I’m commited to Jesus… in the good times
I’m commited to Jesus… in the bad times
I’m commited to Jesus… in the happy times
I’m commited to Jesus … in the sad times.
I am commited to Jesus.
Call To Action