Fanning the Flame – Sermons

During my time in college I had the privilege of getting to know many guys that were also studying to go into the ministry. Ben Hicks was one such friend. Since our freshman year we have pretty much been in all the same classes since we shared the same major in school. During our sophomore years of college we both worked the same job as student callers for the Admissions Office at our school. During our Junior and Senior years of college we both worked on the dorm staff in the same dorm. Our greatest memory during our time at school came when we both preached at our school’s chapel our Junior years of college. Ben’s message that day was entitled, “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People.” I have found myself going back to this message many times since first hearing it preached. God has blessed Ben with a tremendous gift of preaching and I’m sure that this message will be an encouragement to you. – Caleb 

Text: Romans 8:28-30
Thesis: Trust God’s plan for your life.

I’d like to start off this morning by asking a very common question: why do bad things happen to good people? Now, from a Christian perspective, this has a very simple answer, no one is good. Paul tells us earlier in Romans that there is none that doeth good, there is none that seeketh after God. But, what if I tweaked that question slightly and instead I asked, “Why do bad things happen to God’s children?”

Let’s be honest, life is hard. And as unfair as it may seem, life is hard whether you’re a believer or an unbeliever. Many children of God have stepped back and looked at the pain of life and wondered where God is during the times of great suffering. Where is God when life falls apart? Where is God in the midst of abuse? Where is God in suffering? And why is He letting all this happen?

To answer this question, we are going to look at Romans 8:28-30. And we’re going to see that even during times of great suffering we should trust God because He has a plan for our lives.

Verse 28 reads, “And we know that all things work together for good, to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, them he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”

So we see here in this passage that God does have a plan. For the Christian, there is no such thing as random, God is sovereign and God is working all things together. And this morning I would like to make the case that we should trust God and His plan, even when life gets really really hard. There are three reasons in this passage why we should trust God’s plan. First of all, it is a good plan. Secondly, it is a purposeful plan. And finally, it is a certain plan.  Let’s look at each of these individually. First of all, we see that

I.              We should trust God because He has a good plan for our lives.

Explanation: In verse 28 we see clearly that God’s plan for our lives is good. Now, it is important to note that this passage does not say all things are good. And that is an important distinction to make. God does allow bad things to happen. But, what this verse does say is that God is so powerful and so good that he can take the bad things and turn them around and bring good out of them.

Argumentation: And we would expect this to be the case, because everywhere the Bible teaches that God is good. James 1:17 tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning.” In Matthew 7:11 Christ asks, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to you children, how much more will your father which is in heaven give good gifts to them that ask?”

Illustration: Probably the clearest illustration of this in all the Bible is Joseph. Even though he was abused, wronged, and betrayed by those around him, Joseph never got bitter. What kept him so positive and godly during times of great trial? What allowed him to so freely forgive his brothers after the way they wronged him? Well, Genesis 50:20 tells us. “But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good.” Joseph was able to look past the bad circumstances of his life and see that a good God was in control and that God was able to take what had happened in Joseph’s life and use it for good.

Application: What does this mean for us? Well, if God is always good, then you must trust Him no matter what. That means when you lose someone close to you, God is still good and you must still trust Him. When you fail English 102, again, God is still good, and you must still trust Him.  When your finances run out and you don’t know where the money you need could ever come from, God is still good and you must still trust Him.

Transition: But how does this work? How in the world does God take the rotten things of this life and use them for our good? That leads us to our second point, where we see in verse 29 that . . .

II.            We should trust God because He has a purposeful plan for our lives.

Explanation: Let me explain. God has something very definite in His mind when He says “good.” And it all comes down to that first word of verse 29 – for. That word shows us that Paul is going to give the reason why everything works together for good. All things work together for good because “whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.” In other words, the good in verse 28 is referring to Christlikeness.

You see God has a very different definition of good than we do. When most of us think of good we think of a full bank account, straight A’s, and marriage. But that is not what God is thinking of when He says good.  God’s definition of good is that you walk and talk and act and behave like Jesus Christ. We call this process sanctification, where we are conformed to the image of Christ.

Illustration: There’s a classic illustration of this, which means that it probably never happened. But it does illustrate the point very well. The story is told an admirer of the famous statue David who suddenly realized that its sculptor, Michelangelo, was standing right next to him. “How in the world did you manage to craft such a wonderful and realistic David?” the bystander asked. Michelangelo shrugged his shoulders and answered, “It was actually easy I guess. I just started with a large block of marble, and then I chipped away everything that didn’t look like David.”

In much the same way, God looks at our lives, and He wants to see His Son, but He sees things that don’t belong. He sees hidden pride, he sees sinful thoughts and habits and unbelief. So He picks up His chisel, and He picks up the hammer of life, and He begins to wear away at the rough edges. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes the blow of His hammer takes off a little more than we would like. But we can rest assured that every single circumstance in our lives is lovingly calculated by a wise master craftsman to be for our absolute best.

God doesn’t waste pain. He has a purpose in every pitfall along the way.

Argument: Some of you may be thinking right now, “But wouldn’t it be easier to just have smooth sailing through life? Why do we have to go through the pain for Christlikeness? How is that good?” Well, you need to understand that God created us to find true joy in being obedient to Him. No amount of ease or luxury will ever take away the need placed inside all of us to reflect our Maker. Christ said it this way, “These things [referring back to His commands] These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” True joy is found in being like Christ.

Transition: So we have seen that God has a good plan and purposeful plan, but maybe you’re asking yourself, Ben what if it just gets to be too hard? What if I don’t make it? And that leads us to our final point.

III.          We should trust God because He has a certain plan for our lives.

Explanation: As we wrap up this passage, I think it’s important to note the final verse. Paul has assured us that God is in control and that He is good. He has also reminded us that God has a purpose for everything He brings into our lives. Now He gives us assurance that this plan of God will succeed.

Romans 8:29 and 30 have caused no end of debate in theology. I think in some ways that’s too bad, because I don’t think that’s why Paul gave us this section of Scripture. Look at the context. Romans 8 is all about the comfort of the believer. It starts with “There is now no condemnation to them that ar e in Christ Jesus” and ends with “Who can separate us from the love of Christ?”

So how do these verses comfort us? Because we realize that God is the One Who is accomplishing these things. It is not up to us to get ourselves saved, and it is not up to us to sanctify ourselves. God is the One Who is ultimately behind both. Look at the process going on here and pay special attention to the verbs. “For whom he did foreknow, he did predestinate, he did call, he did justify, he did glorify.” The subject of every one of those verbs is God.

Now, this does not take away our responsibility before God. I am not suggesting that you “Let go and let God.” But I am saying that the confidence we have in any change in our lives should be rooted in the fact that God is sovereign, and He is the One Who is working in us.

Paul said it this way in I Thessalonians 5:23-24, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.” And in Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Conclusion:
I’m reading through Job in my Bible reading right now. Job had a really hard life, and he had a lot of questions for God. And Job demanded that God give him answers. But God didn’t, which is a little surprising, because we know from the story that God had good answers. Instead, God shows up and for four chapters He simply reminds Job Who He is. I know some of you are going through tough times, but I don’t know every situation. And I don’t need to, because I know from Romans 8:28-30 that God is a powerful, sovereign God with a plan. And I know that plan is good, and that plan is purposeful, and that plan is certain. And you can trust God’s plan for your life, even when times gets hard.

Introduction: When we are wronged in some way, our natural inclination is to fight back, to get even.
As funny as some vengeance stories can be the truth is that when we are hurt it’s not at all funny and we feel that we deserve to get even.
The idea of vengeance can seem distant at times but it hits really close to home when we are the one getting hurt. Often we raise the question, “God if you’re going to let this happen can’t you at least let me give these people their just deserves?”

Romans 12 has much to say about what is expected of Christians.

a.     In General terms (12:1-2)
b.     In Specific terms (12:3-16)

As a broader context Romans 12 is teaching us that such behavior is an indication of a transformed life. But perhaps one of the greatest signs of transformation is how one responds to evil and how one treats their enemy.

The motto of Scotland, “Nemo me impune lacessit” – “No one treads on me unpunished!” – applies to man in the flesh throughout the world.  Human nature responds with vengeance; is this how Christians are to respond?

Proposition: A transformed life must be demonstrated in your behavior when you are wronged.
Transition: In Romans 12 Paul gives 3 habits that a truly transformed disciple demonstrates.

I.               You demonstrate a transformed life when you refrain from retaliation when wronged (19)

A.    Avenge not yourselves

Explanation: Let us not dare to steal from God what He so distinctly asserts to be His province alone – vengeance – the dealing out just deserves to evil action.  The Bible asserts that we “never avenge ourselves.” The natural heart will spout a stream of objections, but the answer of the Bible is, “never avenge yourselves.” There is no way around it. It is a flat statement that has no loopholes. It does not say, “Avenge yourselves except under such and such conditions.” It says, “Never avenge yourselves.”

Objections: Someone is bound to protest, “But are we not to stand up for our rights?” We live in a country that celebrates the rights of each of its citizens and often for good reason. Many Christians in American then have difficulty when they come to this passage. Paul rights and says we are not to avenge ourselves but what if one of our rights as an American citizen is violated? Then is it okay to avenge ourselves and stand up for our rights?

Remember the man that is righting this passage. Paul was legally a Roman citizen because he happened to be born in the Roman province of Cilicia. Paul made use of his rights as a Roman citizen when it benefited the Gospel – not having a prominent apostle killed before his allotted work was completed was certainly a benefit to the Gospel. Roman citizenship in the 1st century A.D. provided several rights and obligations. Among these were the eligibility of magistracies, the right to military service, the ability to possess, acquire and bequeath property, enter into commercial contracts, contract legal union (i.e. marriage), and be judged by Roman law. Many times Paul would utilize his rights as a Roman citizen to help advance the Gospel. As a Roman citizen Paul would appeal to Caesar, escape stoning, and be tried legally. However, Paul did not always defend his Roman rights. The book of Acts and other portions of Scripture, tell us that Paul was given 39 lashes on numerous instances. He was bound and put in chains. He was imprisoned for two years. Why would Paul allow these things to happen to him if as a Roman citizen it could have been prevented? Paul recognized that his rights as a citizen of a country were only as good as their aid in the advancement of the Gospel.

As a Christian and an American citizen my citizenship is first and foremost a heavenly one. Therefore, my rights as an American are only as good as their aid in advancing the Gospel. If my rights are violated this is not in of itself a reason to retaliate. My rights as an American citizen are given by man; my rights as a citizen of heaven are given by God. Freedom of religion can be taken away tomorrow but my salvation can never be taken away. It is important we understand that the constitution is not the Bible. The Bible is the Bible. If my American rights are violated I still do not have the right as a citizen of heaven to retaliate. We hold our rights only with the proper attitude and the right objective.

Application: When someone wrongs us, we can:
·       Hurt others more – that’s vindictiveness
·       Hurt others the same way – that’s retaliation
·       Have nothing to do with them – that’s disdain
·       Love him and serve him – that’s Christian

B.     Give Place to Wrath

Explanation: After “Do not take revenge, beloved,” Paul continues, “but rather leave room for wrath . . .” The words, “of God” are not in the original. Accordingly some commentators have suggested that what Paul meant was “leave room for the adversaries’ wrath.” Others say Paul meant, “Leave room for your wrath of the civil magistrate’s wrath.” However, it is not necessary to deal separately with each of these guesses. When the word “wrath” occurs in the NT without a modifier showing whose wrath is being referred to we are always dealing with God’s wrath. It is reasonable then to believe that Romans 12:19 is referring to the wrath of God.  When Paul says “we should leave room for wrath” he is emphasizing that we should not “play God” and should abstain from attempting to usurp the divine prerogative of pouring out wrath.

Illustration: Did not Jesus himself, though he was the object of deeper and far more agonizing suffering, unjustly laid upon him by sinners – from their side it was certainly unjust! – instead of taking vengeance, commit himself to the One who judges righteously?

Application: In view of the fact that Jesus Christ, by his vicarious suffering, removed God’s wrath from us, should we not be happy to refrain from taking revenge? What, the, is our duty when we are being unjustly treated? Is it not that we ask God to grant to the persecutors the grace of true repentance and faith? If you have accepted the grace of God in your own life shouldn’t it be your prayer that even your persecutors may receive the same grace? The one who has suffered wrong should treat the one who hates him (not with resentment or hate) but with love and an understanding of true grace.

II.              You demonstrate a transformed life when you react in love when wronged (17,20)

 Explanation: Repay no one evil for evil. Thus Paul writes in Romans 12:17a and also in 1 Thessalonians 5:15.  But Paul is not alone in this prohibition
Thus we are prohibited against responding to evil with evil. Paul gives further demonstration of this truth in verse 20 when he says we should feed our enemies when they’re hungry, give them water when their thirsty and in general treat them with love. Paul quotes Proverbs 25:21,22 in verse 20 of his passage.

Argumentation: In words that have given rise to many different interpretations, the apostle, still quoting Proverbs, continues, “for by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Some have interpreted this part of the passage as meaning that acts of kindness toward your enemy will be a way of making the enemy ashamed of himself. This interpretation, however, is contrary to the tone of Paul’s message. Paul has just said that we should love our enemies. If treating them with love means that they will squirm under the pressure Paul has contradicted his statement that we should in no way pursue vengeance. Heaping coals on your enemies head is an act of benevolence. The cause of our good should be love and not the satisfaction of seeing our enemies squirm under our benefactions. Paul is saying you should give live coals to those in need not that if you are kind to an enemy it will make them uncomfortable. Verse 14 is clear. Yes, aim in loving our enemy is to bless him not curse him.

Application: Abraham Lincoln once said, “The best way to get rid of an enemy is to turn him into a friend.” With respect to Lincoln I would like to change that quote and say it like this, “The best way to get rid of an enemy is to love him the way Christ does.” You see when you see the world through Christ’s eyes there are no enemies and no matter how you may be treated it becomes easy to love instead of hate.

III.            You demonstrate a transformed life when you recognized the reality of God’s vengeance when wronged

A.    The God of vengeance (19b)

Explanation: Vengeance is a Divine prerogative. “Vengeance is mine says the Lord.” God possesses the ability and has all the tools to administer vengeance. Nahum 1:1-8 says,

“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; 
The Lord avenges and is furious.
The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries,
And He reserves wrath for His enemies.”

God’s “vengeance” must require that infinite knowledge of conditions, of motives, of results upon others, which God, the just Judge, alone possesses.

Illustration: Aesop, the ancient storyteller, told this fable: A wasp settled on a snake’s head and tormented it by continually stinging. The snake, maddened with the pain and not knowing how else to be revenged on its tormentor, put its head under the wheel of a wagon, so that they both perished together.

Application: The best way to get rid of a desire for vengeance in your life is to recognize that you do not own it. Vengeance belongs to God and God alone. No human is capable of justly bringing vengeance down in way that satisfies them or anyone else.

B.     The Goal of vengeance (21)

Explanation: In these shallow, sinful days, men have forgotten that there is a day of reckoning; but the believer must not forget. God is a holy God who cannot overlook injustice. Acts 3:14 calls God the “Holy One and the Just.” It is imperative that we understand that God is just and cannot overlook any sin. There is a goal, therefore, for vengeance. God’s vengeance is meant to overcome evil. In Matthew 25:41 Jesus is shown judging the nations of the world. “Then shall He [Jesus] say also unto them on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angles.” God’s wrath is real and is really coming

Illustration: Jonathan Edwards preached a powerful sermon in Enfield Connecticut on July 8, 1741. In it he said this about God’s vengeance against the wickedness of man.
“The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the arrow made ready on the string; and justice directs the bow to your heart, and strains at the bow: and it is nothing but the mere pleasure of God, and that of an angry God, without any promise or obligation at all, that keeps the arrow one moment from being drunk with your blood.”

Application: The goal of vengeance is the overcoming of evil and God’s Word promises us that this will happen. Dear Christian, how can you presume to be just in our pursuit of vengeance when God claims to be the owner of vengeance? Dear unbeliever, be warned that the wrath of God is real. Jonathan Edwards concluded his sermon this way:
“Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and flee from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is now undoubtedly hanging over every unregenerate sinner. Let everyone flee out of Sodom—‘Escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain lest you be consumed.’” 

Conclusion: When I was in 9th grade I traveled to Cambodia with my Dad on a mission trip. While in Cambodia we met a man by the name of Sepan. Sepan grew up in Cambodia and had endured the horrible regime of Pol Pot. Pol Pot was a Cambodian Moist Revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. Pol Pot became leader of Cambodia on April 17, 1975 at which time he began his horrible regime. During his time as leader of Cambodia he imposed agrarian socialism, forcing urban dwellers to relocate to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labor project. The combined efforts of Pol Pots forced labor, malnutrition, poor medical care, and executions resulted in the deaths of approximately 21% of the Cambodian population. In all, an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 million people died as a result of the 3 year reign of Pol Pot. Among the millions killed were Sepan’s family members. During the horrible reign of Pol Pot Sepan escaped to Vietnam but after Pol Pot was expelled from his dictatorial position Sepan returned to his native country. Upon returning Sepan began to bump into men who were formerly part of Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. These were the men who had killed millions of innocent Cambodians. If there was ever a man who deserved to seek vengeance, Sepan was that man. However, Sepan had accepted Christ as his Savior while in Vietnam. When Sepan saw these former members of the Khmer Rouge he did not see enemies he saw souls destined for an eternity in hell. Sepan began to show these men the love of Christ and gave the Gospel to them. When my dad and I were in Cambodia we were able to meet some of these former members of the Khmer Rouge that Sepan had led to the Lord. One such man was now a regular attendee of the church in Cambodia and had adopted two children whose parents he had killed while part of the Khmer Rouge.

We may never be called to manifest the power of responding to evil with good in such a remarkable way, but . . .
a.     We can begin by how we respond to personal abuses we often receive from others.
b.     We can react to evil treatment even on a small scale with active good will.

Do you desire to be truly transformed in your Christian life? Then be transformed by the renewing of your mind and demonstrate that God’s will for responding to evil is indeed good, acceptable, and perfect.

Proposition: A transformed life must be demonstrated in your behavior when you are wronged

Posted by Caleb

Have you ever been “in over your head?” Have you been so overcome by a trial in your life that it felt as though you couldn’t think or move, let alone lead a productive life? Have you ever been distressed?

If you have not faced a trial recently, you will face one soon. James makes the assumption that believers will encounter trials when he says, “Count it all…”

David, king of Israel, the man after God’s own heart was in trouble. There is perhaps no grief that brings with it such pain as the grief over a wayward child.
Now David is on the run. 

David is in the midst of legitimate distress. How will he react?
His reaction is recorded for us in Psalm 3 when in the night of his trial, both literally and figuratively, in beautiful poetic form, David teaches us how to deal with distress.

Proposition: Dealing with distress biblically is essential for a successful Christian life.
Transition: Let’s take a look at the decisive actions taken by David in Psalm 3 in order to successfully deal with his God-sent trial.

I. Dealing with distress requires an acceptance of reality. (v.1-2)
Explanation: Very often in our culture, we shy away from admitting it when pain or trial enters into our lives. Trials are a reality! It’s not “masculine” to deny them, or act like they are not there! David spoke of his distress in terms of actual reality.

A.    David’s trial was growing. (v.1)  – “how are they increased!”
B.    David’s trial was active. (v.1) – “rise up against me”

C.    David’s trial was personal. (v.2) – “many there be which say…”
The reality of this trial was that it was growing, active, and personal.

Proposition: Dealing with distress biblically is essential for a successful Christian life.
Transition: A second action seen in this passage leads us to conclude that…

II. Dealing with distress requires an acknowledgment of hope. (v.3-4)

Explanation:“But” is a significant word here. David acknowledges the reality of his trial, but this is not where he will dwell. He knows that there is hope.
Question: How could David see any hope at all in the midst of a circumstance this bleak?

A.    David’s hope was based on present security. (v.3) – “thou art”
      1. God protects my person. (v.3) – “shield”
                   “Shield” – Buckler round about; more than simply a hand-held shield. Terms of military                                              implying a  literal physical security against the enemy. Almost as if, “they’re out there, but they                              haven’t gotten to be, because God is protecting me.God is our very personal protector.
      2. God protects my reputation. (v.3) – “my glory”
                    This is indirect response to the ones who seek to bring back his past sins.It may have felt as                                      though the tide of public opinion had swept his reputation away. “Glory” refers to the dignity                                  and honor only given through God. Or, David glories in God, and the glory of God is the only                                  reputation that he needs. Losing your reputation before man is scary! There is no need to fear                                when all of your glory comes from God. As long as our glory and honor come from ourselves,                                   we stand on shaky ground – our glory comes from God.
        3. God protects my joy. (v.3) – “lifter up of my head.”
                           Depiction of David weeping aloud as he headed back to Jerusalem in rags. God was there.When                            the head drops in discouragement, God is there to lift it up. The presence of God diffuses any                                   joy-stealing emotions.Well to note that David’s confidence and joy doesn’t come from any                                      knowledge of the past or future, but from knowledge of God. In the midst of trial, David had a                                hope based on present security.
B.    David’s hope was based on past experience. (v.4) – “I cried, God heard.”
                   * With the lion.
                   * With Goliath.
                   * Against Saul’s rage.
David’s confidence comes from the knowledge that God hears prayer!

Proposition: Dealing with distress biblically is essential for a successful Christian life.
Transition: David dealt with this trial in his life by accepting the reality of it, and by acknowledging the hope that hung on his knowledge of God. But there is a third action taken by David in this text that is well for us to note.

III. Dealing with distress requires an announcement of courage.(v.5-6)
Just as any soldier would boldly go to battle based on the strong relationship that he has with his father, David draws on his knowledge of God to make some eerily bold claims.

A.    There is rest resulting from God’s sustenance. (v.5)
B.    There is rest resulting from God’s power. (v.6)
Proposition: Dealing with distress biblically is essential for a successful Christian life.
Transition: Now that we have looked at the first three actions that David takes in order to deal with his distress, let’s consider his final, perhaps most important, action.

IV. Dealing with Distress Requires and Appeal for Deliverance. (v.7-8)
What’s left for David to do except to lift up his voice and pray to God on his own behalf?

A.    David’s prayer involved recognition of a close relationship. (v.7) “Arise!”
B.    David’s prayer involved recognition of a total triumph. (v. 7)
C.    David’s prayer involved recognition of God’s sovereignty. (v.8)

Conclusion: It wasn’t always easy for David. In fact, things got a lot worse before they got better. David’s battle raged on for sometime. David’s son, Absalom was killed. David went into some deep mourning.

In the end, however, David stayed strong because of his godly response to dealing with difficulty.

Chad was always big on manuscripting his sermons for himself. For just about every sermon he preached Chad wrote down almost verbatim what he was going to say. This practice helped Chad more directly focus on what he was going to say. While Chad seldom if ever brought the manuscript with him to the pulpit it still served as a helpful study tool. We are so thankful to be able to still have this manuscripts of Chad’s sermons.

On January 30, 2013 Pastor Chad Phelps preached this message to his youth group in Indianapolis, IN. Chad entitled the message “How Do You See Jesus?” 

“There are over 6.8 billion people in the world, of which 1/3 claim to be Christian. We know that these are not all followers of Jesus, bet even if they were, that would mean that 4.5 billion people are without Christ today. They are hurdling down a highway that will lead them straight to hell. Right now. As we speak.
Today, roughly 26,000 children in third world countries will die of starvation while we surround ourselves with opulence. They were never really expected to make it anyways, and they will simply die. Crime rates are rising, people are hurting & death is all around us.

If this is true of the world around us, then we do not have time to play games with our lives.

We have:
·       A master who has radical expectations of us.
·       A message with radical urgency for TODAY, for YESTERDAY.

Today, based on Scripture, I want to call you to abandon your life in order to make the worth of Jesus famous.

This will only happen, friends, if you see Him as you should. Such supreme sacrifice, such ultimate self-denigration will only take place for those who understand that Jesus really is worth it. What if I stood in front of you today and said that I was going to try to talk you out of following Jesus? I’d probably get fired! Yet that’s exactly what seems to be happening in our text today.

Jesus is so unlike us! We ask the question, “What can we do to get crowds?!?” The crowds come to Jesus & here’s what He says:
–        John 6: “Unless you eat my flesh, you cannot be by disciple…”
–        Luke 14: “Unless you hate your mother and father and sister and brother…”
–        Matt. 19: “Sell all your stuff & give it to the poor!”
–        Matt. 10: “Take up your cross & follow me!”
So often, we try to explain away these passages. We try to redefine them the way that we want to. But what if your understanding of Jesus was not “Confess, Believe, Accept,” but “Go!” You see, we redefine Christianity the way that we want to. We worship him from our opulence, we believe so we think there’s nothing more to it, and in so doing…
We are not worshipping the Jesus of the Bible, but a Jesus that we have created.

Fallen Condition Focus: People see Jesus the way that they want to.
Proposition: In order to truly follow Jesus, we must see Him as He is portrayed in the Scripture.

I.     See Him! He is the Savior Who is Worthy of Your Trust (vv. 57-58)
 Explanation: This verse begins…
“As they were going down the road…” This was the road heading to Jerusalem. Understand the significance here — Jesus was willingly walking to His crucifixion. The cross was not an accident. Not in the “wrong place at the wrong time.”That’s why Jesus boldly declared “The good Shepherd lays down his life.” and “I will lay it down and pick it back up.” Jesus is not in the Garden sweating blood because He is scared. He sweats blood because He knows the weight of what He is about to endure, but He does it willingly. And so it is with the followers of Jesus…

Illustration: That’s why there is a story told of an Indian prince being skinned alive and as he is enduring this torture he says, “You take off my outer garments. Today I put on a new garment of righteousness. That’s why Christopher Lowe heads to the gallows for the cause of Christ and boldly proclaims, “Today they will sever me from my physical head. But you can never sever me from my spiritual head, Christ.” And he goes to the gallows singing as his wife apploads.

Explanation: What’s wrong with these people? Are they nuts? No! They see what Jesus has done for them and they realize that He is supremely worthy of their trust. Why? What has he done?
See Him there again in the garden. Ready to endure the relentless wrath of God against the sin that you have committed. Wrath that you deserve. One preacher said it’s as if there was a dam 10 miles high and 10 miles wide holding back a raging force of water. You’re standing there alone in front of it and in an instant it is released. You shrink back in fear, but the ground opens up and the water is swallowed – You are saved!
Jesus took the wrath of God for you. He endured the hatred, He drank down every last drop, He turned the cup over and He cried IT IS FINISHED. Surely He is worth more to you than a wrote prayer. But here is a man coming to him. Probably sidling up to him in order to gain prestige and respect from the most famous religious teacher of the day. Jesus makes it abundantly clear: I am not a means to an end. I am the end. You don’t come to Jesus to get other things. You come to Jesus to get Jesus. See Him! He is worthy of your trust! But we don’t live like He is enough…

FCF: People see Jesus the way that they want to.
Prop: In order to truly follow Jesus, we must see Him as He is portrayed in the Scripture.
Trans: Jesus is a Savior who is worthy of your trust, and look back at the text…

II.   See Him! He is the Savior Who is Worthy of All Your Plans and Dreams (vv. 59-60).
Explanation: The next man comes up to him with an equally noble request. “Let me first go and bury my father.” Is there a closer human relationship than family? No! That’s why Jesus’ response to Him is stunning. “Let the dead go and bury their dead. You go and proclaim the kingdom.” What could be more important than laying to rest a father who has meant everything? When we come to Jesus on His terms, we surrender the right to call the shots in our lives. The American dream screams at you as a Christian teenager — Go for the gusto! Use your talents to make money & live comfortably! You may find yourself talented with:
–        Money
–        Finance
–        Music
–        Speech
But, we don’t have these talents to make money, we have to talents to make Jesus famous!

Illustration: William Tyndale possessed an intellect that was nearly unmatched in his day. He really could have done whatever he wanted with his life. Born in Wales, and educated at Oxford, he developed a passion for the Word of God. Though it angered those round about him, Tyndale took it upon himself to translate the Bible into the common tongue. Risking his life, this was his passion. In A.D. 1536, Tyndale was finally captured & burned at the stake. He was heard to cry as the flames consumed him: “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!” He could have done anything, but he surrendered the power to call the shots in his life to the Lord.

David Livingstone could have been the greatest geographer the world has ever known,  He tackled the country of Africa and would write that “I have seen at one time the smoke of 1,000 villages where no one has ever heard the name of Christ!”  He died in Africa and they buried his heart there. Do you think he regrets it? He could have done anything, but he surrendered the power to call the shots in his life to the Lord.

I remember meeting as a child Dr. Darrell Champlain. Driven by a desire to see a people group reached for Christ he entered into lands that were torn with civil war. He talks about having to leave his family and not knowing if he would ever see them again.  He talks about walking over the coals of a fire because if his God did not save him, he would be killed. Do you think he regretted his life? He could have done anything, but he surrendered the power to call the shots in his life to the Lord.

Application: What would happen today if every teen in this room surrendered his hopes and plans for the future. I know you want to go to school, I know you want to get married, I know some of you are planning for your future — and you should. But what would happen if we just stopped for a moment and followed Jesus the way that God intended? What if we finally realized that untold millions are hurdling towards hell? The gates of hell could not stand in the way of what God could do in and through us. See Him! He is worthy of your hopes and dreams. We have found the one worth losing everything for!

FCF: People see Jesus the way that they want to.
Prop: In order to truly follow Jesus, we must see Him as He is portrayed in the Scripture.
Trans: Oh, friends, He is a savior who is worthy of your trust.  He is a Savior who is worthy of all of your plans and dreams, and finally…

III.  See Him! He is the Savior Who is Worthy of All of Your Love (vv. 61-62).
Explanation: The final man comes to Him. Surely He has an excuse, right? He just wants to say goodbye to his family! Jesus says: “My love is greater than all of these put together. You follow me. There is an affection for me that supersedes even the deepest human love. Jesus is calling us here not just to give a love, but to give a love, and He says “My love is greater!!!!”

Illustration: Imagine going to a worship service. You put on black pants and a black shirt and you get into the back of a pickup truck and go down a windy road. You get out in the darkness of night and an Asian believer meets you at the door. You go down a little path with a hood over your head, you round the corner into a small little room. 60 believers are crammed in there on little stools with a little light bulb lighting the room, ready to worship at the risk of their lives. What do we do for them? How can we help them? They are doing fine without all of the resources that we have. Why? Because they have met a Savior who is worthy of all of their love.

Application: This is Matthew 13. The guy who sells all his belongings to buy the field and everyone thinks he’s nuts! He just smiles because He knows that He has found something that is worth losing everything before. Brothers and sisters, we have found someone who is worth losing everything for. He is that good, He is that satisfying, He is that wonderful, and He is that worthy! This is why we give our lives. There are hundreds of millions of people on this continent alone that do not know the worth of Christ and we want them to know! See Him! He is worthy of all of your love! You do not have time to play games with your life!

FCF: People see Jesus the way that they want to.
Prop: In order to truly follow Jesus, we must see Him as He is portrayed in the Scripture.
Transition: Oh, friends, He is a savior who is worthy of your trust.  He is a Savior who is worthy of all of your plans and dreams, and finally…

Conclusion: Oh, teens, I implore you tonight. Will you put a blank check before God with your lives? Even if that means going to Africa to reach the animistic tribes. Even if that means going to Asia to identify with the persecuted church. That does mean following Him here. You have been given one life. Spread the fame of the one who is worthy of your Trust, your Hopes & Plans, and Your love.