Wait. What?
Message by: Ed Kessler
When Jesus was teaching in homes, and the crowds were filling the rooms so much that the disciples couldn't eat, his family would say He was, “Out of His mind.” …meaning He was beyond his physical body.
Matthew 10:37
“If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine.”"
Wait. What?
At first blush, this message is a bit alarming… but when you read:
Luke 10:27
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Love God first. We often put our friends and family first. The only one who can demand and claim this kind of love is God. So, here, Jesus is telling that HE is God.
The Love of God empowers us! It shows us right from wrong in the world, and the interest of God's kingdom must be paramount.
Matthew 10:38
“If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine.”
Wait. What?
We often relate this to burdens. Jesus means something much deeper.
Simon of Cyrene physically carried Jesus' cross on the way to His crucifixion. Luke tells us Simon's children became prominent Christian leaders.
Simon had his family there for the Passover, and next thing you know he is asked to carry the cross for Jesus on this one-way trip.
We can talk about Jesus' cross, but we are all called to carry it. We are all called to carry the burden of discipleship. Help people find forgiveness, or redemption, or Christ!
Luke says we are supposed to take up our cross daily.
Be a Simon of Cyrene.
When Ed goes to bed, he prays for visions of Heaven, or to see Jesus. One night, Ed's prayer was answered. He had a dream or a vision, and he found himself on the road to Golgotha.
You need to die to yourself, and live for Jesus. What can I do to lighten someone's burden today? To help them turn from their sin.
Matthew 20:16
“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
Wait. What?
This is a focus on physical things.
What is the fight all about? Whoever gives up their stuff for Jesus and whoever finds Jesus, will lose their old life.
The life that matters most is to find Christ and walk with Him.
To be an ambassador of the world is what we are all about. So we should not just walk with Him, but we should bring others with on this walk.
Matthew 10:40
“Anyone who receives you receives me, and anyone who receives me receives the Father who sent me.”
Wait. What?
We are to conform to Jesus.
Some people won't receive us, and they will miss God. Some will receive us and will find connection to God.
Each one of us has been sent on this journey to help connect others to Christ.
When we are honored, He is honored. That's God's plan.
Check out these two parables that Jesus gave...
Luke 14:28-30
[28] “But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? [29] Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. [30] They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’
Luke 14:31-33
[31] “Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? [32] And if he can’t, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. [33] So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
Wait. What?
Jesus wants you to count the cost. He knows we will never be healthy and whole if we don't accept Him the way He wants us to.
He wants us to….
Carry our cross
Love Jesus more than anything else
Go out and share Him with the world
We have to be out of our minds… Like Christ.
To the world that doesn't know Jesus, this all looks silly or weird.
If they can call Jesus out of His mind, we should want to be out of our minds too.
We can be weird for Jesus!
God's thinking is way beyond our thinking. We cannot comprehend everything He knows. So, it's expected that we would have to pause and ask, “Wait. What?”
