05/28/2023 - Part 4 - Worthy Of Jesus (Audio Not Available)

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes May 28, 2023 Worthy of Jesus Part 4: Modern Enemies Against Jesus’ Worthiness From Matthew 10: 34-39 He spelled it out: He said . . . “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 34 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Luke 14:25-35 NKJV 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. GM GP Over the past several weeks we have learned a lot about what it means to be Worthy of Jesus as followers and potential followers. Our current mini-series entitled Worthy of Jesus has revealed that Jesus himself only wants followers who are willing and ready to go all the way with Him from start to finish – through thick and think – good times and bad times -- no matter the cost. Those who understand what following Jesus entails also know that there is no half-stepping -- but that following means “All In”! It means that no one or no-thing can have more control or influence over one’s life than Jesus Christ alone -- not mother, or father, or sister or brother or wife or husband – not even one’s own life. What Jesus wants every person to realize is that without Him – they are incomplete. The saddest thing about man’s incompletion is that he has found things in this life to placate and distract [him] from his need to be made whole through Christ – in Christ. [The void has been filled with things like jobs, money, sports, entertainment, feeling safe, protected, materialism, civil rights, and longevity – all of which are temporal]. The only answer to being made whole in Christ is submitting to Him in totality. That’s when Jesus equips a submissive follower with race-finishing power. Finishing with Jesus means to first understand who He is, next His purpose for coming, and then man’s need for salvation through Him at any cost. In short, Jesus told His disciples as well as the multitude who followed Him what was required to be considered Worthy of Him. From Matthew 10: 37-39 He spelled it out: He said . . . 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. [The main thing Jesus wants is for those following Him to finish. But as with anything pertaining to Jesus, there’s always an Adversary – an opposing force working to keep people from becoming what He has empowered them to become, in this case, finishers in His army. This adversary, the devil doesn’t mind people following Jesus, he just won’t tolerate anyone going all the way with Jesus -- to becoming a finisher. A finisher is a follower who has counted the cost of living a life without Christ and realizes that without Him he or she would gain the world but lose their souls. A finisher is a follower who has made an informed decision to LOVE Jesus more than mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, even his or her own life, and even Satan himself. The devil knows that becoming a finisher in Christ, that is, going to the very end with Jesus requires being under Christ’s control and authority, and loving HIM with all your heart, soul, and mind. He knows committing to Jesus cuts him out. This morning, I want to share 3 tactics used by Satan to deceive and draw people away from finishing with Jesus. He wants nothing more than to consume people with self and to preoccupy them with the satisfaction of going to church and practicing religion – but never fully committing to Jesus as Savior and Lord. [He wants people to believe they are alright with God and yet still in charge of their lives. The tell-tale of all of this is that mere followers are still doing all the talking. They have yet to hear God the Father and God the Holy Spirit speak to their hearts. Instead, because they won’t shut up – the only voices they hear is their own and Satan’s. That said, let’s look at 3 or 4 Enemies that keep people from doing the things that will make them Worthy of Jesus. 1. The FIRST one is: Family Pride Luke 14:26, 27 “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. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Matthew 10: 37-39 . . . 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 2. Personal Pride – Hopeless attachment to the here and now; This enemy is the power of attachment – the condition of not being able to let go of materialism. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Material possessions have such a strong grip on people until they refuse to let them go in order to follow Jesus. They cannot take up their cross and follow Jesus – because they are afraid to leave behind substance that will ultimately be infested by moths and corruption. 3. Spiritual Blindness – Here’s where Satan convinces people that their soul isn’t important and, in some cases, – neither is God. Then once he convinces them, He makes the soul of man something to gamble with – a loss that can be won with personal smarts. He deceives people into believing they are already WORTHY and they are already finished in Christ. Matthew 10:39 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 4. Modern Self Worth – This is what Satan has poisoned the mind of the world with: Modern Worthiness is the world’s selfimprovement plan to keep them from ever seeing their need for Jesus. This enemy causes people to conclude – I don’t need Jesus, I’m self-sufficient; I already possess High Self Worth. The counter offensive created by Satan is to cause people to devalue Jesus’ worth, in order to boost their own self-worth, We don’t have time for searching for “worth” outside of God. Colossians 2:10 says Complete in Him. Satan would have you to believe otherwise. He would have you not believe in Jesus at all or at a minimum . . . Jesus plus something else. But Colossians goes on to say . . . not philosophies. When I started developing this message, I did a Google search of “Worthy and Self-Worth, here’s what I found: an article entitled: The 10 Thought Habits of People with High Self-Worth By Michael Stanwyck Self-Improvement Self-worth is self-love. It means being on your own team. It means giving yourself the same respect, dignity, and understanding you want for your loved ones. Listen to Habit 8 8. I believe in something greater than myself. You don’t have to believe in God or subscribe to an organized religion to have self-worth. But having the belief in some “higher power,” some unifying connection between everyone and everything, can be enough to help you keep things in perspective — even that part of humanity that existed before you were born and that you will contribute to and leave behind when you’re gone. 10. The story I tell about my life means everything. The way you think influences the way you live. If you can believe this statement, and start changing your thoughts based on your belief, expect to experience some serious selfgrowth, new opportunities, and a deepening and hugely empowering sense of self-love. Finally, we conclude that Satan is an equal opportunity adversary because in his efforts to keep people from becoming worthy finishers of Jesus – he even tried to deceive Jesus from finishing the work His Father gave Him to do. [Listen to where Satan is carrying people today . . . mainly to their happy place. He tried to carry Jesus to a “so-called” “happy place” . . . Matthew 4 - King James Version 1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Listen to where Satan is carrying people today . . . mainly to their happy place. He tried to carry Jesus to a “so-called” “happy place” . . . Matt 4 What is it to be Worthy of Jesus? To admit to one’s own emptiness and to honestly and humbly ask Jesus to fill it. The counter offensive created by Satan is to cause people to devalue Jesus’ worth, in order to boost their own self-worth, We don’t have time for searching for “worth” outside of God. Colossians 2:10 says Complete in Him. Satan would have you to believe otherwise. He would have you not believe in Jesus at all or at a minimum . . . Jesus plus something else. But Colossians goes on to say . . . not philosophies. Modern Enemies Against Jesus’ Worthiness STOP