What are You Willing to Give Up

Good morning Church and welcome family, friends and visitors to our worship service. This morning I have what I call a stand-alone sermon, which just means this isn’t a series just a single sermon to close out this year and I have an important question for you this morning, “What are you willing to give up?” To follow Christ, what are you willing to give up? Are you willing to give up some money, some time, some traditions, some efforts, some energy, a vacation, your possessions, where you live, your job? What are you willing to give up to follow Jesus Christ, the way He calls us to follow? Well, what do you mean pastor? I am glad you ask, man you guys ask the best questions, it says in : Read

Pray

Do you want to live or die? (Show Video) Willing to deny one’s self, what does that mean? How far are we willing to go? It is a question that each Christian must answer for themselves, because Jesus said, that unless I am willing to give up my life, that means all of it, I cannot follow Him. This statement in comes after a rebuke of Peter, where Jesus is telling people that unless we are willing to follow what the Lord has planned, we are compromising. We have really three things we can give to God, Time, Tithe and Talent. Those are the big three T’s of giving in the Church. That is our cross to bear. Many people see the cross as a burden, but it isn’t, it is our mission.

I. Looking at our Cross –

A. Christ’s mission, not His burden

B. When does this statement come

1. Right after Peter’s rebuke

2. Trying to take away His mission

3. Without the cross there is no salvation

C. Our cross to pick up is our mission for Christ

1. Takes our Tithe, Time and Talent

2. Must be willing to give those up for God

As it talks about in

II. Tithe - & 20

A. Willing to be religious

1. But I followed all the rules

2. But I know the Bible really well

3. But I can recite Scripture

4. What am I willing to give up

a. Traditions

b. Comfort

c. My own wants

B. Not willing to be righteous – vs 22

1. Didn’t want to give the one thing

a. It is about money

b. But it is also about compromise

c. It is about saying I will only go so far

d. But it is going to take God

2. If you Want to enter life

a. Not really living without God

b. This was His cross

c. Sad because He loved the way things were

3. Unwilling to compromise for God

a. Willing to go only so far

b. What stands between me and God

c. Have to give it up

But it isn’t just about money, this congregation is great at giving their tithe, it is about the one thing we aren’t willing to give, like our time. Remember the story of Martha and her sister Mary.

III. Time –

A. Who am I in life, Martha or Mary

1. Focused on Busy

2. Focused on Jesus

3. What am I willing to give up

B. Take the Time

1. But what about…

2. I can’t make time I have to…

3. Think other will do

4. I understand

a. Military Service

b. Ministry Service

c. Still there is time

C. Don’t forsake the Kingdom and miss the blessing –

1. Where we struggle

2. Hard to get people to have time

3. Miss out on the blessing

4. God can make time

a. Have seen time extended

b. Sometimes it’s OK to say no

i. Not to the Kingdom

ii. TO family

iii. To our Kids

iv. To our jobs

c. Say yes to Jesus

Because when we say yes, we have no idea how far God can take us. When we said yes to ministry, I couldn’t believe how much God would grow my relationship with Him. I had no idea how much I would love to work for the Kingdom. Story of my buddy’s retirement – how people saw me

But I had to be willing to give up of my talents, my energy, my ability to the glory of the kingdom.

IV. Talent – Saul – Paul –

A. Sometimes we think we are doing right

1. Using things correctly

a. Seem to go well

b. Seems right us

2. Have the right mission

3. But have we truly inquired of God

b. Am I doing because it makes me happy or God

B. Saul was making a name for himself

1. Very popular

b. Sometimes need to take a second look

2. Doing a great job

a. Moving up corporate ladder

C. Really, He was working against God

1. If we truly have a heart for God

a. God will show us the way

b. The light blinds Saul

c. So that he may see

2. Sets us up

a. Gives him opportunity to see

b. Gives him opportunity to understand

3. Forgiveness in repentance –

a. Saul - Paul goes on to be advocate

i. Vs 20

b. One of the best

c. Most of the NT

4. God wants to use our talents –

a. Willing to give them up

b. Willing to use them for His purpose

i. May not make me rich

ii. May bring some hardship

iii. In the end we will be blessed

Conclusion:

What we use for God, God will bless. There is nothing ever done for the Lord that is done in vein, no He will use whatever we have to further the kingdom of God. Don’t get distracted in this life with life, remember there is an eternity that we must face. What will be my eternity you may ask, well it is completely up to you. But when asked as we sit before the judgment seat, if I helped the least of my brothers with my time, tithe and talent, I want to reply yes with confidence. And not out of any ability I had, but because the Spirit bestowed upon me the ability to do God’s work. So when we see those brother’s and sisters in need around us, say, needing a meal, then do not hesitate, but with joy step up and help our brother and sister. Let us run our race with endurance and love for one another. If we want to live as a congregation then by the Power of Jesus we must be willing to use our Tithe, Time and Talent, we must be willing to give up of ourselves, we must be willing to bear the cross given to us that we maybe love to one another.

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