Sermon Tone Analysis

Pray

Introduction

I read an article during the week about Muslims converting to Christianity.

And I asked myself the question...

What makes Iraqi muslims convert to Christianity?

I mean, to a Muslim in Iraq, converting to Christianity is not an easy thing - it’s NOTHING like it is here.

Maybe you’re not aware that there are many converts from Islam to Christianity.

According to a published journal article I read during the week, it was reported in the year 2000, that around 667 muslims were converting to Christianity every hour.

That’s 16,000 per day and around 6 million per year.

And the source of these conversions are primarily due to the efforts of Christian missionaries who are sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

So, once again, what makes millions of muslims convert to Christianity every year?

Because, to convert to Christianity, in many middle-eastern or African countries could mean certain death.

For many it means being captured and executed.

For many it means fleeing for your life…and yet millions of Muslims are converting to Christianity - ready to face death for a life with Jesus.

The article I read during the week was about a muslim from Iraq who converted to Christianity, and because he did, he had to leave his family behind and flee.

They disowned him and he ended up fleeing to Kurdistan.

And my question is, what would make someone make the move to be a disciple of Jesus, knowing that it will mean that they have to leave their family and friends, that they have to flee the authorities and run for their lives and live as a refugee?

I mean, if you take a step back and look at it - that’s a high price to pay just to be a disciple of Jesus.

What is it about being a disciple of Jesus that makes someone convinced that they NEED to…that they just HAVE to make this move to follow Jesus - knowing the cost that they will incur?

Why would someone do this?

Pause

Well, last year I was talking to man who was a missionary in Iraq, and he told me about these muslims converting to Christianity.

And he said to me that they are convinced that dying for Jesus is better than living for Islam.

These people realised that losing their lives here on earth is NOTHING if they can gain eternity with Jesus.

Now that is a real cost to being a disciple of Jesus - and Jesus said as much in Luke 18...

So let’s say you hear a preacher in a church, and the message is this...

If you believe in Jesus then you will have a great life.

You’ll have everything you want.

You’ll be healthier, you’ll be wealthier.

And you’ll go to heaven when you die and live in paradise forever.

[If you believe in Jesus you’ll be healthier, wealthier and you’ll go to heaven when you die]

Now, there are elements of truth in that statement, but it’s not all true.

But if you think about that statement - it’s selling a pretty decent existence, isn’t it?

It sounds like a great deal to me.

It wouldn’t take much to convince anyone that being a Christian - if THAT’S what it means - isn’t a bad thing to do.

And unfortunately, more and more people are hearing a message like this from the pulpit in churches around the country and around the world.

But it’s not the gospel…and people are being fed this false religion disguised as Christianity…and some churches are trying to sell this and make ‘being a Christian’ an attractive thing, but they’re not giving people the whole truth.

But what if you heard this message...

If you believe in Jesus you are in for trouble.

It will mean torture for some.

It will mean persecution for others.

It might mean beatings or imprisonment.

It might mean that you are disowned by your family.

It will mean spiritual attack... it could mean loneliness, abuse, it could cost you your life…But you will go to heaven when you die and you’ll see the power of God in action here on earth, and you’ll have stored up treasures in heaven, and you WILL be blessed…but it won’t be easy.

Not a terribly pretty picture is it?…

IF YOU THINK THAT THIS LIFE IS ALL THERE IS.

But, as we know, this life is NOT all there is.

This life is only the waiting room for the big event.

This is the departure lounge.

This life is not the MAIN EVENT.

This life is just the lid of the yoghurt pot.

And if this life costs us our comfort but it means that we get to spend eternity with Jesus, is our comfort THAT much a cost?

When Jesus chose Paul do you know what he said to Ananias?

Pause

Now, once again, what makes people put their trust in Jesus, like these Muslims do every hour, despite knowing what’s ahead of them?

There’s gotta be something more going on here.

There’s got to be something Spiritual going on here…because I can understand someone ‘believing’ in Jesus in order to be wealthier or healthier or happier…that makes good sense.

There’s a logical deduction behind that.

But it’s another thing someone believing in Jesus knowing that they will face abandonment, persecution, torture and even death…that makes NO LOGICAL SENSE…which is why I’m saying there’s more going on.

Because in order to face all this you’ve got to believe in your heart of hearts that there is MORE, that there is BETTER than this life if we place our trust in Jesus.

And thank God there is.

But while we’re here in this life, being a disciple of Jesus defies logic.

It’s not all roses as a Christian - Jesus says it comes at a cost, and he says it in our passage today...

And this is the upside down kingdom of God that we’ve talked about before.

Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble.

He said that we need to carry our cross.

He said we need to deny ourselves.

He said that blessed are those who are persecuted and ridiculed.

He has warned us that being a true disciple of Jesus isn’t easy.

And we looked last week at the courage we need to go into the world and tell people about Jesus and the fact that it is a scary place.

We are going as sheep amongst wolves.

But the thing that keeps us going in this is what Jesus also said in our other passage which we had on the screen earlier...

Because for those Muslims who have left home, wives, family, parents, even their children behind because they have trusted in Jesus Christ, Jesus promises them that they will receive many times as much in heaven…but not just in heaven, in THIS AGE TOO.

This is the upside down kingdom of God - it’s illogical.

It sounds almost crazy…that to be successful in life we need to give UP our lives.

To actually LIVE we need to DIE - to die to self, to deny self, to say ‘no’ to ourselves and our own comfort.

But when we do, we actually experience life like never before.

And like I said last week, I think the reason why so many people aren’t experiencing life like never before is because they are afraid to let go of the life that they currently have.

And they’re holding onto it, like a toddler who doesn’t want to share his toys.

They’re maybe not convinced that there is a better life ahead than the one they have right now.

People are happy to carry a cross around their necks, but not to carry the cross like Jesus meant us to…to face the ridicule and shame and scorn that Jesus meant by that statement.

You see...

It’s only when we let go of our lives do we really live.

Pause

In the video that we’ll see on Wednesday night, there is a lady who talks about how her life changed when she gave everything up for Jesus.

And there was a point in her life when she held on to her business, but she knew she had to give that over to Jesus too…and so her Christian life cost her in many ways, but when I was watching the video, I didn’t see anything of cost in her story...

…All I saw was the abundance of life that she had and the joy that she had.

She even said that when she gave over her business to Jesus, amazing things happened.

Let me say it again...

Perhaps, the reason why so many people aren’t experiencing life like never before is because they are afraid to let go of the life that they currently have.

Pause

Amazing things ARE waiting for us.

Amazing life IS waiting for us…but don’t mishear me, it comes at a cost.

You don’t get something for nothing.

The best things in life are NOT free - the best things in life come at a cost…and it’s when we give up all areas of our lives to Jesus THAT’S when we start to experience a different kind of life.

And so the question then becomes…What are we holding on to?

And also, Are we prepared to let go of whatever it is in order to receive the blessings that Jesus has for us?

Are we prepared for the cost of discipleship?

Cos let’s face it - we’ve got it relatively easy…We aren’t leaving family members or fleeing for our lives here in Northern Ireland.

We’re not really under any persecution or abuse.