It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

[Issachar]

I think that there are some very good points in this video ..



Issachar

[Guest]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

The problem I have always had with that scripture is that tradesman---, the fisherman, the blacksmith, bookkeeper even the lawyer must be busy making a living to support their families....... doing everything to provide for and protect them........ very few can leave everything as Jesus 12 deciples did........

So, Imho, I think Jesus was talking to His deciples of that day 2000 years ago ,,,, not to the Church.....
The Christian lives his life in a way that honors Jesus, and gives as much money as he can without failing to provide for his family; giving as the Holy Spirit urges him to give...

[Issachar]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

Everything that Jesus said, is one way or another, to the church. Letting go of possessions, etc., doesn't mean getting rid of everything, it means having everything with an open hand. It's a heart issue .. not exactly a "physical" thing. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense for Jesus to also tell us to give to him who would ask .. we wouldn't have anything to give. Does that make sense?

The problem with saying that Jesus wasn't talking to the church in "this passage" or "that passage", is then it's open to anyone to say what's to them and what's not. Remember, all scripture is for instruction ...

Jesus does tell us to give up all .. for Him. So "it" may still be in our possession .. but loosely, knowing it is His to give, via us, ... In other words, we have "things" but we don't want "things" to have us.

We have to consider a lot of scripture sometimes to understand ... e.g. Honor your father and your mother .. but hating them, doesn't mean hating them. It's a "compared to our dedication to Him" thing.

Hope that's a little bit clear ..

Issachar

[Glorify Him]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

Actually, the way I have always viewed this scripture is that you give up everything when you die to self and give up self will. And for me, dying to self is at least daily and sometimes minute by minute.

And the apostles did leave their family and occupation to follow Jesus. I'm not sure how all of that worked, but you can certainly see that they spent a lot of time following Jesus around. To me, missionaries pretty much give up everything to serve God. I've actually never known one who even owned a home of their own.

[Guest]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

GH, I could be wrong but didn't some of the relatives travel with Jesus and the Apostles! Iss probably knows?

Not saying there were not sacrifices, too, but the Lord also says His Burden is light, which to me means, if it is a gift, He gives you the power and the desire to do it!

We tend to want to put missionaries on a pedestal and I am not sure God wants us to put any human on a pedestal?

[Guest]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

I'll let Spurgeon say it better! I have this on my Matthew 24 site under persecution. It is amazing how this quote made hundreds of years ago, can apply to today:

‘BLESSED IS HE THAT WATCHETH’ Charles H. Spurgeon

"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Revelation 16:15

'We die daily,' said the apostle. This was the life of the early Christians; they went everywhere with their lives in their hands. We are not in this day called to pass through the same fearful persecutions: if we were, the Lord would give us grace to bear the test; but the tests of Christian life, at the present moment, though outwardly not so terrible, are yet more likely to overcome us than even those of the fiery age.

We have to bear the sneer of the world—that is little; its blandishments, its soft words, its oily speeches, its fawning, its hypocrisy, are far worse.

Our danger is lest we grow rich and become proud, lest we give ourselves up to the fashions of this present evil world, and lose our faith. Or if wealth be not the trial, worldly care is quite as mischievous. If we cannot be torn in pieces by the roaring lion, if we may be hugged to death by the bear, the devil little cares which it is, so long as he destroys our love to Christ, and our confidence in Him.

I fear me that the Christian church is far more likely to lose her integrity in these soft and silken days than in those rougher times. We must be awake now, for we traverse the enchanted ground, and are most likely to fall asleep to our own undoing, unless our faith in Jesus be a reality, and our love to Jesus a vehement flame. Many in these days of easy profession are likely to prove tares, and not wheat; hypocrites with fair masks on their faces, but not the true-born children of the living God.

Christian, do not think that these are times in which you can dispense with watchfulness or with holy ardour; you need these things more than ever, and may God the eternal Spirit display His omnipotence in you, that you may be able to say, in all these softer things, as well as in the rougher, 'We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.'"

http://vaulterjohn.tripod.com/matthew24.htm#persecution

[Guest]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

Here is a great teaching by Gracia Burnham, when she attended our church, in 2009. She tells you how she started out as a "missionary" with little faith in God until being in captivity for nearly a year! She was a "city girl" and never even camped out. But she went from hating her captors to loving them and feeling compassion for them and now witnessing to some of them who were captured and are in prison for life!

She says, "God took the stronger of the two, Martin and left the weaker one to carry on His Work!" Bottom line, she was strengthened and pruned during the experience and can now be a real witness for God! This is to me, one of the main reasons God lets us go through certain trials and experiences, so He will be seen through us because He gives us the ability to endure it and praise His name in spite of it! And then we can relate to others who are going through the same experience, because we have "walked a mile" in their shoes, so to speak!

http://caltroy.com/Teaching_Archive_2009.html

[Issachar]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

I am concerned that the point of the video is being lost in the discussion. It's not about whether or not we actually sell everything .. get rid of everything ... it's very much a matter of the heart. In our hearts, we need to give up all ... to follow Him. God doesn't allow for us to have our feet in two different worlds. He wants our allegiance. We're either in .. or out. We all know that "we can't take it with us." "Stuff" is anchored in this "world." We have "stuff" to be used for His glory. That means NOT hanging on to it. Have it, but don't grip it. It's all temporary. Our bodies are temporary. Everything made out of matter, as we know it, is temporary. It is a sad thing that so much of the "world" clings desperately to "stuff" and by so doing, lose their soul, and then, in the end, the "stuff" is gone too. Double sad whammy.

Best to give up all .. and follow Christ. It only makes sense that we end up where whomever we're following, ends up.

There is nothing in scripture that ever has to be "explained away." It's there. God said it. The flesh cannot deal with that. Too bad. It can go hang on a tree. (Galatians 3:13)

The video ends with the crux of the whole thing ... surrender to Christ.

Issachar

[Issachar]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

I love that line at 1:54: You need to settle out of court, with Him. amen.

Also at 1:04: He is not coming to play games ...

Issachar

[Issachar]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

One of MANY verses/passages in OT and NT that shows that God is not opposed to us having possessions, but what place do they have in our heart:

1 John 3:
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

It does not read: But whoso hath this world's good, .. shame on you! No, it's what we do with what we have. Do we have it to use for God's glory? Or does it have us?

Issachar

[Andy]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

And the apostles did leave their family and occupation to follow Jesus.

At least for a time the Apostle Paul retained his trade as a tent-maker
(Acts 18:3)

[Andy]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

Stumbled onto a pretty interesting article on Paul - I haven't read every word of it but I enjoyed what I did read.
http://www.thejoshlink.com/article222.htm

[Glorify Him]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

I do know that Paul continued his work as a tent maker but don't know about the others. John H., you can never go wrong with Spurgeon. It would seem likely that families of the apostles would have traveled with them at times.

I have seen Gracia Burnham on t.v. years ago. It is quite a testimony.

Iss, I agree with you, it is for most people, not about things. Costing everything, to me means giving up my self will--period, the material things come and go and are really nothing. I've never seen a U Haul behind a hearse.

[Andy]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

I do know that Paul continued his work as a tent maker but don't know about the others. John H., you can never go wrong with Spurgeon.

We have enjoyed his writings as we have studied the book of Psalms but, alas, there are definite points I disagree with him on...I know you directed that at brother John but I hope it's okay if I weigh in, too.

[Glorify Him]

Re: It Only Costs Everything .. To Follow Jesus

Andy, I always value what you have to say. And you are correct, there is no one that I have read, with the exception of the Bible, with whom I agree on every point.