Understanding Your Call - Part 2

Welcome to the end. That's bad Maternal family for Friday, October 14 lead apology for advising that if there's a believer is never elected to continue. Today's podcast reminds you to follow God as your trustworthy leader matter where he takes you realize that when you place your life the Lord Jesus Christ your faith and trust in him that you became his purchased possession. That is, you no longer belong to yourself.

That's what he said you not your own.

You bought with a price at that very moment, God placed a call upon your life. That is, he has something in mind a very specific plan for your life. A plan that most people going to go through their life and never recognize and tragically that most believers are not going to ever stop to realize that once they trusted Jesus Christ as their personal savior. He had a very specific personal plan for your life no matter who you are and exist plan a will is to consider in someone you turn if you will to Luke chapter 9 beginning in verse 57 read through the rest of that chapter. This passage has to do with discipleship. As far as the theme is concerned, this couple things I want us to notice here. Verse 57 and as they were going along the road.

Someone said to him I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus said to him, the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has no where to lay his head and he said to another, follow me. But he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father. But he said to him, allow the dead to bear their own dad but is for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God. Another also said I will follow you, Lord. But first, permit me to say goodbye to those at home but Jesus said to him, no one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Now I ask you very serious question. To be honest about you listening say men if somebody says to you tomorrow.

Tell me about your relationship with Jesus Christ. Could you honestly with conviction say I am a follower of Jesus Christ. If somebody asked me what him about your relationship to God.

I would even say I'm a Christian because people that you know that I did a Christian to be a lot of things. What you say I'm a believer.

We believe a lot of things but when you say I'm a follower of Jesus Christ that narrows it straight down a single path. You could mean but one thing I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. So ask yourself the question which of these two words dominates my thinking I'm a believer, follower of Jesus Christ back A subscription to this. He's going along now and that he meets three people here so I was like at all three of that what he says to this reset sounds very harsh is not being harsh. He just giving a simple warning.

Secondly, all of them say something different. What I want you to see is this their cause for not following Jesus is the same for everyone.

Collectivist he's going along and someone says I will follow you wherever you go. So more than likely he been in his presence and he been listening to him and and I believe he what he said and believing that he is the Messiah and so for his so he says I will follow you wherever you go. Jesus said to him, foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head was his answer wasn't me. He was simply saying look, the foxes have their dance where they can sleep at night birds of the air have their nest where they can match that night, but if you follow me, you don't have that assurance. When he did not follow Jesus self interest overshadowed God's will for his life. Self interest overshadowed God's will for his life because what he wanted this and I want some security down around her sleep at night. What I'm going to eat. I want to know the big plan when self interest overshadows God's will. His call his commander.

You then what happens is you are not following you will not follow Jesus first second madness of this and he said to another. Jesus is calling him follow me. But he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father. But he said to him, allow the dead to bear their own dead but is for you going proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God was a large one know one harsh at all. First thing which notices this he said, Lord, permit me first go and bury my father negatively wanted two things it could mean that his father had died and he want to go take care of things which would mean a normal response, but he can also mean this, my father and the sons and fathers were very close.

My father is of certain age what it might be when he's dead and he's gone and I can leave home Nago folly, which is more than likely what really meant. Jesus said to him that it merited it and that is up more important than you taking care of those who passed on is you preaching the gospel is what he told in proclaiming everywhere the kingdom of God, to those who live and you can't be dogmatic exactly about what Jesus meant have one thing he was saying is that you know what the priority is preaching the gospel. That's the priority you know what his problem was self-interest overshadowed God's will and purpose and plan for his life.

Self interest overshadowed from our perspective you think will surely Jesus would say that, but more than likely what he was saying is this when my father's day and gone then I'll I'll follow you now.

You should be willing to say yes, and follow me now to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because, let me ask how many of us would say that Jesus will Lord little later decide never say that. Oh yes you would because all of us have.

We've all at some point said to him, well yes, Lord, but not now. On the later of whatever it might be. Now watch this. Third, the first man is problem is what self-interest overshadowed God's will for his life, say said no second man self-interest overshadowed God's will for his life so he said no. Mr. then another said to him, verse 61. I will follow you, Lord. But first, permit me to say goodbye to those at home.

Jesus said to him, no one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.

Now he said I want to follow you wanted to go home and tell everybody let her know Jesus. It is what he said because he knew all men. He knew that he went home his parents were going to say in his friends or relatives of what I might say all you can't leave us. They put pressure on him and he knew that more than likely caveman. And so Jesus said no. He said them.

No one putting his hand the plow. Looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. That was the problem. Self-interest was overshadowing God's will and God's plan for his life. Jesus makes a statement here that often times is very misunderstood when he says he who puts his hand. Her parents listen carefully. He who puts his hand to the plow and looks back not fit for the kingdom you will find people who would use that verse of Scripture to say that you can fall from grace, that is that you can be lost in what you trust Jesus Christ as your personal savior. When you go back in the sin of whatever this when they translate that, then you lost and you will be saved, has absolutely nothing to do a salvation. This whole passage us in the beginning has to do with discipleship when talking about believer in Jesus wouldn't say to him or he would consider Jesus if he had not been convinced of who he was.

I will follow you on the news go back in and explain everything back to Mark. My family and then I'm done coming back. Jesus said if you don't hate you, father, mother, sister, brother, your own life. Also, you cannot be my disciple. You can be a follower. So each time Jesus made it very clear drew a very fine line you gonna follow me.

This is my plan. This is my plan for your life.

You mark this down every single time you and disobeying God and choose not to follow him in a certain area. What we're saying is my self-interest is more important to me than your will and your plan that is as simple and his incisors are no other but my self-interest is more important to me in your will or your plan for my life. I will not talk about losing salvation has nothing to do it on with discipleship. So what is the name of this plow business well. Simply this you choose to follow it whenever it's when you trust the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

What you've done. You put your hand to the plow and what you saying is I'm not falling I'm gonna walk in your way and be obedient to you.

He said you can't plow a straight row. Looking back, so what happened you plow crooked row.

In fact, the whole field is disorganized because you all over the place because you looking and distracting you have distractions that are causing you to slow down. For example, and the not only slow you down but make it very very uncomfortable in every way. And what happens is you get discouraging. So what you want you want to just want to quit.

You can't plow a straight line. Looking back, neither can you follow Jesus. Looking back now, explain with the looking back, means in a minute. For example, you say will in the Christian life is there no time with the ever look back. Oh yes, there is but where to look back with certain things in mind. So let's think about them for a moment when it comes to looking back, we all need to do this in our Christian life. The times and we stop and we look back. Listen for this reason, you may will jot these words down. First of all, for evaluation. That is where am I what's my position at this point my Christian life. Secondly, the correction made some mistakes and I want I want to correct these mistakes in my in my walk with God.

The third word is Thanksgiving Thanksgiving to God for his enabling power to walk in his ways and to follow him because apart from his power and strength I couldn't.

The fourth Ward is rejoicing, rejoicing in the achievements and accomplishments that the God is giving you as result of following him in the fifth. What is motivation what happens when you look back you highly motivated to do what to keep moving on and to keep following him. Why, because you see what God is done in your life and all that is positive. So when he said if you ever look back connected to the kingdom. That does not mean that there is not a right time. A proper time in a proper goal for looking back, but is looking back for evaluation. Looking back, the correction looking back, the motive in the Reds all these are part of then what was he referring to. How does it apply to read day when we as believers, we look back wise it does he say that when you and I begin the Christian life. Put a hand to the plow and then we look back listening ability to promote. I think several things you and I can say first of all why do people look back but think about your Christian life.

A moment. Why do people look back. Some people look back because you know why because they never let go of their past. They trusted Jesus Christ as their Savior, they know their save when it comes to the challenge of living a godly life. You know what's happening, they still feel the tug of old habits old sins old relationships. All affinities old thought patterns back there. You know what happens for looking back at all of that they can't walk a straight line. You cannot follow Jesus Christ in your Christian walk. Unless you keep your eyes focused on him and not looking back to your past. Well, you know I used to have so and so will I used to have this relationship will I used to have that work you know what happened you just going all over the place in the prime of the primary reasons many people go to church or come the church.

Are they been saved that Christian life is fruitless. There's no strength in their testimony know it was you know why they have never chosen to make a commitment to follow Jesus as background, so what's happening there being distracted they see this over here and that over there, has nothing to do with following Jesus.

They allow themselves to be distracted by the things of the world would you know if this probably wouldn't be too bad.

Won't you know you cannot. You cannot follow Jesus. Looking back, and this is what he say he says looking. He says you put your hand to the plow and when you look back, whatever the reasons people look back is that you know what they have never gotten over the regrets of their past failures.

They failed like that you not following Jesus but but God, you know, back Jan and I did so and so and the Lord so past failures and often times it's past guilt all present guilt over past sins and somehow they can't let go of that young want to follow Jesus, but somehow because they've never let go of that part of their past regrets. Guilt sends habits, ideas, there's still something to hold that and plow ahead, you cannot do it and I have seen people I've talked to people come to me and we talked about was going on in their life very evident that something back there, they can't let go of you know why they're afraid to let go of afraid will if I give that up. Then what was following Jesus trusting we take anything out of your life is not good for you never will he always replace it with something that's the best always, past regrets past sins, past failures, feelings of guilt, regrets, distractions, and then oftentimes listen reliving past pain and hurt somebody did something somebody did for you can get over you know what happens is you. You're all over the place in your Christian life and you wonder why your prayers are answered why you don't have peace why you don't have joy.

Listen do you think God is going to make you a happy, delightful, fruitful believer when you have chosen not to follow, I will. All I want is the one word I want to notice in this passage is what I call the alarm word look at this verse 61 back to Luke nine, verse 61, another also said I will follow you, Lord, was the next word but remember this anytime you tell God what you going to do and you add to that statement, but what you just did is declare that your self interest is still a priority in your life. I will time but I will talk to him or her, but I will go but I will say, but can you give me an example any good reason ever tell God anything at about two we say Lord I will do this but now we give them some criteria, you know, we say my self-interest is overshadowing your will and your purpose in your plan for my life. So what am I saying this whole mess is simply this deep down inside you view yourself primarily as a believer or a follower. And secondly, are you comfortable saying to someone who asked you about your relationship him. Are you comfortable and you feel perfectly at ease by saying I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. And thirdly on the basis of what we talked about all of those getting the Scripture on the base. We talked about deep down inside. Can you honestly say I'm a follower of Jesus Christ. If not, why not I can tell you why because there's something in your life that won't let you put your full focus on the will and purpose and plan of God.

Last question are you willing to forsake the awesome blessings and rewards that God has in store for you in this life, as well as like to come but whatever that is.

Back there that is distracted, you got your attention, pulled at you tempted you to the point that you not willingness sick your face like a flint and say yes Jesus yes yes yes I will probably love you and praise you. We thank you for your patience.

But we know that your patience is no excuse for disobedience. I pray the Holy Spirit will sink this message and every single one of our hearts. Let it echo day after day after day follower, not just believer follower and I pray that you test everyone of us test me test everyone of us with somebody who questions our relationship to you, and give us the awesome privilege of finding out for ourselves. Do we have the courage to say I am a follower of Jesus Christ and we pray this in his wonderful name. Amen.

Thank you for listening to understanding your call if you like to know more about Charles Stanley were in touch ministries that my intense data lighting podcast is a presentation of intense ministry in Atlanta, Georgia