He Is No Fool Who Gives What He Cannot Keep First B Jackson 2023-05-28 Automatically transcribed. Where this and the recording disagree, the recording is the record. ---- Good morning, everybody. Happy Memorial Day or happy Memorial Day. Good Memorial Day. Yes. Welcome. I'm glad you're here. Would you stand? We're gonna sing a few sort of Memorial Day type songs. I just ran between services and played bass for cowboy church on the square, so I'm getting back a little sweaty. I had a ride over, but I left my phone here and couldn't call my ride to get back, so I just ran back. It was fun. Rodeo Phil Wilson was doing the preaching, but Don Landis got up and spoke just a quick word of introduction. He talked about how many memorials there are in scripture. Right? When they crossed the river, God got them across the river. He says, stack up a stack of stones right here, and remember, this is where God got you across the river. And then when Jesus says, this is my body which is given for you. Take this need and do it as off as you will in memorial of me. Right? So memorial day, God of our fathers, 08/2009. Here we go. Leads forth in beauty all the starry band of shining worlds in splendor through the skies. Our grateful songs before thy throne arise. Thy love divine hath led us in the past, in this free land, by thee, hallowed his cast, be thou our ruler, guardian, guide, and stay. Thy word our law, thy paths our chosen way. From wars alarms, from deadly pestilence, be thy strong-arm our ever should defense, in peace. Refresh thy people on their toilsome way. Lead us from night to never ending day. Fill all our lives with love and grace divine and glory lord and praise be ever Amen. Wow. Powerful message on that one, isn't it? How about the it's battle hymn of the republic. This one, for a guy from Georgia, you don't hear this with a southern accent very often. They have left out some of the more colorful words of northern aggression, and this is a beautiful hymn. Okay. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, who's trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. Loose the fateful lightning of his terrible swift sword. His truth is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. His truth is marching on. I have seen him in the watchfires of a 100 circling camps. In the evening, dos and dams, I can read his righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps. They is marching on. Truth is marching on. Here we go. In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea with the glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me as he died to make men holy. Let us live to make men free while God is marching on. Marching on. We can almost hear the trumpet sound. The Lord's return is near. Till so many people lost his message they must hear. Lord, they give us one more moment, one more day, just one more year with God, we're marching on. Glory, glory, Amen. Amen. And y'all y'all can have a seat. I have a few announcements this morning. Monday nights, we're not doing Monday nights this time because it's Memorial Day tomorrow. And so there are lots of things going on in the valley for Memorial Day weekend. You all know it's the unofficial start. Around here is pretty much the official start. Old West days, cold wet days started off for all of Us. Parade went by yesterday, glorious sunshine, and ten minutes later, it was a downpour. It was beautiful. Memorial Day weekend, we're not doing Monday nights. And Awana is over for the season, so it will start back up when school starts back up. The Solid Rock Tour by the Imani Melele Choir from Uganda is present they're presenting a free concert at the Presbyterian Church on the twenty eighth, that's a Wednesday, and the thirtieth, that's a Friday, from six to 07:30. So they'll be in town a few days, and this is something that they've asked us to announce. It ought to be a fun time. Uganda's solid rock, Imani Melele choir. My Sister's Closet was postponed from last weekend to next weekend, so June 3, Women's Clothing Exchange. KC got up in the first service and did an announcement. She said we could still use some volunteers that would come in on Friday and help set up the store, the shop. I think this year it's going to be in here, right Nick? Is it going be Well, it will be somewhere in this building. Somewhere in this building there will be women's clothing exchange. She says it's a great opportunity to ask people in who you might not normally have come in, but it's sort of like a nice consignment store, my sister's closet. There'll be ladies items here, clothing, jewelry, shoes, stuff, accessories. Bring all of that stuff in next Friday. They'll get it set up, ready for Saturday morning. And by 12:30, she says she expects the store to be over. So try to get here Saturday morning and then they will pack up. Yes? What's the microphone? That's a good question. I'm not sure. Women's Women's ministry. All right. That sounds good. Thank you very much. It's not on the slide and I just don't know. But that's usually what it's for, women's ministry. We'll say that's what it's for. And we'll let you know if that's not true. Goodness. I'm gonna let my heart slow down just a minute. Pets Unleashed, where Jesus cares for you. Vacation Bible School. There is a sign up sheet in the back if you'd like to sign up a child for Vacation Bible School. But if you'd like to sign up as a volunteer, that's possible too at firstbjackson.org or at the back table back there. This is happening June twenty sixth, twenty seventh, twenty eighth, 9AM to noon right here at First B. So that's coming fast. We do still have connect hour happening between services. And next week is kind of a covered dish, share a dish Sunday for Florine and Violetta's send off. This is their last. Yeah, I hear the groaning. The lament is rising up. But they're coming in next week and plan on having a send off in between services. So if you want to bring something and just say goodbye to the eons, that would be a good thing. Thank you for doing that. And I think that's it. Would you all stand with me? We're gonna keep on singing. Open my eyes that I may see. Glimpses of truth you have for me, Jesus. Open my eyes that I may see. Glimpses of truth thou hast for me. Place in my hands the wonderful key that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now, I wait for thee. Ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my eyes, open my ears that I may hear voices of truth, I'll send this clear. And while the wave notes fall on my ear, everything falls will disappear. Silently now, I wait for thee. Ready, my God, I will to see. Open my ears, illumine me. Spirit, divine. Open my mouth and let me bear tidings of mercy everywhere. Open my heart and let me prepare love with thy children thus to share. Silently now, I wait for thee. Ready, my God, thy will to see. Open my heart, illumine me. Spirit divine. Amen. Amen. How about Jesus is lord of all? All my tomorrows, all my past, Jesus is lord of all. I've quit my struggles, contentment at last, Jesus is lord of all. King of kings, lord of lords. Jesus is lord all my possessions and all my life. Jesus is lord of all. All of my conflicts, all my thoughts, Jesus is lord of all. His love wins the battles I could not have fought. Jesus is lord of all. My life. Jesus is lord of all. All of my longings, all my dreams, Jesus is lord of all. All of my failures, his power redeems. Jesus is lord of all king of kings lord of lords Jesus is Amen. Y'all can have a seat and I'll invite the ushers to come forward. I'm going ask Florine and Carl to come forward too and they're going to play a song. We said our prayer and blessing for Joni last week because we thought we might be crying too much to do it this week. But this song is a poem that that Joni wrote, and Carl put it to music. It's the only song Carl's ever written. Like, right? Yeah. Yeah. But the words inspired him to put some music to it. Well, like a lot of our hymns, that's the way that went. But would you pray with me first of all? We're going to ask the Lord to bless the offering. In Jesus name, Lord, we are gathered here. We want to be a part of what you are doing in this valley, Lord. We want to be a part of the healing ministry of Jesus. We want to be a part of the counseling ministry of Jesus. We want to be a part of the redemptive mission of Christ Jesus. Lord, would you use us however you see fit, Lord? We pray that you would do your will and your way in our hearts first. And then what fills our hearts would overflow out of our mouths that we could not help but be sharing the gospel that is active. The word that is living, sharper than any two edged sword. Lord God, would you split between the bone and the marrow right now in each of our hearts? And would you allow us the ability to articulate that to someone who needs a word from you. In Jesus' name, would you do what only you can do with what we give to you, Lord? You made everything that is ex nihilo out of nothing. When we hand back what you've given to us, when we live life with an open hand, Lord, there's it is limitless. Would you do your will and your way among us, Lord? Amen. I've been in the presence of Jesus today. I feel this Holy Spirit. I've seen his power display. He's right here with us, and he wants to share his love. I've been in the presence of Jesus today. I feel this Holy Spirit. I've seen his power display. He's right here with us, and he wants to share his love. Let's open up to his blessings from above. In the presence of home, in the presence of home, in the presence of home, we come. I've been in the presence of Jesus today. I felt his Holy Spirit. I've seen his power display. Thank you, Carl. Florine, thank you, Joni. Luke 14. So, here we are. Last week, I went to Psalms. Psalms one and Psalm two. Preached on that this week because I needed another week to process this one. Luke fourteen twenty five to 35. A lot of commentators note that 951 in Luke is the place where Jesus turned and set his face like flint and went towards Jerusalem. And he has a lot of conversations with his disciples, and he has a lot of conversations with pharisees, a few with other, you know, sadducees probably, religious leaders, scribes, lawyers, people in the crowd. But at this point, his message that he's already shared with his disciples is being opened up to a larger audience. And a lot of people see in chapter 14 an even more resolute, like setting your face like flint to go towards a certain death in Jerusalem was not enough. It's a depth here where he's calling for consideration of the cost of discipleship. So the cost of discipleship. Bonhoeffer's book title, really, that's kind of the could be the chapter heading or the section heading. For this paragraph, two paragraphs, Luke fourteen twenty five to 35. That's all we're covering today. I'll break it down into smaller bits, but that's what we're covering. It is direct. Jesus speaks very forthrightly, even bluntly, maybe. And he gives three points, and he gives two illustrations, and then he closes with a pretty emphatic call to pay attention. So here it is. Now large crowds were going along with him. This is not just the disciples. When I shared last week or week before last, the map of Perea. Perea is the land Transjordan beyond the Jordan, and this looks like he was in Perea, and he had been doing some healing and he'd been doing some miracles, but he had also been teaching, like I said, for a wider audience, and the large crowds were going along with him as he's walking towards Jerusalem. And this says, he turned and he said to them you know, when you got a crowd, there are some people who are really into it, And then there are others who are not as into it. So when he's turning to this large crowd, he says, if anyone would come to me or if anyone comes to me, approaches, if anyone is approaching me and does not hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters wait a second. I gotta stop there. Hate. That that's hard for me to see that. I know Jesus has said a lot of times, love your enemies. Pray for the ones who persecute you. Love is of God. First John would say, love is of God. And it's because he first loved us that we can even leave love others. And he says, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. Love your mother. When he's on the cross, he says, to the beloved disciple, take care of my of mom. You know, mama, take care of him. Love is what he's about. If anyone comes to me and doesn't hate his own father, mother, wife, and children, that cannot be what that means, hate. Can it? It can't mean that. But it is So when I looked at it, I thought, really? This is what took me the extra week. I know that it's gotta be hyperbole. Right? It's gotta be. Well, it's actually a Semitic idiom. It is a Hebrew idiom for to love less than. When we read and it's it's always tripped me up a little bit. When I read in the Old Testament that Jacob I have loved and Esau I have hated. That has always been like, poor Esau, hated by God. But Jacob and Esau, Cain and Abel, there are a couple of different places in Genesis and Exodus. It's mentioned multiple times. Even in the New Testament, it's mentioned where he says, you cannot serve two masters. You will love the one and hate the other. You're gonna love one of them more than the other one. And so the Semitic idiom, there's no doubt about it. I'm not taking something that's in scripture and just trying to lessen it so it is more comfortable for you. This is what it means. Okay? It's a Semitic idiom of comparison, meaning to love less than. So if anyone would come after me, and it's it's clear from the end of this statement that he's talking about to be a disciple. If anyone would come after me and is not loving me first, having me in first position, loving their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters less than me, even his own life. Now we know that we are to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. So we know Jesus is not saying it's hatred. It's not a psychotic episode. He's not a cult leader. And what we think about is like when somebody says something like this, it's like, oh, you gotta separate from your family? Think about the time that this is. In the traditions, if he is among the Jews, and they're gonna have to walk away from the traditions of the Pharisees. They're gonna have to walk away from their parents to be able to follow him. They're gonna have to walk away from the current mindset of the time. Christ's disciples are countercultural in every era, in every culture. But if you think about the time, walking away from and walking towards, if anyone is gonna come after me to be my disciple and is not loving father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, even his own life, less than he loves me, then he cannot be my disciple. That's the first thing straight out of the box here, Jesus says. Now, it's not uncommon, and we can see it in Matthew 10, not the same instance, but it's one of the things that Jesus says over and over. The one who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. That's exactly the same thing that Luke is trying to say there. Hatred is not hatred the way that we think of it. Okay? It's loving less. And the one who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Same message. So if anyone comes to me and doesn't hate his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, in his own life. He cannot be my disciple. And the second one is just as hard. So direct. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus has made two points in the first three verses, and the first one was just introductory, where we were and what was going on. He's made two strong points. This this point right here of carrying your own cross. We have heard a lot and we know Jesus carried a cross and so for us, it might be like, yeah, mean, I I kind of metaphorically understand what he means but I want you to take yourself out of our time for a moment. Put yourself back in that time. Wait a minute. In our time, if you hear somebody says, Well, you know, he did it, and he's going to the chair. Do you know what that means? Yeah. That's the death penalty. This still exists, and the chair is the way that goes. You go into the chair. We don't just assume it's a folding chair in the church basement. It's the chair. The cross or his cross, that's what they see. Leon Morris has an excellent commentary. So does Box. Box is great over there. In this passage right here, he is mentioning it's not the first time that he's mentioned this. He's mentioned it in chapter nine to his disciples when his disciples were around. He's saying, you're gonna have to do this. Actually, Matthew's mentioned it before too. The one who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He'll say it again in Matthew later than this. If anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself. So self denial is a part of it. Take up his cross and follow me. Mark also says it in chapter eight. He summoned the crowd together with his disciples and said, if anyone wants to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. Luke in chapter nine with the disciples, he was saying to them all, if anyone wants to come after me, he must design himself, take up his cross. And Luke adds daily. It's not just about salvation that we look to God and trust in what Jesus has done. It's daily. Sanctification is a part of it. You know, the old hymn that says, be of sin the double cure. Save from wrath. Oh, yes. Salvation's great. And make me pure. Right? Sanctification too. By daily self denial, picking up your cross daily. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot meet my disciple. Now we know that Jesus did carry his cross. We have that in scripture, and we understand that that was his cross to carry, and we can't carry that same cross. We don't have the same sinful I mean, same perfect life, no sin that he had. Accepting what he has done, the perfect death that he died sacrificially, voluntarily, on behalf of anyone who would believe is part of our taking up our cross. It's part of. But it's not all of it. So when we are called to go and do something by God, that's our cross, whatever it is, taking it up and going. I'm gonna read something from Leon Morris' commentary. The follower of Jesus must deny himself. There is nothing self indulgent about being a Christian. The disciples had probably seen a man take up his cross. They knew what it meant. When a man from one of their villages took up a cross and went off with a little band of Roman soldiers, he was on a one way journey. He would not be back. Taking up the cross meant the utmost in self denial. In 09/23 was Luke's first use of the word cross, and it comes with a striking effect. Christ's follower has died to a whole way of life. Luke tells us that this is not something that can be finished or gotten out of the way. It must be done daily. And so Jesus says, to the one who would be my disciple, he must take up his cross, deny self, and follow after me. Wow. Then Jesus uses two illustrations. Right here, he's made the point made two points. He's gonna make one more, but his first two points he illustrates this way. The first illustration is this. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? It's something to consider. Am I going to be able to finish this? Am I going to be able to walk this out? Jesus has said, it takes prioritizing him, loving him more than any one or anything else, and it takes self denial. Which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, doesn't first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? So otherwise, when he's laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who are watching it will begin to ridicule him saying, this person began to build and wasn't able to finish. That mockery is what follows if you kinda go out on a limb and don't really have the wherewithal. We want to consider it, right? I mean, I think about land values here, and I think about everything else. And if somebody's going to build something, they've got to have the wherewithal to make it happen or they just become the laughing stock, right? And Jesus is saying, if you want to build, he he does not say that you have to. This person doesn't have to do this. He can build or not build But if you're going to build, you need to sit down and think about it first. Budget this thing out. Figure it out first. Second illustration. Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, would not first sit down and consider whether he's strong enough with 10,000 men to face the one who's coming against him with 20,000. Now, this is a different situation. The first one, you can build or not build. It's not a requirement. You don't have to build. And honestly, you don't have to be a disciple of Jesus. That is your choice. You can if you want to, but you need to consider the cost before you become a disciple. You have to love him first, and you have to deny yourself. And the second illustration he gives here is different. What king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he's strong enough with 10,000 men to face the one coming against him with 20,000? Otherwise, while the other one is still far away. So this king is sitting there, and there is a greater force that is moving towards him. It was not his choice. Does that make sense to you? So as a king who's got twice the power that is coming at him, and if he figures, I can't take 20,000 with my 10,000, we don't have that kind of fortification. We don't have that kind of situation going on. While the other group is still a far way out, before he's lost anybody, he sends out a delegation and requests terms of peace. That's what a wise person would do. Proverbs twenty eighteen, prepare plans by consultation. In the multiplicity of counselors, there is much wisdom, and make war by wise guidance. If people's lives are at stake, it makes sense to really consider the question. Gives those two examples. One of them is build or don't build. But if you're going to build, make sure that you've got the wherewithal to complete it. And the second one is there is a greater king coming. And as he's coming closer, you had better consider your possible outcomes, either to be overcome by the Almighty or to make peace with him in the terms that he offers. The terms that God has offered is Christ's cross. Right? Next point Jesus makes following that up, same paragraph. So then, none of you can be my disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Wow. That's hyperbole again, isn't it? He's saying that to give it up or to renounce it is required. He's saying that he must, if if you're really going to be a disciple of Jesus, he must have priority in your life. He has mentioned how hard it was for the rich man before. And when he says it's hard for the rich man, he says, because the temptation to trust in what you have is so great. So now, if we live life with an open hand, and we've renounced our possessions and we put Jesus in the proper place and he says, that person that's hurting, I want you to go to them and help them with what you've been given. Renouncing your possessions is saying, God, this is your money. You spend it as you will. I pray and I hope, and you hear me pray every week that that's what we do here as a church, is that we try our best to just put that into God's hands and allow him to move as he would. Renouncing our hope and security in money. That's what he's asking for, in things. So then none of you can be my disciple who's not renounced all his possessions. Philippians three. Paul, great. Goodness gracious. Did he pick up his cross and carry it? Whatever things were gained to me in the past, whatever I had that I counted as something really valuable, these things I've counted as lost because of Christ. Actually, let me read the whole section, seven through 11. Here it is from Philippians three. He had just said, hey, I I know I was born of the right folks. I had all the right teaching. I had all the right education. I was very, very scrupulous in religiosity, and I had plenty. But whatever things were gained to me, these things I've counted as lost because of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing prioritizing Christ, Jesus, my lord, for whom I've suffered the loss of all things. I renounced it. I gave it up. I count them all as mere rubbish so that I may gain Christ. He must receive priority and may be found in him, not having any righteousness of my own derived from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the terms that God has presented. Through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith that I may know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings. Taking up your cross daily. Being conformed into his death, if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. So then, none of you can be my disciple who does not give up, renounce, set aside all of his possessions. Hebrews. Hebrews, speaking of Moses, eleven twenty five says, choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin. He had status in Egypt. Right? Son of Pharaoh's daughter. Actually, I'll go back and read that in a second too. But temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ. Wait a second. This is Old Testament. What's Christ doing in there? It's talking about the Old Testament. Well, he was looking forward to that one who would come, who God would provide. Considering the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of all of Egypt, for he was looking forward to the reward. Here it is, in that great hall of faith. Hebrews 11. By faith, Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents. Why? To protect him. Protecting life. By faith, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child, they were not afraid of the king's edict because they cared more about what God said than what the king said. That is prioritizing God. By faith, Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill treatment for the with the people of God than to enjoy temporary pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ, greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he was looking to the reward. By faith, he left Egypt by the command of God. Not fearing the wrath of the king for he persevered as though seeing him who is unseen by faith. He kept the Passover and the sprinkling blood so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch them. By faith, they passed through the Red Sea as through dry land, and the Egyptians, when they attempted it, were drowned. He is saying that everyone of faith will, if they want to be a disciple, they will renounce everything else. Therefore this is weird. Therefore, it's a little odd. It feels like a left turn. All of a sudden, we're going on. Jesus has already made his three points, and now this is his closing. We're at verse 34, and we're only going to 35. So he's made his points. They're pretty strong, pretty direct. Therefore, he says, salt is good. Salt is good. You haven't even been talking about salt. Salt is good. And every sermon I've ever heard about the salty salty passages from other ones. How how is salt good? Well, usually people meant salt preserves, and it does. Salt preserves. You can salt meat and keep it a lot longer, and that's good. And salt seasons. I love salt. Salt is great. It's wonderful. But it does other things too. And Jesus alludes to these in the next sentence. Salt can catalyze. When you're thinking about salt, that's probably not one you usually think about, but it can. Salt can also prepare soil. If it's used properly, it can prepare soil. Too much is not good. In fact, one of the ways that old kings would destroy their enemies is that they would, either before or after a battle, sneak in and salt their land. Put salt all over their place where they grow their crops, and the land would be ruined so that they couldn't grow anything. So it can prepare soil. It helps kill some microbes, and if you use it properly, it can, but that's not a normal thing. And salt can slow fermentation. The reason I mentioned those last three is because of Jesus' figure here. He says, therefore, salt is good. It's good. If it's salt, it's good. But it's possible for something to present itself as salt and yet be tasteless. So in the Dead Sea, I got to swim in the Dead Sea, and it is super salty. It's way, way, way, way more salty than ocean water, which is also very salty. The deposits that are on the ground and that they were collecting up is not just pure salt, though. There's gypsum and other stuff. So gypsum's like sheetrock mud, sheetrock dust. That's not salt. It's not good. And it's pretasteless. If what we're calling salt, though, is tasteless, how are you going to season that? How are going to make it salty again? The catalyst. Most of the places where they were cooking, they were cooking over cow dung. I'd want to mix something with that if I was going to be cooking bread with it. But in their ovens, they would sprinkle salt. And after a while, you put the salt in there, and it catalyzes and helps do what it does for the fire. But then it becomes yuck, and it's worthless. Actually, that's his next sentence. He says it's useless. Is it possible is it possible for someone to say that they're a disciple and yet not prioritize Jesus? It's possible. They're calling themselves a disciple, yet they're not prioritizing Jesus. Is it possible for somebody to call themselves a disciple and yet they're not denying self? In fact, Philippians part of the reason Philippians was written is that there are some people who are preaching the gospel who are doing it for themselves. Right? And Paul says either way, the gospel is being preached. Objective truth is out there. It it is possible though to say you're a disciple and not prioritize Jesus. It's possible to say you're a disciple and not deny self or pick up the cross that Jesus is presenting you with the opportunity. He's got a step he wants you to walk in. It's And possible for someone who to say they're a disciple and yet not do it. And then it's also possible for people to hold back from God. This is mine. You can have this, but this is mine. And to hold on to what you have stubbornly and stingily is possible. You could say you're a disciple, but if your if your things are not at God's disposal, is it true? He's saying that if those things are not true of you first of all, you're not a disciple, and that kind of action is useless. He says it right there. It's useless. Either for the soil, it's not good for preparing soil, and it's not even good for the manure pile. The manure pile being compost pile. And yes, salt could. If it's actually salt, it could even slow down fermentation and be good for that. But he says, gypsum's not good for that. Fake salt is not good for that. So it's thrown out. And then he closes right here. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear. That's it. Lesson over. Jesus. Goodness. This close, he uses it in various places. The one who has ears to hear, let him hear. This one's very, very slightly different in that it is emphatic. And it really kinda deserves an exclamation point. How about that? In text, language, capital letters. The one who has ears to hear. I've made three points here. I've illustrated it two different ways. You don't have to be my disciple. That's your choice. But there is a greater force than you that's on its way. And you need to heed the warning. So, hear. Actually, hear is good, but listen's even better. Hear and heed. Listen. The one who has ears to hear, let him listen. Listen. So, pay attention. What's going on? Listen. Oh, well, what? To what? Jesus' three points. I'll get to application points. The textual points are these. He says, you can't be a disciple unless you put Jesus first. Prioritize Christ. You can't be a disciple without carrying your cross. Following him is a part of the carrying your cross. He carried the cross that he had to carry, but each one of us as a disciple has our own cross to bear. And the third is you can't be disciple without renouncing all else. I had a song I thought of. I'm not going to sing it, I'm going read it. I think this is good. The textual points are good. But if we're going look at application points, here they are based on the textual points. Put Jesus first. He who has ears to hear is listen. Here it is. Put Jesus first. If you think, well, don't wanna hate my family. He's saying, love me first. You'll be able to love your family so much better if you put me first. Put Jesus first. That's the first application point. Carry your cross. I don't know what it is. I think I know what it is that God's asked of me. I'm working my best trying to follow after what he has for me. And I want to be a part of what he wants for me. And I'm I'm saying Jesus' point is if you're gonna be a disciple, you gotta be ready upon waking in the morning to get your directions from him and follow after him whatever he leads you to do. Carry your cross. Following Jesus. And then the third one is renounce all else. Just that. It's just everything. It's just everything. But that's his point. He doesn't want you to not consider it like the guy building a tower where he wasn't able to get past the foundation. He doesn't want for the oncoming king to destroy. He wants for you to seek the terms peace. It's unconditional surrender in a lot of ways, renounce all else. So this little journal page looks like a note card. Looks like a recipe card, doesn't it? It's October 28. The year was 1949. This is from Jim Elliott's journal. You all probably heard this quote before. We've seen it on inspirational posters. I've heard it in prayers and seen it in a lot of missions things. Jim Elliott, Nate Saint, and a couple of other friends, missionaries went to minister to Ecuadorian indigenous people. And this quote that's underlined in faint red pencil with a star beside it. Elizabeth Elliot probably did that. She wrote about this story. The quote is, He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Ain't that good? He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep. We cannot keep our possessions forever. They're not eternal. We cannot keep our lives. It's appointed once for man to die. But then the judgment. He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. Amen. I think that's the last slide. It is. I'm gonna read the words of another hymn, and then we'll sing this one. You can come on up, Judy. Do you all know the song I'm Resolved? I am resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world's delight. Things that are higher, things that are nobler, these have allured my sight. I will hasten to him, Jesus. I will hasten to him, hasten so glad and free. Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to thee. I'm resolved to go to the savior leaving my sin and strive. He is the true one. He is the just one. He hath the words of life. I'm resolved to follow the savior, faithful, true, every day. Heed what he saith. Do what he willeth. He is the living way. I will hasten to him. Hasten so glad and free. Jesus, greatest, highest, I will come to thee. I'm resolved to enter the kingdom, leaving the paths of sin. Friends may oppose me. Foes may beset me. Still, will I enter in? I'm resolved. And who will go with me? Come, friends, without delay, taught by the Bible, led by the spirit, we'll walk the heavenly way. I will hasten to him. Hasten so glad and free. Jesus, greatest, highest. I will come to thee. Would you stand with me? We're gonna sing Cleanse Me. I love this song. Sorry, Judy. That's me. Sorry. Search me, oh God, and know my heart today. Try me, oh, savior. Know my thoughts, I pray. See if there be some wicked way in me. Cleanse me from every sin and set me free. I praise you, Lord, for cleansing me from sin. Fulfill thy word and make me pure within. Fill me with fire where once I burned with shame. Grant my desire to magnify your name. Lord, take my life and make it holy, thine. Fill my poor heart with thy great love, divine. Take all my will, my passion, self, and pride. I now surrender, Lord, in me Holy ghost, revival comes from thee. Send our revival. Start the work in me. Thy word declares. Thou wilt supply our need for blessings now. Oh, lord, I Amen. I do want to mention most of y'all probably know this. Jim Elliot is a pretty popular character in our memorial, right? Elizabeth Elliot having written Through Gates of Splendor and a couple of other books about the martyrdom of her husband and Nateson and the other guys that were there. He did lose what he could not keep to gain that which I could not lose. So first Peter two twenty is a benediction as we head out into the field today. If you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this, you were called. It's part of taking up your cross. Because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his steps. In Jesus' name, Lord, I pray that you would accompany us on that journey in such a way that we'd recognize it, Lord, as we're going through the difficulty that we'd recognize it. And we would trust that you will bless others through it. In Jesus' name, would you go with us right now? Amen.