I Don't Get It

I DON'T GET IT

Last week I shared why Jesus needed to die. Toward the end of the sermon I mentioned how unfortunately, most people will not experience salvation. I highlighted what Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

In one sense this doesn't make sense. One of the reasons why Jesus needed to die was to show the extreme love he and the Father had for us. It makes sense to think such an extreme display of love would cause everyone to respond positively to it. But, as Jesus' statement explains, most people are not going to do that. But why? Why are most people not going to get it?

1) I'm not interested.

Have you ever been pursued by someone you weren't interested in? You have an admirer who goes out of their way to show their love for you. The problem is you're not interested in them. No matter how much they do to show you they're wild about you it doesn't change your feelings toward them.

In a similar way, that's how many people respond to Jesus. They're not interested; they're not "attracted" to Jesus. Why? There may be plenty of reasons why I'm not interested in a person who's interested in me but we're talking about Jesus-the perfect one who loves me perfectly. Why would someone not be attracted to Jesus?

One reason is their attractions lie elsewhere. Everyone is interested in something or someone and we are going to pursue what we're interested in. But that's the problem; it's all about us. Phil 2:21, "For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."

In context, Paul was highlighting Timothy; who took a genuine interest in the Philippians' welfare. Timothy did what Paul mentioned earlier in vs. 4, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." If I'm interested Jesus then I will be interested in what Jesus is interested in. Therefore, I will not only think about what I need but what others need too. But if I'm just focused on myself I will just look for things that please me; what will make me happy.

But why don't I feel that Jesus is one of those things that will make me happy? What is it about Jesus that isn't attractive to me? For one, he is truthful. Some people are turned off by the truth-they're only interested in the truth that suits them; the truth they want to hear.

2nd Tim. 4:3-4, "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

To suit my own interests, to do what makes me happy, I will turn away from Jesus because he tells me what I need to hear and I don't like that so much. I want to be told that I'm okay as I am without having to follow Jesus. I'm all about going to heaven but I don't want to turn my life over to the control of Jesus. I want to hear that I'm saved and going to heaven while being able to live my life as I please.

I don't want to hear about sacrifice. I don't want to hear about looking out for the interest of others. I want to be told I'm fine just the way I am. And unfortunately, there are plenty of people that will tell you that. There will be no talk of change, just acceptance. God loves you as you are and therefore you can stay as you are. But that's the wrong understanding of God's love.

Yes, God loves us as we are but he doesn't want us to stay as we are. So because Jesus loves you enough to tell you that there are some things in your life that need to change, he loses his attractiveness. You had me at the word love but you lost me at the word change. We keep Jesus at arm's length because we're resistant to change.

But if we could see that the change he wants for us is truly in our best interest we wouldn't resist it-we would embrace it. It's not easy to change and live for Jesus-it does involve sacrifice but it's a sacrifice that pays the best dividends. Everyone makes sacrifices for the things they're pursuing.