Putting Jesus’ Agenda First (Part 3)
Matthew 16:24-28
March 18, 2007
This is going to be one of the shortest messages you’ve ever heard from me.
I’m not feeling well at all, and I’m simply wiped out.
I think part of it has to do with the fact that I was trying to get everything ready for the meeting on Friday night, then had to drive our consultant down to Sioux Falls that night so she could meet with another church down there yesterday.
So I’m a bit run down and I’ve picked up one of the worst head colds I can ever remember having.
That means a short message, and it also means that I won’t be giving out any big smooches as you leave, okay? I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is!
But I didn’t want to just slough through this message either, so I got to thinking, “What can I say that can really put across the point of this passage in a short amount of time? What do I really want them to take away from it?”
And I few thoughts that I want to pass on that I think capture the heart of what Jesus is trying to communicate, so that’s what I’m going to try and do in the next little bit.
Do you all know what this means? (“L” on forehead). It means “Loser.”
I don’t know anyone who likes being a loser. And I don’t know that anyone would intentionally decide to be a loser, although many people become losers by default.
In other words, they give up. They quit trying. And that’s sad. Or they continually make decisions that bring defeat instead of success. Whether that’s in relationships, finances, careers, or whatever.
My heart breaks when I see that. Because it simply doesn’t have to be that, according the Word of God – according to Jesus.
Jesus tells us that we can win in life, and that if we seek to win on earth according to His formula, then we can not only have the full and abundant life He promised, but we can leave this life as winners instead of losers.
Matthew 16:24-28 (p. 694) –
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
I gave you a formula last week and I want to give it to you again.
Live for yourself, you lose. Die to yourself, you gain. Live for Jesus, you win.
Jesus says that if we live for ourselves, seeking after all the stuff the world has to offer, and even if we get it all, it’s nothing when it comes right down to it.
And if we get to the end of our lives, having all that, yet neglected to get things squared away for our souls by living for Jesus, then we’ve lost it all.
There are two things in particular that I think of when it comes to pondering what the world has to offer that most people would probably want.
1. Money.
Who is the richest person in the world?
Bill Gates. His net worth is $56 billion. That’s not money tied up in land or anything like that. It’s free and clear money that he can get to anytime.
From what I can tell, he’s a nice guy. He gives a lot of money away and has a huge foundation to help other people.
But you know what? In spite of all his money, if he dies without Jesus, then in reality, he’s one of these (“L”).
You’ve heard about the rich guy who died, and at his funeral, another guy asked, “How much did he leave?” And another guy answered, “All of it.”
Because money doesn’t buy you heaven, and it cannot substitute what Jesus can give you.
Jesus says in our passage that you can’t exchange it for your soul.
2. Fame.
Name some famous people – people that we’ve probably all heard of.
Yup, those are famous people. And everyone knows their names.
But what happens when they die? Does their fame get them into heaven? Nope.
If all they have is fame on earth, but they don’t have Jesus, then ultimately, they are these (“L”).
Now don’t get me wrong – I’m not trying to insult anybody. My hope is that they’ll find Jesus and then they’ll really have something to live for! Right?
And I think I need to mention here that neither of these things – money or fame, aren’t wrong, in and of themselves. Nothing in Scripture says that we shouldn’t have either of them.
The point of our passage here is obsessively pursuing what the world has to offer you makes you a loser in the end.
Look back to verse 26 –
What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
You can’t cash in on your fame and fortune in order to save your soul and spend eternity in heaven.
On the other hand, giving up your ambitions for the sake of Christ makes you a winner.
Look at what Jesus says back in verse 25-
“…whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
His point here is that when we die to ourselves and our ambitions, then we win in the end.
And who knows? Maybe God will grant you some of that fame and fortune while you’re here on earth.
If He wants to do that, then that’s His business.
I think it’s great when Christians are successful in business, because they can use some of those funds to glorify God and advance the kingdom.
I think it’s great when Christians become well-known, because they can use some of that to promote the agenda of Jesus to more people.
So please don’t think that I’m knocking making money or becoming well-known.
I’m simply saying that this shouldn’t be our priority. Jesus needs to be our priority.
Look, if all you get out if this message today is what I’m about to say next, then I’ll be happy.
Here it is:
Focus on what you will take with you – your soul.
We can build lives of fortune or fame, but in the end, none of it counts.
And when you stand before the Father, what are you going to tell Him?
That you developed the software that the world ran on and made more money than you could spend in 10 lifetimes?
That you had a talk show made you famous and gave you money? Or had hit records?
I hope that when you stand before the Father, you’ll be able to say that no matter the circumstance, you lived for Jesus above all else.
I hope that you’ll say that you sacrificed your agenda for the sake of Jesus. That you put yourself and your ambitions on the altar of your heart so that Jesus could have His way in you.
And in your church.
Folks, let me end with this.
One of the heartbreaks of my life is seeing people who would call themselves followers of Jesus spending all their time and effort trying to line their pockets or get their name in the press.
And what that tells the world is that Christians aren’t any better than anyone else – they’re just as greedy, they’re just as prideful, they’re just as self-centered as anyone else.
There is no evidence that Jesus is doing anything in that person’s life.
My hope is that that is never said about us.
My hope is that as you will display a love for Jesus that says He is more important than you. That His agenda is more important than yours.
And that your life is in His hands – for His glory. Let’s pray.
