Sold out for Christ..."A Scandalous Resolution"
Illus. By Paul Decker
A small storeowner was being pressured to sell his store to the owners of a large department store who had bought every building on the block, except his. Frustrated by the man’s refusal to sell, they eventually opened their huge store on either side of the small one, with a big banner running from one side to the other, proclaiming in huge letters "GRAND OPENING."
Feeling equally frustrated, the small storeowner did finally outsmart the large department store. Below the grand opening sign, across the front of his small store, the man put up a small banner over his door: "MAIN ENTRANCE."
You know there are a lot of people in this world in business... and we hear of mergers and acquisition's and take overs happening
Companies buying out other companies growing their business by buying out, or getting other businesses to sell out...or to become sold out for their cause
How about this one...did you know Star Wars has a new movie coming out?
And they have been selling the tickets in advance…
And their Selling like hotcakes, analysts are already making the prediction...
You better buy your ticket in advance, because this one will be sold out,
because it is going to be the biggest movie of all time...
Have you ever decided to go to an event or a concert
only to find out that you were too late when you called for tickets
and to discover that it had been sold out already?
How about those people that bought the tickets to those sold out shows?
Some of them stood in line for hours…
Some of them stood in line for Days...
Some of them not only stood in line but camped out
and did whatever it took to get those tickets because
they were sold out for that entertainer or group or for whatever reason...
Some of them have done the same thing over and over
for the same artist, or group, or ball team their entire life...
How bout those Cubs?
I would say those are some sold out and dedicated fans...
How bout Al Qaeda?
How about Hamas?
And while some what new to the scene… Nevertheless
totally sold out and committed to their cause is the isis rebels....
Yes through the years we have seen a lot of diversity linked to the word sold out…
Everything from the moonies to multilevel marketing
All were linked to one thing… Man
Man is this going to be great…
Man this is going to be fantastic...
Man is this going to be the next big craze...
Man says this is going to be… And people jump on the band wagon
in droves, excited for a time and then later to be let down
disappointed and discarded...
Why is it that people can give their all, to every cause under the sun...
But the cause of Christ??
Seriously… I have seen parents spend countless thousands of hours
supporting baseball and band and the community causes for their children
with no regard or regret...
because it was for a good cause and they should be commended
somewhat I suppose for giving back
But Really...Seriously...
I would say, keeping someone or helping someone avoid an eternal death sentence and spending forever in hell would rank pretty high
as far as being a good cause...
I would say that would be a great cause...how bout you?
You see the ads on TV… And there very compelling and we can
get people motivated to send just $.19 a day, to make a difference
and save the lives of animals and end animal cruelty...
But try to get some one motivated and sold out enough
to tell someone else about life-changing message of Jesus
and how they can avoid and endless hell and life of torment
when this life is over...
Are you kidding me?? Oh my! That's not PC or politically correct...
Does anyone think that response is gonna fly when were held accountable
For what we did with our knowledge of the gospel message of Christ??
I'll tell you what it's not…it's not being PC
And by that I mean "a Productive Christian"
A big percentage of the population calls themselves Christians...
And we have no right to believe that they are not Christians
if they say their christians
However...where's the fruit??
Listen up...This is truly a...
"To him who has ears let him listen moment"
There needs to be a re- awakening all across the globe with the proclamation..
"if you call yourself a Christian… You better be proclaiming the name of Christ"
When you were called to be a Christian… It was at the nudging
and the prodding of the Holy Spirit...and with that also came
the responsibility to tell others about what you did...so they
could and can become one to!
I think so many Christians think that that may be the case
for a short time to tell three or four people when they first
become a Christian… But the fact of the matter is...
It's a lifelong responsibility that never goes away..."NEVER"
TBS...to keep it up until the whole world knows
The Muslims take their religion seriously… They want the whole world
to know and to become a Muslim...and whoever doesn't has to go
You see their completely sold out to their cause
The Christians on the other hand think oh well now...
We can't be to pushy, what would people think
I guess they feel like they've been able to avoid their death sentence
and life of torment in hell and if others choose to do so they can too..
and if not its their decision...
Maybe a lot of Christians feel that way because they're not
experiencing all the benefits that God has entitled them to have
because of their salvation experience...
You see the word Sozo...the Greek word for salvation
means all inclusive, it covers every benefit the cross has given us!
And if that's the way they feel...then they have bought into the lies
of the accuser and are self depriving themselves of the life giving,
life changing benefits Jesus died to give them...
Think about it… Everywhere you go and you don't have to go far
you hear the word cancer…cancer all over the world is prevalent
and at an all time and the statistics continue to rise every year...
And the sad fact is… That a large percentage of those individuals
that have cancer are Christians
And a large percentage of them have received a death sentence...
and what makes matters worse, is that they have believed what they have heard...
over what they know what the word of God says about their condition...
Whose report do you believe?
I'll tell you...it better Not be the doctors report if you want to live
Isaiah 53:5 NKJ
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
Most Christians will never be completely sold out to the cause of Christ
when it comes to telling others about the saving grace
and message that Jesus offers
and most Christians won't even become sold out to the cause of Christ
and the life-saving benefits that come with it…
Even when their faced with death and their life hangs in the balance
You say Ya, but Charlie...didn't your mom die of cancer?
Yes she did…but that doesn't mean that God still doesn't heal
To believe that because my mother passed away from cancer...means
that God doesn't heal Anymore would be and is contrary to scripture
The Bible says with the faith of a mustard seed you can receive your healing...
So what happens when a person is not healed is between them and God..
You can't as much as you would like to...make someone get healed!
And while your prayer for their healing may not waiver...theirs may change from healing to homecoming and a brand new body in heaven
Its hard to understand, because we don't know all the details...and they may have made a different
choice without telling you..
but that doesn't mean human nature doesn't still want to try to figure it all out and process the pain
And while we don't know all the details…
We do know what the word says about souls perishing...
TBS... It's not God's will that any should perish...
That means souls going to hell..
That means death to cancer or any other disease...
The stripes He took on His back covers it all, that's why He took them all for complete victory in our lives..
At what point do we finally become sold out for the cause of Christ?
I believe it's only when we finally realize how much God truly loves us
and that everything he has done… It Has all been for us..
even the things we can't figure out have all been for our benefit
All the benefits...
All the love...
All the forgiveness...
All the truth, grace and mercy...
All the healing...
All those things were designed for those
who would become and are believers...
John 3:16-18 NKJ
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God
How much do you want from God and how much do you want of God?
How much can you believe God for?
Are you willing to become sold out to the cause of Christ
and receive every promise God has instructed His
Son Jesus to lavishly distribute to all whosoever will Believe?
God has done his Part...God has given and has never stopped giving...
Thing is..how much can you believe to receive what he has given?
Acts 5:12-42 Msg
12-16 Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter’s shadow when he walked by.
(they had scandalous faith...they were sold out to the cause… They knew what was possible when someone was willing to believe and receive the impossible... They didn't care what people thought...The cost JESUS paid was bigger than their need and it still is! Amen??)
They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed.
(they were all what? Not some or part of them...but every single one that came
Not 98 out of a hundred..but 100 out of a 100)
To Obey God Rather than Men
17-20 Provoked mightily by all this, the Chief Priest and those on his side, mainly the sect of Sadducees, went into action, arrested the apostles and put them in the town jail.
But during the night an angel of God opened the jailhouse door and led them out. He said, “Go to the Temple and take your stand. Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life.”
Promptly obedient, they entered the Temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
21-23 Meanwhile, the Chief Priest and his cronies convened the High Council, Israel’s senate, and sent to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. When the police got there, they couldn’t find them anywhere in the jail. They went back and reported, “We found the jail locked tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we didn’t find a soul.”
24 The chief of the Temple police and the high priests were puzzled. “What’s going on here anyway?”
25-26 Just then someone showed up and said, “Did you know that the men you put in jail are back in the Temple teaching the people?” The chief and his police went and got them, but they handled them gently, fearful that the people would riot and turn on them.
27-28 Bringing them back, they stood them before the High Council. The Chief Priest said, “Didn’t we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man.”
(The priests were trying to be politically correct here… They were sold out to the law to the way things had always been....they wanted nothing to do with it
but God was doing a new thing and the apostles believed it… And for those who will believe God is still doing a new thing in our midst, day after day, after day....
New new new, he is not bound by yesterday… He is still in the business of doing something new if we only can believe and receive!)
29-32 Peter and the apostles answered, “It’s necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail.”
33-37 When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to kill them on the spot. But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God’s Law who was honored by everyone. He ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, then said, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. Not long ago Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing came of it. A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following him were scattered to the four winds.
38-39 “So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!”
(and that's great advice for anyone...if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!”)
40-42 That convinced them. They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus’ name and sent them off. The apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name. Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute.
Being sold out for the cause of Christ and the scandalous faith that it produces
Caused amazing things to happen that day…
Guess what church? It still does the same thing today...
If we can believe and receive what we believe...
We can see souls saved for the Kingdom
We can see lives changed forever
We can see the miracle of healing...not only in our lives but in all lives..
If we put God first nothing will be impossible
Illus. Song by "Unspoken"
You only need a spark to start a whole blaze
It only takes a little faith
Let it start right here in this city
So these old walls will never be the same
Over and over again
I hear Your voice in my head
They need to know
I need to go
Spirit won't You fall on my heart now
[Chorus:]
Start a fire in my soul
Fan the flame and make it grow
So there’s no doubt or denying
Let it burn so brightly
That everyone around can see
That it’s You, that it’s You that we need
Start a fire in me
[Bridge:]
You are the fire You are the flame
You are the light on the darkest day
We have the hope we bear Your name
We carry the news that You have come to save
Only You can save
[Chorus:]
Start a fire in my soul
Fan the flame and make it grow
So there’s no doubt or denying
Let it burn so brightly
That everyone around can see
That it’s You, that it’s You that we need
Start a fire in me
That should be every Christians prayer...
Nothing is impossible with God
The best is truly yet to come..if you will give Him your all
He will Give you His all...
You see the thing is… He already did!
all you have to do is believe and receive it and let the Lord do the rest!
Amen??
Let's pray
