Are You a Sell-Out or Are You Sold-Out?
February 3, 2019 Morning Service
Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK
Rick Boyne
Message Point: We should be sold-out followers of Jesus Christ!
Focus Passage: Matthew 4:18-22
Supplemental Passage: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NASB)
Introduction: Sell-out: To abandon or betray one's espoused principles or cause, especially in the pursuit of profit or personal benefit [https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/sell+out]
Sold-out: completely surrendered to Him. Our money, time, dreams, relationships, possessions—everything about us belongs to Him and is readily available for His purposes. [http://www.gracefox.com/2013/09/09/why-is-it-difficult-to-be-sold-out-for-jesus/]
I. A Sell-Out
a. Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me to betray Him to you?" And they weighed out thirty pieces of silver to him. From then on he began looking for a good opportunity to betray Jesus. (Matthew 26:14-16 NASB)
b. But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62 NASB)
c. "The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. (Matthew 13:20-21 NASB)
II. Being Sold-Out
a. Peter and Andrew (Matt 4:20)
b. James and John (Matt 4:22)
c. Matthew (Matthew 9:9)
d. Zaccheus - When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, "Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house." And he hurried and came down and received Him gladly. When they saw it, they all began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to be the guest of a man who is a sinner." Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much." (Luke 19:5-8 NASB)
III. Potential Dangers of Being Sold Out [https://relevantmagazine.com/god/god-our-generation/6-problems-trying-be-sold-out-jesus]
a. Messiah Complex – Obsessed with helping everyone but miss your neighbor
b. No room for ordinary – Obsessed with lofty goals instead of meeting needs where you are
c. Guilt – Feel guilty for NOT being able to help everyone
d. Legalism (like a Pharisee) – Notice others aren’t doing their share. Legalism can be disguised as compassion
e. Blind Devotion – Submitting to abusive spiritual authority who aren’t what they appear to be
f. Never Measuring Up – When you end up trying to measure your devotion to God, you can end up trying to earn His love, too.
Application/Invitation: What must you change in your life to be completely sold-out for Jesus?
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16)
