Elijah came to the home of a widow and her son. She was about to starve to death, with only enough food for her son and herself to have one last meal together. Elijah, the man of God, said for her to first prepare him a meal. He promised her that there would be plenty for her son and her to enjoy later.
(John 10:10) "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
The abundant Christian life is not something to just talk about, but it is something to experience. All too often people come to Christ for salvation and they never continue with Him in order to realize the blessing of an abundant life with Him.
Jerry Falwell has given away hundreds of thousands of little lapel pins which simply say, 'Jesus First'. A message that is so simple that perhaps millions of Christians have overlooked it. The key to living the abundant life as a Christian is to "Put Jesus First In Your Life"!
Read: Luke 9:57-62
This is a passage that has been abused and misused by many to prove a false doctrinal point with regard to an individual losing their salvation. The fact is, however, that this passage does not deal with salvation, but it deals with service. Within this scripture we find three individuals who came to Jesus with regard to service. Each one of these meetings illustrates the need to put Jesus first in your life. 1) Put Jesus before the future 2) Put Jesus before the present 3) Put Jesus before the past.
I. Put Jesus Before the Future. v57-58
A. Talk is cheap.
1. There are a great many Christians who are like this first fellow.
a. It is easy to say, 'Lord, I'll follow you anywhere'
b. It is much more difficult to carry thru with that commitment.
2. Perhaps it is due to some misconception.
a. This idea that all your problems suddenly vanish when you totally commit your life to following Christ is simply not true.
b. Jesus told His disciples:
(John 16:33) "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
c. If we are not having some sort of problems in our service to God once in a while we are probably following 'afar off'.
3. Notice the apostle Peter.
(John 13:37) "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake."
(Mat 26:35) "Peter said unto him, Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples."
(Mat 26:57-58) "And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. {58} But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end."
B. Discipleship costs.
1. It is not to be entered into frivolously.
a. Jesus said if a man plans to build a tower he first sits down and counts the cost to make sure he has enough to finish it.
b. The reason is that he would be made a mockery for starting something that he couldn't finish.
c. The same is true in discipleship: count the cost!
2. This man had watched as Jesus blessed the bread and fish, fed the multitudes, and had observed the 'glamorous side of the ministry'.
a. Jesus filled him in on the facts of a life.
b. Discipleship has a price to be paid, when he realized this, he was never heard from again.
c. Jesus never had a place He called home on this earth.
C. Jesus must come first before the future.
1. Far too many Christians say they're living by faith while they are actually walking by sight.
a. The promises of God are still true!
b. God is not broke.
c. He will meet our needs!
2. Example of freshman class at BBC.
a. 1500 started and only 500 finished.
b. The majority of missionaries never get to field.
c. Many missionaries never return to the field after their first term.
3. Other examples
a. A good friend went back home to where he could make more money.
b. Another man who dropped out for a while to get financially secure.
c. One fellow finished, but returned to get his trade license, just so he could have something to 'fall back on'.
4. We do not plan for the future and then follow Jesus, we follow Jesus and let Him take care of the future!
II. Put Jesus Before the Present. v59-60
A. Notice the contradiction.
1. We cannot call Him Lord and still refuse to do what He tells us to do.
(Luke 6:46) "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
a. There is no indication here that this man's father was dead or even near death.
b. He was simply trying to find a reason why he shouldn't follow Christ right then.
c. He was saying, 'let me take care of my present obligations and then I will follow'.
2. We are experts at finding excuses why we cannot follow the Lord.
a. We wouldn't think of questioning the Word.
b. We know what the Bible says about being a disciple.
c. So instead of rejecting the Word of God, we find excuses for ourselves.
3. Some examples.
a. God says, 'Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together'. We find all kinds of reasons why we can't attend the services.
b. God says, 'Study to shew thyself approved' We are just too tired to go to Bible study.
c. God says, 'Ye shall be witnesses'. Surely He didn't mean me!
d. God says, 'He loves a cheerful giver'; We say He will understand, we have to pay for our toys…
B. Jesus said, 'Let the dead bury the dead'.
1. The calling of discipleship is far above anything else in our lives.
a. There are those who are 'spiritually dead' that can take care of the earthly tasks.
b. Ours is a higher calling; involved with the kingdom of God not of this world.
(Col 3:1-2) "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. {2} Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."
C. We are living in the 21st Century!
1. Our entire lives seem to be lived in a rush.
2. So many things occupy our time, but how many of those things are worthy of it?
3. Only one life and soon twill be past; only what's done for Jesus will last.
4. We cannot call Him Lord and then disobey His commands: we must put Jesus first before the present.
III. Put Jesus Before the Past. v61-62
A. This man said, "I will follow thee; but…"
1. There was something that he wasn't ready to give up yet.
2. He was willing to follow Jesus, but it would be done on his terms.
3. Jesus says that that kind of service is not acceptable!
B. It is a matter of the heart attitude.
1. We cannot be an effective servant for God if we are constantly looking back at the past.
(James 1:8) "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
2. The good old days weren't that good!
(2 Cor 5:17) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
3. Nothing can compare to what we have in Jesus Christ.
(1 Cor 2:9) "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
C. We must put Jesus before the past, no matter what our past might have been.
We must put first things first in our lives! We must give Jesus His rightful place! That is the key to the abundant life. Come to Jesus Christ and He will give you eternal life! Come after Him as His disciple, and He will give you life more abundant!
Put Jesus Before the Future. Put Jesus Before the Present. Put Jesus Before the Past.