It's New Year's resolutions time.
Hey, it's not easy to shed some pounds.
It's not easy to change your eating habits.
It's not easy to change your spending habits.
You know what?
It's just not easy being a human being.
Do I have an amen?
Amen.
You know what else is not easy?
Being a wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ.
Daily dying to yourself so that you can daily live for Christ in more and more areas of your life.
Each and every day of your life.
It's not easy being a follower of Jesus, but here's the result.
When you're following Jesus day in and day out, daily dying so that you can daily live for Him,
you become more like Christ in your character.
You're conformed to Jesus' character.
You become like Him.
And not only that, as you're looking to die to yourself in order to live for Christ day in and day out,
you begin to obey more and more of His commands in more and more areas of your life.
And you know what the result of all that is?
God's name gets praised.
His name is hallowed.
It means to be made much of.
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not easy, but it's absolutely worth it because God's name is hallowed.
And that's not just being a disciple.
Being a disciple who is making disciples of Jesus Christ is absolutely worth it too
because not only do you see God hallowed in your life, you start seeing God hallowed in other people's lives.
God's praise spreading across the earth.
God's praise.
This morning, this first Sunday of 2019, we're going to delay getting back into the book of Revelation.
We're going to focus on a number of passages from the Gospel of Matthew
because I want to focus you on what matters most.
Maybe better said, on who matters most.
because it's all about Jesus.
You want to say that with me?
It's all about Jesus.
Over the last year, year and a half,
the elders of our church,
we've been sensing a need to focus our church
on being disciples of Jesus Christ
who are making disciples of Jesus Christ.
That's who we are and that's what we do.
And think about it.
In our current cultural context,
that's not easy.
Now, there was a time in our country
when calling people to forsake their sin repentance
in order to follow Jesus,
well, that was a little easier.
People spoke the same language.
We live in a culture of Christianity,
so it's a little more easy to talk about these things,
but that age is by and large passing away.
We live in a different America than 20 years ago, don't we?
We do.
And as it gets more challenging to be a follower of Jesus,
and it will,
you know what you're going to need more and more?
Encouragement.
You're going to need courage
to follow Jesus all the days of your life.
You're going to need to be courageous
and stepping out in faith
to do what's right in the Lord's eyes,
especially when it gets contested.
Now, the kind of encouragement I'm talking about
is not the building up of one's self-esteem.
There's other places you can look for that.
The kind of courage I'm talking about
is the building of perseverance in a Christian's heart
to persevere through challenge and suffering
to endure to the end.
Courage to overcome temptations and tribulations
that come on account of being identified with Jesus Christ.
It's all about Jesus.
So my aim this morning
is to put courage into your hearts
to live wholeheartedly for Jesus,
regardless of the cultural circumstances,
for the rest of your life.
Here's how I'm going to do that.
We're going to look through the Gospel of Matthew.
We're going to be stopping off at a couple different areas,
but there are three lines of encouragement
I want to put right into your heart.
First one is this.
Jesus is real,
and it's real all the time.
It's all true.
Jesus is real.
You're going to find some encouragement there.
And the second line of encouragement is
Jesus is worth it all.
He's worth it all.
He's the treasure.
You're going to find some encouragement there.
And finally,
Jesus is with us in it all.
There is a promise to hold on tight to.
It's going to give courage to you.
Are you ready for some encouragement?
Let's dive in.
Jesus is real.
It's all true.
Apparently,
Vince Lombardi,
at the beginning of every football season,
and I'm not saying I'm a Packers fan,
but Vince Lombardi,
at the beginning of every football season,
he'd gather the Packers together,
and he'd hold up a football
at the beginning of practice,
the very first practice of the year,
and he'd say,
this is a football.
This is what this is all about.
It's all about Jesus.
We're coming out of the Christmas season,
and if Christmas teaches us anything,
it's that the second person of the Trinity
took on real human flesh.
He had real eyelashes,
and he had real fingernails,
and he had real detached earlobes,
because we know only godly people
have detached earlobes.
Bad joke.
He really took on flesh.
Matthew 1.23,
he is Emmanuel,
God with us.
Fully God,
fully man.
Fulfillment of Isaiah 7.14.
It's true.
The second person of the Trinity
who eternally existed
at a particular point in time
took on flesh.
It's really true.
And he really lived
a perfectly righteous life
in God's eyes.
All 33 years of his life,
every moment of every day,
nothing but pleasing God.
Never sinned once.
He did what none of us could do.
He lived a perfect life.
And he really did die willingly
out of love for sinners
as a substitute on the cross.
He really did die.
Real cross,
real nails,
real blood,
accomplishing a real salvation.
And not only did he die on the cross
and was buried,
he was really raised on the third day.
And he actually appeared
to 500 people
as eyewitnesses
following his resurrection
according to 1 Corinthians 15.
He really was raised from the dead
and he really ascended on the clouds
to the right hand of the Father
where he is right now.
He really is alive now.
Right now.
Listening in.
And right now,
he is truly building his church
all across the globe.
I just got done finished reading a book
and in this book,
there was just kind of some stats
given of God,
the work,
the church planting work
around the world right now.
It was so encouraging
to hear how Aslan is on the move
building his church
in some of the hardest nations on earth.
He really is at work.
He really is alive.
And he really is going to come back.
That day is set
in the Father's calendar.
And despite what some people may think,
we're actually one day closer to that day.
One Christmas closer.
One New Year's closer.
The window is getting smaller
to the return of Jesus Christ.
And when he really does come back
on that real day,
he will really judge
the living and the dead.
He will separate them
as sheep from the goats.
Matthew 25.
He is the judge.
And he separates the unrighteous
from the righteous.
And the unrighteous,
he will cast into eternal torment.
Hell is real.
And for those of us
whom he has saved
by his mercy and his grace,
we will really dwell with him
forever.
In his presence,
we will see his earlobes.
We'll know if they're detached
or undetached.
We'll be with him
in pristine, sinless glory
of the new heavens
and the new earth.
There are no threats there.
There are no tears there.
There's nothing but perfect peace there.
Jesus is real.
It's all true.
We're not making this stuff up.
And what you need to know
is that it's all,
it's all about Jesus,
but they're just not propositional truths
to believe about Jesus.
Just to check off
in some theology book.
These are truths
looking to have impact
on sinners' lives.
They're truths on mission
because Jesus is on a mission.
It's in the name,
Jesus,
Matthew 1, 21.
He came to save us
from our sins.
Jesus literally means
Yahweh saves.
He has come to save us.
It's all true.
It's all about Jesus.
And not only these truths
about Jesus are true,
Jesus affirmed
this whole book.
Genesis chapter 1.
God really did create
the heavens and the earth
with just words
out of nothing.
Genesis 1 is true.
Genesis 2 is true.
God really did create
one biological man
and one biological woman,
named them Adam and Eve,
to be joined together
for life
in the holy state of matrimony,
to be fruitful, multiply,
subdue the earth
as his representatives.
It's all true.
Genesis 2 is true.
Genesis 3 is true.
Adam and Eve really did
disobey God in the garden,
resulting in their expulsion
from the garden
and our inherited sinful nature.
Romans chapter 5.
Thanks, Adam.
Thanks, Eve.
All human beings
are really sinful rebels
in God's sight
from birth.
It's true.
And you know what's amazing?
God really saw it
before it all happened.
Before the foundation
of the world,
God saw it all.
And before the foundation
of the world,
He set into motion
a plan for the fullness
of time to rescue sinners
from their sin
that's centered
on this person
of Jesus Christ.
It's all about Jesus.
I know you know this,
but you've got to hear it again.
Our deepest problem today
is not the political gridlock
of Washington, D.C.
over a border wall.
That's not our greatest problem.
Our greatest problem
is not the undiagnosed
health issue
that is currently
somewhere in your body
or somewhere
in your spouse's body
or somewhere
in your child's body
or somewhere
in your parent's body.
That's a problem.
It's not our greatest problem.
Our greatest problem
is not the rising interest rates
in the delicate global economy.
That's not our biggest problem.
Our biggest problem
is not access
to affordable health care.
It's a problem.
It's not our biggest problem.
Racial injustice
is not our biggest problem.
It's systemic in our culture.
Yes, it's not our biggest problem.
The greatest problem
of all humanity
is not outside of us.
It's resident in us.
Deep
within every human heart
is an inherited sinful nature.
And just like a baby
in the arms of his mother
who arches his back,
we
arch our backs
in the hands
of a loving,
providential creator.
We
exchange God
for idols.
We deny him
and take his place.
Our deepest problem
is our own
sinfulness
internally.
That's our greatest problem.
all the other problems
that I named,
you can trace those
all the way back
to the garden.
It's all true.
It's all real.
So here's what this means.
Our greatest problem
personally
and in your families
and in our city
and nation,
it's spiritual
in nature.
It's rebellion
against God.
And therefore,
the solution
is not economic.
It's not educational.
It's gospel.
Spiritual.
Your greatest need
is to be made right
with a holy God.
And the only way
that you can be made right
with a holy God
is through the blood
of Jesus Christ
who died on the cross.
A real cross
with real nails
shedding real blood
accomplishing
a real salvation.
He's our prince of peace
who sacrificed himself
for us.
It's all about Jesus.
So when you start
to come into
the biblical understanding
of what the greatest
problem is
and what is God's
only solution for that,
it should have the effect
of prioritizing your life.
So Jesus is not
a pastime.
Jesus is not a hobby.
Jesus is not
an eventually thing
I'm going to get to.
He is the Lord of lords
and King of kings
and he's worthy
of every breath
of your life.
Every square inch
in light of who he is
and what he's done.
It means we're not
playing church.
We're on mission
to bring gospel
to sinners.
We're not making
this thing up
as we go along.
We're not trying
to make the Bible
fit our preferences.
But we're standing
on God's word.
No better yet,
we're coming
under God's word.
We're not trying
to twist this
to make it fit
our culture.
we're not trying
to fill people's time
in order to be
productive citizens.
We're organizing
to make disciples
of the nations.
We're not observing
in the stands
what the living Christ
is doing
and building his church.
We have been commissioned
by the living Christ
to engage the world
in order to make disciples
for the glory
of his name.
It's all true.
It's all real.
We are Christ's plan
to make disciples
in this city.
So we don't gather
Sunday by Sunday
to be entertained.
We don't gather
in order to evaluate.
We gather together
to be equipped
and empowered
and encouraged
and envisioned
so that we are scattered
to make disciples
of the nations.
It's all true.
Jesus is real.
This isn't make-believe.
Is this putting
a little courage
in your heart?
To remember
that it's true?
I'm going to say
Jesus is real
and I want you
to say
it's all true.
Jesus is real.
It's the case.
The second line
of encouragement
that I want
to put courage
into your heart
is that Jesus
is worth it all.
And what I mean
by he is worth it all
is what Jesus means
by worth it all.
Dying to yourself
day in and day out
in order to live
wholeheartedly
for Jesus
day in and day out.
Jesus is worth
giving your all for.
And not just you
giving your all for.
Jesus is worth
calling others
to die to themselves
so that they too
can give their
all for Christ.
Have you
realized yet
the radical cost
of becoming
a disciple
of Jesus Christ?
Have you come
to terms
with that
yourself yet?
Becoming a Christian
is not like
joining Costco.
It's not like
getting on Spotify.
Spotify.
It's not signing
up at the Y.
It's not getting
the latest E letter
from whoever.
Becoming a follower
of Jesus
is costly.
Listen to Jesus'
words in Matthew 16,
24 and 25.
If anyone,
if anyone,
age,
gender,
ethnicity,
tax bracket,
educational level,
if anyone
would come
after me,
let him
deny himself
and take up
his cross
and follow me.
Die to yourself.
For whoever
would save
his life
for his sake
will lose it.
but whoever
loses his life
for my sake,
Jesus says,
will find it.
Life is in Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
said it this way
in The Cost of Discipleship,
when Christ
calls a man,
he bids him
come
and die.
Jesus is real.
And the cost
to follow him
is real.
So the real question
is,
not so much
is it true,
is he worth it?
That's the question.
Is Jesus worth
dying to yourself
day after day
so he can be
exalted
in your life?
Jesus answered
this question
with a one verse
parable
in Matthew
chapter 13.
It may be
my favorite
parable
and not just
because it's short.
In Matthew
13,
44,
Jesus says this.
He's talking
about what it
means for someone
to experience
salvation,
the salvation
that's found
in God alone.
He calls it
the kingdom
of heaven.
The kingdom
of heaven
is like
treasure
hidden in
a field
which a man
found and
covered up.
Then in his
joy,
he goes and
sells all
that he has
and buys
that field.
What is the
hidden treasure?
The hidden
treasure is the
salvation
purchased by
Jesus'
blood.
It is
treasure.
And what is
this joy
of selling
all that
he had?
That's
repentance.
The joy
of dying
to yourself
so that
you can
acquire
what only
God can
give you.
And Jesus
says,
salvation
is treasure
for the
soul.
Joy.
The joy
of knowing
that Christ's
blood paid
in full
the penalty
for all
your sins
forever.
Joy.
The joy
in knowing
that Jesus'
blood made
peace between
you with
God so
much so
that Paul
can say
in Romans
8,
there's
nothing
that can
separate
you from
the love
of God
in Christ
Jesus.
There's
no challenge,
no threat
big enough.
Joy.
Joy in
the power
by the
Holy Spirit
to say
no to
sinful
desires
and to
walk
in purity.
There's
joy in
obedience.
Joy.
Joy in
having
power
from
God's
Spirit
to resist
the schemes
of the
devil.
The devil
can't move
a hair
on your
head
without
the
Father's
okay.
Joy
in
experiencing
the presence
of God
to comfort
you now.
Joy
in the
selfless
serving
of other
people
without
agenda.
It's
no longer
what can
you do
for me
now.
Jesus
was right
on when
he says
it's
better to
give
than to
receive.
Joy
in
purpose.
A
purpose
that is
bigger
than your
life.
When you
become a
Christian
and a
follower
of Jesus
you cease
to exist
for yourself.
You never
really did
to begin
with.
but he
purchased
you by
his
blood
for
him.
And he
died
that those
who live
might no
longer live
for themselves
but for
him who
for their
sake died
and was
raised.
For
him.
So when
your purpose
is marked
by treasure
joy in
Jesus
you know
what flag
you raise
every morning?
Four words
hallowed
be
your
name.
It's all
about
his
glory
now.
And there's
joy in
that.
A joy
that nobody
can rob
you of.
Because this
treasure
is secure.
Is
Jesus
worth it?
He's
worth it.
The call
to die
to yourself
to follow
Jesus
is real
just as
Jesus
is real
just as
the joy
of finding
this treasure
is real.
He's
worth it.
Here's
why that
matters.
The
culture's
changing.
We'll
suffer more
for being
a follower
of Jesus.
This past
week I was
talking to
a sister
from the
church
and we
were sharing
stories about
trying to
engage our
family members
about the
gospel over
the holidays
and I
had to
confess I
just failed
in some
areas.
But what
she said
was so
encouraging.
She's
sought to
share the
gospel with
one particular
family member
and that
family member
keeps on
pushing her
away.
She's not
being obnoxious.
She's just
being faithful.
But she's
experiencing a
kind of
suffering
for Jesus.
She wants
her family
member to
know the
treasure.
And this
family member
doesn't want
anything to
do with
it.
It creates
some social
discomfort,
some awkward
moments,
but when
you measure
it against
the treasure
hidden in
the field,
it's worth
it.
It's worth
it.
being a
disciple of
Jesus Christ
is absolutely
worth it.
And calling
others to
count the
cost to
follow Jesus
is worth
it too
because we
know the
treasure.
I'm going
to say
Jesus is
real.
And I
want you
to say
and he's
worth it
all.
Jesus is
real.
I hope
this is
putting some
courage in
your heart.
It's all
about Jesus.
The last
line of
encouragement
is he is
with us
in it all.
he is
with us
in it
all.
Last week
I was
supposed to
take my
son to
school at
7.15 in
the morning
and I
totally lost
track of
time and I
gave him my
word that I'd
bring him to
school and I
essentially broke
my word,
broke my
promise.
I had to
apologize to
him.
Have you
ever forgotten
a promise?
You ever
make a promise
and then forget
it?
A forgotten
promise is as
good as a
failed promise.
You'll know
something
wonderful.
Jesus never
forgets his
promises and
Jesus always
keeps his
promises.
He always
keeps his
promises.
Do you
remember the
promise he
made in the
Great Commission?
you might be
like I don't
even remember
the Great
Commission let
alone the
promise in it.
The Great
Commission Jesus
speaks.
It's at the
end of the
book of
Matthew,
Matthew 28.
Jesus has
been raised
from the
dead and
he commissions
all his
disciples for
all time with
the greatest
of all
tasks.
Listen to
this.
All authority
on heaven and
earth has
been given
to me.
Go therefore
and make
disciples of
all nations
baptizing them
in the name of
the Father and
the Son and
the Holy Spirit
teaching them to
observe all that
he commanded
even the command
to die to
yourself and
follow him.
And then comes
the promise.
And behold,
I am with
you always
to the end
of the age.
It's where the
gospel ends.
Behold,
I am with you
always to the
end of the
age.
This promise
is designed
to put courage
into a
disciple's heart
to know that
Jesus is with
us in it all.
This promise
is a promise
of the ongoing
presence of
the risen
Christ.
Why would we
need a promise
like that?
Why would
Jesus
promise to
us
that he
would be
with us?
Well,
this promise,
great promise,
is tied to
the greatness
of the task,
the great
commission.
And what
makes the
great commission
so great
is not
just its
scale,
all nations.
It's not
just duration
to the end
of the age.
It's not
just the
one speaking
it,
the great
I am,
the Lord
of lords
and king
of kings.
It's the
great depth
of our
problem.
Have you
ever thought
about what
Jesus is
requiring us
to do?
Make
disciples of
Jesus Christ
who obey
all that
he has
commanded?
To obey
requires a
willingness to
obey.
To obey
requires a
wanting to
obey.
How do
you do
that?
How do
you make
someone want
something?
Gospel
ministry.
Let me just
tell you what
gospel ministry
is not.
Fulfilling the
great commission
is not making
mean people
nice and
nice people
nicer.
That's not
ministry.
Gospel
ministry is
calling sinners
who've exchanged
God for a
lie to die
to themselves
in repentance
in order to
live wholeheartedly
for Christ
by faith in
every area of
their life,
every day of
their life,
for the rest
of their life.
It's huge.
How do you
take someone
living for sin
and make them
live for Christ?
Are you
feeling the
depth of
this?
This is
impossible,
humanly
speaking.
The great
commission is a
great impossibility
for us.
The kind of
change we're
talking about
doesn't come
about from
human effort
or human
ingenuity,
human genetics
or economics
or education,
certainly not
politics.
The great
commission is a
great impossibility
if Christ is
not among
us.
the only
power capable
of taking a
sinful dead
heart set on
self-worship
and transforming
that heart
into a
spiritually alive
heart towards
God who
worships and
obeys His
commandments.
The only power
capable of doing
that is God's
power,
divine power.
power.
And what the
Bible says is
that power of
God has been
made known in
a message.
The gospel.
For I'm not
ashamed of the
gospel.
For it is
God's power
unto salvation
for all who
believe.
faith.
It's God's
power on
display.
The gospel is
the message of
Jesus.
And in Jesus
is the power
to change,
to save.
He makes
the impossible
possible.
Nobody in
this room,
in our city,
or on this
planet,
can save
themselves or
change themselves
in the way
that God
requires.
Because sin
is so deep,
it takes a
miraculous,
powerful work
of God to
save and
change sinners.
Another way
to say it is
this.
There are no
DIY projects
in the kingdom
of heaven.
God's
love to
do it.
Do it
yourselfers.
Only by
God's grace.
Here's what
that means.
If you are a
follower of
Jesus, if you
put your faith
in Jesus
Christ, if you
took that
bread and you
drank that
cup today and
you're like,
Jesus, there's
no way I
would have been
acceptable to
you apart from
you.
I know where
you've saved
me from.
If that's
you, do you
know what you
are?
You are a
walking miracle
of God's
gracious power
is what you
are.
God's done a
work in you
that no one
else can do
through the
blood of
Jesus.
You're a
miracle walking.
You're a
trophy of his
grace.
You're the
delight of his
heart now.
And it's all
because of
Jesus.
It's all
about Jesus.
the great
commission is a
great impossibility
apart from the
power of God.
That's why
Jesus has
promised to be
with us.
We need
Jesus with us.
He alone is
able to bring
about the
change that he
requires.
He is our
power source.
He's the vine,
we're the
branches.
The book of
Acts helps
us realize
that Christ's
presence is
currently being
mediated to us
through the
indwelling Holy
Spirit, the
third person of
the Trinity.
The Holy
Spirit indwells
each of us at
the moment of
conversion,
empowering us
to do what's
impossible for
the glory of
God.
Christ with us
through the
Holy Spirit
seeking to
accomplish his
great task of
fulfilling the
great commission.
You know the
conclusion is?
We're in over
our heads.
We're in way
over our heads.
But not Jesus.
Not the
triune God.
Emmanuel is
here and he
is with us and
he's promised to
be with us until
the end of the
age as we seek
to do what he's
called us to do
and make disciples
of the nations.
That's why he
promised to be
with us.
To fill the
earth with his
praises.
Behold I'm
coming, I'm
with you always
to the end of
the age.
I hope that
puts a little
courage in your
heart.
In light of who
Jesus is, he's
real, it's all
true.
In light of that
Jesus is worth it
all, he's the
treasure and in
light of Jesus
being with us,
what a promise.
How do you
respond?
Should we get a
sign up list out?
Open up your
check books?
Pull out the
calendars?
Let's get her
done.
When you
realize the
scale of this,
the response is
to pray.
Is to humble
yourself before
our God.
I had four ways
that we could
pray.
I'm just going
to do two
in response.
in light of
who Jesus
is, it's
real, it's
all true,
worth it all,
with us in it
all.
There's
unfinished work
to do in
light of that.
First,
pray up the
name.
Pray up the
name.
Matthew 6,
9, and
10.
Our
Father in
heaven,
hallowed be
your name.
Your kingdom
come, your
will be done.
Pray up the
name.
And we don't
need to limit
it to the
Father's name.
It's the name
of the triune
God.
We can call
on our
triune God
to pray up
the name.
Oh God,
would you be
exalted in
my life, in
my marriage, in
my parenting, in
my home, in
neighborhood, in
my city, in
church, in
my nation, and
around the
world.
Pray up the
name.
Hallowed be
your name.
In light of
all that he
has done, let's
pray up his
name so that
the praises of
his name will
reach to the
ends of the
earth as the
water covers
the sea.
Pray up the
name, and
then secondly, as
a response,
pray down the
power.
Acts 2, verse
31, the early
church is being
roughed up and
persecuted.
They gather
together and
they pray for
boldness.
And the
Spirit of God
fills them,
shakes the room
that they're in,
and they are
emboldened for
ministry.
Pray down the
Spirit.
Pray down the
power.
Ask God to fill
us afresh, to
empower us to
walk in purity, to
empower us to
stand against the
devil, to
empower us to
proclaim boldly
the person of
Jesus who is the
only hope for
people in this
lost world.
Pray up the
name, pray down
the power.
What a great
response to the
Great Commission.
Jesus is real,
Jesus is worth it
all, and Jesus
is with us in it
all.
Take courage.
Christ the King
Church, we got
Jesus' work to do.
Let's pray.
Lord Jesus, we do
want your name
exalted in our
city.
Would your name
be hallowed?
Would you be
made much of in
our lives, in
our thoughts, in
our desires, in
our purchases, in
how we spend our
time?
Lord Jesus, would
you be exalted?
Would you be
hallowed?
Hallowed be your
name, Father.
Father, would you
pour out your
spirit upon us,
your people, so
that we can live
lives that are
radical in the
world's sight, so
that we can live
lives that validate
the message we
proclaim.
Lord Jesus, thank
you for reminding
us this morning
that following you
is not in vain.
It's not an
exercise in
futility.
It's the right
thing to do.
You are worth
it all.
Be exalted
now.
In Jesus' name
we pray.
Amen.