Christ Is Worth Trading Everything — Tim Conway

Christ Sustains the Persevering Christian

I'm going on. I'm going to have this.". Brethren, bottom line, when the Christian is down there, and he can barely crawl, he can barely move, he's been beaten down, Satan's been upon him, he's discouraged, brethren, I'll tell you, even in the midst of that, this is what keeps a man going.

Because even in the midst of all that, he realizes he comes to the reality, he hears the Word of God, it's momentary, it's light, and Christ is at the end of this thing. He's going to move on through.

But brethren, when you have somebody that's not fully persuaded that Christ is worth trading everything for, then what happens? He hesitates. He backs down. When something is needed, when something is required, when some sacrifice is appropriate, he hesitates.

The Checklist Mentality and the Cost of Discipleship

He's always balking. Why? Because he's not confident. See, it's more like the old poor me attitude. Look at how much I'm already doing kind of attitude. Look at what I've already done. He's always keeping a checklist of everything that he's already had to give up because it's been so difficult.

Because it's been such a trial. Because it's been things he hasn't really wanted to give up. He keeps a stark record of it. Well, I've done this and I've done this and I've done this. Whereas brethren, how often have the missionaries have you ever read Adeniram Judson?

He said at the end of his life, I have never made a sacrifice. Judson, you've never made a sacrifice. If you read his life, through bitter tears he laid two wives in their graves. He laid numerous children in holes in the ground.

He was in a prison that is not like anything describable here in the West. And he gets to the end and he says, Hudson Taylor said the same thing brethren. Amy Carmichael, she just rejoiced that going to India was a chance to die.

Venturing All for Christ Joyfully

You see, when a person is living their life and not even their own life is dear to them, they're not keeping a checklist. You know what you find there on judgment day? Lord, when did we do those things?

Versus this person that's always hedging. They know exactly when they did everything. They keep a list. They check it twice. Why? Because there's no persuasion. They're always hesitating. They're always halting.

The man who will not venture all for Christ and do it joyfully according to this parable is a man who's not fit for heaven. I tell you this, men act the way they do because of what they're persuaded of.

Mark it down. Brethren, what are you persuaded of? I just ask you this in wrapping up here. Do you have a passion, a joy? Have you made such a calculation? Christ and all other things, and with joy been able to say, Christ is worth more.

It's not always easy what He's going to require of me because sometimes it's homes, it's family. You see those kind of things, giving up for the sake of Christ. Sometimes it's difficult. But brethren, the bottom line comes down to this.

Persevering Through Doubt and Spiritual Warfare

I know some of you have... Brethren, it's going to be part and parcel and part of the course. We are going to have Satan rush upon us. And according to 1 Thessalonians 5, some of us are going to be more feeble and weak than others.

You're going to be more susceptible to Satan coming in and trying to convince you you're not saved, disturb your peace in that area. I recognize that's true. Brethren, I don't think it's appropriate just simply to tell the whole church that when doubts come, that you just need to not concern yourself with it because it's not true.

Some of you may very well be in our midst and you may be lost. Bottom line, when it all comes back to this, right down to here, here's the reality. Again, it seems like so many times, so many opportunities today.

The Fire of Faith in Pilgrim's Progress

Pilgrim's Progress, you know he's in the interpreter's house. And he sees a fire over against the wall. And he sees a man with a bucket of water throwing it on the fire, but every time the man throws the bucket of water on the fire, the fire gets bigger.

And so the interpreter takes him around through a doorway to the other side of the wall. And the fire there in the fireplace is actually being quenched on one side, but there's another man on the other side of the wall throwing oil on the fire.

Well, that man on the other side is Christ. That man over here is Satan. He's trying to put it out. But I'll tell you this, that is a picture of Christianity. Because brethren, Christians fall into sin.

They do. They fall into despair. They fall into sorrow. They fall into discouragement. Of course, they fall short. They fail. They mess up. They dishonor God. They stumble. Make fools of themselves at times.

Brethren, I've been there, done that. You have too. We know these things. But here's the thing, in your inner being, do you come back to this persuasion over and over and over again that Christ is all I need, all my hope, all my salvation, all my treasure?

Brethren, because here's the reality, no matter how much Satan may throw wet blankets on us, throw buckets of water on us, we have Christ over there with His buckets of oil throwing them on, bringing us back to this persuasion over and over and over.

The Spirit's Work and Christ Above All

This is worth having. Brethren, this is a mark of the genuine work of the Spirit of God in the life of a sinner. Lay it down. This is the heart of the matter. Will you have Christ above all? Are you going to go hard for Christ no matter what it costs you?

Following Christ Through Every Loss

Are you going to follow Christ if He takes your spouse? If He takes your children? Are you going to follow Christ if He takes your comfort? Are you going to follow Him if He takes your wealth? Are you going to follow Him if He takes your car, your house?

Are you going to keep going if He takes your health? Are you going to keep going? Because in the end, all these things that are thrown upon us and all when Satan comes against us and all his whisperings and all that the world can throw and all the deprivations and everything, are you going to be just like Adam and Iron Judson in the end of the day and say when I look at Christ, just like the Apostle Paul, it was all nothing.

It was less than nothing that I might have the surpassing worth of Christ. Can we say that, brethren? This is the mark of real Christianity. There are other things to be considered, but this is the heart of the matter.

Christ as the Driving Compulsion of Life

Is Christ the driving compulsion of your life? And is there a certainty that He is more precious than everything else? Because, brethren, those that hedge have not come to this persuasion and if they haven't, they fall out of that parable.

And Jesus says that the Kingdom of Heaven is like this. And if you're not like that, you should be afraid. God help us, brethren. Brethren, I know that that is true in my heart. I know it is. I may not know a lot of things, but I know, brethren, when it gets hard, I keep coming back to this over and over again for 20 years.

I am going to keep going. This is hard, and there's a lot of days I want to throw in the towel, but I want Christ more than I want anything else.