(Revelations of the Gospel) 2. a Revelation of Forsaking All — Jason Robinson

Father in heaven we come to you today, and we desire to sit at your feet and just make our hearts burn within us. Open our eyes to your word and graft it into our souls So that we can be saved. We love you.

We just pray that you would be with us now bring your presence here and your anointing In Jesus name well that We started yesterday looking at 16 different revelations of the gospel. And because of the great need of the hour the time that we live in we saw that the gospel is Incomplete when it's presented in many cases, and it's kind of like a cake and all the Parts of the recipe that you have to have to bake that cake and when you take out Key ingredients you don't get the same result, and that's what we're seeing right now in this country.

So we looked at the first four of the 16. Number one was a revelation of your unholy vile condition before a Holy and pure Creator. Number two was a revelation of your unbroken will. Number three was a revelation of the fear of God and number four was a revelation of the reality of death and of the coming judgment.

Jesus as Lord, Savior, and the Only Way to the Father

So let's look at five through ten or eleven today. Let's look at number five. And remember each of these are key ingredients in the presentation of the gospel and many of them are Missing the the first three that we're going to look at today.

We're going to go through briefly because fortunately For the most part they're not missing these are ones that aren't missing so there's no need to go in depth with them, but just to Not to minimize them, but to mention them number five is a revelation of Jesus as Lord Savior and the only way to the Father.

Fortunately this hasn't fallen Off the presentation of the gospel too much. I mean there are some emergent churches now that are Saying that people can know God outside of Jesus and in other countries and end up in heaven without being born again.

But you know the scripture is very clear in Acts 412 there's no other name under heaven given to men or by we must be saved. It's through Jesus. This is a fundamental basic Aspect of the gospel. Except a man be born again He cannot see the kingdom of God.

Nobody's going to go to heaven outside of Christ. Jesus said in in John 5 He said verily verily I say unto you he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me Has everlasting life so it's through Jesus Christ alone.

That we can get into heaven and I I know this is a basic thing, but like I said it It is a legitimate key ingredient to the gospel. Anybody that studies the Accuracy of the scriptures as opposed to other religions, you know Hinduism and and the Muslim religion and all the different other religions that offer.

And all you know an alternate route. When you when you look at the scriptures you see it's a hundred percent accurate. You know and it's predictions of future events and history archaeology medically predicting things.

There's there's no way that the Bible could have just been written by mere men with all of the different studies and the main you know aspect of that that I want to look at and then move on to the next point is that When you look at the Old Testament and you see God speaking to men About a coming Messiah a coming Savior and Men making these prophecies this is going to happen and that's going to happen.

There's hundreds of them and you study the life of Jesus and you see him fulfilling them to a tee even down to the Exact year that he went into Jerusalem on a donkey. If you study that prophecy, he's the only one throughout history that could have been the Messiah.

Because it was so many years after the rebuilding of the wall that the Messiah would enter in and that came The exact year that Jesus came into Jerusalem proving that he is the Messiah and thus the only way to heaven.

So like I said, no need to belabor that you can study that out on your own. Unfortunately, it's not been taken out. Too much. So let's look at the next one. The next ingredient is a revelation of the cross and the death.

The Cross and the Death of Jesus

Of the cross of Jesus, which is the death or the blood. However, you want to say it once we've seen These, you know first five ingredients as I see how violent I am. I see how Sinful I am I I have a fear of God come over me.

I see that the essence of sin is My stubborn will I Realize I'm going to stand before this. Holy God. I realize I'm gonna have to give an account for him. I realize that it's Jesus. He's the only way to the father.

Then the next aspect is seeing that The seeing the the truth and the beauty of the cross. As you look at the scriptures, you know, the the Bible says without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

You know God gave us these laws out of love and When we break those laws there has to be a punishment and God out of love for us. Said I'll wrap myself in human flesh I'll come down here and I'll pay the price myself so that so that mankind doesn't have to and this is You know the the essence of the gospel.

This is a key element. Let's look at 1st Corinthians chapter 2 real quick here. 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 1 Paul says when I came unto you brothers, I did not come with eloquency or Superior wisdom as I proclaimed on you the testimony about God for I resolved to know nothing While I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

So so this is you know, this is it in a nutshell. It's it's about Jesus Christ and it's about him crucified. The first elements are important for us to see our need but ultimately we have to come to this point of Salvation is in Christ and it's through the cross.

It's not through me going to mosques. It's not through me going to temples. It's not through me You know doing religious activities. It's through his blood sacrifice and You know, we're all familiar with the verses that teach this, you know, John 3 16 and similar verses.

So there's no need to stay on this but it is the gospel that the the death of this innocent Sinless man who was God wrapped in the flesh nailed to a tree as a penalty for the sins of mankind. When we look at it and study it and meditate on it.

It is what fundamentally separates the message of the message of Jesus from all the other religions that that God Would pay my price and give me his blood for salvation. Very important, okay, let's let's move on just for sake of time.

Like I said, we're gonna we're gonna kind of Focus on not in a matter of priority. But in a matter of what's lacking as far as message if you know. If you're in a wood shop, and there's 20 guys making, you know leg Legs to tables and there's nobody making tabletops and there's hundreds of table legs.

Somebody has to start making tabletops, you know, so that there are a lot of people Preaching on the cross and there's you know movies about. You know like the passion of the Christ and where we get a picture of what it was like.

So, you know no need to Park there because there is an understanding of that. Maybe not as deep as it should be but there is but let's let's look at seven and eight and they kind of go along with six number seven and number eight are both a revelation of the burial and a revelation of the resurrection.

The Burial and Resurrection of Jesus

So what we see here is this this God came wrapped in a human. You know lived a sinless life. They crucified him and for three days He allowed himself to be buried and then after three days he rose again to prove.

You know that he wasn't just some prophet. He wasn't just some you know, some guy that had some new religious ideas. Nobody could die for three days and and and then resurrect them themselves unless they were supernaturally, you know from God and this this is you know a key element of the gospel and it's kind of interesting to note look at Acts chapter 4.

I know the churches that I was involved in and in my past and You know reading a lot of gospel tracks and a lot of listening to a lot of gospel sermons. This this point really isn't emphasized too much it is emphasized but not too much.

But look at Acts chapter 4 verse 33. It says and with great power the Apostles continued to testify to the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace was upon them all. So this was a part of their Presentation of the gospel if you will that Jesus raised from the dead.

Again, you know nowadays. It's not that you know of an important ingredient to people. I mean maybe around Easter time they talk about it. But to them it was a key element first Peter chapter 3 verse 21.

He says and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you not the removal of dirt from the body. But the pledge of a good conscience towards God it saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So we're saved by the death of Christ on the cross that blood.

But we are also saved by the resurrection of Christ because of Christ didn't erase from the dead. If he's still dead, then we're gonna you know, when we die, we're gonna stay dead. So this is an important element and Paul kind of sums it up.

Let's look at Second Corinth or first Corinthians chapter 15. He kind of sums up the gospel here. He doesn't limit it to this but he kind of sums it up for the sake of the passage and what he's trying to deal With in this passage.

Let's look at first Corinthians chapter 15 verse 1. He says now brothers I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you which you received and on what you have taken your stand by this gospel. You are saved if you hold firmly to the word that I preached unto you.

Otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance that Christ died for our sins. According to the scriptures that he was buried and that he was raised the third day according to the scriptures.

So this is the gospel, you know kind of like in a nutshell the death the burial and the resurrection. So this is what I would kind of call the means of the gospel the this is how The the means of salvation this is how we can enter into This forgiveness that we saw in the first four points that we need we need forgiveness.

We need God and how do we get to God through Christ the mediator between God and man through his death? His burial and his resurrection, but what I mainly want to focus on today is the ninth revelation and it's a revelation of repentance and This is a major Ingredient that is lacking today in the presentation of the gospel and I want to really spend my time a lot of my time here today on repentance.

Repentance as Turning from Self to Christ

Because we need to see you know, God is a God of second chances. He is a God of mercy. He doesn't take delight you know in Judging anyone. So he offers this second chance to us and it's freely. You know, it's freely being offered to all men.

And what we need to see about repentance is I'm walking this way. I'm going along this path the self-chosen way. Kind of doing what I want to do living life the way I want to live thinking the thoughts I want to think.

Spending the money. I want to spend wearing the clothes. I want to wear. The job the career I have, you know who my friends are that music tastes everything. I'm just doing what I want to do. And the creator of this universe the one that made me the one that made me for the purpose of fellowshipping with him.

He comes behind me. Either through my conscience or through his spirit and he says, you know, he says turn to me. I Want you I want to have a relationship with you. And so repentance is This turning away from myself as the center of life turning away from that to Jesus and This is so important.

But the way the gospel is presented nowadays as we saw last night is I'm going along this way and someone presents to me the gospel and I kind of I kind of pick it up and whoops I kind of pick it up and put it in my pocket and then I can continue to go this way.

You see I'm kind of adding Jesus to my existing life and they say, you know, well you're a sinner. Well, yeah, I know I'm a sinner you're going to hell. Well, yeah, I realize that do you want to go to heaven?

Well, yeah, okay. We'll say this prayer. Okay, and they kind of get you know salvation and just continue to go that way but repentance isn't preached and when we look at the scripture here, we see that this is a major ingredient God is behind you saying turn to me and And this is the the war that we have to to go through in our soul.

You mean turn from all this turn from this world turn to Christ and he's saying yes turn if we Look at this verse here Matthew chapter 4. Let's turn there. This was what Jesus began in his ministry. This was like the foundation of his preaching Matthew chapter 4 Verse 17 it says from that time Jesus began to preach Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near.

So this is This is how he began his ministry saying repent turn from self as the center of life and Turn to God the disciples. Look at look at Mark there Mark chapter 6 the disciples Preach the same thing Mark chapter 6 verse 11 if any he says and if any place will not welcome you or Listen to you shake the dust of your feet off when you leave as a testimony against them, then they went out and Preached that people should repent.

Yet many, you know today say well you should you shouldn't tell people You're going to hell if you don't repent, you know, that's not the way, you know, we should do it. We should be you know loving and Eventually, we'll kind of get around to that in a subtle way through you know long relationships eventually saying that maybe they shouldn't do that, but you know Jesus is sending them out saying that people should repent and Look at this is a kind of a common verse on this but it's really important Luke chapter 13 and You know, I want a pattern The way I present the good news after the way Jesus did.

I don't want to use my carnal mind and my human reasoning. I don't want to be influenced by culture and Christian fads. I want to look at the life of Jesus and I want to speak how he spoke and I want to Love, you know the way he that he loved and he he saw the beginning from the end.

He saw how How horrible it is to be without God throughout eternity and that love is what motivated him in Luke chapter 13 here. It says now there was some present at the time Who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their own sacrifice.

Jesus answered Do you think that these Galileans were sinners? More than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way. I tell you no, but unless you repent you too Also will perish or those 18 who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them.

Do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you no, but unless you repent you too will perish. So I can't add to or take away from what Jesus said. Jesus said you know repent or perish and I know it's kind of a a cheesy bumper sticker, you know or something, you know repent or perish and it sounds kind of like something some street preacher with a Three-piece suit would be saying but Jesus said it he said Turn if you don't turn to Christ you'll perish and he said that out of love and In our desire to try to help people and be effective.

We can't take this ingredient out. This is. It's it's so important to keep this in here because it's the essence of the gospel. And and it's important to note when I'm speaking about repentance what I'm I'm not saying You need to clean up your life and then turn to Christ.

That's not what repentance is. Repentance is like we saw last night. Someone comes to the light. They see how evil they are and repentance is Turning to Christ and saying this is the way I am. I Can't stop being this way.

I have lust and I have addictions and I have desires and and I can't control my tongue and in my eyes. And I am not like you God. I can't be Like you I've tried and I can't do it. Change me. That's what repentance is.

So it's not me cleaning myself up like a lot of religions, you know that They might teach a lot of similar things that Christianity teaches but people are trying to do it through will worship, you know through self-denial Asceticism they're trying to you know not eat certain types of foods and you know go through physical washings of the body and they're trying to change themselves through Meditation and all that that's not what repentance is.

Repentance is saying God. I can't do this. I Need you to change me and I desire for you to change me. It's it's a it's a change of mind. It's saying I no longer want to live like this anymore. And So I'm changing my mind.

I'm saying God I Agree with you. This is the way I am. Please change me. So let's look at a couple more verses on that and we'll move on to the next one. Notice this it and first Thessalonians, this is a really good verse on repentance because see repentance isn't just It's not just me turning from sin.

But it's like I said, it's turning to Christ. And it says here in first Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 9. It says for they themselves show of us what manner of entering in we had to you and how you turn to God.

From idols to serve the living and true God. So see God isn't some Jerk in heaven that you know He puts us down here on earth and he puts all these desires in us. And then we see all this stuff in the world and he says, okay don't touch any of it don't enjoy any of it and then just kind of lock yourself in a room and be Miserable and just kind of sit there and deny yourself.

That's not what repentance is repentance is first turning to God. From idols you see he's saying You can have me you can either have me or the things that I've created. You can have the creator or the created things and he's saying I want to have a relationship with you.

I'll give you peace I'll give you joy. I'll fill that emptiness in your heart, but you can't have This world and me you can't have both so he's saying make a choice and and the Thessalonians were were known for the fact that they Turn to God from from their idols and it's the same thing today.

There's there's idols whether they're false religions. False understandings of Jesus or the American dream, you know money there's so many idols and we have to make the decision to turn from them to Christ and repentance is it's like it's like a filter like a water filter and You go to a third world country and you get some real mucky water.

And you have a filter there and you run it through the filter and you hold that glass up and well It's still dirty and then you filter it through again. Well, it's still dirty. You keep filtering it through.

The the way that we have to present the gospel to people is to emphasize repentance so much. To where people are on their face and they're they're filtering their life through this repentance in there God's giving them light on areas in their life that are Sin, and then they see those areas and they repent and then God gives them more light and they repent.

Repentance, Restitution, and a Transformative Gospel Presentation

And this is why it's so important that we don't take the gospel. Present it in a 25 minute sermon and then have a five minute altar call, you know while the music's playing Melodious melodious Lee, you know in the background somebody's playing a piano and you know and somebody hits the altar and and then somebody comes up to help them out and You know, they spent about four minutes with the person and then they say hey pray after me and the person, you know.

Has to hurry up and pray because the pastor's got to close the meeting up, you know. And it all kind of fits into this Meeting, you know, that's that's not salvation you like we talked about last night, this is this is a Serious thing.

This is me. Coming to the God of the universe and he's giving me light and and and I'm making choices in my heart. I'm turning from sins and he's giving me more lighting. He's giving me more light in him and and there's ramifications, you know repentance involves restitution, you know supposing.

Supposing I robbed a bank and I got a million dollars and then two weeks later. I went and heard the gospel and came to Christ. You know, do I have to give the million dollars back, you know, can I say well that was before I was a Christian.

You know, and now I get to live the rest of my life with the million dollars. No, I have to restore. I have to restore things and and The repentance that's taught today is kind of limited to this you know, you're a sinner and you need to be sorry for your sin and and that's kind of For the most part.

I'm not saying that's the way it always is there's a lot of you know, people preaching a full measure of repentance, but for the most part it is. You realize you're sinner. Yeah. Are you sorry for your sin?

Yeah, but the problem with that is, you know, supposing I I got drunk and I was driving and I killed a family and then I stood before the judge and the judge said are you sorry? You got drunk and drove.

Yeah. Are you sorry that you killed this family? Yeah, and then you know. And then I said, can you please let me you know not not have to go to jail and then if the judge said well, are you willing to quit drinking and.

And driving and I said well, no, I'm not. I'm not willing to quit that but I'm sorry you know and that's that's that's the difference between just being sorrowful for something and sorrowful for the ramifications of that and That that's the difference between that and repenting.

Repenting is saying I'm willing to turn from this. I'm willing to stop this. I can't do it in my own power, but I am willing to stop and. And this must be presented in the gospel a willingness to turn from it and to stop doing it.

Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery go and sin no more. And we must do the same so another aspect of repentance. Which is what we're going to look at next is number ten. Kind of taking repentance and expanding it a little bit number ten is a revelation of the need to forsake all a Revelation of the need to forsake all and I think unfortunately, this is probably the greatest Ingredient out of all of the ingredients that we've been looking at that are missing today in the message of the gospel very very very rarely.

Forsaking All to Follow Christ

Would you ever see this message of forsaking all in? Gospel tracts or sermons it's almost Entirely absent. And it's such an important ingredient. And we must see as we looked at last night I must come to Jesus on His terms.

I can't come to Jesus on my terms. I have to come on his terms and and that's why we looked last night at fearing God and repenting of sin and this matter of Forsaking all it's so incredibly important because a lot of people Believe in Jesus that you know, it says in James the devil's believe and they even tremble.

But are the devil's gonna be saved. No, why won't they be saved because they won't Forsake all they won't repent. It's the same thing today. A lot of people believe in Jesus. They believe he's a Loving God and he died for their sins.

But are they going to be with him in ever in heaven. No. Because they won't forsake all and follow him there. They're coming in to him and they're following him on Their terms not on his terms and Jesus says I'm not going to go along with it.

It's it's it's my way or nothing. It's it's not. You know just add me to your existing life, but let's look at this Mark chapter 10 and Jesus and his dealings with men made the road narrow. He you know, he said few there be that find it in Mark chapter 10 verse 21 it says and Jesus beholding him loved him and said to him and we know the story about the rich man.

He wants to follow Christ he's keeping all the other ten nine of the Ten Commandments and Then and it says here one thing you lack go and sell whatever you have and give to the poor and Then you'll have treasure in heaven and come and take up thy cross and follow me so.

Even last night I find it ironic. Alan and I were having a conversation with a gentleman that was here and Alan was kind of given his testimony about when he came to Christ and I had Spoken at a Bible study at his high school and this was five years ago or so and I said God does not want 99 of your heart.

It's it's a hundred percent or nothing. He won't take 99 and this gentleman that was here said well I don't know if that's right. You know, you don't think you can measure it in percentages, you know, and But as we see here, you know this this rich man wanted to follow Christ.

He was obeying nine out of ten commandments, but see there was this one area in his life this love for money and Jesus found the one area and and put his finger on that one area and said if you're gonna follow me, you know.

Turn from this love of money and that one thing the guy went away sorrowful I mean he could have been an apostle or something. And I don't know if he eventually ended up getting saved or not. But at that moment he chose money over relationship with the God of the of this universe, that's how much he loved money and When the gospel is presented today It's not presented as all or nothing it you know, it's presented as a as a choice and and the way Jesus is presenting it is.

It's it's almost like two people getting married, you know and here's the preacher and here's the couple and they're gonna get married and If the preacher says, you know, are you willing to be faithful to your husband and love him the rest of your life?

You know if that if that bride said well, I love you, honey. I want to be faithful to you I want to be married to you, but one week out of the year. I Want to go stay at my ex-boyfriend's house because I still love him, you know a little bit.

You know what the guy get married no, I love you 99 honey. That he still wouldn't marry him and and it's the same thing what Jesus is saying is if you see the reality of what we're talking about that that you need me and that there's an Eternal judgment and and that you're miserable without me when the ramifications of this come and you see the reality of it you're gonna turn from everything and Forsake everything and come to me.

Let's look at that and John. I'm sorry Luke chapter 9 Verse 23. Luke 9 23 and it says. And he said to them all if any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross Daily and follow me.

So Jesus isn't presenting a ticket to heaven a one-time prayer a confirmation he's he's Causing people to have to to count the cost. Okay, are you guys really seeing what I'm saying here? Because if you're really seeing this this is a lifelong Journey of knowing me of following me if you're gonna come after me It's a daily Me not doing my will but I will be done every day.

The cross, you know is a picture of of death to self if you're gonna follow me it's daily coming after me and and again, I hate to you know, keep kicking a dead dog here, but Ask yourself. How many times do you hear this preached in the presentation of the gospel?

That it's a lifelong following of Christ. It's so rare anymore. It's usually you know Romans chapter 10 says if you confess with your mouth, you will be saved. Oh, you're saved, you know, and and it's not The way that Jesus is, you know presenting it Let's look here at Some of the different aspects when I'm when I'm talking about Counting the cost and forsaking all you may be saying what do you mean forsake all?

Well, one of the key elements of forsaking all is Is This umbilical cord concept, you know a baby comes out of it of its mom with the umbilical cord in that that is how that baby has had its life for nine months has come through that cord and now it's born and it's still attached and Can you imagine a woman walking around for years, you know with a baby that still had its umbilical cord attached it'd be You know, it'd be unhealthy and weird but that's the way a lot of people when they Their concept of Christianity you see we spend our whole life.

We have our umbilical cord if you will Attached to this world this kingdom. It is how this kingdom has given us a false life and we've gotten our joy and our peace and and everything from this kingdom our family our relatives our friends our Desires everything from this kingdom.

And so the message of the gospel is to cut that umbilical cord off and Completely get your life In a relationship with Jesus Christ. Let's look at that in Luke chapter 9 and verse 59 and this is why he keeps saying, you know, you need to count the cost of Following me is going to cost you everything.

Luke chapter 9 verse 59 and he said unto another follow me. But he said the person that Jesus was talking to Lord allow me first to go bury my father now. So let's give some background. Jesus sees a guy.

He says hey follow me. And the guy says, okay. I want to follow you. I'm willing to give up everything. But my dad died, you know, and I have to to to go bury him. It's a legitimate request, right? To go to your dad's funeral and and bury him and What does Jesus say Jesus said in verse 60 and Jesus said unto him?

Let the dead bury the dead but go thou and preach the God of the kingdom of God. What? What are you talking about? Jesus? The guy just wants to go to his dad's funeral and Jesus has let the dead bury the dead.

So what is Jesus saying here? Look at verse 61 and another said to him Lord I will follow you, but let me first go bid them farewell what you're at my house. So here's another guy He wants to follow you.

He wants to follow Jesus. He says I will follow you. I Just want to go say goodbye to my mom and my dad. Maybe my family just I just want to go say goodbye to him. Again, that sounds like a legitimate request right and what does Jesus say to him and Jesus verse 62 and Jesus said unto him no man having put his hand to the plow and Looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.

So again, this is so rare that that you hear that this preached today like this. I mean, this is a radical message. It's it's it's crazy that he's saying come to me follow me and Anything that's going to hold you back from that is not legitimate.

Anything there's no excuses. I've married a wife. Therefore. I cannot come. I've bought a field. I have a job, you know all the the excuses that run through our mind they all kind of represent one thing that we still have that umbilical cord attached to this world and The call to follow Jesus is excused away through one of millions of different reasons.

But it doesn't matter what the reason is. It ultimately represents somebody that still loves this world. They still love their self their self-will and this is just an excuse and Jesus is saying cut that umbilical cord.

Come to me look at Matthew chapter 10. Matthew chapter 10 verse 36. It says a man's foe shall be they of his own household. He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me. He that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me. See a lot of people, you know, they they ask the question. Have you accepted Christ and People say yeah, I've accepted Christ, but that's really not the question that we need to be asking.

The question we need to be asking is has Christ accepted you. Because we see here in this verse there are people that are not worthy of Christ and It's not talking about some Self-righteous thing like I have to you know, not eat certain foods and not do certain things and then I'll be worthy of salvation.

I'm earning salvation by works. It's not talking about that. The worthiness that it's talking about is simply this have I cut my own umbilical cord off? From mom dad relatives friends the opinions of men my own desires my own goals this this whole world system.