All In: Prioritizing God Over Everything Else

Devotional

Day 1: The Undiluted Gospel

The gospel is not a matter of convenience or preference, but a life-altering truth that demands a wholehearted commitment. It is not enough to be close to Christianity or to idolize celebrity Christians who display a superficial connection to the faith. The decision to follow Christ is a black-and-white one, requiring us to be either in or out. [01:08:34]

Revelation 3:15-16 - "I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

Reflection: Reflect on your relationship with God. Are there areas in your life where you are lukewarm in your faith? How can you commit more fully to following Christ today?

Day 2: The "But God" Mentality

In the face of seemingly impossible situations, we must cultivate a "but God" mentality. This mindset acknowledges that while certain things may seem impossible to us, nothing is impossible for God. This is especially relevant when considering the difficulty for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. [01:14:10]

Jeremiah 32:17 - "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you."

Reflection: What is one situation in your life that seems impossible? How can you apply the "but God" mentality to this situation and trust in His power?

Day 3: The Wisdom of Surrender

There is wisdom in surrendering what cannot be kept in order to gain what cannot be lost. This means prioritizing God over everything else in our lives, even if it means giving up things that we hold dear. [01:29:41]

Matthew 16:25 - "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."

Reflection: What is one thing in your life that you are holding onto that is preventing you from fully surrendering to God? How can you begin to let go of this today?

Day 4: The Humility of Inquiry

The story of the Rich Young Ruler teaches us the importance of approaching Jesus with humility and asking the right questions about eternal life. Jesus' response to the young man's question emphasizes His role as a teacher and the importance of recognizing God's goodness. [49:33]

Proverbs 2:3-5 - "Indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

Reflection: What questions do you have about your faith or about God? How can you approach these questions with humility and a desire to learn?

Day 5: The Joy of Devotion

We must remove anything that competes with God for our devotion. This means letting go of anything that is on the throne of our lives besides God. In doing so, we trade the things we cannot keep for the things we cannot lose, experiencing the fullness of joy that comes from a deep relationship with God. [49:33]

Hebrews 12:1 - "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Reflection: What is one thing that is competing with God for your devotion? How can you begin to remove this from the throne of your life today?

Sermon Summary

The sermon begins with a discussion on the importance of not diluting the gospel to make it more palatable. The speaker warns against idolizing celebrity Christians who may only display a superficial connection to Christianity, emphasizing that being close to Christianity is not enough; it is a black-and-white decision of being either in or out. The speaker then delves into the difficulty for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God, highlighting the need for a "but God" mentality, where even though things may seem impossible, God can intervene and change everything.

The sermon continues with the speaker emphasizing the message of hope in giving up everything to follow Jesus. They acknowledge that trying to make life work without God can lead to things falling apart. The speaker quotes Jim Elliott, saying that it is wise to give up what cannot be kept in order to gain something that cannot be lost. They pose the question of whether it is worth it to go all in for Jesus and give up things that may be prioritized over God.

The speaker then analyzes a specific passage from the Bible, where Jesus interacts with a Rich Young Ruler. The speaker highlights the posture and attitude of the young man, emphasizing that he approaches Jesus with humility and asks the right questions about eternal life. The speaker also notes that Jesus responds by questioning why the young man calls him good, stating that only God is good. The speaker clarifies that Jesus is not denying his deity but rather emphasizing his role as a teacher.

The sermon then focuses on the story of the Rich Young Ruler, found in Mark 10. The speaker reads the passage, which describes the encounter between Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler, who asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus responds by listing the commandments, and when the man claims to have kept them all, Jesus instructs him to sell everything he has, give to the poor, and follow Him. The man becomes sad and walks away because he is wealthy.

The sermon concludes with the speaker emphasizing the need to remove anything that competes with God for our devotion. They encourage the audience to let go of anything that is on the throne of their lives besides God. The speaker urges the listeners to trade the things they cannot keep for the things they cannot lose, referring to the fullness of joy that comes from a deep relationship with God. They express gratitude for God's faithfulness in not leaving them empty-handed and for graciously inviting them to trust Him more.

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Mark 10:17-22 (NIV) — > As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

2. Romans 10:9 (NIV)
> If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

3. Psalm 16:11 (NIV)
> You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Observation Questions

What was the Rich Young Ruler's initial question to Jesus, and how did he address Jesus? [49:23]
How did Jesus respond to the Rich Young Ruler's claim that he had kept all the commandments since he was a boy? [50:33]
What specific instruction did Jesus give to the Rich Young Ruler, and what was the man's reaction? [50:33]
According to Romans 10:9, what are the two requirements for salvation?

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think Jesus questioned the Rich Young Ruler's use of the term "good" when addressing Him? What was Jesus trying to convey about His identity? [53:45]
How does the Rich Young Ruler's reaction to Jesus' instruction reflect his true priorities and values? [50:33]
In what ways does Psalm 16:11 provide a contrast to the Rich Young Ruler's decision to walk away from Jesus? How does it highlight the benefits of following God?
How does the "but God" mentality, as mentioned in the sermon, change our perspective on seemingly impossible situations? [01:14:10]

Application Questions

Reflect on a time when you felt close to Christianity but were not fully committed. What held you back from going "all in" for Jesus? [49:33]
The sermon emphasized the need to remove anything that competes with God for our devotion. Identify one thing in your life that might be competing with God for your attention and devotion. How can you begin to let go of it this week? [49:33]
Jesus asked the Rich Young Ruler to sell everything and follow Him. While this may not be a universal command, what is one thing you feel God is asking you to give up to deepen your relationship with Him? [50:33]
The speaker quoted Jim Elliott, saying, "He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." What is one temporary thing you are holding onto that you need to trade for something eternal? [01:29:41]
How can you cultivate a "but God" mentality in your daily life, especially when facing challenges that seem insurmountable? [01:14:10]
The Rich Young Ruler approached Jesus with humility and the right questions but still walked away sad. How can you ensure that your approach to Jesus leads to transformation rather than disappointment? [49:23]
Psalm 16:11 speaks of fullness of joy in God's presence. What practical steps can you take this week to spend more time in God's presence and experience this fullness of joy?

Sermon Clips

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliott #!!01:27:25!!#

"Maybe this morning you're wrestling with this question, is it worth it to go all in for Jesus? Is it worth it to give up things? And maybe as I've been talking, you've realized, 'Oh, I think I have something on the other side of that, where I say I think I'm actually maybe worshiping this more than I'm worshiping God.' And God is lovingly, graciously, but firmly asking you, 'Will you give that up to follow me?' In exchange, He doesn't leave us empty, He doesn't leave us grasping at straws. He says instead, 'I will give you fullness of joy, the true thing that you're after.'" #!!01:28:37!!#

"I don't have anything against celebrity Christians or Christians that are celebrities right either either way I don't have anything against them but here's what I see us do so often is we idolize people who are celebrities when they do something even remotely Christian... but the rest of their life looks nothing like it we're like they're on our team we're famous now like we've made it we're mainstream like we're up there." #!!01:07:31!!#

"Being close does not count in Christianity... it is black or it is white... you are either in or you're out... you lack there's still one thing there's still one unconverted spot that I want to talk about and I love you too much to not have that conversation." #!!01:08:34!!#

"But God demonstrates his own love there it is again that love for us that while we were still still sinners Christ died for us when we were far off when we were far away from God God said I love you too much to leave you there and he sent his son to die for us." #!!01:13:03!!#

"Jesus isn't concerned with your status your influence who you are he's not concerned with what you've done he's not concerned with what you bring to the kingdom he just wants you all these people are trying to earn their way into heaven all these people trying to come with their riches with their influence trying to buy their way into the kingdom Jesus saying that's not it." #!!01:13:36!!#

"If there's something between you and God, he is asking you to give it up. Jesus will not give his glory to another, he will not share his throne. So the question is, is giving up everything to follow Jesus worth it?" #!!01:22:36!!#

"It's got to go if there's anything else that's on the throne with you God would we just get rid of it Lord would we trade the things we cannot keep to gain the things we cannot lose the fullness of joy that we're after." #!!01:30:11!!#

"Thank you so much that you don't leave us empty-handed thank you so much that you don't call us to do something impossible but you graciously invite us to trust you more and more with the life." #!!01:30:11!!#

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?