“Sold-Out” Disciples
“For what is the use of a man gaining the whole world if he loses or forfeits his own soul?” Luke 9:25 (Phillips)
Our Sunday, October 1 Worship Service was so Spirit-ï¬?lled that one visitor, when asked his feelings, ran out of vocabulary words and described it as “Incredibality!” The atmosphere was electric as the singing resonated through out the packed auditorium of 573 people. The sermon was entitled,“Spit Changes Everything.” We studied John 9 when Jesus miraculously healed the blind man with spit and mud and Mark 8 where Jesus directly spit in the eyes of another blind man so he could see! Immediately following, was the communion presided by Ron and Tracy Harding. As Tracy began to speak she wept almost uncontrollably over her joy in worshipping God. When she found her words, Tracy said, “That sermon describes Ron and me in August before we moved to Portland. We had lost our appreciation of God’s grace, become lukewarm and had become spiritually ‘near sighted and blind.’” (2 Peter 1:8) Medically to be “near sighted” means one can see what is near but not far. Therefore in the sermon I taught from 2 Peter 1:8 that to be spiritually “nearsighted” is to focus only on one’s present concerns; lost are ones farsighted visions, dreams and the hope of heaven.
Excitingly at the service, Larry and Christy Wilson placed membership, having moved 600 miles so their teenage children Onyx and Hudson could be in a ï¬?red-up Teen Ministry. (This makes 26 disciples that have moved to Portland for spiritual renewal since August 1!) To conclude our service, the Latin Ministry came into the auditorium, which was standing room only. All of us as “one church” rejoiced as Victor and Sonia Gonzalez were appointed Evangelist and Women’s Ministry Leader. Truly they are doing the work of God as the Latin Ministry has grown from 7 to 70 disciples in two-and-a-half years! Also impacting was the restoration of Erin Corbin and the baptism of Ricky Challinor. Erin apologized to God and the church and speciï¬?cally confessed her sin which humbled us all. Then when Ricky was baptized the congregation erupted with applause and shouts of joy. We concluded the service “Portland style” by bridging the aisles arm-in-arm singing at the top of our voices, “Stand In Awe!” A service like this will only take place in a congregation of sold-out disciples.
Jesus calls every man and every woman to be a radical, sold-out disciple. In Luke 14:26, Jesus proclaims, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple.” Jesus is emphatic that to follow Him one must love Him more than any person. Interestingly, the word “hate” did not have to be used, yet our perfect, sinless Savior did not tone down His teachings to become “politically correct.” As a matter of fact, Jesus called those with lust “to gouge out their eyes,” (Matthew 5:27-29), those who do not practice what they preach, “whitewashed tombs” (Matthew 23:27-28), and on at least one occasion turned to Peter, a best friend and said, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:23)
John records in his gospel, “The Pharisees heard that Jesus was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John [the Baptist], although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized but His disciples.” (John 4:1-2) As one of His apostles, John fully understood that Jesus’ ministry baptized only disciples. This begs the question,”To be ready to be baptized, what does it take to be a disciple in one’s heart?” In Luke 14:33 Jesus clearly taught, “Any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” The account of the rich young ruler in Mark 10 again reinforces the concept of giving up “everything.” TheBible reads,“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. Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!’” Jesus commanded the rich young ruler to “sell everything,“ thus the term “sold-out.” Later in this same passage Peter exclaims, “We have left everything to follow you.” Peter understood Jesus called each of His followers to give up “everything.” Today, Jesus is still calling each follower to be sold-out.
Sadly, there was a time in the ministry of Jesus when some of “his disciples turned back.” “On hearing it, many of His disciples said, ‘This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?’ Aware that His disciples were grumbling- Jesus said- ‘Does this offend you? ‘From this time many disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.” Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked them if they wanted to leave as well. “Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom should we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:60-68 Both then and now, grumbling and bitterness among disciples indicates a “non-sold-out” heart. These sins cause people’s hearts to drift from God (Hebrews 2:1-2) and their sold-out commitment of “Jesus is Lord” confessed at baptism. (Romans 10:9-13, Acts 22:16) Ultimately, if there is no repentance, they will lose their salvation. (Hebrews 12:15) If Jesus’ call to be sold-out is preached in a lukewarm or dead church, the message will appear divisive and harsh as many will choose to turn back and not follow Him. In some cases, two new churches will be created; one that is composed of only sold-out disciples and the other church will be those who love the status quo.
In 2 Chronicles 16:9, “The eyes of the Lord range through out the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” To be “fully committed” is to be sold-out. Recently on the internet I read an account from the Muslim nation of Indonesia of three “Christian-oriented” teenage girls who were beheaded. This event reminded me of our study last year of the book of Revelation. In Revelation, over and over again Jesus “corrected, rebuked and encouraged” the church to remain “fully committed” by not compromising their convictions in order to please the beast (the Roman emperor), the false prophets, and a world that loves sin. To be “fully committed,” to be faithful in Revelation is deï¬?ned as holding to“the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 1:2, 9; 2:13; 6:9; 12:11, 17; Revelation 19:10) In fact in Revelation 2:10 Jesus says, “Be faithful, even to the point of death and I will give you the crown of life.” In the ï¬?rst century, to be baptized meant you could be killed the next day! I still remember “counting the cost” with a Chinese student from mainland China. (He happened to be a Clint Eastwood movie fan!) At the end of this session I asked, “If you return home to communist China and the authorities put a gun to your head and demand that you renounce Christ or die, what do you say?” Thestudent’squick reply was, “Go ahead, make my day!”
In the parable of the pearl of great price, a merchant found a precious pearl (the Kingdom) and, “he- sold everything he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46) Our salvation is priceless and cannot be bought, but Jesus requires us to give up “everything” in response to this “gift.”JesusreasonswithusinLuke 9:25 (Phillips), “For what is the use of a man gaining the whole world if he loses or forfeits his own soul?” Jesus pleads not to “sell-out” to the world, but to be “souled-out” to Him! Portland Church, let’s remain humble yet unapologetically sold-out disciples willing to go anywhere, do anything and give up “everything” for Jesus, His church and His mission! And to God be the glory!
Kip McKean
Phoenix Church … the call from the scriptures is clear: only men and women, who have a heart of faith to follow Jesus, no matter the cost, will be part of his church. Let us be fully committed, as our brothers in the book of Revelation while we “hold to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ”, and have the heart that, “they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death” Revelation 12:11.
He stoops down to make me great,
Matt Sullivan
