The Good Heart – Lives For Jesus | Discover the Book Ministries

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I’d like you to turn in your Bibles to the Gospel by Mark chapter 4 because I’d like to describe the real good life. He was talking about being out in your boat or other activities, and that was indicative of the good life. But I wonder, are you living the good life? For many, the idea of the good life would evoke financial security, great health, abundant pleasures, constant freedoms. That would be the good life if you could have money, and happiness, and the freedom to enjoy them. But sadly, most of those who pursue that good life never find it after pursuing it. What they thought was lasting will fade. What they thought was secure gets lost. What they thought was pleasure becomes pain. And what they thought was real turns out to be fake. It’s tragic to miss the real good life for an imitation that is broken and useless. All the time, missing what Jesus offers.

Jesus offers to us the most incredible life possible for any human to possess, in Mark chapter 4 and verse 8 and then restated again in verse 20. He is the good life, a life that flows from within. It is the original and genuine good life. Every other variety is false, counterfeit, and fake. Only Christ’s good life never ends. All the rest do. That’s where we’re going to start in the Gospel by Mark. But before we listen to Christ’s actual words and hear His voice in verse 8 and 20, I would like to remind you that anyone who’s really honest and looks around at the weather forecaster that’s talking about the good life, anybody that looks at that soon realizes that the world’s pleasures, even the best ones, fade out so fast and run dry so fast. I know any of you that have walked long, apart from Christ before you came to salvation, you know how quickly all those glimmering treasures just turn to nothing.

I was listening. In fact, my son said, what on Earth are you listening to? I was listening to an old song, I found it on the computer, that was very popular when I was in high school. And when I read this date, you’re going to know how old I am, but it just embodied this. So often pop songs capture the culture. Maybe not the truth of God, but they certainly are a great insight into the culture of the time. But I was listening to what all the kids back in the old days in Haslett High School, from 69 to 73, in that era, were all thinking about. And I just thought, before I read what Jesus said, I’d like to remind you what the world around you is still saying about the good life. Here are the words. This was the greatest song of 1969. I heard the singer, his words were framing and exactly capturing the fleeting pleasures of anyone who tries to live the good life apart from Jesus. Listen to his piercing words about chasing after the good life apart from Jesus Christ. This is what he said.

Yesterday, when I was young, the taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue. I teased at life as if it were a foolish game, the way the evening breeze may tease the candle flames. I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out. I never stopped to think what life was all about. At every conversation I can now recall concerned itself with me and nothing else at all. The game of love I played with arrogance and pride. Every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died. The friends I made all seem somehow to drift away, And only I am left on stage to end the play. There are so many songs in me that won’t be sung, I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue. The time has come for me to pay for yesterday, when I was young.

Boy, I wish the youngsters of our day that are chasing those empty dreams would listen to what Jesus has to say. Because unlike anything the world offers, Jesus continues to offer what is best until one day when this life is over and we’ve experienced what is best of all of life on Earth, He lets us come into life which is eternal. Which is better yet. That’s His promise. The best way to start the good life that’s genuine is to listen to the author of the good life Himself as He speaks. Let’s do that in Mark chapter 4 verse 8. I’m going to read 8 and verse 20, also. Listen to verse 8. This is the good life.

And the other seed fell on the good ground. That’s the source of the real, genuine good life. And yielded a crop. And listen to this crop. That sprang up, increased, and produced. You couldn’t have more powerful words to talk about the absolute magnificent internal change salvation brings. Look what it says. It yields a crop, springs up, increases, and produces. Some 30 fold, some 60, some a 100. We are not all the same. But we equally if we’re in Christ share this springing up, producing crop, that God begins. Now, look at verse 20, and those are the ones sown on good ground, who those who hear the word. Remember the good hearts accept, they hear the word, they receive it into their lives. They hear the word and accept it. That means they welcome it for themselves and bear fruit. Some 30 fold, some 60, and some 100. What a powerful message.

Let’s bow before our Lord. Father in Heaven, we thank you that You want to give us something that will come from within us. Something that You plant within us, You’re living and abiding Word of God that changes us. That regenerates us. That begins us as new creations in You, O Christ. And You want that. To spring up within us, to increase, and to bear fruit. And that fruit is the life that is good. It’s the real genuine good life that we get to live on this planet. While others are living a counterfeit, and it runs dry and empty, and their flame goes out. And they’re left alone with nothing but ashes and bitter memories. We are ever filled to overflowing with the water of life and are satisfied and have life that is abundant and overflowing. We celebrate that this morning in You, O Christ, Lord of the Church, Savior of our souls, the One we worship. Open our eyes to behold Your truth and to conform ourselves by our obedient willingness to bear Your image in our everyday lives. In the name of Jesus, we ask that. Amen.

We are the company of the unworthy, doing the impossible for the glory of another. And that’s Jesus Christ. And what Jesus Christ wants from us is no less than everything. That’s what He’s talking about here in verse 20 when He says that we accept the Word. We welcome His word for ourselves. Now, we’re going to look at the specific calls of Jesus Christ. The calls to commitment. The calls to discipleship. The calls to, let me show you what I mean. Because in the Gospels we can trace Christ’s call to commitment. He states that we can be His disciples only when we are characterized, listen, by desiring these things. These are the evidences, these are the proof that we know Him. What are they?

The first one we saw, and turn with me, you’re in Mark, turn to the next book, Luke, chapter 14. Luke 14, verse 26. Jesus said, If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes, his own life also. He can’t be My disciple. Now, this has to do with comparison of loves. And He said, the love for them is so small compared to the overwhelming love you have for Me, that it would be so small that it would almost look like you hate them and love Me. So, it’s a comparison of loves and He says I want to be loved the most. So, what’s the element we learned? Jesus wants my heart to be open completely in love for Him.

Now, what does that mean? Listen, it means I love Him most. Okay? Can you say, I love Jesus Christ most? Now, maybe you can say this week in some ways I failed. But is that the desire of your heart? He said, you can’t be My disciple, look back at verse 26, if you come to Me and you do not love Him most. He said, you’re not My disciple because I demand more than anyone else does. I demand all of you, not part of you. I love Him most. That’s his first call. He said, will you love Me most? What’s the response from us? I will love You most. And in any way that I don’t, I will change. I will ask You to change my life, change my desires to be conformed to loving You most. That’s the first call He made.

Jesus said many things about this. In fact, it says, if you want to turn with me to Matthew 6:33, He said it so many different ways. Turn back in the Gospel to Matthew 6 and verse 33. Here’s how He says loving Him most. He says, But seek first the kingdom of God. Seek it first and His righteousness and everything else will come to you. He says, if you love Me most you will seek Me first. Next book, from Matthew, go to Mark, where we began, chapter 8, I love this. This is the great call in the Gospel by Mark.

Next book, Mark chapter 8, and look at verse 34. Jesus said, You are to love Me most, and this is what I want, Mark 8:34. And when He called His people to Himself with His disciples He said to them, whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. Verse 35. If you desire to save your life, you’ll lose it. But if you lose your life for My sake, He said, you love Me the most. You love Me more than life itself.

So, if you are tracking these calls, number one, Jesus says, open your heart completely to love Me. What response should that bring from us? I will love You most. Is that where you are this morning? I hope so.

Back to Luke, and I want to show you the next verse, which is Luke 14:27. This is the second thing that Jesus said, that we saw last week. And I know that we’re just touching these, but we spent the entire time looking at them last week. Luke 14 and verse 27. This is what Jesus says right after that last statement. He says, whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. And if Jesus, number one, says, I want you to open your heart completely to Me, and I want you to completely love Me, and I respond, I’ll love You most.

The second thing He says in verse 27, that we saw last week, is Jesus wants my body. He says, bear your cross. What were crosses for? This week I was following behind someone as I was driving and I noticed as they were weaving in and out, the cross on their mirror was swinging back and forth. It hadn’t affected their driving at all, but it was in their car. And the cross, it was like a necklace or something, and it was weaving back and forth. The cross is not a decoration for our car. It’s okay if you have one in your car, but that’s not the intention of it. It’s not a piece of jewelry. In fact, no one in the 1st century would have worn a cross around their neck. Because it was a picture of horrific, excruciating, ignominious death by execution. The cross is something that has to do with our body. The cross of Christ was to crucify His body, which became sin for us, as a sacrifice.

But what does it mean when Jesus says, bear your cross, and if you don’t, you can’t come after Me? Jesus says, I want your body completely offered to Me. I want your body, I want you to desire that your body be completely at My will, at My direction. He said, I want you as Paul said, to be crucified with Me. I want you as Paul said in Romans 12, to be a living sacrifice, to be dying daily, to be living unto Me. What response should that bring to us? I who say, I will love You the most, I should also say I will die for You. I will die to self. I will die to my way. I will die to my plans. I will die to seeking to preserve my pride, and to preserve my way, and to always look good, and to always have my way. I will die to that. I will die to the flesh, incrementally. I want to be crucified. I want my body offered completely to You. And dying to self is a prerequisite for living for Christ. In spite of the cost of death to self, whatever personal suffering we may get, a dedicated follower of Christ wants to die more and more to me, and live more and more to Him.

You know what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5? In that He died for all, that they which live should no longer live for themselves, but unto Him. We start our day not thinking, how can I get the most in that I want to do? How can I accomplish the most? How can I achieve, and accumulate, and acquire, and experience the most for me? I start my day saying, how can I live most unto Him, unto You?

So, if Jesus, who wants my heart completely in love for Him, wants me to respond by saying I will love Him most, and Jesus, who wants my body offered completely, wants me to respond saying I will die to self. You know what Paul said? I die daily. Another thing Paul said, I beat my body under. 1 Corinthians 9, he says I am always hitting myself. Not literally. He wasn’t some kind of a masochist who was trying to have self-inflicted wounds. Rather he wanted to beat down his flesh from being in power and running his life, his emotions, his old ways. He didn’t want those to creep back up and to have that dominate his life. He said, Spirit of God, I want to die to self and live to Christ.

Thirdly, we saw last week, And look at verse 33, you’re in Luke 14, look at the 33rd verse. He said, so likewise, whoever does not forsake all that he has can’t be My disciple. It’s getting worse. I said that last week. It’s like it’s building. And Jesus said, I want your will to be surrendered unreservedly to Me. I want you, who I purchased with My blood, to realize that all you are, all you have, all you’ll ever be belongs to Me. So, Jesus said I want your will surrendered unreservedly to Me. What response does He want from us? Just one. I will obey.

That’s a simple response. That’s like music in the ears of parents. For children to say, I will obey. That’s what we honor in employees when they’re willing to take direction and they say, I’ll do what’s expected of me. More than all that, that’s what God wants to hear from us. If we unreservedly surrender our wills, if we say to Him, I will forsake all that I have, all my rights, all of my goals, and desires, and dreams, and plans, I’ll forsake those. I’ll place them at your feet. And now, I will obey You. I will go Your way. I will seek Your favor. I will seek to please You in all that I do. Jesus said that’s the heart. It has the desires that show it’s a heart that belongs to Me.

We don’t have to be perfect in these matters. We don’t have to love Him most all the time. We don’t have to obey Him all the time. We don’t have to die to self all the time. But we have to desire that. That’s the evidence of the new creation in Christ. He changes us on the inside, though sometimes we’re weak, though sometimes we fail, though sometimes we give in to our temptations and sin and have to come back to Him repentantly and ask for His cleansing of forgiveness. The true desire of my heart, and of yours if you know Him is, I will love Him most. I will die to self. I will obey.

Now, getting back to our hymn books. You remember someone wrote this down as their testimony? Let me show it to you again because we’re going to use it this morning in our worship of the Lord. We’re not going to sing right now, but I want you to read this. 372. Do you remember what Jesus said in Luke 14:33? Whoever doesn’t forsake all that he has can’t be My disciple. Look at the chorus. This chorus describes obeying Jesus. The chorus says, I own no other master. My heart shall be Thy throne. You’re going to sit on the throne of my heart. You are the one that is my king, that I will obey. That I will seek first Your kingdom. That means You ruling in my life. My life I give, the chorus continues, henceforth to live, oh Christ for thee alone. So, can you say, I will obey?

Remember one of my heroes, Charles T. Studd, the great missionary to Africa. Remember how he used to study his Bible? He studied his Bible with a little colored pencil. His whole library… He was a missionary 21 years in Africa. He personally led 30,000 people to Christ, without radio, television, CDs, or any type of musical thing to attract them into service so he could give them the Gospel. With nothing but just his little bare feet with leeches between his toes, and pygmies all around him, and sleeping in a mud hut, and a Bible. That was his whole library He accomplished more than most have done their whole lifetime. Do you know what his method was? Every morning he’d get up early while it was still dark and by the campfire, He’d take his little colored pencil and he would read the scriptures. And he’d look at that verse and he’d say God, that’s what you expect from me. And so, he put a little red checkmark by it. Which is what, something that God his king wanted him to do. And then, after praying about it, he would get out his other pencil, and he would put a blue mark by it, and say, I will obey.

Now, that’s a primitive system, isn’t it? A red check, and a blue check. But you know what that did for C. T. Studd? It marked up his Bible as the marching orders from the King of Kings to him, His servant. And what he did is, he read through… by the way, after a few years he’d read through the whole Bible, he had it all red checked, everything God wanted, and he was progressively going through the blue checks of the things he agreed to and that he would say, I will obey in that area. So, for him it was a constant growth of obedience. If we could hear his heart, it’d be much like Chisholm’s heart. I own no other master, my heart shall be Thy throne. My life I give, henceforth to live, O Christ for Thee alone. Have you gotten to the point where you can say, I will obey? I hope so.

The fourth truth, let’s go to John chapter 8, the fourth call of Christ to commitment. Look at John chapter 8 verse 31, here’s the fourth little statement if you’re writing them down. When Jesus said, in verse 31 of John 8, to the Jews who believed in Him. And note, he’s addressing those who believed in Him, and belief in Christ as Savior and Lord is the first step of a walk with Him, it’s the beginning. And that, he says, produces this. He said to those who believed in Him, if you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. Ah, here’s a fourth call. Here’s a fourth desire we must have if we belong to Christ. And here’s what it is. Jesus wants my eyes focused eagerly on His word.

That means I will hunger for His word. That means it’s a choice I make. I have a plastic wrapped, paper thing thrown in my driveway every morning. I have an electronic 5,500 news site scanned with every possible new news event ready and waiting electronically. On my screen I have the news of the world and the pictures coming in magazines and in print. It’s coming over the radio and over the television. But what do my eyes eagerly hunger for? That shows where I am in my spiritual life. Is the first thing I want to read the Wall Street to get the idea, the heads up, and the trends for the business? Is the first thing I want to read is the global news to see whatever? Is the first thing I want to watch the weather or the sports scores. Or do I hunger, look what He says in verse 31, Jesus said those who believe in Him, if you abide in My word, if you are abiding, if you’re staying, that’s what meno means, if it draws you, if it captivates you, if you hunger for it, if it’s something you want and you can’t get along without, then you are My disciples indeed. And what happens when that occurs? The next verse, And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

You know why a lot of believers still act like unbelievers? Because they haven’t come to the place where they eagerly hunger for the word and abide in it, so that the truth sets them free. They’re still slaves to the old ways, and to the old fears, and to the old lusts, and the old desires, and to the old weaknesses, because they have not learned to stay in the word. And the reason why they don’t stay in the word is they don’t have any appetite. And they don’t have any appetite because sin keeps me from the word, just like the word keeps me from sin.

So, what’s the response Jesus wants? He wants my eyes eagerly focused on His word. That means what? That I will hunger for His word. That I’ll say, no Bible, no breakfast. Did you ever learn that in camp? No Bible, no breakfast. I will start my day with the Lord before I’ll feed this body, because it’s more important to feed my soul than the body. No Bible, no bunk. That’s what they used to tell us in camp. That means that I won’t, David put it better, he said, I’ll not find a place to lay my head until I’ve made a place for you, O Lord God. That’s a great marching order. That I will not begin my day without the Lord, I will not end my day without the Lord. And I will let His word brought into my mind, fill my day. What will happen? Verse 32. And you’ll know the truth, if you abide in it, and that truth will make you free. I will hunger for his Word.

John 13, keep going, We are going to get to New Territory. John 13. You are in 8. Keep going to the right. John 13. John 13 verses 34 and 35. This is what Jesus says, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you, that you love one another. By this, will all know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. John 13:34-35. Here’s a fifth call Christ makes. He says, this is how you know that you’re My disciples. This is how you know you’re a learner, a follower, that you belong to Me, that you have a new heart. That you have the good life. That you have a good heart. That you have accepted the word of God. The way you’ll know it is, you love one another. You’ll have love for one another, verse 35 says. Jesus wants my actions focused on selfless love for others, not myself.

We were born thinking of ourselves. We wanted the best place, the best toy, the best food, the best everything. That’s how we were born. That is what lostness is. It’s all about me. Salvation, I began to think of others. I think because Jesus loved me and gave, I will love others and give. It’s being supernaturally reborn again. We come into this world the first time born for ourself. We come into the world the second time through the new birth, born again unto Him. And so, what does He want from me? He wants me to love with His love. That’s a selfless love. The commandment was to love, but it was a new kind of love. It’s a love that was shown that was taking a new dimension. It was to love as Christ loved.

How did Christ love? What did He just do in the 13th chapter? Do you remember what He did? Look at verse 12. And when He had washed their feet, He took His garments and sat down and said, do you know what I’ve done to you? Verse 13, You call me teacher and Lord, and that’s great. Verse 14, I am your Lord and teacher, and I have washed your feet. You also ought to wash one another’s. It’s, that serving another, that is loving selflessly another.

What a marvelous picture. If you’ve ever been in a foot washing service, you know that it’s not hard to wash other people’s feet. It’s unpleasant, but it’s not hard. The hard part is, what? Having someone wash yours. That’s embarrassing. Most people hide their feet. And if they’re not hidden, they have a lot of work done on them. They paint them, and sculpture them, and rub off all the hard edges, and they want them to look nice. We don’t like to show our weaknesses. We don’t like to show our frailties. And you know what Jesus said? He just showed them, by getting down, verse 12 through 17 or verse 16, most assuredly I say unto you, a servant is not greater than his master. Nor is He who sent greater than He who sent Him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. Do what? Love others. If you love yourself, you’d wash your own feet. If you love others, in the context of John 13, you wash their feet and you humble yourself as Jesus did.

Now I’m not advocating a third ordinance of the church, but I’ll tell you what one of the most moving things you could do in a private spiritual time you have with your family, or your husband, or wife, or with your group is, sometimes try this. I’ll tell you what, you will come to a new level of appreciation of humility. To get on your knees in front of someone and wash their feet. It’s interesting, to have someone on their knees in front of you is absolutely humbling. And all of a sudden, you realize that Jesus is calling us to focus on selfless love for others. That means I will learn to love with Christ’s love. God so loved the world that He, what? Gave. Selfless love is a giving love, it’s not a taking love. It doesn’t measure life by what I get from whom, and I like them more if I get more from them, and I like them less if I get less from them. That is the world, and that is the flesh, and that is what is going to pass away. The love that is of God is, who can I give the most to? And he that is greatest is the one that serves the most. And that’s selfless love.

So, the first call of Christ is what we call the 11th commandment. You know what He said in verse 34? A new commandment. He already had given the 10. This is the 11th, a new one. That you love one another. It’s a commandment. And My disciples, He said, will be characterized by having love for one another and that means I will love with Christ’s love. It’s an impossible to crank up and produce by myself kind of love. I was born not that way, and so were you. But when I was born again, I was born from above. And I have a love that is shed abroad, Romans 5 says, in my heart by the Holy Spirit to love others, to seek others, to serve others, to sacrifice for others, to not think of my own, but to think of others, to not think more highly of myself than I ought to think, but to let this mind be in me. Which is the mind of Christ, who humbled Himself and took upon Himself the form of a servant, Philippians 2 tells us.

It’s interesting. Matthew Henry, the great British commentator from 400 years ago, wrote these words. He spoke kindly to them. He concerned Himself heartily with them. He’s talking about how Christ loved His disciples in this passage. For their welfare, He instructed, counseled, comforted them. He took their part when they were run down. He publicly owned them to be dearer to Him than His mother or sisters or brothers. Mark chapter 3. He reproved them for what was amiss, yet He compassionately bore with their failings. Thus, He had loved them, and now as He washed their feet, verses 12 to 17, He showed that. And thus, they must love one another, and love one another to the end. Jesus says, love this way with My love.

Finally, look at John 15. John 15 and verses 7 and 8, Jesus wants my life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory. Look at verse 7, if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask what you will, and it will be done for you. Now look, by this My Father is glorified that you bear much fruit. Now, look at the ending. So, you will be My disciples. The last declaration, the last call, the last evidence, the last proof, as it were. The last call to commitment that Jesus gave to His disciples was fruit bearing. He said, the way that you know, and that’s where we started in chapter 4, they yield, they spring, they produce, they bear fruit. And what Jesus said is, He wants my life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory. He wants my life focused and pruned and directed so, His good hearted, born again believers not only accept His word and welcome it, but they bear fruit. And the evidence that you’ve accepted, and received, and welcomed God’s word into your life is that we bear fruit.

And notice what Jesus says. He says, I want your life spent intentionally. That’s why some are 30 and some are 60 and some are a 100. The 30 go, Hi, I know I’m supposed to do that. Yep, and I’ll try. And the 60, think about it more. And the 100 are intentionally directing their lives toward fruit bearing. I wonder if you realize the ultimate goal of discipleship is an ongoing lifelong process in which the Spirit of God takes the word of God. I had this little talk with my children this week, it was wonderful. I said when mom and daddy tell you something that we want you to do, you have a choice in that moment. When we say you shouldn’t be unkind to one another, you shouldn’t say that, you shouldn’t do that because the word of God says da da da da, and when we share that with you, it’s almost like daddy has just thrown you a ball. And you can stand there and let it fall on the floor, or the ground, or the grass. And watch it roll by, and go on with life. That means that you have not welcomed that into your life, and that part of you will not change. Or you can reach out and grab that when we throw it to you and say, yes, I want that in my life. And yes, I want the word of God in my life. And I want to be kind and tender hearted. And I don’t want any corrupt communication to proceed out of my mouth. And I want to be kind and tender hearted, or whatever we’re talking to you about.

That’s true in parenting. That every time you instruct your children and nurture them in the word of God you’re tossing them a truth, and they got to catch it. If they just let it fall down, you better start being concerned. Especially if they’re in their teenage years and they’re just surrounded by all the stuff you’ve thrown, they’ve never grabbed any of it and embraced any of it. But that’s true here. I’m throwing things out to you from God’s word. Are you just letting them fall around you and say, Uh huh, boy, I hope my next door neighbor hears that? Or are you welcoming and saying, Yes, I want to intentionally focus my life on bearing fruit for God’s glory.

How do we do that? Only one way. By walking in the Spirit. You can’t bear fruit without the energy of the Holy Spirit producing it. It’s not something I conjure up and I practice a lot to do. It’s a supernatural thing. And so, I have to surrender and yield and walk in the Spirit. And so, the last response Christ wants is this. Jesus wants my life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory. That means I will walk in the Spirit.

Now, if you’re a note taker, let me go through all six and make sure. There’s only 31 words that I want you to remember this sermon. Now, all of you can remember 31 words, okay? There’s 31 words that summarize Christ’s six calls. Here they are.

Jesus wants my heart open completely in love for Him. That means what? I will love Him most. That’s five words. Can you remember five? I will love him most.

Second call. He says, I want your body offered completely to Me. You know what that means? I will die to self. I will die to self. Five more easy words. I’ll love you most and I’m going to die to self.

Thirdly, we saw Jesus wants my will surrendered unreservedly to Him. You know what that means. I will obey. I have a friend. He runs a little conference center in Michigan. In Flint, Michigan. He wrote a chorus I love. I will obey. I don’t need to understand, I will obey. With my whole heart, I will say, I will obey. That’s what God wants from us. I will obey.

Fourth one, Jesus wants my eyes focused eagerly on His word. You know what that means? I will hunger for His word. That means, tomorrow morning if you see that paper on your lawn, that means as you’re powering up your computer and everything is coming through, that means as you flip on the radio or the television set, you should consciously say, Have I hungered for God, through His word, yet today? And as you drive through the day, and you got the radio playing, or you’re sitting at the office, or you’re going around, whatever your things that you do, have you consciously hungered for God, through His word? We’re not air plants. We don’t just get it out there. We have to be connected to something and that connection is His word. And so, what’s the response? I will hunger for His word.

Jesus wants my actions focused on selfless love for others. What does that mean? I’ll love with Christ’s love. I want Your Spirit, Your love. I’ll love with Christ’s love.

And finally, Jesus wants my life spent intentionally on fruit bearing. I will walk in the Spirit, I will deny whatever grieves the Spirit. I will avoid anything that quenches the Spirit. I will resist anything that causes to promote that which will deaden the Holy Spirit’s work in my life, because I will walk in the Spirit. I want to talk in the Spirit. I want to think in the Spirit. I want to live in the Spirit. I want my life to be lived in the energy, not in my flesh, not my way, not my strength, and my abilities, and my great whatever, proclivity for this and that. I want to walk in the power, in the Spirit.

31 words. I will love Him most. I will die to self. I will obey. I will hunger for His word. I will love with Christ’s love. I will walk in the Spirit. That reduces down Christ’s calls to commitment to His disciples. Down to something we can remember. But more than that, down to something we can affirm.

Now, we’re going to have a little practice time, okay? I’m going to read Jesus’ six calls and see if you can respond with the I wills. Now, this is just practice, you don’t have to mean it. It’s just practice, it’s like choir. You’re not quite up in front. Some of you are a little scared. You haven’t thought about this, whether you really mean it.

Jesus wants my heart open completely in love for Him. You know what that means? I will love him most. Now, you didn’t mean that, but later on, if you mean it, you can say it again, okay? I was just teasing.

Number two, Jesus wants my body offered completely to Him. That means, I will die to self.

Number three, Jesus wants my will surrendered unreservedly to Him. That means, I will obey. You know what’s great? If you face a great temptation or a great struggle this week, say that out loud. Say, Lord, I promised I will obey You. And you know what? He will give you a way out. Because there’s no temptation that ever faces us, but what God is faithful, and He always makes an escape route for us. If we’ll declare our allegiance to Him and say, I will obey You, help me. He’ll always help you out.

Number four, Jesus wants my eyes focused eagerly on His word. That means I will hunger for His word and I’m not going to add more than the radio, the television, the movies, the computer, and the paper, and the magazines. The Spirit of God can add those things. I will hunger.

Number five, Jesus wants my actions focused on selfless love for others. That means I will love with Christ’s love, not mine. Mine runs out. Mine gets exasperated, and impatient, and thin, and I lose my patience. But I never lose His. Because I’ll love with Christ’s love which is inexhaustible, and it never ceases by the Spirit of God to well up within me.

And finally, number six, Jesus wants my life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory. That means, I will walk in the Spirit.

Amen.

Are you living the “good life” this morning? For many that idea of the “good life” would evoke financial security, great health, abundant pleasures, and constant freedoms. But sadly most of those pursuing that “good life” never find it, what they thought was lasting fades, what they thought was secure gets lost, what they thought was pleasure becomes pain, and what they thought was real turns out to be fake.

Tragic, isn’t it? To miss the real “good life” for an imitation that is broken and useless – and all the time missing what Jesus offers, the most incredible life possible for any human to possess.

What is the “good life”? It is a life that flows from within. It is the original and genuine “good life”. All other varieties but His are counterfeit. Only Christ’s ‘good life’ never ends. All the rest do.

That is where we start in Mark 4:8 & 20 this morning. But before we hear Christ’s voice this morning remember that anyone who is honest and has looked at life apart from God soon realizes that the world’s pleasures only offer the best at the first, and then, once you are “hooked,” things start to get worse.

Last week as I tuned in to hear news at the top of the hour I was a couple minutes early. And there in my car came the music of the 60’s and 70’s and one of those voices was the voice of Roy Clark singing his 1969 hit “Yesterday”. The words his voice framed, exactly captured the fleeting pleasures of anyone who tries to live the “good life” apart from Jesus. Listen to these piercing words and think that this is all that life apart from Jesus has to offer:

Yesterday when I was young, the taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue. I teased at life as if it were a foolish game. The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame.

I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out. I never stopped to think what life was all about, and every conversation I can now recall, concerned itself with me, and nothing else at all.

The game of love I played with arrogance and pride, and every flame I lit to quickly die. The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away, and only I am left on the stage to end the play.

There are so many songs in me that won’t be sung. I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue. The time has come for me to pay for Yesterday… When I Was Young

Unlike anything this world offers, Jesus continues to offer that which is best until we one day enjoy the finest blessings in His eternal kingdom (Luke 22:18). So how do we make sure we have today this ‘good life” that is genuine? The best way to start is to listen to Him, the Author of the ‘good life”

Open with me to Mark 4:8 and then 20 where Jesus explains that the “good life” is actually from a Good Heart – that Accepts the Word. Note that it is that which “comes from within”. So just as a good heart has fruit that comes from within and that fruit is produced by God, so we should see from within us fruit that springs up, increases, and comes to maturity. We are the company of the unworthy, doing the impossible for the Glory of Another. Never was more asked of anyone than what Jesus Christ asks of you and me TODAY!

JESUS WANTS TO HAVE ALL OF US

In the Gospels we can trace Christ’s calls to commitment. He states we can’t be His disciples unless we desire to obey these expressions of devotion to Him. Here are six ways that we evidence Christ as our Teacher, and that we are His Followers. Each of Christ’s calls can be distilled down to a handful of words. Why not jot them down on a paper to remember?

1st – Jesus wants my Heart opened completely in love for Him – that means I will love Him MOST.

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26).

In this verse, the word “hate” essentially has to do with a comparison of loves. Simply put, our love for God is to be so great that, in comparison, love for even the dearest of relations should seem as hatred. Loving God with an unrivaled love means that we will esteem nothing—family, friends, possessions, job, fame, power, pleasures, and especially ourselves—of more worth to us than He is.

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you;

Mark 8:34-37 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Please open to Hymn # 372. Remember this hymn is a testimony of how one man made it through life when it seemed everything was going against him, and the world around him was crumbling. And from those times come one of the greatest hymns of our time!

“Living for Jesus”

Living for Jesus, a life that is true,

Striving to please Him in all that I do;

Yielding allegiance, glad hearted and free,

This is the pathway of blessing for me.

Chorus O’ Jesus, Lord and Savior, I give myself to Thee,

For Thou, in Thy atonement, didst give Thyself for me.

I own no other Master, my heart shall be Thy throne.

My life I give, henceforth to live, O’ Christ, for Thee alone.

Living for Jesus Who died in my place,

Bearing on Calvary my sin and disgrace;

Such love constrains me to answer His call,

Follow His leading and give Him my all.

Living for Jesus, wherever I am,

Doing each duty in His holy Name;

Willing to suffer affliction and loss,

Deeming each trial a part of my cross.

Living for Jesus through earth’s little while,

My dearest treasure, the light of His smile;

Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem,

Bringing the weary to find rest in Him.

Stanza 2B describes loving Jesus most: “such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading and give Him my all.”

2nd – Jesus wants my Body offered completely to Him– that means I will die to SELF .

“Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:27).

Dying to self is a prerequisite to living for Christ. Paul wrote of this when he said,

“I am crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal. 2:20).

In spite of the cost of death to self, and whatever personal suffering that may bring, a dedicated disciple will follow after Christ, wherever He chooses to lead.

Stanza 1B describes dying to self: “Yielding allegiance, glad-hearted and free—this is the pathway of blessing for me.”

3rd – Jesus wants my Will surrendered unreservedly to Him – that means I will OBEY.

“Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33).

Because Christ purchased us with His blood, we belong wholly to Him (1 Cor. 6:19-20). In light of this, He expects us to acknowledge His rightful ownership by not holding back anything for ourselves.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

A life given unreservedly back to God as a love offering is what stewardship is all about. Stewardship is not only about money, it is about life itself. Time and life are far greater treasures than money and possessions. First and foremost, God wants us—unreservedly!

The chorus describes obeying Jesus: “I own no other Master—my heart shall be Thy throne: My life I give, henceforth to live, O’ Christ, for Thee alone.”

4th – Jesus wants my Eyes focused eagerly on His Word – that means I will hunger for His Word.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’” (John 8:31-32).

Note that Jesus is addressing those who “believed Him”; belief in Christ as personal Savior and Lord is the first step of discipleship (John 3:16-18). Abiding in His Word bears witness that we have true life in Christ. In Greek, “abide” (meno) in verse 31 primarily means “to stay.” By staying in His Word, becoming not only a “hearer” but also a “doer,” we show that His love is in us (James 1:22-25; John 15:10-11).

Eyes focused upon Christ’s word will find what Jesus wants me to be: Mark describes the life by Christ’s words captured.

FOLLOWS JESUS: Mark 1:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

DOES THE WILL OF GOD: Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”

YIELDS A CROP: Mark 4:8 But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

ACCEPTS THE WORD AND BEARS FRUIT: Mark 4:20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

UNWORTHY, PERSISTENT, AND HUMBLE: Mark 7:24-30 From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.

TAKES UP THE CROSS: Mark 8:34-38 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”

Oh, that each of us would have this same passion for God and His Word! In light of the rich treasures to be had, it’s inconceivable that the majority of Christians today have not read the Bible through even once—especially since it takes an average reader only 15 minutes daily. If you haven’t already been doing so, I challenge you to begin reading the Bible through no less than once a year. Beyond reading the Word faithfully, we should also do word studies to pursue a theme of interest; read commentaries; do Bible study guides; memorize Scripture, and meditate upon it daily.

Stanza 4A describes loving Christ’s Word: “Living for Jesus thru earth’s little while, my dearest treasure the light of His smile.”

5th – Jesus wants my Actions focused on selfless love for others – that means I will love with Christ’s LOVE .

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

The commandment to love was not new, but the manner of love to be shown was now taking on a new dimension—to love as Christ has loved. What type love had His disciples experienced from Christ up to that point?

John 13:12-17 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

Matthew Henry writes: “He spoke kindly to them, concerned himself heartily for them, and for their welfare, instructed, counseled, and comforted them, prayed with them and for them, vindicated them when they were accused, took their part when they were run down, and publicly owned them to be dearer to him than his mother, or sister, or brother. He reproved them for what was amiss, and yet compassionately bore with their failings, excused them, made the best of them, and passed by many an oversight. Thus he had loved them, and just now washed their feet [vv. 12-17]; and thus they must love one another, and love to the end.

Our wives and children need to see Calvary love compelling us to live sacrificially for Christ’s sake and theirs. This is how the world will distinguish us from Satan’s crowd, they will know we are clearly Christ’s disciples.”

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

Stanza 4B describes loving with Christ’s love: “Seeking the lost ones He died to redeem, bringing the weary to find rest in Him.”

6th – Jesus wants my Life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory – that means I will Walk in the SPIRIT.

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:7-8).

The ultimate goal of discipleship is this: “. . . be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph. 5:1-2). This is an ongoing, lifelong process by which the Holy Spirit uses the Word of God, to conform the child of God, into the image of God, for the glory of God. In so doing, He produces in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22). That fruit is manifested in a true disciple’s life as an:

Galatians 5:22-25 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Stanza 2B describes walking in the Spirit: “Such love constrains me to answer His call, follow His leading and give Him my all.”

The Six Calls of Christ

So what is the genuine good life? Simply stated, it is a life “Living for Jesus”. How do we get that? Jesus told us, it is welcoming Him into more and more of our lives. Let me read each of these six calls Christ made and you respond with the way we can choose today to welcome Christ’s Word into our lives by saying “I Will…”:

1st – Jesus wants my Heart opened completely in love for Him that means — I will love Him MOST.
2nd – Jesus wants my Body offered completely to Him that means — I will die to SELF .
3rd – Jesus wants my Will surrendered unreservedly to Him that means — I will OBEY.
4th – Jesus wants my Eyes focused eagerly on His Word that means — I will hunger for His Word.
5th – Jesus wants my Actions focused on selfless love for othersthat means — I will love with Christ’s LOVE .
6th – Jesus wants my Life spent intentionally on fruit bearing for His glory that means — I will Walk in the SPIRIT.

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