Are you sold-out for Jesus or are you a sell-out?
Mark 10:17-31 (MSG) As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” 18-19 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t cheat, honor your father and mother.” 20 He said, “Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!”21 Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, “There’s one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me.” 22 The man’s face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.23-25 Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who ‘have it all’ to enter God’s kingdom?” The disciples couldn’t believe what they were hearing, but Jesus kept on: “You can’t imagine how difficult. I’d say it’s easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for the rich to get into God’s kingdom.”26 That got their attention. “Then who has any chance at all?” they asked. 27 Jesus was blunt: “No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.” 28 Peter tried another angle: “We left everything and followed you.” 29-31 Jesus said, “Mark my words, no one who sacrifices house, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children, land—whatever—because of me and the Message will lose out. They’ll get it all back, but multiplied many times in homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land—but also in troubles. And then the bonus of eternal life! This is once again the Great Reversal: Many who are first will end up last, and the last first.”
Are you sold out to Jesus?Could you leave your job in an instant if He said tooWhat if your bills weren’t getting paid and the house and car were being foreclosed onWhat if He said sell everything and moveHow about if you were whipped, flogged, beaten, and thrown in jail Our idea of following the Lord may be: Life will be in perfect order and there will not be struggles and trials.James 1:2 says: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,” To be completely sold out to Him; we must not let anything we have or desire to obtain keep us from serving Him.
Difference between sold-out and being a sell-out:
1. Sold OutCompletely committed, devoted, invested and engaged to a cause. To have no reserves about the decision you are making. To be willing to go anywhere, do anything and give up everything in order to achieve your goal by any means necessary.
2. sell outAnyone who sacrifices artistic integrity in an effort to become more successful or popular (generally in music); someone who forgets their roots.One who betrays a cause for personal advancement. Bible tells us about persecution:
Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.--Matthew 5:12
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.-- James 1:12
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;--Romans 5:3a
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Matthew 6:33 ESV
A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 28:20 ESV
