If the Lord Jesus was here, walking around the earth, what would He think about the average Christian church? According to Yelp, one of popular survey and reviewing websites, here are the top five churches in Post Falls: Real Life Ministries, Fellowship Bible Church, North Country Chapel, His Place Evangelical Free Church, and Summit Northwest Ministries. Do you think that Christ Jesus would agree with Yelp? Do you think that the Lord Jesus would be pleased with our church? Of course, the leadership of Real Life, Summit and North Country would say that He would definitely agree with Yelp’s assessment. Everyone has their own standard of what a church should be – and what a successful church really is.
And speaking about standards, Thursday I made a survey of Luke, looking for a couple of specific things. One of the things I wanted to refresh in my mind was whether or not Christ ever laid down of some sort of ecclesiastical standard. Without trying to sound funny or mean, I didn’t find that Jesus ever built an expensive gymnasium or state-of-the-art soccer field to attract seekers or keep followers. And He didn’t use pyrotechnics to keep people interested in His message or amplifiers to make people’s bodies throb to the beat of His music or words. In fact, I never heard Peter or John leading a Spirit-filled music service before Jesus preached. The only caveat to that point might be Jesus’ use of a few miracles. During His earthly ministry Christ Jesus never used His “God-voice,” the way His Father sometimes did. Only on a few special occasions did the Lord even raise His human voice. Jesus’ ministry had nothing to do with beautiful or functional auditoriums or buildings. And, although He preached and taught a variety of subjects, even touching on social and political events, He never tried to make merchandise of the day’s headlines. When someone brought up a Roman attack on a group of fanatical Jews, Christ didn’t give the man the sound-bite he wanted to hear. In fact, the Lord Jesus turned it around – “Except YE repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” And when some of John’s followers, like the followers of Charlie Kirk, came to Christ, He said, “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; BUT he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” I think there are lots of reasons to say that the Lord would not be pleased with the average modern church.
Perhaps one of the most significant differences between today’s Christian ministry and the Biblical ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ is this: Generally speaking, Jesus refused to tailor His message to please the ear of His hearer. He didn’t couch His words, toning down His message in an effort not to offend people. Outwardly, it looked as though Christ didn’t care if whether there were large crowds following Him or not. In fact, Jesus didn’t care if what He said so offended people they picked up stones with which to kill Him. I think it could be said that Christ didn’t care whether or not His ministry was “successful.” His heart didn’t break when a perfectly good church prospect walked away disgusted, angry or sorrowful. And Jesus’ commands to those potential disciples were often callous, cold-hearted and confusing. But they had higher purposes than what many people thought.
This morning, I’d like to show you some of Christ Jesus’ cold, hard commands. Most of these are not being heard in the average, popular church today. Which makes me wonder if the Lord is pleased with our attempts to serve Him today.
Let’s begin with the rich, young ruler of Luke 18.
Because this history is also recorded in Matthew and Mark, I must assume this is important. This young man was an up-and-coming religious leader – a “ruler” of one of the Jewish synagogues. He came to Christ with an excellent question: “Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life.” I think it was probably with a smile on His face that Jesus replied, “Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is God.” Why do I think He smiled? Because Christ Jesus IS God. He is the LORD – Jehovah, the Creator, the Judge of Heaven and Earth, the Judge of the quick and the dead. Even though the man with the question didn’t believe that, or had probably never heard that, it was true. “In (Christ Jesusw) dwelleth all the fulness of the God-head bodily” – Colossian 2:9. “Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in (Jesus’ human ) flesh” – I Timothy 3:16.
As might be heard in any church, Christ pointed to the Mosaic law – “Don’t sin against God.” The young man replied, “Master, all these have I kept from my youth up” – until this very moment. Oooh, this sounds good. What would the average modern pastor say to the man at this point? Wouldn’t he at the very least praised him – before taking him to the cross, to baptism, or membership? “Wow. You have been well taught. Are you sure about this? Would your parents concur? You are exactly the kind of church member we are looking for.” To another person quite similar to this man, Christ said, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.” But Jesus didn’t give this particular man any such encouragement. And in fact, there was no further encouragement to the other man either. Rather than opening His arms to this synagogue ruler, the Lord Jesus gave a nearly impossible command: “Sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor…” When the man “heard this, he was very sorrowful; for he was very rich.”
The Bible describes several followers of God, who were very, very rich. Abraham and Job are perhaps the first two who come to mind. But I suppose we could include a few godly Hebrew kings. And then there is Barnabas in the Book of Acts. But Barnabas actually DID sell all, or most, of what he had, giving it to the church to distribute. However, it appears that this was something he did out of love and for the sake of the ministry. There isn’t any indication that he was commanded to give away his wealth. And neither are you.
So why did Christ reply to this rich young ruler in such a harsh and somewhat cruel way? Wasn’t it to show the man that his self-righteousness wasn’t enough to please the infinitely righteous God? Wasn’t it to show that even though he was religious, he wasn’t fully surrendered to King of the kingdom? Without the cold, hard command of Christ this man may have never heard that he was an idolater. No, he probably didn’t have a grotto in his house dedicated to wealth. But he might have had a special place where he kept his gold. He probably didn’t bow down before a huge silver shrine, but he did check his portfolio from time to time. If the man had jumped to his feet, ready to run down to his lawyer to sell everything, the Lord might have stopped him. Because this was all about surrender and willingness to put Christ first in his life.
I hope there was a day, when his man’s heart was broken and he surrendered his self-righteousness to God. But it may have taken the loss of his wealth, or the loss of the heirs to his wealth, before he truly turned to the “Good Master” for eternal life. And by then, I hope he understood that there was nothing “to DO to inherit eternal life.” Eternal life a gift from the God of all grace, it is not actually about selling out. Eternal life is given only to people who know they are empty and unworthy of eternal life. As long there is a spark of self-righteousness… As long as there is a bit of “All these have I kept from my youth up…” There will never be salvation from sin and the gift of eternal life.
Christ might have brought that young man to this truth with a little kindness and instruction, but He didn’t. He slapped him in the face with: “sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor.” “And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful for he was very rich.”
Then after he was gone, without the Lord’s pleading that he stay, Jesus turned to the crowd, adding: “It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eyes, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” That may not have been a command, but was an equally hard and severe illustration. I have heard preachers say there was a gate in the wall of Jerusalem that was so small it was known as “the eye of the needle,” but there is no proof of that. I think the Lord was just using this as a metaphor to illustrate something which is impossible. On the day when a camel can crawl through the eye of a needle, rich men will buy their way into Heaven. Salvation is a gift. It is impossible for anyone to possess eternal life a part from the free grace of God. And it is MORE difficult for the RICH, the ultra RELIGIOUS and the super SELF-RIGHTEOUS to enter God’s kingdom than it is for others.
This is just one of the cold, hard commands which Christ gave to various prospective church members.
For example, Luke 5 describes another rich man to whom the Lord gave an almost impossible command. But in Levi’s case the end result was entirely different from that of the rich, young ruler. Levi was a publican – a tax collector for the Roman government. He may have been as wealthy as the rich young ruler. Again, three different scriptures describe the audacious command of the Lord to Levi. This publican was seated at his desk demanding and receiving the taxes of local Jewish businessmen. As the Lord Jesus walked by, He simply looked at him and said, “Follow me.” As far as we know there was no preface; no friendly chatter; no shaking of hands; nothing preceded the command.
“Follow me. Leave your post; leave that money on the table; leave your few friends and follow me.” Even if it endangers your life, because the Romans may come after you – “follow me.” Even if your wife, who has grown used living in the Sodom you have created, hates you for it, “follow me.” Even if you become as poor as a church mouse, “follow me.” And Luke 5:28 says, “he left all, rose up, and followed him.” In comparison to all that Levi had, and all that he was asked to sacrifice, this was a harsh command. It was somewhat similar to that of the rich young ruler, but unlike him, Levi obeyed. And his sacrifice was thorough. He did follow, becoming one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. Levi teaches us that if we want eternal life, we need to be willing to sell all, distribute to the poor and to follow Christ.
Despite what I see among the attendees of the “successful” churches in Post Falls, I rarely see obedience to Christ’s harsh command to sell all and to follow Him. But Christ wants full-time Christians. He wants people whose hearts are not shared with their idols. He wants people who can be found in the House of God on the Lord’s Day – not hiking the high country or fishing the trout streams. Christ isn’t looking for tithers, He wants disciples who give to the Lord’s work the way Barnabas did. He wants Bible students; He wants people of prayer. He wants people who can push through their thorns and pains to display His peace and joy.
Have you ever heard the voice of the Son of God say, “Leave all this and follow me?” In one of my devotional books, the author said, “Have you ever heard the master say a hard word? If you have not, I question whether you have heard Him say anything” at all. If that doesn’t make sense as yet, let’s consider some other hard commands.
Luke 14 comes during that short period of time when the Lord Jesus’ was popular among the common people. Verse 25 says, “And there went great multitudes with him.” The twelve disciples had been advertising well, and there was an excitement surrounding Christ. Admittedly, some in those crowds were there for His miracles, but others were curious about His message. On this occasion rather than stroke their curiosity, or coax it into discipleship; Christ squashed it. “If any man come to me, and HATE not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” This is not the sort of thing you tell a newlywed, if you want him to be one of your church members. This is not what you tell a young teenage girl who loves her father or mother more than anything in world. Later in Jesus’ statement He added: “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
I won’t accuse any church in Post Falls of this, but I have read of churches in other places which teach people they can have their cake and eat it too – they can have Christ’s forgiveness while continuing in their sin. They admit into their memberships homosexuals, transvestites, and people living in open adultery. Some denominations openly forgive their own leaders who are pedophiles and serial rapists. Like the Jews, they condemn theft while praising people smart enough to get away with it. To put it theologically, thousands of churches don’t demand what Christ demanded – repentance for sin.
Christ Jesus, in Luke 14, isn’t talking about something as obvious as forsaking sin. No, He is talking about a willingness to forsake legitimate friends and loved ones. And this is not some sort of heavenly principle; some ethereal idea. In Luke 8:19 we read: “Then came to (Jesus) his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press – (the crowd). And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the Word of God, and do it.” Apparently at this point in time, Jesus’ earthly brothers were not believers – they didn’t obey God’s Word. And Jesus didn’t go out of His way to superficially win them to His cause. They had the truth; they grew up in the same house with truth and righteousness, but rejected it so far.
In Luke 12 Jesus was talking to His established disciples, but this message could have been to prospective disciples as well. Verse 22 – “I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.” Verse 29 – “Seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink…” Verse 31 – “But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Then in verse 33, taking up what He said to the rich young ruler, “Sell that ye have, and give alms… for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Where is the heart of the average church-goer today? Is it in the Kingdom of Heaven? Is it laying prostrate before the throne of Christ? Why does the average person attend church? Is it to serve or to be served? Is it to worship or to be entertained? “Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on,” is a hard command even for a seasoned saint – let alone the prospective member of the body of Christ.
In Luke 9, three potential church members came to the Lord, but He didn’t encourage any of them. Luke 9:57 – “And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.” Here, potentially, was a perfect potential member. “I’ll go with you anywhere, Lord.” “I’ll go with you over the mountain through the deep vale; into the valley of the shadow of death.” He might have been willing to sell all that he had and to give it to the poor or toward the ministry. He could have been anxious to bring family members to Christ as well. But “Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Why didn’t He at least offer a little encouragement, before throwing this heavy burden onto him? “And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Christ said , “I don’t want you unless you are willing to put me first.” “Another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” What a cruel and awful thing to say to this potential church member and disciple. And yet it WAS said. Apparently not one of these three joined Jesus’ happy band. Doesn’t the Lord of the church care about building His church and filling the pews? Even if all they ever do is sit and listen, isn’t that better than to have empty seats throughout auditorium?
Why does the Lord talk like this – especially to such people with good intentions?
As cruel as Jesus’ answers were, MY answer is: Christ can do whatever He wants. He is God. Many pastors and denominational leaders seem to think that their churches belong to them. They get to decide what doctrines to believe and share. They get to choose what sort people are good enough to become members. But no church of Christ belongs to the pastor or to the denomination. The Bible describes true churches as being “churches of God” or “churches of Christ.” And they are administered by the Holy Spirit of God. Christ can lay down the guidelines for membership, and He can push people down the street. He is in charge.
But again, why is He so severe in what He says to these prospective converts and church members? John 2:23 – “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the first day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.” These people had a rudimentary faith, and they certainly wanted more of His miraculous power. They may have been willing to follow Him to the ends of the earth for more. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, “because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man.” Why did Christ talk to the rich young ruler the way He did? Because He knew what was in that man. And because that sinful boil needed to be lanced and drained.
Please don’t misunderstand my next statement. There is a sense in which – in Jesus’ harsh words to these people He was putting the ball in their hands. I believe in God’s sovereignty, but there still remains the responsibility of the sinner to repent and to put his faith in Christ. It is our human responsibility to examine the Lord’s requirements before we can enjoy His blessings. This is what the Lord Jesus was doing with each of these people.
And this brings me back to a scripture to which I referred earlier – Luke 13. There is an extremely cold and hard statement here which is absolutely essential for admission into the kingdom of heaven. “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
“Repent” was the message of John the Baptist, and “repent” was at the forefront of Christ’s ministry. From the moment when Christ stepped out of the Jordan after His baptism… And after Satan’s failed temptation of Christ… “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Generally, I try to ease into the subject of repentance. I try to show people what the Bible says about their spiritual nature – “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” With that as the foundation, built on many dozens of scriptures, it is logical and necessary to deman “repentance before God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” Perhaps I am weak – I like to smooth the way into saying: “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” But Christ didn’t warm up – or warn – these prospective disciples and hopeful church members. He slapped them on the face with the truth – “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” He didn’t depend on good arguments and logical conclusions “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” He never pleaded, begged or cajoled. He didn’t negotiate. He didn’t try to make His message pleasing. He didn’t make people feel good about their sinfulness. He didn’t care if the rich young man went away with a broken heart. A broken heart was needed.
Conclusion:
Have you ever heard any of the cold, hard commands of Christ? I’ll reiterate what that devotional writer said 90 years ago. If you haven’t heard the Master utter some of those really hard statements, it may be you’ve never really heard Him say anything at all.
How much are you willing to forsake or sell in order to have the pearl of great price? How much of earthly things are you willing to sacrifice in order to have heavenly things? Are you willing to acknowledge and forsake your sins, repenting before God in order to possess eternal life? I exhort you once again – Repent before God and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.