In Mark chapter 10, we see the story of the “rich young ruler”. A man comes up to Jesus,
asks Him how he may inherit eternal life. Jesus then points him to the Ten Commandments...let’s pick up the story in Mark 10:19-22,
“You know the commandments: do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and your mother.” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, take up the cross and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Many people miss the main point of this passage…to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, He will ask you to give up whatever you love the most. Anything you love more than Jesus, He will ask you to give up.
The church today doesn’t teach that by and large. They teach that Jesus ADDS to your
goals and dreams, helps you to reach them, helps you to “have it all”. The real message of the cross, to die to self and live for Christ, is brushed under the rug. The result is a lukewarm Christian who looks the part but has no real power. To be a disciple is to put Jesus Christ and His teachings BEFORE anything else you really love. And you can bet, if you love something more than Jesus, He will ask you to lay it down. We need to count the cost and decide whether we want to follow Him. The early disciples had no confusion about this fact; absolute loyalty to Jesus Christ was a given, not an elective we get to choose only if we want to. Cut-and-paste Christianity, where we are Christians on Sunday but live for ourselves Monday through Saturday, has no place in the life of a true disciple. We must decide if we are going to follow and obey Jesus, or live for ourselves- you can’t have both. This Sunday we will go over Matthew 28:18-20 and talk about what a disciple looks like and how to be on mission for Jesus. It will be a powerful lesson. IF YOU WANT TO CATCH FIRE, BE ON MISSION, THEN COME TO OUR SMALL LITTLE CHURCH.
Our people are growing every week; they are becoming more like Jesus, the fellowship is
real, and you feel the love the moment you walk in the door. Join us! And if you have children, we now have childcare for ages 12 and under. Be there or be square Sunday at 10:30 at 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville, GA. See you there!
Pastor Brian
P.S. My message this week will be on “Going and making disciples.” We will focus on what a disciple really looks like and the mission that Jesus has called us to. Jesus is coming soon; will you be a partner in His mission or just another wayward journey man? If you feel like you are drifting, like the world is kind of stuck in neutral, like the fire is just not there, I strongly encourage you to come this Sunday- you won’t want to miss it. If you don’t have a church home and you are within an hour of Lawrenceville, I encourage you to check out our little church. You will feel the love the minute you walk in the door. There truly is no other church quite like it. Check us out: 10:30 on Sunday morning at 900 Cripple Creek Dr., Lawrenceville. It will encourage and grow you, and you will feel so loved! So come this Sunday! If you can’t make it, check out @TheGreatAwarenessChurch on YouTube; we livestream it every Sunday as well. Hope to see you this Sunday at 10:30. Be blessed!
P.P.S. My book, “The Last Instructions of Jesus (Before He Comes Again)," is a deep dive into Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus' last words, and it is a game-changing book. You can click on this link to order or go online to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. Click the link below and get yours today!
https://www.westbowpress.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/867418-the-last-instructions-of-jesus
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all."
2 Corinthians 13:14 (NKJV)