Note: This is Part 4 of a series of sermons based on Pastor J.D. Greear’s study, Gospel Revolutions.
Part 1, Gospel Change
Part 2, Gospel Discovery
Part 3, Gospel Acceptance
Part 4, Gospel Approval
Part 5, Gospel Response
Part 6, Gospel Faith (Coming March 11, 2012)
Part 7, Substitute Gospels (Coming March 18, 2012)
Part 8, Gospel Depth (Coming March 25, 2012)
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Text: Mark 10:17-31
I am often amused – or, more accurately, annoyed – by those coupons that come in the mail or in the newspaper that offer a percentage off of everything in a certain store. Sometimes, the coupon even exclaims that there are almost no exclusions. It sounds like a great offer. And it would be a great offer, except for the fact that, nearly always, the things that I would actually be interested in buying are marked off the “everything in the store” list by an asterisk that qualifies the offer and excludes several – or many – items the store carries. In the end, the asterisked qualifiers and limitations make the coupon worth much less than the print would lead us to believe.
Far too often, we approach God in the same way that the stores and advertisers approach us with these offers, the same way the Genie first presented himself to Aladdin. We come to God in response to verses we read or hear, such as Romans 12:1-2 or Matthew 11:28. We respond to God’s pursuit of us by coming to God, just like He desires us to. We come offering ourselves over to God “completely.” Only, we bring ourselves “completely” in such a way where the “completely” is marked by an asterisk.