Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Let’s close out our admonition of no excuses with Jesus’ stern ‘all-or-nothing’ reproof.

Today’s scripture, Luke 9:57-62 (NLT) says…
[57] As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” [58] But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” [59] He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” [60] But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” [61] Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” [62] But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Consider…
Oxford Languages defines ‘rules of engagement’ as a directive issued by a military authority specifying the circumstances and limitations under which forces will engage in combat with the enemy.

Similarly, Jesus issued the ‘rules of discipleship’ in Luke 14:26 (NLT). He said…
[26] “If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple.

To summarize, Jesus’ rule is that we must love Him, as Psalmist Lamar Campbell says, ‘More Than Anything’! Let’s see how Mr. Campbell says we do that…

I lift my hands in total adoration unto You
You reign on the throne for You are God and God alone
Because of You, my cloudy days are gone, I can sing to You this song
I just wanna say that I love You more than anything
Love me in Your arms, You were my shelter from the storm
When all my friends were gone, You were right there all along
I never knew a love like this before, oh-oh-oh
I just wanna say that I love You more than anything
I love You, Jesus
I worship and adore You
Just want to tell You
Lord, I love You more than anything

Are you singing those lyrics in harmony to our Lord and Savior?

God wanting exclusivity in our lives is not new. In Exodus 34:14 (NLT) He said…
[14] You must worship no other gods, for the LORD, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.

Of course reading the fact that God is jealous about His relationship with us, pressed play on David Crowder Band singing…

He is jealous for me
Love’s like a hurricane, I am a tree
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy
When all of a sudden
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory
And I realize just how beautiful You are
And how great Your affections are for me
And oh, how He loves us, oh
Oh, how He loves us
How He loves us all

Those lyrics make me think of 1 John 4:9-10 (NLT), which emphasizes…
[9] God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. [10] This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Yet, while we’re shouting Hallelujah for God’s unconditional love, the Holy Spirit is reminding us of the Greatest Commandment given by Jesus in Mark 12:29-30 (NLT)…
[29] Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. [30] And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

Like other scriptures, this one pressed play on yet another song, this one is by Forever Jones, which says…

There’s a voice that cries out in the silence
Searching for a heart that will love Him
Longing for a child that will give Him their all
Give it all, He wants it all
And there’s a God that walks over the earth
He’s searching for a heart that is desperate
And longing for a child
That will give Him their all
Give it all, He wants it all
And He says love me, love me with your whole heart
He wants it all today
Serve Me, serve Me with your life now
He wants it all today
Bow down, let go of your idols
He wants it all today
He wants it all today
He wants it all today
He wants it all

The Holy Spirit is emphasizing in big flashing neon letters that with God it’s an ALL-OR-NOTHING relationship!

And here’s the other important point, God’s language and Kingdom currency is LOVE! The Holy Spirit showed me 1 John 4:8 (NLT) as evidence of that fact…
[8] But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Also, God’s Helper reminded me that Jesus said in John 15:9-12 (NLT)…
[9] “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. [10] When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. [11] I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! [12] This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

God requires us to love like Him!

That made me think of a quote that my wife heard and shared, which is…
God does FOR YOU
As an example TO YOU
Of what’s required OF YOU

In 1 John 4:9-10 above, God showed us an ALL-In love by giving His Son! And He shared His expected response in 1 John 4:11 (NLT)…
[11] Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.

God requires us to love others unconditionally and sacrificially the same way that He loved us.

The Holy Spirit just transformed my thinking, LOVE is God’s ‘rule of relationship’ with Him!

With the foundation of love firmly established, let’s revisit today’s scripture. Jesus responded to people, and us, who claimed to want to follow Him that it’s an all in proposition!

Yet, many people are like the rich young ruler in Luke 18:21 (NLT), who said…
[21] The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

People want to pick and choose how they will obey God. But notice Jesus’ response in Luke 18:22-30 (NLT)…
[22] When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” [23] But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. [24] When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! [25] In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” [26] Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” [27] He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” [28] Peter said, “We’ve left our homes to follow you.” [29] “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, [30] will be repaid many times over in this life, and will have eternal life in the world to come.”

Jesus told this young man, and us, that he needed to sing with Hezekiah Walker…

I am souled out, my mind is made up
I am souled out, my mind is made up
I am souled out, my mind is made up
I am souled out, my mind is made up
Who can separate us from the love Jesus?
Not death, nor life
Jesus paid the price, now I’m free from sin
I am souled out, my mind is made up
I am souled out, my mind is made up
I’ve come through the fire, I’ve come through the rain
But God, He never left my side
He’s my comfort through all hurt and pain
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
I am souled out, I am souled out
My heart is fixed, my mind’s made up
No room, no vacancies, I’m all filled up
His Spirit lives in me and that’s the reason I’m souled out

Today’s message is simply that there are no excuses allowed, Jesus wants your all!

The Holy Spirit is telling me to leave you with the lyrics to this hymn…

I don’t possess houses or land
Fine clothes or jewelery, sorrows or care
In this whole word my life seems to me
But I have a Christ who paid the price
Way back on Calvary, oh
He’s all, all and all this world to me
Well, there are some folk who look and long
For this world’s riches, oh yeah
There arе some folk who look for power, position too
But I have a Christ in my lifе
That makes me happy, woah
He’s all, all and all this world to me
Yes, Christ is all, means more to me
Than this world’s riches, oh yes
He’s my sight, my guiding light through pathless seas
It’s mighty nice to have a Christ
Who will my friend be?
He’s all, all and all this world to me, this world to me
Yes, Christ is all
Yes, he’s everything to me
Do you know he’s all (yes, Christ is all)
Well, he rule the land and sea
He’s all, he’s all, he’s all
All and all this world to me, this world to me

Today, don’t give God excuses, give Him your ALL!

Today’s song is…
He Wants It All

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)