What If?//12PM// Pastor Terrance Richmond

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Love Quest International

Church podcast, where we seek to love all nations, equip the

church, mobilize the equipped, and serve all.

We're super glad you're joining us from whenever and wherever

you're at in the world. Welcome to the family to get

your Bibles ready, get some water, get some coffee, maybe

some tea, and get ready to receive.

Let's get into it. Not only are cemeteries filled

with dead bodies and hospitals filled with compromise health

and prisons filled with criminals.

In some prisons not criminals that did crimes or all are

guilty, but still. And yet prisons filled with

criminals. There is one theme that runs

through graves, prisons and hospital rooms alike.

The word is regret. The echo of shoulda, coulda

woulda still rings loud in the souls of 1,000,000 past, present

and future. And if shoulda coulda woulda

could be captured in a single question, it would be this What

if? What if I tried?

What if I obeyed? What if I just decided to trust?

What if I didn't let fear decide?

What if? Because fear, doubt, anxiety,

insecurity, sabotage, codependency, and unbroken

strongholds have kept far too many people standing at the edge

of destiny but never stepping into destiny.

And the greatest tragedy is this.

It's not failing. It's not lost.

It's not rejection. The greatest tragedy is this.

It is the tragedy of never finding out.

It is standing before God one day, realizing obedience was

offered. And I never found out what my

yes could have become. One day every life will be

weighed and every choice revealed and every yes or no

accounted for. So today, go look at this story.

Through. Two lenses at the same time. 1

lens it is. What does this mean for my life

right now? This is existential lens.

This is asking who am I becoming?

Who am I becoming? What does this mean for my life

right now? Existential.

Who am I becoming? And then the other question is,

what does this mean when I stand before God?

What does this mean when I stand before?

God, this eschatological lens is who?

Will I answer to this? Eschatological is dealing with

eternity. I am thinking about when it's

all over, who will I answer to? Who will I stand before and what

will I say about my life when I stand before him in eternity?

Existential is because it confronts who I am, becoming an

eschatological because it confronts who will I answer to?

This is not just a message about today, it's a message about

forever. And the question that really

started all of this can be found in Matthew 19.

And someone came to him and said, Teacher, what essentially

good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life, that is eternal

salvation in the Messiahs Kingdom?

What good thing, what good essential thing shall I do or

obtain to inherit or get or walk into eternal life, that is

eternal salvation in the Messiah's Kingdom?

Before God speaks love quest, he often steals us.

He often quiets us, not because he is quiet, but it is because

we are loud, our lives are busy, we are loud, our lives are busy.

And This is why we've been looking at Psalm 46 where it

says let be and be still. And no, no, no, let be, let it

be. Stand down and be still and know

and know. What allows me to remain still

is because I know. Stillness is not calm.

Stillness is not inactivity. Stillness is the moment where

competing loyalties are exposed. Stillness is the moment where

competing loyalties are exposed. Stillness is where the noise

stops lying to us. And here's the danger.

Some people avoid stillness. I'm talking to this entire room,

including me. Some people ignore still or

avoid stillness, not because they're busy, but because

stillness would begin to ask a lot of questions.

Stillness would ask questions like what if you get to the end

of your life and realize you never actually try?

What if somebody say what if? What if obedience was the

doorway to the version of you heaven was waiting on?

What if the thing Jesus asked you to lay down was the very

thing blocking your peace? What if you didn't fail, but you

hesitated? What if your wealth wasn't

money, but it was control and busyness?

What if you were one surrender away from rest?

What if you kept everything but lost rest and peace?

What if you kept the commandments but you missed your

call? What if heaven had plans that

your comfort vetoed? What if your morality was on

point, but your availability was not?

What if you love the idea of eternal life, but you really

didn't love the cost of transformation?

What if your life ends responsibly lived but eternally

unnamed? What if you never find out who

you could have become? See, stillness doesn't force a

decision, it reveals 1. So what happens when Scripture

stands silent? What happens when there's an

unsolved mystery in the Bible? What happens when we see

tragedy, but we don't see redemption?

What happens when scripture stands?

Silence, right? Because in this passage, there

was no demons. There was no storm was no demons

to cast out. There was no storm to say be

still to. There was no crowd to ask hush.

There was just one man, one question, one invitation, one

man, one question, one invitation, one man.

Somebody say one question, one invitation.

Matthew 1917 says it like this. Jesus answered.

Why are you asking me about what is essentially good?

There is only one who is essentially good.

But if you wish to enter eternal life, keep my commandments.

Here's a man in the Gospels who does everything right.

You guys, we're used to reading scripture where somebody's sick,

somebody did something wrong, somebody was rebelling, somebody

did walk the other way, somebody cut somebody out, somebody said,

somebody committed adultery, Somebody, somebody, somebody,

somebody. But we're never looking at this

man had his morals intact, this man followed all the laws and

still and yet number 1, he is feeling unfulfilled, asking a

question, What else can I do? But Jesus is also not satisfied,

because there's one thing he has not done.

Although he's done everything, He has not just done everything,

He's done everything right. He is moral, He is disciplined.

He is sincere. He comes to Jesus respectfully.

He asked about eternal life. He wants assurance about his

future with God. This is not a rebellious man.

This is not a skeptic. He's not double minded.

This is someone who wants life. And in Jewish thought, in

inheriting internal life meant participating in the age to

come. He is not asking how to behave

better. He is asking.

Who? He will become How do I get this

life? What else do I need to do to get

this life? What else do This is the world.

What all do I need to do to find this rest in life, this peace in

life, to get bills off my back, to get people off my back, to

have a happy life? What else do I got to do?

Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo

wake up Doo go to sleep do eat do I am go do do.

All we do is do don't know how to be.

So we're in the world that is do do I.

Didn't even try that. That was spirit LED.

Watch this the greatest tragedy you guys in scripture is not

rebellion. It is unrealized obedience.

We are so focused on sin and rebellion that this one thing

right here the. Grave is full of unrealized

obedience, not unrealized talent, unrealized obedience

prisons filled with what ifs hospitals now you on your

deathbed now you sick now you got kids now you got and it's

like man, what if and we spend all our lives somewhere

beginning to just alter doing to try and get this life that was

purchased by Jesus purchase life.

But we're still paying. Watch this.

People do not always go missing because they reject Jesus.

We go missing because we doubt Jesus.

We hesitate. We second guess Jesus.

And here's the tragedy, you guys.

It's a life unresolved. We get to the end and all the

stuff that you spent your young life trying to do, you get older

and like, Dang, now I'm 60, now I'm 50 and I'm like, what else

do I do? Because I've done all that I've

got. I've accomplished all that.

Now what? And Jesus, I'm assuming that the

answer he gave you at 20 is the same answer at 60.

If you still got the question, His answer never changes.

He is never going to say, next is go buy this, next marry that,

next invest in that. He is always going to point to

this one thing. And that's what we're here to

discover today. The reason this story is so

unsettling you guys is because nothing is wrong with this guy.

There's no scandal. Watch this.

There's no sin to expose. There's no demon to cast out.

There's no sickness to be healed.

Which means the question isn't what did he do wrong?

Wow. We're not asking what did he do

wrong, what Sunday you went to church where we've preached not

about someone's sin or didn't use a scripture about somebody's

sickness or didn't use a scripture about somebody's

poverty. This is a wealthy man, a healthy

man, an obedient man. Everything is well.

He's disciplined and still. And yet there is something

that's missing. The question is.

What did he refuse to release up to this point in his life?

This isn't about what you've done wrong.

Jesus paid it all. So the question now is what are

you holding on to? We're so sin conscious.

We're so waking up every day. I'm a I'm a not smoke.

I'm gonna try not to do this. I'm gonna try not to sleep

around. I'm gonna try not to do that.

And I'm gonna try not to do that.

I'm gonna try not to do that. I'm gonna not go there no more.

It's all about what I'm going to do, what I don't need to do,

what I'm gonna stop doing is. Do, do, do, do, do and not once

Are you like, wait a minute, maybe I can stop it if I release

it. And releasing watch.

This is a lot simpler than stopping because some of you

stop, but you still got possession of it.

You still got possession of the habit.

You still got possession of the of the routine.

You still got possession of the thoughts.

You still got possession of the laptop.

So you're not watching porn no more, but guess what you're

doing? You still got the laptop.

So you're not releasing the hurt, you're not releasing the

bondage, you're not releasing the habit, you're not releasing

the friends, you're not releasing the location, not

releasing what did he refuse to release, guys?

And that's why I feel like we got to kind of slow down and

look at what is the question here.

What is Jesus trying to reveal? What is Jesus trying to reveal,

Teacher? What?

Good thing. Here's the question again.

What good thing shall I do to obtain eternal life?

What do I need to do to be a Christian?

What more do I need to do to get rid of this guilt and shame?

What do I need to do? This is not a trick question.

This is not cynicism. This is a man really seeking

assurance. He's he's he comes to Jesus

running. He comes to Jesus kneeling.

Authentic. Watch this authentic about

pursuing Jesus. His question is authentic.

There's no manipulation here. He even calls Jesus teacher.

He's honoring Jesus. Nothing about his posture

suggests rebellion, does it? Here it is.

He wants eternal life, but he wants control over how to get it

right. You want to be saved and you

want all the blessings that come with sewing and that comes with

following Jesus. But you want control of when

Ephesians 320 comes. You want control of when the

press down, shaken together, running over.

You want you want to suggest when the leprosy fall off, you

want control over when the marriage is going to start

clicking. You want control.

So you like, what do I need to do?

A lot of people come to church to try to find what to.

Do to handle Monday to Saturday. How many people come to church

because you follow Jesus and you come to learn how to follow him

more? Or you come because you think

church is a good place? No different than people who's

full of guilt. They go find a Catholic Church

or a church that's open during the week and they sit down in

front, do the Hail Marys and they do all they do because

that's what you do to get rid of sin.

That's what you do to get guilt off of yourself.

I'm a give because I've been so stingy for so long.

I've sold dope. I've done these things.

So let me give to the church. Let me pay it forward.

Let me right my wrongs dude. Is that what the blood did made

us do? He is not asking who do I

follow, he is asking what do I do?

And that's what a lot of people are here.

This is why we read our Bible. We looking for principles to

help us do more. OK, so I love Proverbs because

it showed me how to do peace. It showed me how to do wisdom.

I don't got wisdom. I just worked this principle,

right? You do 1 + 1 that should get 2.

And when you get 3, you like, how did one plus how did I get

3. You follow and watch this.

You're following the formula. Formula You're not following

Jesus following formula following law is not following.

Jesus. Well, I did what you said.

Watch this you ready with their lips.

You serve me, but your heart is so far from me.

Jesus begins to expose the throne.

Jesus redirects him from good deeds to God's goodness.

He said how you how you focus on what do you need to do good?

It's only one that's good. Let's not forget you nasty, you

filthy, you a Sinner and, and, and it's only one that's good.

And the only reason you even qualify to come into this

goodness is because of the blood of Jesus.

So let's not make it. You can't do enough good.

You can't out good the blood. If it was about doing good, then

Jesus. Wouldn't have never had to give

his life. Nobody had to die.

No lambs. He just do good.

Jesus going to give his life and then we going to start doing.

No, no, no. No, only one.

Once and for all. The Bible tells us Jesus shifts

the question from achievement to allegiance and behavior to

belonging. We're an achievement, especially

here, achievement based culture. How much have you achieved?

What Bible school you went to? How many degrees you got?

Achievement, achieve, achieve, achieve.

You got so many achieving Christians.

And how many Christians does Jesus have their allegiance and

behavior to belong? He's like behavior to belong.

You belong your son and daughter, not an orphan.

Orphans think, do sons and daughters think belonging,

right? This is this.

What Jesus is dealing with and confronting is an orphan spirit

right now. Jesus consistently moves

conversations from performance to lordship, performance to

Lordship. Watch it.

Eternal life is the result of surrender, not the completion.

Of A to do list. No wonder we can't pray for a

long time because we go into prayer with A to do list and a

Christmas list. Never a follow list.

Never I want to know you list. It's just a list and we turn it

into God bless my kids, heal my body, open this door, promote

me, close that door. It's all A to do that gets

tiring because it watch this your list is about.

You help me, help me change that for me, change that for me and

and and not once. Now imagine if you was in a

relationship, my wife, and it's just like, hey, Bobby this and

Bobby dad, or I'm asking her Bobby this, Bobby dad.

And I'm never like, man, how was it growing up in your life?

Tell me a little bit about your mom.

Tell me about your dad. Like I want to know about you.

Did that hurt your feelings? How can I do that better?

Because I want to be intimate with you.

I want to know you. I want to evolve with you.

I want to be transformed by our lives together.

But even when we get in marriages, they hit rock bottom

because really, you're doing a you're doing a belonging thing.

Sons and daughters get married, but then you turn it into a

orphan institute. Since it turns into orphan

university, the whole household orphan university is.

It's it's not our kids don't know how to belong.

They it's sons and daughters. It's like.

No, no, no. It's this big To Do List.

If if somebody come home after a long day of work and the laundry

is out, it's like, oh, why you didn't do this?

Oh, you didn't go to the store. Oh, you, you was out too late.

Oh, you doing this and you doing that.

And that's the picture of Mary and Martha.

She was being what was doing and Jesus said the the the one

that's being is doing the thing. That's the thing.

What you're doing is good, but but do not think because she is

sitting at my feet, she's doing less like belonging is less than

doing. No, no, I'm just at peace.

I know who I am. No, no, no, I am actually good

with a little bit. I don't got to work overtime.

I'm good with a little bit because I'm a sewer.

Bless you. Jesus is not investigating his

works. He is exposing his surrender.

He's like by about check, check, check, check, check, check,

check, check, check and Jesus is setting up a moment where he's

like buddy, I'm glad you came now we about to expose some

things. I'm glad you.

Came to church, But can I expose some things?

I'm glad you gave. I'm glad you got married.

I'm glad you enrolled in school. I'm glad you served at the

church. Now.

Now I can expose some things. Oh, you thought you was ready to

serve? OK, let's go.

Now I can expose some things. Now you're busy now.

No, no, no. What?

You what? What God is exposing.

What you were excited to do in the beginning has hit this

moment where now you've ran out of excitement.

Now you're like, OK, if something don't change, I can't

serve. If something don't change, I

can't keep going In this marriage if something don't

change, right? You like, what do I have to do

to change this? And maybe I was serving but

wasn't following Jesus and serving.

Maybe I got married, but my marriage wasn't following Jesus.

We did church. But did we follow?

Matthew 1920 says the young man said to him.

I have kept all these things. Look at him, I've kept all these

things from my youth. So he has been disciplined from

his youth. He's like, what do I still lack?

Why am I still dealing with this dissatisfaction?

I, I left this church and went to that one.

Then I got, I loved it. Then I got dissatisfied again.

And then I worked in this ministry and then I served in

another ministry. Then that didn't make me happy

and I got dissatisfied. Again.

Ah, the reason you just keep ministry hopping, church

hopping, job hopping, man, a woman hopping, drug hopping,

whatever you hopping back and forth to is because there's this

dissatisfactory like, what do I got to do to get rid of this

stress? What do I got to do to get rid

of this anxiety? And God is so good.

He's going to let you just do you to figure it out.

And then one day you're going to come to this pig pen place.

You can come to yourself and you're going to say, what do I

got to do? He's going to say.

I've been here. I've been here the whole time.

I stay here like a bus stop. I'm right here.

It's not lying. This man, he's not lying at all.

He's been disciplined, super sincere, and totally devout.

Truth of the matter is, you guys watch this.

You can be sincere and still stalled.

You can be moral and still misaligned, and you can obey

rules and resist rule, but obedience to rules is not the

same as surrender to rule. Yeah.

Just because you obey does not mean that you surrender.

It does not mean that Jesus rules your life.

It does not mean that peace rules like an umpire.

He kept commands. Yes, you guys, but commandments

can shape behavior without ever touching authority.

Commands can shape behavior without ever touching authority.

Mark 10/21 says looking at him watch this guys is very

important. You can only imagine this

encounter like I I would come to Jesus boldly.

I'm not coming in shame because I'm I'm sick.

I'm not coming in shame because I was caught committing

adultery. I'm not coming in shame.

I actually I'm like Jesus I didn't did everything you told

me what next? Jesus looks at him, felt love,

felt high regard. This is a successful man.

Compassion for this man. Watch this.

Jesus exposes Thrones to free people.

Shame is not in his blood. When Jesus is having a

conversation with him, he is not trying to expose him to shame

him. Quite frankly, there's nothing

to really expose as far as sin and wrong.

It's not like he's at the well and he's talking to the woman at

the well and he's like, yeah, yeah, you have 5 husbands, Calm

down. He's not dealing with a woman

full of shame who's called in the act of adultery.

He's not dealing with the woman with the issue of blood who

feels filthy and she's scared because she touched a clean man

while she was filthy and she was not supposed to do that.

He's not dealing with a doubting Thomas.

He's not dealing with a denying Peter.

He is not dealing with a Judas who's going to betray him.

He is not dealing with the Pharisees or the Sadducees.

He is not dealing with bad doctrine.

He's dealing with someone who has seen all the commandments

not stealing. Not committing adultery.

Not put no other God before you. I'm doing all of these things.

What else is there to do? And he said to him, you lack one

thing, Terrence. You lack one thing.

You lack one thing, Terrence. And I've been in this place in

my life where I'm like, yeah, man, I grew up in church, but

you lack one thing. I tithe with men.

You lack one thing. I serve.

I'm a pastor. I, I, I, I, I, I spend time with

your sheep, but you lack one thing.

I I love my wife. I treat her well, but you lack

one. I'm a good father, but you lack

one thing. You run into business, but you

lack one thing. You're a good steward of money,

but you lack one thing. He says this is the only way we

can get to the one thing. But I'm about to give you

instructions. Watch this without obeying the

instruction, the one thing is never revealed.

Watch this. Go and sell your property and

give the money to the poor, and you will have abundant treasure

in heaven. Oh, this is so good because this

is a What if this is? You and he, he, he.

You don't know what happens after this.

I was, I was messing around with somebody after this and I'm

like, man, I, I think I got a biblical right and a, a, a, a

legal imagination to be like, I think we going to see him in

heaven. Like don't you want to go to

heaven and find out where he went?

Right? I know where Moses.

I know how Joe, I know these guys, Peter, we, we know people

got beheaded. We, we know.

But this guy, I'm like, wait a minute, you did everything and

then you went missing. Like, like Jesus didn't want to

bring you back later. Like your life after you walked

away didn't have nothing worthy enough to tell us?

Or was it the suspense that Jesus knew would preach more

than the redemption story? Because how many of us are here

a lot of times in our lives, It's one thing.

It's the life of getting, of, of being, getting wealth and

getting to your career and, and getting the family you want and

the white picket fence and all these things.

And then do you want to get to 60 and be like Jesus?

But I'm still not satisfied. What you mean I went all my life

forgetting this one thing? I went to church, I read my

Bible, I have the Bible app I served and then I'm like get

older and I have some sober time now.

Now I got time to think because things are slowing down and the

end is nearing and I'm like, reevaluate, reevaluate my life.

I have an empty nest now. So kids aren't the excuse.

Career is successful is set. I've hired people.

That's not an excuse. I don't want to plant this

church. If God say transition to to do

something else or whatever. And then at the end, then I got

to be like, what else do I got to do?

God, I just think somewhere, no, well, I think him and Jesus ran

into each other or even if they didn't, even I can see him after

Jesus death and Jesus was revealed in a greater way.

I can see the man selling his stuff.

And because there's also principles in the Bible, when

you sew and you leave houses, I can see him still multiplying

because nowhere in the scripture says sell yourself and be broke.

For the rest of your life, he says, sell it and give the

profit. So God, Jesus didn't say just

sell it and save it. He says, sell it and sow it.

And I don't know, but whenever God tell us to sow something, he

has a harvest in mind. Come on somebody, every time.

Come on, he says, and come and follow me, becoming my disciple,

believing and trusting in me, and walking the same path of

life that I walk. Follow me, mirror me, reflect

me. Oh, that's the one thing.

Oh, I came to church, but I wasn't following.

I was adjacent. Proximity, not presence.

And watch this. There was other wealthy people,

but it was this man that Jesus asked this man so, so, so, so

you got to understand that there's some things that Jesus

is asking you to do and let go is not for everybody.

So you can't be like, why are you making this hard for me,

Jesus? Why you ain't making it hard?

Why you didn't ask somebody else to do it?

OK, so when you get blessed, are you like, bless somebody else

too? Why you blessing me?

Why you giving me promotion? Why you ain't giving them

promotion? Oh, so you want a customized

blessing, but you want to share the cost of following Jesus?

Yeah, that's not how it works. Watch this.

Jesus always addresses rival king.

He always addresses the rival king within you.

Mastery is being addressed. Money is not the issue.

Watch this. Jesus does not mind you being

Christian and wealthy. Can we get over that rich?

So don't be afraid of saying no. I want to be.

I want to look, I need a lot of money.

PT need a lot of money. And if you want to share that

with somebody, you want to post that.

I'll say it again for you, PT and the Richmond family and Love

Quest needs a lie. A lot of money, yeah, because we

got a lot of vision and we got a lot, right?

We not just thinking. I got a generational mindset.

I got to take in the city mindset and so, so understand my

request is based on what I'm pregnant with.

It is based on the vision that God has given me.

And it's not merely about me. God's going to take care of my

desires. But I understand that recreation

centers cost, multimedia centers cost, having your own film

companies cost, right? It's time for the church to own

stuff where we're the lenders and not the borrowers.

In order to be a lender, you got to have something to what

exactly? You can't loan broke.

OK, You can't loan broke. What's the interest rate on

broke Broke exactly? Jesus is not confronting

possessions. He is confronting what is

possessing you. He is not removing wealth.

He is revealing rule. Wealth is the oppressor here,

not the object. Stillness is the moment where

competing loyalties are exposed. Remember that competing

loyalties. He stood still long enough to

hear Jesus. Look, I'm going to say this.

I love my wife and I, I, I FaceTime her fifty times a day

when she's out of town. And then 35 when she in town.

OK, so, so I'm she been in Calgary.

I can't wait. First week of April, Richmonds

will all be back together. Mission accomplished.

We'll be back here. PJ and B y'all will have y'all

Pastor Julia back. Yeah.

No one, no one considers what it's like for the first time in

22 years to do ministry without your partner on your side.

Some of the wind and some of the hits that we took, some people

don't even realize in the spirit was we were walking in separate

places for two years. Going on two years is it'll be

short of two years and family is all over the place and having to

travel and having to make sure we're doing, making sure we're

taking care of that ministry. But what I understand also is

there are some things that happened within me when she

ain't around that are necessary. So when my wife, I don't like,

I'm the only child, so I don't, I have to learn how to be alone.

I don't like being spending too much time by myself and I have

to deal with that. When God took me from

California, I came here. So when my family ain't home,

I'm alone. Right, and so I'm not used to

that, but I'm I've grown in that.

But what I understand is I have learned to love when we're not

together because it's not that when we're together, God don't

get our time, but it's just a different attention when I don't

got to be husband like here, right here, right now.

So my freedom from her is not spent on other idols and other

things, right, Because here, here's what I'm dealing with is

he's always exposing the king on your on the throne and some of

y'all your spouses, your kids and your career is on the

throne. And sometimes the only time God

can get the best time of you is when those things are removed.

And so I've learned there's times where I'm like, babe, I

miss you too much. I'm hopping on plan.

I'm coming to see you. I don't care.

She's like, come on. And then I've learned, I've

learned to push past missing her like that and like, I need to be

here. And then I realized, and then

there's there's moments I need to be with Micah and what Micah

is getting from being with with his dad.

And then when I'm able to walk around the house and just be

with the Lord. And, and look at look at myself.

And This is why people like, oh, I hate being lonely.

If you knew how to use lonely, you would be mature a lot

faster. Watch it.

Watch this because looking within yourself is very

entertaining. Watch this you a whole movie.

You are a whole series. Your everybody life can find

itself on a Netflix series right within you.

You are entertaining. So when you talk about I'm

bored. You ain't looking within.

Next time you think you bored start thinking about yourself

and how crazy you is. Promise you are entertainment

for real. Have anybody ever made their

self laugh? Yeah.

If you ain't laughed at yourself yet, you not living.

You not living, you are not. Living Watch this What if you?

What if you? What if you?

What if you? What if you walk away?

What if you walk away? Still good?

But never free. He's like I'm good, but never

free. Come on, help us Lord.

This young man said I have observed all these things from

youth, what still do I lack? Jesus answered him, If you would

be perfect or mature spiritually mature, spiritual maturity which

accompanies self sacrifice and character.

Jesus said if you would be perfect.

He said if you want to grow, if you want to be matured, you want

to be perfected. Go and sell what you have and

give to the poor and you will have riches in heaven.

And come be my disciple, side with my party and follow me.

Watch this. The first step wasn't follow me,

the first step was sell. And so if you can see yourself

in the spirit, you got so many bags trying to follow Jesus,

Jesus weighed up. And that's why I feel like

sometime purpose feels like it's moving too fast, church doing

too much. So you're trying to slow

everything down because you're weighted down.

And so you have not moving at the pace of grace.

You're not leaning in, you're not getting disciple, you're not

hungry enough. You're letting the obstacles

come and you're like, oh, that cost that I'm not ready to pay

that cost. So I'm going to walk away.

Watch this. But when the young man here it

is. But when the young man heard

this, what did he hear? Sell it, Sew it to the poor.

Follow me. But when the young man heard

this, you guys, he went away. What?

Sad, grieved, and in much distress, for he had great

possessions. What if you lived successful?

But unfinished. He went away sorrowful, meaning

deep distress. He was watch this.

He was not angry. He was not offended.

He was not bitter. He did not rebel.

He walked away grieving. He walked away grieving.

Here it is. Sorrow is the emotion.

Someone who knows exactly what they are walking away from.

You ever quit too soon? You like should have never did

that. You ever beat yourself up?

Scripture never mentions him again.

You guys, this is the unspoken tragedy, no repentance

narrative, no return story. We don't even know his legacy.

Like we don't ever preach the we don't ever preach the the blank

spot of the rich ruler. Obedience moves heaven, not mere

works, you guys. It's following Jesus, not

traditions, rituals, and laws. What if obedience is lighter

than anxiety? What if surrender simplifies

your soul? What if letting go creates room?

Forrest, you ever you ever saw somebody stressing over

something so bad? You was like, I promise you it

ain't that bad. Just let it go.

Like just let it go like and they not letting it go whatever

it keeps them holding on. And then you see them one day

and they let it go and they seem so lighter and happier and you

like what happened? They like I let it go.

Some of y'all in here the question you should ask

yourself, why am I afraid of letting go?

What will be exposed if I let it go?

If I remove this Band-Aid? Because that's all it is, what

will be exposed? Jesus wasn't.

What if Jesus wasn't taking but in, but in inviting him, he was

trusting him to walk with Jesus, for Jesus to ask you to follow

him. I think sometimes we see that

religiously. Let's look at it carnally.

If your favorite star called you right now, your favorite movie

star, favorite entertainer called you right now and say,

hey, I was thinking about you, I'm about to go on tour.

I want you to come with me and I'll pay for everything.

Yeah, Giselle said. Yeah, I'll go, yeah, Come, come

follow me while I'm on the road. And then all your first thing,

if it was your favorite star, favorite entertainer, favorite

businessman, favorite business, you'll be like, you'll begin to

think about all the access you have, man.

When I'm with LeBron, I get or if I'm with Denzel or if I'm

with Tom Hanks or if I'm with I, I mean, I get to be on movie

sets that mean I get to. Eat good.

We get the shop at you start thinking of all the blessing.

Jesus says follow you. You like religion.

Religion. Well, you're going to have to

make your mind up. And this is where he's at.

What if the cross you avoid is the crown you delay?

What if the cross you avoid is the crown that you delay?

What if the thing you fear losing is the very thing killing

your joy? What if stillness births

courage? What if faith feels risky

because it really is? What if you don't just inherit

eternal life later, but abundant life now?

What if peace is on the other side of your yes, and what if

your bloodline shifts because you decided to obey?

What happens if we just find out come to this part of scripture

where he says and come be my disciple.

Look at this transformation receives the invitation.

Discipleship always cost something.

It will never cost nothing. Talked about it earlier.

You do not go to Louis Vuitton and ask them where the clearance

section is. Just don't go to the store, OK?

Don't don't go try nothing on. Don't don't do nothing.

But this is the way we approach the cost of following Jesus.

What's the discount? Where's the coupon for purpose?

What what what's the discount called?

The DM me Jesus like Jesus going to say type follow me in the

comments and I'll put no, no, no, that's not how it works.

Young man heard this. He left grieving and distress.

You guys watch this. This is kind of I don't know.

I mess around with these graphics a little bit and people

pay attention. People don't.

It is what it is, but just off in the balance, man.

You see this young boy, you see this son walking away from Jesus

and Jesus is not chasing him. But watch this, this guy right

here, that's the boy and Jesus. Jesus is not looking for

followers like Hollywood is. Jesus is not trying to get a

blue check. Jesus is just as sad.

The Spirit is just as grieved when you get up every day and

live below as a son or daughter, what he's called you and how

he's called you to live. Don't let your life end in a

question mark. Don't let destiny stop at

hesitation. Be still long enough to hear, Be

brave enough to obey, and be faithful enough to find out.

Watch this guys. Here's the good news.

Here's what he may have not known.

Maybe he did know, but this is a part of the narrative and this

is a part of the story that Jesus teaches his his his

disciples. This is what was preached when

he walked away. What if Watch this if he sold

everything he would have been a part of this conversation where

Jesus they're wondering, wait a minute and Jesus says men for

the rich to get through that. It's like a needle.

It's like it's like going through that door.

It's like a camel going through the the hat, the eye of a

needle. Watch this Martin says this, he

tells them truly, I tell you, Jesus said no one who has left

house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or

fields for me and the Gospel. So when we came to Canada, this

was Matthew 633 and this right here was one of my, I was like,

OK, God, I'm going to follow you.

He's like, absolutely, I put this in the word for you to hold

on to nobody. So no matter how hard it gets,

no matter how much money I'm bleeding for the sake of the

gospel or no matter how hard it is for the sake of the gospel,

here is a promise. He says no one who has left

house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children,

parents or fields for me and for the gospel will fail to receive.

What's this? This is real time stuff, guys.

I can't wait to be in the house with my family in a couple

months. But guess what?

This scripture is real for us, but we also are excited.

No one who has left father, mother, sister, brother,

children, for my sake, we not just living in two different

provinces for, for our sake, for for his sake. 100 times as much

in this will fail to receive. Nobody will fail to receive 100

times as much in this present age.

This he didn't say when you get to the sweet.

By and by this present age. Watch this And this is not just

a promise for me, this is a promise for my bloodline.

As long as Jesus has not returned.

So I'm saying yes, I'll follow you.

So my great grandkids are still benefiting from this.

Follow, watch this. They may not follow him, but

there's a harvest in the bloodline because I follow them.

So I'm following when they can't follow.

My follow is not just for me. If these disciples did not

follow Jesus, we would not have the gospels.

If Paul did not follow Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead him, we

would not have the letters to the church.

What a what is on the other side of you following Jesus?

And he said the longer persecutions.

Keep you humble, put that little thorn right there and then you

got a scripture like First Corinthians 2.

This is why the scriptures say things never discovered.

I have not seen, nor ear have heard, neither has it entered

into the heart of man what God has in store for those that love

him. Eyes haven't seen.

Why? Because it's on the other side

of obedience. Ears haven't heard.

Why? Because it's on the other side

of obedience what God has. What?

Not even what? What is in your heart?

It ain't even reached your heart I'm talking about.

Yeah. How Can you believe for

something that ain't in your heart?

Faith starts in the heart. So he's talking about there is

something that I ain't even put in your heart that I'm just

going to blow your mind. My plan for you is so much

bigger. And what we want is we want to

know what it is. Lord, put it in my heart.

Lord, give me a vision. That means put it in my heart.

Lord, give me an idea. That means put it in my heart.

Lord, give me a strategy. That means put it in my heart.

Lord, send a word that means put it in my heart.

But what about about those that distrust God?

And there's an eye that hasn't seen, there's an ear that hasn't

heard and there is neither has it entered into your heart.

God has some things in store for you.

OK, God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can

ask, think, or all the no, wait a minute, you can.

Do you mean there is a blessing or blessings that I can't even

fathom? There's no dream in the universe

for me, so I'm not looking for it.

Sometimes I get, I get not seriously, but I get mad when I

think about it because I'm like, oh, I thought about it.

I might not get it because he has things that I can't think

about. But then on the flip side, I'm

like, whoa, if I thought about that, if I dreamt about that,

what does he have that I can't dream about?

What does he have in the realm of impossibilities?

Yeah, never doubt God's mighty power to work in you and

accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more

than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and

exceed your wildest imagination. He's going to ask you to lay

something down just so you can have some.

Old, broke, boring life. The Bible is the most

entertaining. Ain't no money the Hollywood

can't put out a movie that got the monsters the Bible got.

And I'm not calling angels with with eyes on their wings and all

that. No, no, no, no, no.

But the Bible, what Bible are you reading?

He will outdo. Watch this, the Bible says He

will outdo them all. He will outdo all your

imaginations. He will outdo all your dreams.

So this ain't just any man asking you to follow him.

Oh, I follow my husband, I follow my wife.

I follow my kids to the basketball game.

I follow them. I thought, are you following

Jesus with as much detail and anticipation in the scripture

closed like this? I don't know about you, but I

don't want to be a what if I don't?

I don't want nobody at the end of my life.

I don't want nobody to be like, Dang, what if he man?

What if that that unknown potential, just like man, I

wonder if PT would have. I'm playing basketball till I

can't play basketball no more. I don't want to hurt nothing,

but I'm going to get out there because I'm able.

You know what I'm saying? It's like you Uncle Willy just

turned, what, 7170 and he's still hooping like, like there's

people in here with potential and you just like there's stuff

that God has for you and you just make so many excuses.

Rather it's trauma, rather it's people.

God puts you in people's life and people in your life and you

will make excuses. No, no what ifs.

And there's people in here that we all need to repent, that

we've come to the line of cost and we're still here counting

it, not because we're being stewards, but because we're

making excuses. We're right there.

Why you going to walk all the way to the line?

He Do you know what it took to find Jesus?

How he going to come all the way to Jesus just to walk back?

Watch this. He didn't even come.

He didn't even walk away with what he came for.

Now we offer up to God all glorious praise that rises from

every church in every generation through Jesus Christ and all

that will yet be manifest through time and eternity.

Amen. It goes from a blessing to

saying the response is glorious praise.

It goes from blessing, right? We even do church, right?

We even do church, right. We do church, I say something to

everybody, Amen, Hallelujah, right.

Even when we do announcements, it's we finish an announcement,

announcements is cool. Amen, Amen, Amen, right.

We just do church Amen, Amen, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Watch this to where? We read the scripture.

It ain't came to life yet because we're just.

Reading scripture, I'm just doing what I'm supposed to do.

I'm supposed to read the slide versus what the slide says

becomes my reality after after I go from after I go from knowing

I've been where this man has been to seeing what God has in

store for those that cross the line.

And then he says now the blessing has been released.

Watch this verse 21 is not for when verse 20 shows up Verse 21

is for after I read verse 20 yeah.

Can you can you do me a favor and just turn on some praise

music? I don't I'm I'm turned up right

now and so I don't want I don't really is this scripture is in

my spirit right now. Hey man, can you turn turn some

music? Y'all can come get this because

because this word changed me this week I've been at the place

of where I've walked away because I'm like God it's not

time to have all of me. I've let busy get in the way of

call and then somehow in my mind I made what I'm busy doing my

call. Like the Holy Ghost can't give

me enough capacity to do call and what funds my life.

Here's what I do realize a part of the cost is some of the cool

things you want to do while doing purpose is some of the

cool people you want to hang out with while doing purpose.

But there is a flow and a rhythm in life where God is saying no,

no, no, no, follow me, come, come to Canada with me.

I don't care if it's 1020 years, if you go back, if you don't go

back, just follow me. You're not like Lot's wife

looking back, but you're just like, follow me and I promise

you. From somebody that has done it

and is raising a family to know how to do it, following Jesus is

the greatest thing that any person in this room could do.

Is there any other people that's a witness, my witness.

The people that know that to be true should be praising God a

little bit more. Yeah.

There will be no tragedy in your life because we won't wonder

what if Your, your, your, your eulogy will be full of all the

things that was a result of following Jesus.

Come on, take a few moments. No, no, no, no, no.

My life was almost about to end with a what if, What if, What if

this is the year? What if I follow Jesus?

Well, today you make your mind up, you will follow Jesus.

What? What if I stop the drugs?

What if I stop the smoking? Well, there's no what if.

I promise you if you stop, it gets better.

It might be hard, but it gets better.

Jesus is enough. What if I be faithful?

I promise you He rewards integrity.

What if we find out? What if we find out?

What if we find out what I'm here to declare in 2026?

We will see the rewards, we will see the fruit of those that

choose to follow Jesus. And I'm not looking back.

I will not look back. Come on, I need some

intercessors, not spectators. There's somebody hanging in the

balance. Come on, open your mouth because

it's turning around for you. It's turning around for your

coworkers. Turn around for your family.

But everything gets better because you said yes.

Your marriage gets better because you said yes.

You followed. I follow you.

I follow you. They get better because you said

yes. I follow you.

Come on, tell Jesus. I make a commitment today to lay

it down. I lay it all down.

I lay it all down. Thank you so much for tuning

into this week's sermon. We pray you were challenged,

equipped and encouraged. Make sure to follow us on all

platforms. That's love quest intl church.

We out here for real. We're really doing it.

That's Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

You can find us anywhere you need to find us.

But until next time you know the drill.

You know the motto, get your love fixed man and we'll see

y'all real soon.