In my message yesterday, I borrowed a line from a well-known song that Meatloaf made popular declaring how “2 out of 3 ain’t’ bad”. I would suggest you read it first before diving off in to this message today. And as promised, let me lead in with another well-known secular song that Johnny Lee made famous called: “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places”. But I want to tweak one word and change ‘love’ to ‘life’. If you had not observed this yet or discovered on your own, we ‘sheep-like humans’ can easily be deceived into ‘looking for life in all the wrong places’.

And when I say ‘we’, I mean professing believers who claim to be followers of Christ.

Let me say up front- full disclosure here: I’m not trying to ‘sell’ you anything. I have nothing to prove and I’m not looking for theological debates. That’s not to say I’m not open to questions and sincere discussions about things you may read here; but I really do believe many would benefit well if they took the time to look up the verses I share here to read and mediated on your own. 

But speaking of selling, the sales business is an interesting business for sure and lots of people have made good money in sales over their lifetime. I would not personally claim to be a salesman but it seems to me that the easiest sale to make to a person would be to first recognize a need, then offer a good, affordable product to someone who could make good use of that item.

A ’good’ salesman might be able to convince you why you would need more than just one of those products and so you fill that cart up. (Don’t ask me how many cameras and drones I’ve accumulated over the years.)

But a con artist, who is also good at selling, would first convince you that you need something you don’t need, because you already have it, and then they convince you to buy it. But he would be deceptive in how he convinces you that you don’t have...what you already possess. Ever hear the one about the salesman who convinced an Eskimo who lived in an igloo why he needed to purchase a new freezer? I think about that one when I read the dialogue the serpent had with Eve back in the garden . He convinced her that if she just ate off that one tree (the one God said not to eat off), then she would be "like God". And that appealed to her for some silly reason, obviously forgetting she had been made in God’s image and likeness. (Gen. 1:26-27)

Perhaps you sit down with a co-worker or neighbor whose life is unraveling, sinking further into darkness and despair as they pour their heart out to you not understanding why they are miserable and empty and without joy or peace or hope. They at least, might be willing to recognize what is missing in their life when you share the ‘whole’ gospel with them. You help them see their need and offer them the ‘solution’, which is Jesus.

But what about all those folks who ‘think’ they already have this ‘abundant life Jesus offers’ because someone at an altar told them they had it when they said a prayer and got baptized. When Jesus came to offer this ‘life’ to His people, many just flat out rejected Him, convinced they already had it and who was He to suggest otherwise. He came to His own and they did not receive Him. (John 1:11)

Friends...there are more people sitting on church pews today whose tanks are on ‘Empty’; yet they just sing louder, they'll attend church regularly, they do good works, lead bible studies; you name it. And many of them if they are honest, would be the first to tell you how empty they are and are just ‘hanging on by a thread trusting Jesus until He returns’. Others, are cruising along having been seduced by a ‘false peace and security’ which we talked about the other day.

I would like you to turn to the gospel of John, chapter 5. Listen to what Jesus told one group of Jews there in vs. 39-40:

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think... you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of Me.” (39).

Now don’t get me wrong, getting in to the word is not a bad thing. But you do realize it is not hard to get into a rut where you are simply reading the Bible just for the sake of reading, or reading to find more knowledge, or sound more proficient and well versed. Why preachers can get in to a trap where they only open that book looking for material for another sermon they are cooking up, much like a cook would who opens the fridge to find useful ingredients for a dish they are preparing. Paul even warned of a day coming when we would be ‘always learning but never coming to the knowledge of the truth’. (2 Tim. 3:7)

But look what Jesus tells them next in vs. 40- “But you are not willing to come to Me ... that you may have life.”

Care to read that again, slowly and aloud this time, please?

I have a hunch we could replace ‘searching the scriptures daily’ with other ‘spiritual diversions’ in search of 'life' and be saying the same thing. Mind if I give it a go?  Just be sure to end with "but you are unwilling to come to Me..."

You go from one camp-meeting to another year after year...searching for that spark of life to ‘revive’ you...(Why do churches have to offer up ‘Revivals’ all the time?)

You buy one devotional after another, or attend some new bible study that is the latest craze telling yourself...’this is it this time!’...

You join in on every gospel singing out there looking for that ‘blessing’ trying to stir the flame within you...

You join one church after another looking for that next preacher who can light a fire under you...

You never fail to attend that men’s or ladies’ Christian retreat convinced that ‘this time’, you won’t let that flame that was lit...die out.

Friends...why is it that Christians, who supposedly have the Spirit of the Almighty living God dwelling in them...are in constant search of still trying to find meaning and purpose and their ‘destiny’ all while trying to maintain a good outward appearance that they are a ‘strong believer’? Yet, before you know it...they begin to drift and pursue the same things everyone else in the world is chasing after. (Matt. 22:3-5; Luke 14:18-20; 17:28; Mark 4:19). But, they maintain a ‘form of godliness’ while their lives seem to indicate they lack or deny the power that the gospel has to truly transform us. (2 Tim. 3:5)

Many ‘profess to know Him, but by their actions they in fact, deny Him’. (Tit. 1:16). Or consider what Jesus had to say about these people who thought they ‘had it’ but didn’t, when He quoted Isaiah saying “the hearts of this people have grown dull...and though they hear, they will not understand; and while they may see, they cannot perceive...” (Matt. 13:14-15). He even says that if they could just understand with their hearts and turn (repent)..He could heal them. (13:15).

And now comes the root of the problem and you might want to underline this in your Bible: “These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and they honor Me with their lips, but their heart... is far from Me. And in vain...in vain...in vain they worship Me...” (Matt. 15:8-9)

Now let’s go back to John 5:40 and read once more, the reason why so many who ‘thought they had life’- don’t: They were not willing... to ‘come to Jesus’. And when Jesus said they were not ‘willing to come to Me’, He is saying they are not willing to come to Him...on His terms. The real tragedy here is the failure on the part of so many churches to fully disclose what ‘His terms’ are; because if they did, there might be a dramatic drop in ‘nickels, noses, and numbers’.

This...my friends, I would be willing to bet it all on...as to why so many are struggling, doing their best to ‘hold on’ wearing themselves out ‘trying harder to do better and be more faithful’, and yet remain spiritually bankrupt. This...is where we have to be honest with ourselves and examine scripture with open hearts if you really want to be ...’made well’. (John 5:6). I’m convinced we have failed to read the ‘small print’, or were not fully taught the ‘whole counsel of God’ early on in our walks. (Acts 20:27)

We have, for a variety of reasons, come up short of experiencing the abundant life that Jesus came to offer us and it all points to one thing: Coming to Jesus on His terms, means you have to come to him with your whole entire heart. 90%, 75%, nor 66% will do it. Anything less than 100% will leave you on the outside looking in. And even then, you will still be ‘blinded by the god of this world’, veiled from seeing the light of God’s gospel. (2 Cor. 4:4). And the only way that veil will be removed is if/when you ‘turn to the Lord’ (2 Cor. 3:16) and come to Him with all your heart. And in case you have not discovered this yet, everything within your old nature, your ‘old man’ will fight and resist and seek another way.

Yet Jesus tells us plainly that the only way you can truly find this life is you have to be willing to lay down the old one. (Matt. 10:39; 16:25). And you have to do it ‘up front’. You cannot even begin this walk of being sanctified in spirit, soul, and body’ until He has your whole heart, up front. If we learn nothing else from the story of the rich, young ruler, we learn this fact...90% is not good enough. IF there is anything you are loving more, and unwilling to lay down and turn from, you do not get in the ‘ark’. I realize this does not fit with most ‘gospel versions’ out there today, but as God is my witness, I am speaking the truth to you in love. Unless a man is willing to forsake all, he cannot be a disciple of Jesus. (Luke 14:33). Join me tomorrow?