jesus is not enough

Discipleship 101

Jesus is not enough?

What I’ve heard…

Where do we get that from?

It wasn’t from the Genesis

story

Genesis 3:21 The LORD God made

garments of skin for Adam and his wife and

clothed them.

It wasn’t from Exodus 20

Exodus 20:And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out

of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

It wasn’t from the Psalms

Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my

shepherd, I shall not want.

It wasn’t from the prophets

Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

It wasn’t from the Gospels

Mathew 19:8

When they looked up, they saw no one

except Jesus.

It wasn’t from the early church

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by

which we must be saved.”

It wasn’t from Paul’s writings

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ

and him crucified.

It wasn’t from the book of Revelation

Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ,

which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things

which must shortly come to pass. And He sent and

signified it by His angel unto His servant John,

It wasn’t from Ellen White

"Of all professed Christians, Seventh-day Adventists should be foremost in uplifting CHRIST

before the world.“

Ellen G. White, Gospel Workers, p.156

"The shortness of time is urged as an incentive for us to seek righteousness and to make Christ our friend. This is not the great motive. It savors of selfishness. Is it necessary that the terrors of the day of God be held before us to compel us

through fear to right action? This ought not to be. Jesus is attractive. He is full of love, mercy, and compassion...It is our privilege to have a calm,

close, happy walk with Jesus every day we live." (E.G. White, Review and Herald, August 2, 1881)

"There need to be far more lessons in the ministry of the Word of true conversion than of the

arguments of the doctrines. For it is far easier and more natural for the heart that is not under the

control of the Spirit of Christ to choose doctrinal subjects rather than the practical. There are many Christless discourses given no more acceptable

to God than was the offering of Cain. They are not in harmony with God."{VSS - The Voice in Speech

and Song pg 342.3}

Two Dangers

1. Knowledge without power.

1 Corinthians 1:18For the message of the cross is

foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being

saved it is the power of God.

1. Knowledge without power is frustrating.

2. Knowledge without power is dangerous.

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I

fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

The Sacrifice of Christ as an atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other

truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every truth in

the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present

before you the great, grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and

redemption,—the Son of God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every

discourse given by our ministers.

—Gospel Workers, 315.

3. Knowledge without power

makes secondary issues, primary.

2. Compliance without

conversion.

Isaiah 29:13And so the Lord says, “These

people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but

their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is

nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.

1. A legalistic lifestyle is not sustainable.

2. Compliance can deteriorate

into competition or comparison.

3. Compliance uses less than

ideal methods to achieve,

compliance.

Fear

Threats

Coercion

Bribes

The solution is

Grace.

"We should not make self the center and indulge anxiety and fear as to whether we shall be saved" (SC 71).

Ephesians 2:8-9God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you

can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can

boast about it.

Jesus is MORE than enough.