Selling Out
I want to talk about selling out. We all sell out for something. When we sell out on the things of the world we make a bad investment. Our life, the Bible says in James 4:14, is a vapor. And we get one short window to decide what we will sell ourselves out to. The world would love to see you sell out to them. Pleasures, material wealth, houses, relationships, addictions, entertainment, you name it they got it. And they want to sell it to you. The world wants to use you and take advantage of you.
Jesus invites you to sell out on him. A short parable for you in Matthew 13:44, it is literally one verse long, that pairs perfectly with our text today: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Jesus invites you to sell it all for him. He goes and sells ALL he has. Jesus teaches in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:24 that no one can serve two masters. You either sell out to him, or you sell out to something or someone else.
My question for you today is, what have you sold out to? And is it a good investment? The right answer is to sell out to Christ, but for some of us the real answer is, we have given him only a part of our lives, or none of it at all.
The enemy says to seek first for yourself.
First I want to start with this: the enemy says to seek first for yourself. Life is full of moments and opportunities, decisions and realities. And the enemy strives for you to settle and give in for what the flesh wants right now. Esau takes the bait, and simply walks away from God’s blessing on his life.
The world perpetuates the lie that being a Jesus follower will mean settling in life. “We don’t get to enjoy the pleasures that this world has to offer, we miss out on all the fun.” In reality, when we give in to the world’s way, that is the actual path to settling. With Jesus, we gain life and life to the full (John 10:10). But if we follow the path of Esau, we will turn to every knee jerk emotion and do whatever we feel in a single moment.
The world instructs us to follow our heart. The bible instructs you to guard your heart, to not trust your heart. It is deceitful and wicked, who can know it (Jer. 17:9). Our hearts and our emotions land us in a life of compromise. Esau gave up his inheritance for his feelings, his emotions. He forgot his birthright because he was following what he felt.
If Jesus followed what he felt he never would have gone to the cross. We have to follow the way of Jesus, who was also actually starving (unlike Esau) on his 40 day fast in the desert (Matt. 4). How did Jesus respond? He refuses to make stones into bread, he followed his father’s ways instead of his emotions. This is the challenge to each one of us. Short cuts lead to short growths and shallow roots. Don’t settle for the world’s way, Christ’s is far better.
Jesus says to seek first the kingdom.
Second, Jesus says to seek first the kingdom. Seek first the kingdom and all of these things will be added to you (Matt. 6:33). Esau was famished and only thinking about immediate emotional needs, Christ invites you to the bigger picture of the kingdom. Eyes for the gospel protect our emotions from being manipulated by the enemy.
What is first in your life? Do a time study for a moment and see how much of your time Jesus has in your life. Your resources, how much goes back to God? I don’t just mean the 10% tithe (this is the FLOOR, not the ceiling. This is where our giving starts), I mean the additional what we give in offering to the Lord. How much time and help do we give to those who are hurting and those who are broken?
Or how about your emotions, where do you find the most joy? Do you get more joy and fulfillment in the sports you watch, relationships you are in, entertainment you engage in? When was the last time you felt for God what you felt for things?
These are idols! Tim Keller says in his brilliant book “Counterfeit gods”
“What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God. Anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give…
An idol is whatever you look at and say, in your heart of hearts, “If I have that, then I’ll feel my life has meaning, then I‘ll know I have value, then I’ll feel significant and secure.” There are many ways to describe that kind of relationship to something, but perhaps the best one is worship.”
Esau worshiped himself. He lives a rash life that is full of what he wants right now. In Genesis 28 it says Esau knew his father didn’t want him to marry a Canaanite woman, so what does he do? He marries a Canaanite woman. And he has multiple wives. He has anger, he is quick to do the things that honor himself and not honor his God.
What are you quick to honor? The path of Esau is the path to destruction. It is the path to a miserable relationship with God. It is a path that leads to the nation of the Edomites, a nation that tries to kill the nation of Israel and battles with them. A nation that most of the book of Obadiah is prophesying against. Not only do Esau’s choices affect him, but he set up generations of men and women that suffered for his choices and turned against God.
If you take the path to Esau, your relationship with God can’t ever be full. Why? Because God will be a constant reminder of the disappointment that you’ve caused. When God isn’t first, but you still claim him as father, you can’t be close to him. It is a false relationship, you will never be close to him, because you don’t really want him. You really want him AND the things of the world. Like Esau, it leads to destruction, for him and generations.
Christ and his kingdom must be first in your life. To quote the great theologian and scholar Ricky Bobby, “If you ain’t first your last.” If Christ isn’t first, he’s last. First is meant for him and him alone. So how do I do this Pastor?
You have to know your position in Christ. As a son or a daughter of Jesus, what are you entitled to? I am going to answer the question, but I want you to answer first. Because if you don’t know in your heart already, it reveals what you need to work on. Here are some passages for you to know deep in your heart.
Deut. 31:8, The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Matt. 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Isaiah 40:31, but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
James 1:5, If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
John 8:36, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
1 John 4:4, greater is he that is in you than he who is in the world.
I could go on and on and on, we need to know the promises that come with being a child of God. How can we walk in them if we don’t know them? How can we be active in believing them if they aren’t renewing our mind daily and washing over our hearts?
Esau forgot about his birthright, what he was entitled to. And so do we! We either don’t believe it or we don’t preach it to ourselves every day. We need to preach the gospel to our hearts every single day and allow our hearts to be nurtured by the power of the gospel.
The enemy has revealed his strategy from the very beginning in the garden of Eden. What does he do? He challenges Eve’s identity. “And you will be like God…” If you know that God your father is a good God and has good things in store for you and cares about you and can be trusted in his ways and with his wisdom, you won’t take the bait.
Have you ever wondered, why in the world does Satan hate me so much? I didn’t do anything to him… it is kind of crazy how much this thing, that I have never met, and never did anything to, hates me like this. It is because of who you are. You are a son or a daughter of God, you are everything he is not and what he has forsaken. You remind him of the creator. This is because you are made in his image!
We need to walk and function in the reality of who we are. Esau didn’t care about his birthright because his emotions got a hold of him. When we walk in sin, it is because we have forgotten. All through scripture God tells the people to build an altar, place stones after crossing the Jordan river, carry the ark of the covenant, write down what God has said and carry it along with you… memorize the word of God and internalize it into your thinking. Meditate on the word of God, why?! To remember. To remember who you are, to remember who you belong to, and to remember where you are going.
What have you sold out to?
So let’s end with this: what have you sold out to? Esau went for broke on a bowl of soup. It may sound funny to us, but going broke on a life of promiscuity is too. Or going broke on the idols and entertainment of this passing world. Or going broke on chasing the corporate ladder and job that will give you “true fulfillment” in this life. Or going broke on wealth. Or going broke on an addiction and giving it all your affections.
Don’t be as shortsighted and foolish like Esau was. The enemy says to seek for yourself first. The game has always been the same: make them selfish and watch them self-destruct. But Esau shows us what happens when we play the game.
Christ invites you to a new idea: seek him and his kingdom first. The Lord first, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And then? Your neighbor as you love yourself. Everything for others.
And know your position in Christ. The enemy knows your position, shouldn’t you? He’s so affected by your position he is sending the legions of hell to stop it. Does your position in Christ cause that much movement in your own life? Believe who you are Christian, even the devils of hell do.