A WORD WITH YOU By Ron Hutchcraft #4992 - "Followers With Footnotes" Matthew 19:27-29 Listen to the audio broadcast! http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/ramhurl?p=pnm&f=/rhm/sounds/awwy/awwy4992.rm I saw this amusing commercial. This basset hound is lying on the floor next to his master, who is totally covered by the newspaper he's reading. On the floor in front of the dog is a page of the newspaper that advertises this incredible bargain airfare from a certain airline. Suddenly, the dog has a bubble over his head in which he sees himself at the kennel again while his master is off traveling. The dog quietly picks up the part of the paper that has the ad, trots over to the garbage can, drops it in, and goes back to his master's side. His master never knows the difference. Of course, the dog has no way of knowing those great sale fares aren't always as great as they first appear. The sale fare is in big print, but at the bottom is this small print with lots of conditions. Or you call the airline and you get some surprises. You have to fly over a Saturday, there's a penalty for any changes, there are only a few seats at that price, or you may have to book two years in advance! It looks great for a while, but the added conditions change things a bit - conditions you hadn't counted on. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Followers With Footnotes." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 19:27-29. By the way, Jesus knows how it feels to call and find out about unadvertised conditions. The Scripture says, "Peter answered Him, 'We have left everything to follow You! What, then, will there be for us?' Jesus said to them ... 'You who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." Peter's wanting to know what's in it for him to follow Jesus. Contrast that with his original commitment to Jesus in Mark 1:17-18, "'Come, follow Me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once they left their nets and followed Him.'" There were no conditions, no footnotes, and no fine print. But now Peter's concerned about houses and fields and closeness to his family. Peter's not alone. His mindset here uncovers a troubling tendency in our commitment to Christ. Unconditional commitment to Christ tends to become conditional. As our lives get more complex, as we accumulate more and accomplish more, we start to add little footnotes and conditions to what began as an 'anything goes' commitment to the Lord. There was probably some time in your life when you opened yourself up totally to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. "It doesn't matter where I live, how much money I make, what position I get, what I wear, what I drive, who goes with me." But that can change. Now the Lord might be asking you to do something that might risk or change some of those parts of your life. Suddenly, you're giving the Lord a contract with certain requirements - living in certain conditions, being near your family, keeping your position or some prized possessions, keeping a special person in your life, being comfortable. You're saying, "Yes, Lord, but..." Added conditions. The word "but" cannot follow the word "Lord." Jesus assured Peter he was losing nothing any more than you lose the money you invest in a stock that later goes sky high. In fact, Jesus promises a reward 100 times any sacrifice you make. What a return! But that kind of reward is reserved for those who give Jesus a blank piece of paper, not a contract. "Even with all I have now, Lord, and all I want, anything goes." Have you added footnotes and conditions to your once wide-open commitment? Remember, Jesus abandoned everything to rescue you. He's worthy of your "no strings" commitment. You knew that once. It's time to get back to where you began, following Jesus with total abandon. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Discuss today's "A Word With You," post your comments, or encourage others in our discussion forum! http://forums.gospelcom.net/view/rhm/awwy How can I help support the work of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries? http://rhm.gospelcom.net/support/ To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit YOURS FOR LIFE: HOW TO HAVE LIFE'S MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP at: http://www.yoursforlife.net Or, call 1-888-NEED HIM. "A Word With You" by Ron Hutchcraft is a daily radio challenge, with slice-of-life illustrations and insights - providing practical help on the issues that matter most. If your local Christian radio station does not air "A Word With You," please let them know how much you value this program. Over six years of transcripts are available online, at http://rhm.gospelcom.net/awwy.php Ron Hutchcraft Ministries is a member of the Gospel Communications Network - http://www.gospelcom.net "A Word With You" is a production of: Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. http://rhm.gospelcom.net/ Email: RHM@... Phone: 1-877-741-1200 Copyright (c) 2006, Ron Hutchcraft. Permission to distribute this material via email, or individual copies, is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, and will not be sold. To reproduce "A Word With You" transcripts in any other format, including Internet websites, written permission is needed from Ron Hutchcraft. Copyright (c) 2006, Ron Hutchcraft. Reprinted with permission. "A Word With You" is a radio outreach of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Inc. You are receiving this recurring mailing because you signed up on our website, sent an email or signed up at an event requesting to be on the "A Word With You" list.