To Know Jesus is to Love Him, Part 2

Wise words to help you identify obstacles to loving Jesus deeply and intimately.

From Dr. Michael Youssef. First, it's the inability to accept correction. And secondly, it is the unwillingness to change and grow in Christ. And thirdly, it is the temptation of confusing the journey for the destination.

Let's unpack them together. Welcome to Leading the Way Audio with Dr. Michael Youssef. Up next, Dr. Michael Youssef tackles common obstacles that will trip you up in your love for Christ. This message is part of a series called To Know Jesus is to Love Him.

So listen with me now to Dr. Michael Youssef. A young boy was leading his little sister on a mountain track. And when they reached a steep hill, the climb has become difficult and hard because of the rocks along the way. The little girl became exhausted and from climbing and from and exasperated with these rocks. And so she yelled at her brother, this is not a good path at all. It is rocky and bumpy.

And her brother said, sure, but these are the rocks and the bumps that you step on to climb higher. If you are growing in intimacy with Jesus, if you're growing in your love for Jesus, you will encounter obstacles and difficulties along the way that you may, but you will. You will face barriers and derailments along the way.

You will. You will meet distractions and sidetracks all the time. But the question is this. Do these obstacles detract us from our love for Jesus and growing in intimacy with him? Or do we see them as stepping stones for climbing higher and growing deeper with Christ? Most often when we see these rocks and bumps along the way, we let them cool our love for Jesus.

We allow them to freeze the level of our intimacy with Jesus. Now, these distractions are different to every one of us. What distracts me does not distract you and vice versa. Every one of us have different kinds of distractions, but you know them and I know them. The problem is that when these distractions come, we become used to them in our life. They become part of life. Sometimes, not in all cases, but sometimes, blessings, prosperity, success, can be one of these diversions for intimacy with Jesus. But most often they are the illnesses, the difficulties, the problems and the unanswered prayers.

Why? Because we have too many competing diversions in our love for Jesus. There are too many things that are competing for our passion. There are too many things that are beckoning our attention from focusing in our love for Jesus. But thank God there's answer in the Word of God.

The Bible repeatedly again and again, he said the answer is for you to remember where you have fallen and go back there for repentance and for confession and then get back on the road of loving Jesus. There are basically three obstacles to loving Jesus deeply and intimately. First, it's the inability to accept correction. And secondly, it is the unwillingness to change and grow in Christ. And thirdly, it is the temptation of confusing the journey for the destination.

Let's unpack them together. First, what is that inability to accept correction? Some of you are probably saying, well, Michael, what has this got to do with my growing in love for Jesus?

My inability to accept somebody's correction or correcting me. What's this got to do with it? There are very few people who see themselves as they really are.

Did you know that? We all like to think of ourselves as smarter than other people, more knowledgeable than other people, more discerning than other people or even better looking than other people. Read my lips. It's a fantasy. You see, we all like to imagine ourselves the way we want to be, not the way we are. And we all have that self pride and that wreaks havoc with our lives. Few of us have the discernment to recognize our own prideful nature. And so when a good and godly, wise person come along the way to point to us some of the blind spots in our lives, how do we react? How do we react? Because you see, our reaction to that is an indication of the level of your love for Jesus. How do we react to that? Our reaction is very important.

Why? Because we cannot love Jesus intimately and deeply in isolation. In fact, the three epistles of John, they were dedicated in teaching us that to love Jesus is to love his people. That our indication of our love for Jesus is the way we express love to others. And that's why our willingness to accept correction from a loving Christian brother or sister is one of the greatest indication that we are growing in our love for Jesus. Now let me come clean with you.

I do not cherish correction any more than you do. And none of us do. Our natural reaction is, she never likes me anyway. She doesn't know what I'm going through.

Who does he think he is? This is a huge obstacle to intimately loving Jesus. Since I already came clean, might as well continue.

Okay? I'm aware of the fact, and you are too, that there are professional critics in life. You know what I'm talking about. These people who are consumed with a critical spirit. I mean, they just love to criticize everything, everyone, all the time.

That's not what I'm talking about. And these people, like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus, they criticized him on every turn. And he knows, well, he did it in the Sabbath. He did this, well, he did it the wrong way. I mean, they were criticizing him on every turn.

No matter what he does, he was criticized. It's like that art critic who was renowned for always, never sees anything good in any painting. And one day I was looking at this frame, and next to him was the artist. And he looked at it, and he looked at it, and then he said to the artist, he said, this is one of your most stupid and silly abstract paintings. And the artist looked at him and said, sir, this is a mirror. And someone said, don't be hard criticizing your wife's judgment.

Look who she married. There are some people who really, in that discerning to criticize themselves, they listen and they repeat what other people say. They just repeat it.

They don't know why, but they criticize. A guest preacher was in the church preaching a sermon. And then at the end, he was standing there with the pastor at the end of the church, as they have in that particular tradition. And this man walks out, and he says to the guest preacher, he said, this is the worst sermon I've ever heard. And the man was shaken up, but looks at the pastor. He said, this man over there, he told me this is the worst sermon he's ever heard. He said, oh, don't take any notice of him. He just repeats what everybody else said.

I'm not talking about these folks. I am talking about real, genuine, honest, loving, affirming correction. Why is that so important? He said, Mike, why is that so important that we have such people in our lives? Why is it so important?

Listen to me. Because that kind of correction drives us to self-examination. And self-examination always, always, always going to lead you into deeper and intimate love for Jesus. Amen?

Those real, genuine, honest, I keep repeating this, I hope you're getting it, loving corrections. They will build us up in our love for Jesus. Did you know that the cross is both a correction and an affirming for every one of us who believe in the Lord Jesus?

Did you know that? It's both. It is affirming us, but it's also correcting us. When the Lord Jesus Christ stretched his arms on a tree, he was saying, I love you. I love you enough to hang here to pay the wages of your sin. On the other hand, it's a correction for all of us. For there he is saying, it is your sin that hung me on that cross. It is your rebellious spirit, it is your stubbornness that hung me on this cross. And so the cross affirms and corrects all at the same time. Sometimes those loving, caring, wise, genuine folks, when they do correct us sometimes they break us down, but they're only doing that so that we can maybe build up. They really do. You may feel that they're wounding you, but it's only to heal you.

It's just like a surgeon, when he cuts you up, it's ordered to remove the cancerous tumor. Unloving criticism can destroy people, but loving, caring correction builds people up. And so the inability to accept godly correction can hamper and stomp your growing love for Jesus. Secondly, to love the Lord Jesus with all your heart more intimately, you have to be willing to grow and change.

Here's a word that some of you don't like. Change. I know that not all change is good all the time, and not all change is bad all the time. But the Christian life is like a seed that is planted on the inside of us. And if that seed is planted, if you imagine that happens in real life in the land, somebody puts the seed, but then months later the plant is only a few inches long. Never ripen into the harvest. You say, well, something wrong.

Something stunted that growth. And in the Christian life it works the same way. To grow in your love for Jesus, to grow in Jesus, to grow in Christ's likeness, you must let go of the past. Don't hang on the past.

It will pull you back every time. I know there are some people who detest change. I know there are some people who are afraid of change.

I know there are some people who want to cling to the past. But listen to me, our middle name as believers ought to be change. Our middle name ought to be growth. For that is the nature of sanctification.

It's a big word theologians use, but sanctification is just all means growing into Christ's likeness. But you see, growth is our middle name. Growing in Christ every day. In the Christian life there's no such thing as standing still. Either you're going up or you're falling back.

Either you go up or you fall back. There's no such thing as standing still. There's no such thing. I pray to God that the Holy Spirit will press that on your heart and my heart at this very moment. For some reason you stop growing in your love for Jesus.

And that reason only known to you. Can only be known to you. You know there are some people who dig their spiritual heals.

I mean they dig them in there and start singing. I shall not be moved. I'm challenging you today. I'm challenging you. As I challenge myself every time to ask yourself the question, Have I ceased to grow in my love for Christ?

Beloved, I have not only seen individual Christians who refuse to change, refuse to grow to their own spiritual detriments, but I have seen congregations who refuse to grow, refuse to change. And what a tragedy that is. Oh, they love the little ritual.

Don't change it. They love the little tradition. They love the little creek. They love the little tifton. Don't touch that.

They keep on singing. We shall not be moved. That's tragic. Not long ago I read before Columbus discovered America, Spain was known as the end of the world. I don't know if you knew this or not.

In fact, Paul says this when he was writing to the Romans. He thought, you know, I got to Spain. That's it.

I literally covered it. I've gone to the end of the world. They believe that's the end of the world. And then on their coins they had this printed. Ne plus ultra means nothing more beyond.

And then Columbus discovered America. So they changed that motto on their coinage and it says plus ultra. More beyond. More beyond.

My beloved, please listen to what I'm going to tell you. Because in your loving Jesus more intimately every day, you have to realize that whatever height you have attained, there's more. Whatever level you have reached, there is more. Whatever depth that you have propounded or have experienced, there's more. Whatever length that you have gone to, there is a whole lot more.

There's a whole lot more. The day you stop changing, the day you stop growing is a day of immense spiritual danger. In fact, the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians as much. God used somebody.

It's the same thing in your life as it is in my life. God used somebody to plant the seed of faith, the seed of the gospel in our lives. Then God used some other people who came and fertilized and helped that seed to grow. But only God is the one who gives the growth and the increase. And that can only come from intimacy and growing intimacy with Jesus. The inability to accept correction will hamper your growth in loving Jesus. Your unwillingness to change and grow will hamper your intimate love for Jesus. But then the third obstacle to loving Jesus more intimately every day is confusing the journey for the destination. What many Christians forget that when Jesus saved you, he did not just save you for the here and now, he saved you for eternity.

He did. In other words, Jesus came down to our world to take us out of our world. I know many of us have our feet squarely dug into this world.

Many of us have their feet cemented into this world. I know that we are prone to swim in this world's water. We are prone to eat of this world's food. We are prone to drink of this world's wine.

I know that. But beloved, this is one of the great hindrances to loving Christ every day, day by day, and more intimately. What does that mean?

Here it is. Listen carefully. You either see yourself as a citizen of this world with a passing interest in heaven, or you see yourself as truly passing through this strange land, and oh my Lord is becoming stranger and stranger every day, on your way to your final destination. You either see yourself as a traveler or a settler.

You either see yourself as a renter or a landlord. That's the temptation of confusing the journey for the destination. And we have these temptations for ever beckoning us. Oh, but listen to me. It does not mean that you put on white robes, head for the mountains, and wait for the spaceship.

No, no, no, no, no, no. Listen, loving Jesus intimately means that you are keeping your eyes on your destination, but serving Him here while you're waiting with all of your heart, with all of your life, and with all of your mind. That's what it means.

It's absolute truth. When I wake up every morning and I gaze into heaven, I say, Lord, is it today? If it is today, you're going to call me home. I have my bags packed and ready to go.

And I don't mean physical bags. I won't need those. But I keep short accounts with the Lord. I keep short accounts with others.

I keep short accounts, so I'm packed. I'm ready to go whenever He calls me. But if you're going to spare me one more day, Lord, I want to give you my all. I want to serve you with all my heart.

I want to love you with all my strength. I want to love others and serve them. What does it mean to love Jesus deeply and intimately while you're living in this world?

Listen carefully. It means loving what Jesus loves. Loving what Jesus loves in this world. What does Jesus love in this world? Gold and silver that He scattered around the earth when He made it? No.

No, no, no, no, no. Jesus loved those whom He redeemed in this world. Jesus loves those whom He reconciled with His Father in this world. Jesus loves His lost sheep that are yet to be found in this world.

He loves to lift His people up out of the mud of this world. That's what Jesus loves. That's what it means for you to love what Jesus loves. I know there are some Christians and some believers in the different stages in their Christian walk who really want Jesus to love what they love. They want Jesus to love what they love. And that is why the Apostle Paul told the Romans, Do not conform, but be what?

Transformed. You don't ask Jesus to love what you love, but you love what Jesus loves. Let me plead with you. Do not confuse the journey for the destination and end up in regret. Now, my beloved friends, don't wait for a crisis for you to realize that your love for Jesus has grown cold. Don't wait until it's too late to realize that lukewarmness is not what Jesus seeks. Say to Him today, Lord, help me to accept correction. Lord, help me to accept growth and development and change in my life.

Lord, help me not to confuse the journey for the destination. I promise you on the authority of the Word of God, He will answer that prayer. The prayer of the entire team at Leading the Way is that your life was transformed through listening. Learn more about Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef when you visit ltw.org. You can also call us, speak with a ministry representative, 866-626-4356.

That's 866-626-4356. Learn the keys to spiritual endurance, overcome spiritual burnout, and train up the next generation to stand firm on biblical truth with Dr. Youssef's new book, Never Give Up. At the end of his life, imprisoned in a Roman dungeon, the apostle Paul urged his young disciple Timothy, Never give up on prayer, never give up on biblical truth, never give up on the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. In his brand new book, Never Give Up, Dr. Michael Youssef unpacks Paul's rich words of encouragement found in 2 Timothy, words that will help you endure, flourish, and thrive in the midst of doubt, danger, and despair. Don't be ashamed of the word of God.

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Order your copy today for your gift of any amount and receive two bonus resources exclusively from Leading the Way. Be empowered to live for Christ in difficult times and learn how to leave a lasting legacy of faith for the next generation. Whatever the future may bring, don't surrender. Don't be intimidated.

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Here's how to learn more about Dr. Youssef's book, Never Give Up. Call us 866-626-4356. That's 866-626-4356. Or you can visit us at ltw.org. And you can write to us as well. We do love hearing from you through the Postal Service. Write to Leading the Way, Post Office Box 201100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. That's Post Office Box 201100, Atlanta, Georgia, 30325. Alrighty, when I hear that music, I know it's time to say goodbye, but I do have just enough time to invite you to join Dr. Michael Youssef right here next time when he once again passionately proclaims uncompromising truth on Leading the Way Audio. This program is provided by Leading the Way with Dr. Michael Youssef. Connect with us through our YouTube channel, Facebook, Twitter, and all of our social media networks.