Where the Gospel Is Not: The Challenge of True Lordship

        Imagine a job that requires you to give up everything—your possessions, your plans, your comfort—and go wherever you’re sent, at great personal cost, with no pay and constant risk. Most of us would instinctively say no. And that’s the deeper issue: not that God always asks something extreme, but that we rarely pause to genuinely consider what He might be asking at all. Our refusals are often immediate, dressed up in reasonable excuses, yet rooted in a reluctance to surrender control. We embrace Jesus as Savior, but resist Him as Lord.
       
        The story of the rich young ruler exposes this tension. He desired eternal life, believed he had lived well, and yet walked away when Jesus asked him to give up his possessions and follow Him. His wealth wasn’t just material—it represented control, security, and self-direction. He wanted the benefits of salvation without yielding lordship. We often do the same, holding tightly to our plans, comfort, and ambitions while wondering why we feel unfulfilled. Lordship means full submission—bringing every part of life under Christ’s authority, not just the parts that feel safe.

• Immediate obedience like Isaiah 
• Reluctant obedience like Moses 
• Costly trust like Abraham and Mary
• Even delayed obedience like Jonah.

        But all point to the ultimate example—Jesus Himself, who prayed, “Not my will, but yours,” and went to the cross. He came where the gospel was not, doing what we could not do, so that salvation would come not through effort, but through belief. This is the foundation of both our faith and our calling.
       
        So the question becomes personal: where is the gospel not—in the world, in others, in your own life? And more importantly, what is God asking you to do about it? The call is not to guaranteed outcomes, but to obedience. To listen, to surrender, and to follow, even without full clarity. Transformation begins at the point where we stop saying no, and instead pray, “Not my will, but yours.”

Transformation Group Guide: Go Where the Gospel Is Not
Based on Matthew 19:16-24 | Palm Sunday Message

Opening Prayer 
Begin by asking someone to pray, inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to each person about the Lordship of Christ in their lives and that God would soften hearts to hear and respond to what He wants to say through this discussion.

Icebreaker
Question: Share a time when you said "no" to something that later turned out to be an important opportunity. What made you hesitant? What did you learn?

Sermon Recap 
The sermon challenged us to examine areas of our lives where we make ourselves lord instead of submitting to Jesus' lordship. Through the story of the rich young ruler, we explored how we often love the idea of salvation but resist Jesus being Lord over every aspect of our lives—our careers, finances, family, plans, and calling.

Key Scripture
Matthew 19:21-22 - "Jesus said to him, 'If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. And come, follow me.' When the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions."

Discussion Questions
Section 1: Examining Our Hearts

1. The Three Questions: The sermon asked us to consider:
   • Where isn't the gospel in the world?
   • Whose heart isn't the gospel in?
   • Where in my life isn't the gospel?
2. Share your answers to these questions. What came to mind immediately?
3. Matt confessed multiple reasons for his disobedience to God's call. Which of his excuses resonated most with you? Why?
   • "I'm tired"
   • "I don't have time"
   • "My family knows the real me—I'm not qualified"
   • "If I get my sin conquered, then I'll do it"
   • Other reasons?

Section 2: Understanding Lordship 

1. The sermon defined lordship as: "When Jesus is truly our Lord, he directs our lives and we gladly obey him."
   • In what areas of your life do you live like "My life plus Jesus" instead of "Jesus is my life"? (Consider: finances, career, relationships, time, possessions, plans)
2. The rich young ruler had status, youth, wealth, and control. What do you have that makes it hard to fully surrender to Jesus' lordship? What are you afraid of losing?
3. Read Matthew 19:17 where Jesus says, "There is only one who is good." The irony is the young man was speaking to the only one who is good. How does recognizing Jesus as "the only one who is good" change our approach to obedience?

Section 3: Biblical Examples of Obedience

1. The sermon shared several examples of obedience:
   • Isaiah: "Here I am, send me" (immediate obedience)
   • Abraham: Rose early to sacrifice Isaac (obedience without understanding)
   • Moses: "Who am I?" (reluctant obedience)
   • Mary: "Let it be to me according to your word" (obedience despite risk)
   • Peter: "At your word, I will" (obedience against logic)
   • Jonah: Ran away but eventually obeyed (delayed obedience)
2. Which of these resonates most with your current season? Why?
3. The sermon stated: "Obedience is still obedience even when the outcome doesn't make sense." Share a time when God asked you to do something that didn't make logical sense. What happened?

Section 4: The Missionary Calling 

1. React to the "job posting" for a missionary that was presented in the sermon. What emotions did it stir up? Be honest.
2. The sermon defined missionaries as "ordinary people with extraordinary obedience to do what God asks over what they want." Does this definition change how you view missions? How?
3. The Big Question: When presented with God's call (whether to missions, ministry, or simple obedience), why do we say "no" without asking, "Lord, what would you have me to do?"

Section 5: Jesus' Perfect Obedience

1. Read Matthew 26:39 - Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane: "Yet not what I will, but what you will."
2. How does Jesus' perfect obedience on our behalf motivate us toward obedience? How does it comfort us when we fail?
3. The sermon emphasized that salvation comes through confession and belief (Romans 10:9), not works. How does understanding grace and salvation empower us to obey rather than paralyze us?

Practical Application / Personal Reflection
Take 3-5 minutes of silence for each person to pray and ask: "What would you have your servant to do?"

Then discuss:
This Week's Challenge: Identify ONE specific area where you've been saying "no" to God. What is one step of obedience you can take this week?


Action Steps
Choose at least one:

• Daily Prayer: Spend 5 minutes each morning this week asking, "What would you have your servant to do?" Then listen.
• Confession: Identify one area where you've been disobedient. Confess it to God and to a trusted friend this week.
• Research: If God has been calling you toward missions or a specific person/place, do one concrete thing this week to explore it (research organizations, reach out to a missionary, have a conversation with that person).
• Lordship Audit: Make a list of the major areas of your life (career, finances, relationships, time, possessions, dreams). Honestly assess: "Is Jesus Lord here, or am I?" Bring this to prayer.
• Follow Up: Reach out to someone God brought to mind during the sermon when asked "whose heart isn't the gospel in?" Pray for them daily and look for an opportunity to share Jesus.

Closing Prayer
For Further Study
Matthew 28:19-20 - The Great Commission
Romans 10:14-15 - How will they hear without someone preaching?
Philippians 1:21 - To live is Christ, to die is gain
Romans 12:1 - Present your bodies as living sacrifices
Mark 14:36 - Jesus' prayer: "Not what I will, but what you will"
Leader Notes

Create Safety: This is a heavy topic. Make sure the group knows this is a grace-filled space where honesty about struggle is welcomed.
Avoid Guilt: The goal is conviction by the Holy Spirit, not guilt or shame. Emphasize God's love and patience with us.
Missionary Emphasis: If your group has missionaries you support, consider praying specifically for them by name.
Follow Up: Check in with group members throughout the week, especially those who shared vulnerable areas of disobedience.
Easter Connection: This sermon was given on Palm Sunday. Connect the dots to Easter—Jesus' ultimate obedience led to our salvation. Let that fuel our gratitude and obedience.