For example every one of Christ's Apostles were raised in the belief that the Messiah would conquer with military force the country of Judea. But Christ had other ideas.
42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.
43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister. (Mark 10:42-43)
Jesus is saying that while the Gentiles lord their authority over those they rule, for Him and His Apostles whoever leads must first serve or minister. Like King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon. Or more specifically as Jesus Himself had done.
But the Apostles could not accept that Jesus would have to serve, suffer and die. Which is why, amongst other things, His last act before His crucifixion was to wash the feet of His disciples as would a servant.
This idea was so ingrained in the consciousness of the 2nd Temple period that I have to wonder if this is the reason Jesus told His Apostles not to tell anyone that He was the Messiah. Because the people envisioned a Warrior King, not a Servant King. The wanted a Lion of God, they did not anticipate a Lamb of God.
This failure to accept a Lamb of God is I think why so many couldn't believe that Jesus was the Messiah they had been waiting for. Because He gave His life for The Lord rather than taking lives in the name of The Lord. Once He died they thought the fact that He had been killed and especially that He did not conquer Judea with military force meant that He could not be the long awaited Messiah.
And think of all the Biblical and Book of Mormon Prophets who heard The Lord's call. They had to first accept that calling. Moses took his time. Everyone has the Agency to refuse the call they get but if we are to truly act in His stead we must accept the calling with all the challenges in brings. Jeremiah was known as "The weeping Prophet." He wandered Jerusalem prophesying because he accepted that that was what The Lord needed of him. All the Biblical Prophets endured great hardships because of their calling and only rendered acknowledgement posthumously when their revelations proved true.
So it's not enough to say you accept the Teachings of Jesus; we must act upon them. When Jesus says "He who has ears let him hear" He is intending that by truly hearing His teachings that they will be enacted by those who have heard the word.
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)
So we must deny our own desires, our own self-interests and pursue the desires of Christ. We must accept His call and must accept the cross and challenges that brings.
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:39)
If you follow the ways of the world you may loose your soul but if you follow Jesus your world will be turned upside down but you will find everlasting life.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? (Mark 8:36)
The way of the world is to value things, the way of Jesus is to value God and all our brothers and sisters whoever they may be. The treasure you build up in Heaven, the things you can take with you, are memories of the service you offered to others, the love both given and received in your life, the pure happiness from time with your family, friends, children and spouse.
The most powerful part of your testimony is how you talk to, how you talk about and how you treat others after Church services are over.
Jesus doesn't care about how many Bible verses you have memorized as much as He does about how you treat others.
Now giving up material gain and instead building up your treasures in Heaven is something easy to say you believe in but it's quite another to accept and implement those changes.
To accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior means to do more than attach His name at the end of your prayer, it means to live like Him. To sacrifice, to serve, to minister, to lay down your life for the principle embodied in all His teaching, parables and sayings: Agape or unconditional love for God and for all our brothers and sisters.
The Kingdom is within you and you can take part in it, you can bring it about at anytime when you accept His teachings and extend that love and forgiveness of the Atonement to all you meet, in effect acting in His stead. Acting as Jesus would and serving, forgiving and loving without conditions is a hard life to accept. Meeting hate with love is not easy but it's not meant to be, it's only meant to be worth it.
Accept life for what it is, change the things you can, pray about what you can't and accept that truly implementing Christ's teachings will turn your world upside down but it will turn your life right side up in the long run.
We are not humans having a spiritual experience here on Earth, we are spirits having a human experience here on Earth.
Accepting love can be as hard as accepting extending love to those who you hate or who hate you. It's very counter-intuitive to say that that will work but everyone has the agency to accept or reject your efforts, but we still have the responsibility to choose the right.
Hate can not drive out hate; only love can do that. Darkness can not drive out darkness; only light can do that. -Dr. martin Luther King
Like wise you can't magnify the calling Jesus extends to us all of discipleship if you can't accept implementing His teachings rather than just talking about them.
