Saturday, March 24, 2012
not a fan.
Am I a fan or follower of Christ?
Most of my life to this point has been spent as a “fan” of Christ. One who knows about God, likes the idea, perhaps considers him or herself saved, but never truly understands the cost of following Christ.
Unfortunately, this probably describes a lot of modern believers. We understand our sinful nature and need for salvation, but we assume that is all that is necessary. But never is that what Christ teaches.
Often, Christ is approached by men who want to follow him, but on terms they decide. However, Jesus replies, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) Never does Christ condone halfhearted commitments or partial followers. Rather, he spends him time developing disciples that his church can be built on. Peter is described as the rock, the foundation of the church, because he is committed so fully to Christ by the end of the ministry.
What Christ asks, therefore, is for us to “define the relationship”. He often preaches counting the cost of being a disciple—Jesus wants us to know what we’re getting ourselves into, but he also wants us to know the extent to which he demands devotion. In Luke 14, Jesus uses two examples, a builder and a commander, to illustrate “counting the cost.” A builder would not begin a project unless he is certain that he has the materials and money to complete it. Similarly, a commander will not go into battle unless he is confident in his ability to win. In the same way, it is important to understand the depth of commitment that Christ demands, or else you will drain yourself and be lost.
You cannot go into a relationship with Christ half-heartedly, or try to live with mixed commitments. The Bible is full of people unwilling to fully commit to Christ, those who feel that their lives are “good enough.” One such individual is the rich young ruler of Matthew 19. He approaches Jesus and asks what good deeds are necessary to live forever. This is a man who has followed the commandments and lives a “good life.” On top of that, he’s successful, and believed to be blessed by God. But Jesus tells him that in order to be saved, he must sell all of his possessions and give his money to the poor. Unable to commit to something so drastic, the man exits, sad.
Jesus says to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24). The man they encountered is one who finds his worth through his power and prosperity. The fact that he goes away sad shows that he is unable to fully follow Jesus, because of his allegiance to success.
Revelation 3:15-17
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”
Individuals such as the rich young ruler and the Pharisees Jesus often encountered are some of the “lukewarm” referred to. Those who see themselves as good, and possibly feel as though they have earned heaven because of righteous deeds they have committed. In reality, rather than being good, they are not following God’s commands at all. They have not counted the cost of following Christ.
What makes that worse than being hot or cold? To be hot is to be a true follower of Christ. On the other hand, to be cold is one whose lifestyle is clearly contrary to the goodness of God. There is no doubt that that individual is not a follower of Christ, and probably not a fan either. But to be lukewarm is to be blind. It is to be more lost than a “cold” individual because of the assumption of eternal life without the life transformation of the cross.
So what then does it look like to follow Christ? For the rich young ruler it was to give up his wealth for Jesus’s sake. For others it may be giving up relationships or stability, but that simply depends on the person.
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’
Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’
He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’
But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
Jesus said to hi, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’
Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’
Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (Luke 9:57-62).
Each individual has something holding them back, something that Christ is asking them to give up for his sake. The problem for many is that this command seems heartless, “How can I be asked to give up on people?” The problem with this is that we cannot understand God’s plan. He says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). The world’s idea of serving others is often rooted in pride, the need for public image, or the self-centered idea of earning righteousness. Christ asks us to give this up. Turn from yourself to him. Once we do that, his command is this: “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). He asks us to die to ourselves so that we can serve him, and through him selflessly serve others. It is a difficult choice to make. It is going against the world’s ideas of success and fulfillment, choosing a path contrary to what many will understand.
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Brokenness - Rev. John Collinson
When to do the will of God means that even my Christian brethren will not understand, and I remember that “neither did his brethren believe in Him(1),” and I bow my head to obey and accept the misunderstanding, this is brokenness.
When I am misrepresented or deliberately misinterpreted, and I remember that Jesus was falsely accused but He "held His peace,” and I bow my head to accept the accusation without trying to justify myself, this is brokenness.
When another is preferred before me and I am deliberately passed over, and I remember that they cried “Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas(2),” and I bow my head and accept rejection, this is brokenness.
When my plans are brushed aside and I see the work of years brought to ruins by the ambitions of others, and I remember that Jesus allowed them to "lead Him away to crucify Him(3)" and He accepted that place of failure, and I bow my head and accept the injustice without bitterness, this is brokenness.
When in order to be right with my God it is necessary to take the humbling path of confession and restitution, and I remember that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation” and “humbled Himself…unto death, even death on a cross(4),” and I bow my head and am ready to accept the shame of exposure, this is brokenness.
When others take unfair advantage of my being a Christian and treat my belongings as public property, and I remember “they stripped Him,” and “parted His garments, casting lots(5),” and I bow my head and accept “joyfully the spoiling of my goods,” for His sake, this is brokenness.
When one acts toward me in an unforgivable way, and I remember that when He was crucified Jesus prayed “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do6,” and I bow my head and accept any behavior towards me as permitted by my loving Father, this is brokenness.
When people expect the impossible of me and more than time or human strength can give, and I remember Jesus said, “This is my body which is given for you…(7),” and I repent of my self-indulgence and lack of self giving for others, this is brokenness.
When I am misrepresented or deliberately misinterpreted, and I remember that Jesus was falsely accused but He "held His peace,” and I bow my head to accept the accusation without trying to justify myself, this is brokenness.
When another is preferred before me and I am deliberately passed over, and I remember that they cried “Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas(2),” and I bow my head and accept rejection, this is brokenness.
When my plans are brushed aside and I see the work of years brought to ruins by the ambitions of others, and I remember that Jesus allowed them to "lead Him away to crucify Him(3)" and He accepted that place of failure, and I bow my head and accept the injustice without bitterness, this is brokenness.
When in order to be right with my God it is necessary to take the humbling path of confession and restitution, and I remember that Jesus “made Himself of no reputation” and “humbled Himself…unto death, even death on a cross(4),” and I bow my head and am ready to accept the shame of exposure, this is brokenness.
When others take unfair advantage of my being a Christian and treat my belongings as public property, and I remember “they stripped Him,” and “parted His garments, casting lots(5),” and I bow my head and accept “joyfully the spoiling of my goods,” for His sake, this is brokenness.
When one acts toward me in an unforgivable way, and I remember that when He was crucified Jesus prayed “Father forgive them; for they know not what they do6,” and I bow my head and accept any behavior towards me as permitted by my loving Father, this is brokenness.
When people expect the impossible of me and more than time or human strength can give, and I remember Jesus said, “This is my body which is given for you…(7),” and I repent of my self-indulgence and lack of self giving for others, this is brokenness.
(1) John 7:5
(2) Luke 23:18
(3) Matthew 27:31
(4) Philippians 2:7-8
(5) Matthew 27:28,35
(6) Luke 23:34
(7) Luke 22:19
Monday, January 30, 2012
Strong Challenge: Serve
Service is something that I have grown up around. My parents have become active in their own ministries, and they have supported mine. Service has become a large commitment for me, but one that I am glad to make. It’s also something that Christ pushes a lot in the gospel.
Jesus is well known for his miracles and teaching. Almost everyone will admit that he was a good man, at the very least. He lived a life in service to others. Most of his miracles were healings, and much of his time was spent with people who were hurting emotionally or spiritually. He never held anything of himself back, never shirked from an opportunity to bless people, and always loved those he served in a way none can match.
The craziest part being that Jesus is the Christ. He is God Incarnate—”The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth,” (John 1:14). Jesus is the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and yet he came to serve the lowest. Us. He came to wash us clean of the stains that we cannot be rid of by ourselves. In one of his greatest acts of symbolism and service, Jesus disrobes and hand washes the feet of his disciples. This task was generally given to the lowest of servants; foot washing was the most disgusting chore anyone could have. It shocked all twelve and gave Jesus the opportunity to challenge them: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you,” (John 13:14-15).
That isn’t the end, however. Service isn’t a standalone, do this and you’ll be happy and successful deal. Christ’s most amazing act of love and selflessness—his death on the cross—is the reason for our service. “We love because he first loved us,” (1 John 4:19). His perfect, sinless blood, shed on the cross, gives us hope for a future of eternal life with Him! And his resurrection assures us of its completion. We are called to serve because of how completely Christ gave himself to serve us. Not out of duty—Jesus has done all of the work—but because it’s through service that we grow ever closer to him. Our individual acts of submitting to Christ are what allow us to be perfected into His image. That is how we accept fulfillment: oneness with the Holy Spirit. And “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,” (Galatians 5:22-23).
That is why I serve now. I have experienced and continue to live in Christ’s eternal love for me. Out of the joy of my transformation I seek to serve God in the way he has demonstrated! To demonstrate the love of Christ and share the incredible news of his conquest over death is the greatest commission in the world. And while I often find myself insufficient—too weak to give myself to others—Christ pours himself into me. My service bring me closer to him, and in every weakness I am made strong in Christ.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Strong Challenge: Train
I found this week very difficult. These challenges force you to break apart your day and examine what you really spend your time on. My days are so busy, so full of activity and noise that I had a lot of trouble disconnecting or finding quiet. I learned just how important to me my routine really is--I have things that I believe I need to do, and deciding not to do them because I need to slow down and remember my Lord was a lot of effort.
The challenges taught me that I am a very negative person. I'm sarcastic and judgmental, which I already knew, but I also have trouble "turning that off" and being loving.
Through this, however, I have learned that changing my routine and making time for disciplines causes me to think about my faith in a more intentional way. Above all, God demands wholehearted followers--going halfway just hurts me. If God is my all then why should I spend my time on anything less important?
Disconnecting with life allows me to remember who I am. I am a creature being made perfect in Christ. I'm imperfect but I strive for perfection following the only model available. Jesus did many things that the people at the time thought were ridiculous, but everything he did was intentional. In everything he was connected with his father.
That's what this is all about, after all. I am called into relationship with my heavenly father. There's nothing else for me. I have no fight of my own--it was won on the cross. I don't need to change who I am to draw near to God, He will do that for me as I grow closer to Him.
It's the gospel in a nutshell...
((this post took a long time to write, evidently))
The challenges taught me that I am a very negative person. I'm sarcastic and judgmental, which I already knew, but I also have trouble "turning that off" and being loving.
Through this, however, I have learned that changing my routine and making time for disciplines causes me to think about my faith in a more intentional way. Above all, God demands wholehearted followers--going halfway just hurts me. If God is my all then why should I spend my time on anything less important?
Disconnecting with life allows me to remember who I am. I am a creature being made perfect in Christ. I'm imperfect but I strive for perfection following the only model available. Jesus did many things that the people at the time thought were ridiculous, but everything he did was intentional. In everything he was connected with his father.
That's what this is all about, after all. I am called into relationship with my heavenly father. There's nothing else for me. I have no fight of my own--it was won on the cross. I don't need to change who I am to draw near to God, He will do that for me as I grow closer to Him.
It's the gospel in a nutshell...
((this post took a long time to write, evidently))
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Strong Challenge: Study
One thing I noticed about myself while completing this challenge is that, while I have a pretty good knowledge of what is in the Bible, I'm lacking a lot of the concepts from the old testament. For most of my life I've read the same few books; mostly the gospels, 1 John and Genesis.
I was challenged to study more than that. In the past I've attempted to read through Proverbs and Job, which are both quite long and dry, but they're there for a reason. Proverbs is called the book of wisdom--it teaches young men how to live healthy lives, while Job chronicles the hardships that a faithful servant of God goes through. Both of these books have a great deal of significance, but the discipline necessary to read through them was lacking.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good work." Everything in this book is important. Even if it has little significance to me now, understanding God's word is crucial for sharing it. How better can I convince someone of my passion for the Gospel except through knowing and living it? How better can I come to know God, and have communion with him except through spending time in his word and letting his love envelop me?
I was challenged to study more than that. In the past I've attempted to read through Proverbs and Job, which are both quite long and dry, but they're there for a reason. Proverbs is called the book of wisdom--it teaches young men how to live healthy lives, while Job chronicles the hardships that a faithful servant of God goes through. Both of these books have a great deal of significance, but the discipline necessary to read through them was lacking.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Strong Challenge: Pray
This past week I was challenged to pray in new and creative ways. Prayer is something that I've been exposed to a lot over the years, and I've learned a great deal about what it means to pray and how God works through prayer. This past week, however, I realized that there were some fundamentals of prayer that I had been lacking.
I've had difficulty praying for others, and often I have little faith that God will actually provide. What I'm realizing is that God strongly desires to bless us--he hates to see how his beloved creatures are struggling and dying because of the world they live in, but often God doesn't act because his actions would go unnoticed or taken for granted. That's where prayer comes in. When we pray we're not so much telling God where the problems are--he already knows that stuff--we're telling ourselves where the problems are and admitting that it's out of our control. Once we are aware of this and begin to have faith that God can help, he does.
In the story of Lazarus, Jesus is told about one of his friends who is very sick and dying. He has the power to heal him at any time, but he waits: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days," (John 11:5-6).
One of the challenges I had was to "Pray for three friends." I had been talking to one of the three just before, and felt God calling me to pray for him. As I was doing so, I heard God telling me that he was going to do crazy things with his life. This kid's life isn't easy, but he has enormous potential if he relies on God. I truly believe that he will make a big impact on his school or family or something, and God's just been waiting for a group of people backing him who will be blessed to see the power God has and the strength he is going to give my friend. Same goes for Lazarus. Jesus could have healed him immediately, he could have prevented Lazarus from becoming sick in the first place, but he let him die because he wanted to show the disciples the power that he possessed, so that they would believe.
"After he said this, he went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.'
His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.'"
God has big plans that transcend our perceptions of the world and our understanding of what's best. He knows where the need is, even when we don't, and often the need is in us even when we think that others are hurting more. Prayer is one of the great ways that God blesses his followers be affirming their belief and demonstrating his love and power.
I've had difficulty praying for others, and often I have little faith that God will actually provide. What I'm realizing is that God strongly desires to bless us--he hates to see how his beloved creatures are struggling and dying because of the world they live in, but often God doesn't act because his actions would go unnoticed or taken for granted. That's where prayer comes in. When we pray we're not so much telling God where the problems are--he already knows that stuff--we're telling ourselves where the problems are and admitting that it's out of our control. Once we are aware of this and begin to have faith that God can help, he does.
In the story of Lazarus, Jesus is told about one of his friends who is very sick and dying. He has the power to heal him at any time, but he waits: "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days," (John 11:5-6).
One of the challenges I had was to "Pray for three friends." I had been talking to one of the three just before, and felt God calling me to pray for him. As I was doing so, I heard God telling me that he was going to do crazy things with his life. This kid's life isn't easy, but he has enormous potential if he relies on God. I truly believe that he will make a big impact on his school or family or something, and God's just been waiting for a group of people backing him who will be blessed to see the power God has and the strength he is going to give my friend. Same goes for Lazarus. Jesus could have healed him immediately, he could have prevented Lazarus from becoming sick in the first place, but he let him die because he wanted to show the disciples the power that he possessed, so that they would believe.
"After he said this, he went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.'
His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.'"
God has big plans that transcend our perceptions of the world and our understanding of what's best. He knows where the need is, even when we don't, and often the need is in us even when we think that others are hurting more. Prayer is one of the great ways that God blesses his followers be affirming their belief and demonstrating his love and power.
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