Discipleship at Messiah

It is appointed for mortals to die -Hebrews 9:27

College dropout. Fired tech executive. Unsuccessful businessman. These are the words that lead into a story about the death last week of Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple computer.  I don’t know how much you know about Steve Jobs.  I knew very little until I have read and listened to reports of this death and accounts of his life.  The morning after his death I saw a clip from a speech he made some years ago to a commencement crowd.  Something he said in it has had me thinking.  He said to that graduating class, “I will soon die.”  He said that awareness made him make choices on the basis of what is most important.

Maybe it’s because it was my 71^st birthday but I’ve been thinking about what a difference that should make in all our lives.  In our youth worshipping and death denying culture not many think like that. 

I’m not sure when that speech was made.  But his appearance suggested he was already battling the cancer that would take his life.  But it really doesn’t matter.  Whether I have a terminal illness, or am 20 years old and live another 70 years, or whether I’m 71, the fact is I will soon die.  Life is short and so much which can fill our days doesn’t really matter all that much.

            As believers who are followers of Jesus we should have a clearer picture of what matters than most.  Right matters.  Success means very little.  People matter.  Possessions are worth little.  Most of all God matters.  Everything else is nothing.  To know and love God,  love people and live right are the things which should drive my life.

 Jesus put it this way:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'” –Luke 10:27

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They would not confess their faith…; 43  for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.   -John 12:42b, 43

Here in these few words we have the ultimate obstacle to following Jesus.  It is to love something, anything more than God.  And the ultimate motivation to discipleship is “praise” i.e approval from God.

I have been a fan of the Washington Redskins as long as I can remember.  One of my all time favorite players was Hall of Fame receiver, Art Monk.  He set NFL records for most catches in a season, most consecutive games with at least one reception and career receptions.   He has been described as disliking attention, and being the quiet solid, almost remote, unapproachable.  Yet he was “a tireless worker, a team leader.  His coach, Joe Gibbs said, “He’s one of the classier guys in pro sports.”  When Monk broke the NFL record for pass catches in 1992, he talked about his motivations:

“It means a lot,” Monk said quietly.  “The Lord has really blessed me…I really feel like I am an instrument of Him.  It’s for His praise and His glory.” (Oct. 14, 1992, AP story)

For His praise and His glory.  In the original language these two words are the same.  In this context it means God’s approval.

If anything else motivates you at some point that will become inadequate to keep you going!

“To love the glory of men above the glory of God is the supreme disaster.” –Leon Morris

Is your life lived to please God?  I pray it is; and mine as well.

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Jesus went back across the Jordan …and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.”  And in that place many believed in Jesus.  -John 10:40-42

We all have our dreams.    It may be as simple as growing up to have a family and a a good job and security.  Or it may be as elaborate as becoming President.

Dreams have played a great role in our history—from Chris Columbus to the pioneers who went west to find land and a future, to inventors like the Wright Brothers.  Martin Luther King gave expression to the hope of freedom for all Americans by proclaiming “I have a dream.”  We talk much of the “American Dream” (though I wonder if many of us really know what it is).

The Bible’s salvation story can be told using the concept of a dream.  God’s promise (beginning to Abraham, elaborated and renewed often in the OT) of  intervention to restore and renew his creation broken by sin became a dream for his people.  God would send a deliverer—they called him the Messiah—to bring healing and hope for the world.

Then one day a remarkable man appeared on the scene announcing that God was even then fulfilling his promise.  In fact the Messiah, the promised hope, is even now among you.

You know how big promotional campaigns work for certain events take place.  You see signs “It’s coming…” for some time before.  John was the promo for Jesus.  He called himself just a voice.  But what a remarkable job he did.  He has now been dead for 2 years and the implication of our text is that people are still seeking Jesus out because of what John said about Him.  And when they came to Jesus they found the dream had come true.

Apparently they had been thinking about what John had told them.  They had been anticipating when they could meet Jesus.  You know how anticipation of something can grow until expectations can never be met.  As they heard the stories, it would not be hard to imagine their eagerness to see Him grew.  But when they came to Him, they were not disappointed.

The dream always comes true with Jesus.  Jesus is the one who never disappoints us.  Friends, family, pastor, church may disappoint you.  Jesus never will.

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John 4:43-54  The man took Jesus at his word (v 50)

We all have our favorite Bible stories.  One Sunday School student said his favorite was “The one in which everyone loafs and fishes.”

I doubt this story would be listed as anyone’s favorite.  It is rather simple; a man has a sick son, asks for Jesus’ help and gets it.  Just one of many similar, we are inclined to think.  The simplest stories are sometimes the hardest to understand, to learn from, because the obvious may not be the point.  But the simplest story may have a very important message.  John says this is a sign—of what?

When Jesus returned to Galilee he received a very positive reception because they had seen what he did at Jerusalem.  But John tells us Jesus did not trust himself to them.

An official of the king’s court hears Jesus has come and travels from Capernaum to seek help for his sick son.  The man asked Jesus to come home with him to heal his son.  Jesus refused.  He gave him no sign but simply said, “You may go. Your son will live.”

And the text says, The man took Jesus at his word.  I do not understand how or why he believed.  But an encounter with Jesus does that to those with open hearts.  John has told us earlier that those who believed on signs, Jesus did not trust.  It was those who believed on His word.

            Napoleon was reviewing troops and lost control of his horse.  A soldier stepped from the ranks and took control.  Napoleon was pleased and said, “Much obliged to you captain.”
The soldier noticed word “captain” and responded, “Which regiment, sire?”
“Of my guards.”
The soldier left his musket and ranks, walked to the officers quarters, and, to the anger of an officer there, announced he was a captain of the guards.  The angry man asked on whose authority?
The newly commissioned officer replied simply, “HE said it, sir!”¹

On Jesus’ word we have forgiveness, but we want to FEEL forgiven.  We are promised  victory over sin, but we want a miracle.  He said it.  The foundation of  the Christian life is “What Jesus says is true!”  Someone has said, grab it with the “clutching intensity of a drowning man.”

Once again, John reminds us that how a person responds to Jesus is what counts.
Take Jesus at his word.

¹ Unknow origin.

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Happy are those [whose]…delight is in the law of the LORD… -Psalm 1:1,2

              The Peanuts comic strip has been a part of our American consciousness for longer than most of us, who can remember when it started, care to admit.  Its popularity, in large part, rests on the fact that so many people can identify with the characters, especially Charlie Brown.
            The most noticeable trait of the CB we know and love is that he does not seem to be a happy person.  Nothing ever seems to go right for him—
                        he can’t get the girl he wants(the little red-haired one)
                        his baseball team always looses
                        Lucy always gets the best of him (pulls the football back as he runs
                            up to kick it).
One day Lucy tells him, “If you stay depressed for 2 more  days you will make the book of records.”  CB’s face lights up, his eyes brighten and he says, “Wow!”  and Lucy says, “You just blew it.”  He  can’t even succeed at depression!
            Happiness is an elusive commodity for CB and so it is for vast numbers of human beings.  There are the rather obvious examples of the majority in the world who are hungry, in poverty, the homeless, the numbers living under oppression, etc.  In fact most of the people in the world would agree with CB when he says he doesn’t want to be “outrageously happy”; he just doesn’t want to be unhappy.
            In our affluent society, the American Constitution affirms the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  If I were to ask you what you wanted out of  life, most would answer, “to be happy.”  But people are hollow, restless, discontented, dissatisfied, angry and bitter.  All indicators show most people are anything but happy. 
            Would it surprise you if I told you, “Happiness is God’s promise (plan) for you”?  That you not only have a right but “a sacred commission to be happy”?  That the desire for happiness you have is given to you by God?  All of that, according to the Bible, is true.
            But I warn you—some have read that and misunderstood.  Did you hear about “the new man in town who drove around one Sunday trying to decide which church to join?  Finally, he joined the church with the most Cadillacs on the parking lot.  His reason?  “These people have a religion that works.”
            Make good grades, win every game, get that promotion, live happily ever after is what they hear the Bible promising.  These people look at the whole thing as  training puppies or children by rewarding them for good behavior.  Howard Ruppel said,  “As a kid, I missed out on such treat.  I grew up during the  Depression, and I still remember Dad telling me, “Son, we can’t afford to reward you for good behavior.  You’ll have to learn to be good for nothing.”
            Happiness is your treat if you are good.  That’s just not true and anyway, it wouldn’t work—does not guarantee happiness.  The catch is how and where you seek your happiness—how you define it.   That’s where the Bible parts company with many.  You see we are often led to believe happiness means
            -to have everything run smoothly
            -have all you want
            -be everybody’s friend.
            If you are depending on good health, no problems, having things, being well-liked, popular, etc., you are doomed to disappointment—it probably won’t happen but even if it did it still would not make you happy.
            Neither is happiness some sort of uninterrupted euphoria, or feeling, sense of contentment.  It does not mean there are never times when you might not be depressed, discouraged, hurting—you don’t feel very happy.  In fact, the Psalms show severe tests to even the happy person.
            Real happiness is more like a compass—the needle may be   temporarily spinning but always comes back to rest at North, as a spring pulled out of shape always returns or  plastic toy, air-filled, weighted at bottom;  you can knock  it over  but it always returns to upright.
            What is or how can you be happy?
            Psalm 1 reflects the Biblical view:  Biblically happiness is not dependent on what happens, what  you have—but who you are, a certain kind of person is the happy person.  Happiness is to be what God intended.
            I will not tell you that you may not find a form of happiness apart from God—but it is a poor substitute for the real thing.  In addition it is becoming more and more unlikely.
            Real happiness is to “delight” in God’s law (will, desire, affection, motive) “your heart is in it.”  “Meditate” on it—consciously bring your life into line with God’s will for you and you will be happy.      The reason is very simple. THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE YOURSELF–WHAT GOD INTENDS YOU TO BE! 

“Acres of Diamonds” is one of the most famous sermons ever recorded.  It originated as a speech which Russell Conwell, founder and 1^st president of Temple University, delivered over 6,000 times around the world.    The title comes from a story, told to Conwell by an Arab guide, about a man who wanted to find diamonds so badly that he sold his property and went off in futile search for them; the new owner of his home discovered that a rich diamond mine was located right there on the property.¹

            DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF SEARCHING ALL OVER THE WORLD!  The basic element in happiness is surrender to God through Jesus Christ—to surrender to God is  to be happy.  Matthew 25:21-“Come and share your master’s happiness.”

¹ Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Acts 9:16  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.

INTROD–  Haven’t you sometimes wondered, given the early Christians’ ignorance of marketing skills and motivational techniques, how they ever “sold” the Gospel to anybody?  Much less to sophisticated, educated, proud, movers and shakers like Saul/Paul?
            I mean listen to this story—
                                         God strikes him blind,
                                         lets him stew for 3 days,
                                         tells him some ordinary Christian(ugh)
            will tell him
                        what to do,
                                    where to go,
                                    and he will have to suffer.
            Seriously now—If we had been told discipleship meant being shown how much we must suffer, how many of us would have signed on?
            Maybe that’s exactly our problem.  We’ve signed up for discipleship under false illusions.  We’ve never been told “how much we must suffer”—ie suffering’s essential connection to discipleship.
            Paul describes those sufferings in II Cor. 11:23-33.
            There are different reasons for suffering.
            Suffering is a part of life—“Rain falls on just and unjust.”  There is no special meaning to it.  It is just part of the human condition.
            In I Peter we are told there is suffering as a result of our sins.  We can suffer as evil doers, murderers, meddlers, etc. (I Pet. 4:12-19)
            We can also suffer as a result of being Christian.  References abound to this in the Bible:
            if you   suffer as a Christian (I Pet.4:16)
            The fellowship of sharing in his suffering (Phil. 3:10)
            We share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
            (Rms. 8:17)
             In Philippians suffering is referred to as a gift (Phil. 1:29).
It may come as a result of Satan’s attacks, because we are part of the “body of Christ” (when one suffers all suffer).  It may be to make us fruitful, a pruning.  We are challenged to suffer “for the Sake of Christ,” gospel (II Tim 1:8)—a price for ministry.
            There is, in fact, no discipleship without suffering.  The New Testament is filled with promises of suffering, accounts of suffering, grace in the midst of, etc.  BUT NEVER ONCE (that I could find, I was surprised) is there any promise that God will protect Christians from it, or remove it from them in this life.  There is in fact the opposite, even a warning of trying to make a good impression to avoid it (Gal. 6:12).
            How contradictory of contemporary attitudes which seek to avoid it at any cost.  Some years ago I read an article referring to a Newsweek column.  The writer tells of euthanasia of an ailing cat and asked, ‘“Why can’t we treat fellow humans as humanely as we treat our pets?’  Henry, a mentally impaired man, violent, impossible to employ or even care for was on the streets. ‘Wouldn’t he be better off dead?  Why don’t we just kill him—gently?—she asked.’”  (“Why not Kill Henry?” Christianity Today, 4/27/92, 15)
            In the midst of our frantic attempts to avoid it, our agonizing fears of it we hear a glorious promise.  Jesus will be with us—“I will show him…”  I’ll show you, is a great assurance.  I’ll help, be with you, etc.  Jesus’ personal attention through God’s Holy Spirit transforms even suffering into God’s blessing.

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So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! -I Corinthians 13:12
Read I Cor. 9:24-10:13

Do you remember Ben Johnson? In the 1988 Olympics, Johnson and Carl Lewis were in a race billed as between the two fastest humans. Johnson won BUT failed a drug test and was disqualified.

I remember one of the early road races (10K) I ran. It was a hot, muggy, July day. Around the 5th mile, a man staggered and collapsed. He couldn’t finish the race.

We all have started things we didn’t finish for one reason or another. Some were important and some not so important.

In our lesson today, Paul is concerned with the most tragic of all uncompleted human endeavors/races/tasks—people who begin the Christian life but “fall” by the wayside—who lose the great prize.

He begins by a personal reference. Even he is not beyond this danger. He who has preached the gospel to others must be on guard, lest he be “disqualified”.  But the heart of his warning is a reminder of the history of Israel. It is the story of the people of God who started well, but did not finish, did not reach the promised land.

Biblical history shows that God’s privileged people were not safe from temptation and had no guarantee of security. It is a fatal mistake to believe that because they were recipients of God’s favor, they didn’t need to worry about ordinary human sins. In fact, it seems that is exactly the kind of assumption the people to whom Paul is writing have.

Like the wilderness in which Israel wandered for 40 years, history is strewn with the spiritual corpses of many who began a life with Christ and fell by the wayside.

The great apostle, Paul, warns that no matter how assured you may be of your present relationship to Christ, you must be vigilant.

The sober warning of this passage, however, is not the last word. In spite of the danger, you do not have to fall. If you depend on God and his grace and are obedient to him, He will provide a way of escape (v 13).

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For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -John 3:16 (NIV)

Some years ago when the United Methodist Church was preparing to celebrate its American Bi-centennial (1984), artist Andrew Wyatt was commissioned to paint a picture to reflect the Spirit of the Methodist movement.  The picture he did showed John Wesley seeing Robert Coke off to America where he would become the first Methodist bishop.  It was entitled “Offer Them Christ.”¹

            Nothing more clearly defines the mission of the church, indeed of all Christians.  Yet we often get lost in the fog of all those things—good things—music, programs, preaching, facilities, even feeding the hungry, housing the homeless and forget those things as important as they may be fall short of what they need if we don’t offer them Jesus.
            So…
            I offer  you Christ, whose coming was promised by God’s prophets for hundreds of years.

“The virgin will…give birth to a son,  and will call him Immanuel.”
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

            I offer  you Christ—whose birth to a Virgin named Mary and with  it all those wondrous events—the  angels’ announcements, the shepherds, the wise men, the mystery.
            I offer  you Christ—who grew and began to remind all who would listen of his Father in heaven’s love which had sent Him, his own son into the world.
            I offer  you Christ—who  called men and women, His people, from their sins.  By the simple act of admitting our sin, turning from   them to Jesus in surrender of our lives, He comes to live in our hearts.
            I offer you Christ, who is the comforter in all our griefs and all our sorrows.  He knows and understands because He has “been there and done that.”
            Finally, I offer you Christ who is preparing a place for you and promises that we will join Him and enjoy Him forever.
            It is truly the best offer you’ll ever get.

^{1 Photo by Bill Price}

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