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December 31, 2006
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Relationships
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Pastor Brian Shimer
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"Radical Discipleship"
Luke 9: 23-24
- This year as we have looked at this theme of discipleship, we have identified how much that "discipleship" must effect all of life. It is based upon who Jesus is, certainly, as Peter said, the "Christ, the Son of the Living God," but affects how we live our daily lives as we follow Jesus.
We have seen clearly, that we are not called to be people who just give God a nod with our heads, who have correct theology about Jesus, but who make no change of direction in our lives because of Jesus.
No, discipleship is to follow Jesus. Discipleship is a change of directions, a hatred for the sin that was in our lives and an embracing of Jesus fully. Christians and non Christians demonstrate to some extent their understanding that this is what is expected of Christians when they are angered by the sins of pastors who have been preaching righteousness while walking in sexual sin.
Many say, "that is wrong" for something in us knows that to be preaching the message of the Gospel is to be choosing to follow Jesus hopefully in a radical and a committed way.
Yet, the duplicity exposed in such sin-stories is not unique. For many in the Christian church live double lives. Why else would hotel chains look forward to Christian youth pastor conferences for the revenue raked in on the pay-per-view pornography TV stations?
Many claim a faith in Jesus. They claim that they believe in what He has accomplished for them. They say the creeds, sing the songs, and pray the prayers, but for many, their actions in church on Sunday make little impact upon how they live their Mondays and Tuesdays and Wednesdays on into the week.
If we have looked at anything this year, it is at this fact that when Jesus says, "Follow Me" He is not just speaking about our heads but speaking to our whole lives. It is His command to turn our lives from "our" way to His, from our desires to His desires, from our agendas to His agendas.
- The word radical then takes on the connotative meaning of "far out," "extreme" or even "fanatical" - for it is fanatical to actually do what Jesus commands us to do, to love our enemies, share our provisions and practice forgiveness. But radical discipleship means more than that even, for the word itself means "to the root" and it is in this sense that the Christian faith is radical.
"It demands thoroughgoing transformation, thoroughgoing conversion, of every realm of human endeavor in personal relations, economics, and politics, in homes, culture, and social order"
(Mere Discipleship, by Lee Camp, Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, c. '03, p. 23, ubp)
"Radical Discipleship" then is to follow Jesus in a way that impacts all of our lives - it goes to the root of who we are and is changing us from the inside out.
That is the focus of what Jesus wants for us as he lays out the requirements for discipleship in this passage of Scripture, which we looked at over a few week period of time in January 2006, but will look at briefly again today.
"If anyone would come after me," he began, by which we know that anyone can follow Jesus and they follow based upon their choice to do so, "if anyone would" - it is a matter of our will, our decisions day by day that impact our walk after Jesus.
He then continues, as it states in the NIV, "he must deny himself" or deny his selfish ambitions. By this Jesus does not mean for you and I to deny our ability to think, our personalities, our feelings, our value as individuals, or necessarily things in our lives, although Jesus may ask you to break off from any one of these. But, more fully it is to deny following that part of myself and yourself that wants to be god; that wants to rule above God. Foremost it is the need to say NO to "Lord Brian" in order to say YES to Lord Jesus.
When Peter denied the Lord, he denied ever having known Jesus, so for me to deny myself is to treat my selfish desires as if I do not know them.
Then Jesus says to "take up your cross daily". Not just "once" but "daily" am I to shoulder "my cross". Now lots of people have said over the years this or that chronic illness or pain was "just their cross to bear" as if a bit of pride could be mixed up with this shouldering of the cross. But an illness or pain, even a chronic illness, is not what Jesus means here by the "cross".
For Jesus and for people in that culture, the cross meant certain death. If anyone was dragging the cross beam of a cross through the streets, it meant they could not escape from death.
So for me and for you to "take up that cross" first means death. It means we have faced our death - we have recognized that Jesus literally died our death for us so that we need not fear death. Death has no power over us for we have already "died and been raised with Jesus". Shoulder the reality that death has been faced. What if I lived each day as if I had already died? Then, nothing can steal life from me.
However, there is more to the shouldering of the cross, for when Jesus took it he did so in obedience to his Father's will. So, to take up my cross is a willing obedience to God's will in the day. By "shouldering that cross" I am saying, "Father, I will obey you in this day".
- So, to backtrack for a moment, first, discipleship is a decision to turn from my way to God's - it is a decisive NO to lord-me. Say that with me: "Say NO to Lord-Me"
Second, discipleship is a decision to accept my mortality and the will of my Heavenly Father, so it is a decisive YES to God. Say that with me: "I say YES, Lord!"
Finally Jesus says to "follow Him". My life is not about what I believe in my head, but what I choose to do with that as I live my life in this body. How do I treat the people I live with and those I call my friends, and those I call my enemies? That is my discipleship.
What do I say to people I meet along the way in life? How do I treat people who do not know Jesus? Who am I when no one is watching? What do I think about? What do I ponder? What do I focus upon? What do I entertain in my head? What do I do with my body? All this is to "follow Jesus".
What could I stop doing now that is filling my schedule but not following the Lord? Now, your ministries in the office are probably not what you need to stop.
How many of the things that keep you busy do you keep doing because you find identity in them instead of finding worth and identity in Jesus? Do you need to let them go in order to draw near to Jesus?
How thoroughgoing is that transformation in your life? As we have come through this year focusing upon "discipleship" how has God deepened your walk with Him this year?
I ask that not to bring you to shame or guilt at what has not happened, but to ask you to become aware of what God has been up to. For, our walks with Jesus are very much walks of growing up into Him. We have not arrived, and shall always be learners on the way with Him. Indeed, much of our lives is about the Holy Spirit prodding us to "throw overboard" patterns, thoughts, things in our lives that hinder our discipleship as much as they are about adding new patterns to our lives.
What has God helped you realize this year you needed to remove from your life?
What have you given away?
What have you stopped doing that has changed your life?
- Radical Discipleship is what we are called to - a walk that is about the core of our beings set loose into the fullness of God's grace. It is every aspect of my life and yours coming under the Lordship of Jesus so that we do "walk as Jesus walked" as the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:6.
Now, the word "discipleship" which has been the word for 2006 is really our focus all the time. It is the main calling of us as an expression of God's church in Banks. It is what our mission as a local congregation says. Read it with me, if you would on the inside cover of your bulletins.
"As a loving family with a loving Heavenly Father, we aim to bring everyone home to Jesus and to make of them disciples."
So, no matter the "word for the year" it will always be an aspect of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. We want our mouths, our hands, our feet, our ears, our eyes, our hearts, our minds, and our very breath to be used to serve God day by day.
But today we have come to the end of the year, the last Sunday of 2006 before we step into 2007.
As we gather I want us to take these moments to identify something God has accomplished in this year together.
The quote in the bulletin says for us to look for expressions of God's goodness in our lives over the year, those undeserved "goodnesses of God" that we have seen in our lives.
As you look back over your walk with Jesus, what have you seen Him do that is part of an expression of just how good God is to you? What one example can you find?
How have you grown as a disciple during this year? Name one area that you can see.
Now, take a moment and tell a neighbor about something you have seen and experienced of God's goodness to you, toward you or a work in you in 2006.
Now we are taking a step into the new year 2007. Some of you never thought you would live to see this year, I am one of those, but here we are together because of the goodness of the Lord. What are you anticipating God to do in this year? What commitment to God would you like to make in this year?
You can anticipate great things, remember, for God's past track record is great!
Share with the whole.
Pray.
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