Following Jesus is Impossible

Following Jesus is impossible if it is based on a humanistic idea of what following Jesus is all about.

Could God’s definition of Christianity and our definition of Christianity be different?  Absolutely!  It is unfortunate that many, who claim to follow Jesus, only have a religion based on their own performance rather that the power and sufficiency of Christ.

The entire Bible points to what it means to follow Jesus, but for the sake of brevity, lets just look at a few passages which address a few particular issues of a man-made or man-centered Christianity.   

The first step in becoming a Christian is not realizing our need to do things right or to be better, but the first step is an acknowledging that we could never do it right.  We are sinners.  Romans 3:23.

·       Sin means to miss the mark… to fall short.  Every person has fallen short of God’s expectation—which is perfection.

Second, we must embrace the fact that it is only by God’s grace that we can even see that we are sinners. Left to my own measurement, I would never admit that; I am too prideful.  John 16:7-8.

·       For humanity to have the ability to see their lives as God sees it, we need God’s help.  Through the Holy Spirit we can see clearly.

Third, The Spirit of God then makes us born again at the point of our surrender and keeps us until the day we meet the Lord face to face. John 3:5-6/ Eph. 1:13-14. 

·       Despite public opinion, we are not all children of God.  We are all created in God’s image and are worthy of respect and dignity, but only faith in Christ gives us the right to become children of God.

·       Christ also keeps us by sealing us with the Holy Spirit. Our salvation is secure in Christ. We are bought by His blood and kept by His grace.

Fourth, the Spirit of God empowers us to live a life worthy of the glory of Christ by giving us the longing and the power to overcome sin and to live in obedience to God. Phil 2:12-13.

·       God changes our desires from “me-focused” to God-focused”.  The will of the believer is increasingly less focused on sinful desires and is increasingly more focused on God’s desires.  This is only possible with the Lord’s help. 

·       God also gives us the power to do and accomplish what He desires, it’s not based on our own willpower but on His. 

Lastly, it is by God’s grace that we are able to come before a holy God in prayer. Hebrews 4:14-16.

·       Christ, through his perfect life and willing sacrifice, gives sinful humanity, the ability to come before a Holy God in prayer in times of need.  God then extends the mercy needed because of the life and sacrifice of Christ. 

None of the Christian life is possible apart from Christ Himself giving us the will and the power to achieve it.  We would do well if we would stop trying to be a “Good Christian” and start being a “Christ-centered” Christian.  Good works will never save us Ephesians 2:8-9.

Failure to believe in Christ alone for our salvation, and the ability to keep us, will only serve to condemn us. John 3:16-18.

The bible is the sole authority in our walk with God and helps us understand the gift of God’s grace. It is dangerous to look to our own understanding it what God is like or what God expects; so read the Bible and read it often.

One Indicator it Might be Time to Go.

One of the most difficult issues in leadership is timing.  God’s timing is sometimes difficult to discern, but not always.

One of the most asked questions at any pastor’s conference is “When do you know it’s time to go?” Pastors struggle with this question more than we might be willing to admit.  Although I am not struggling with this question now, I have in the past.  Here’s my story—maybe it will help you.

By God’s grace, and the grace of the congregation, I was able to serve my last church for over 14 years.  I cannot tell you how many times I struggled trying to understand when I should go. It would be easy to say when things got hard that was a sign it was time, but that is not my story.  It’s not in most cases.

I have always been a person who God graced with vision.  The Lord graced me with the ability to see just what the church needed most and how to get them on His agenda. However, vision is not all that is needed for one to lead—vision needs energy. I did not have the energy to take then to the next step.

I knew then, what that church needed was not another strategy, they needed another pastor.

No matter how good things were there, and they were good, I did not have the drive to move forward. Where I found my energy was thinking, praying, and dreaming about something new.  When I thought about a new ministry setting, I got excited. This was the “sign” God used for me to know my ministry at that church was closing and He was going to open a new door.  

One might be tempted to confuse what I am calling “energy” with what might be called an “escape”.  When we face hard seasons in serving the church, we often look for a way out.  “The grass is greener” syndrome affects us all as leaders.  I’m not talking about an escape. I am describing a God-inspired change which happens in the heart and soul of the leader.  A change that would make you discontent even when everything is going great. 

Hope this helps.

Brokenness

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Prov. 4:23 NIV

I am terrible at directions.  I can get lost in a parking lot.  I need help, usually from my wife, getting pointed in the right direction. That is not only true of driving, it can also be true of life.

Like it or not, times of pain and disappointment will come.  We will get hurt.  We will be disappointed. The issue we must consider is not when or why, we are experiencing pain but how.  How will we response to the season of brokenness?  Will we get “bitter” or “better”? 

Bitterness is a result of not allowing God to use the hurtful things of life to help us grow. Allowing God to use the times of brokenness to grow our character are results of us taking the better path.

I have been on the bitter side of brokenness.  It controlled my life.  Sleepless nights, damaged relationships, a cynical attitude… All because I took the wrong turn. Brokenness, in many ways, is like a fork in the road. One direction leads to certain destination (bitter), the other direction to yet another destination (better).

By the grace of God, I have also taken the better path.   This road, although bumpy, is a road of blessing, hope, and real joy (James 1:2-4).   What I experienced down the path to “better” would not be possible without the Lord.  He gave me the wisdom to take the better path and by His grace, I can stay on it.  Left to my own choice, I would choose the bitter road every time. Why? because of my pride. If it were up to me, “I” would be the center of my life.

The direction your life will take when dealing with the brokenness of pain and disappointment is determined by what type soil the seed of brokenness falls on.  If our hearts are prideful, we will be bitter when faced with brokenness.  If our hearts are humble, we will, by God’s grace, take the better road (James 4:6).

Guard your heart against pride.  With God’s help,  foster a heart of humility. A prideful heart seeks to honor oneself.  A humble heart seeks to honor Christ.  So, above all else, guard your heart. 

Waiting

In Psalm 40:1 we find these words, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” NIV

It’s difficult to wait.  It’s especially difficult to wait patiently.

But for those who do, the Lord will turn to them and answer (read vv.2-4).

No one likes to wait. It’s not comfortable. It’s not exciting. Waiting can be burdensome; stripping away our joy. Considering all the challenges that comes with waiting, one might wonder, “Is God in this?” or “Can God use it?” The answer, according to Romans 8:28, is YES!!!

God used “waiting” in Joseph’s Life.  He used it in the life of Jeremiah. The Lord used “waiting” to get Moses ready to lead. God will use “waiting” in your life too; that you can be sure.  But the question is “how”?

God uses waiting to strengthen many parts of our spiritual lives, but there are three areas that God seems to be particularly interests in: patience, wisdom, and thankfulness.

Patience is produced in us when we submit to God’s calendar.  Submission, hope, discipline, and trust are all powerful elements of patience. God’s timing is perfect.

Wisdom is produced by many things. Experience, reading, and observing are factors which contribute to us gaining wisdom. Waiting produces wisdom in that waiting helps us to respond rather than react.  Reacting takes little thought, it is more emotion. Wisdom has been here before.  Wisdom knows there is more to the story.  Wisdom knows the cost of acting prematurely.  Wisdom waits. 

Thankfulness is also impacting by waiting.  Being thankful is an important quality to have. First, being a thankful person makes us happy. Second, being thankful makes us a pleasure to be around. Third, being thankful adds incredible joy to our worship of God. If you approach waiting with wisdom, you will eventually get tired of thinking about the things you are waiting on and will instead focus on the things in your life that are right and good.  Hopefully, working your way through the struggle to actually be thankful for the waiting because you know that God is up to something.

What are you waiting on?  How is God using this season of waiting to bring maturity to your spiritual walk?  Take some time and reflect, God may be up to something. 

Jesus Wrote the Black Letters Too

The Red-Letter Edition Bibles have served to help us know when Jesus was speaking during His earthly ministry.  This has been to some benefit.  But the Red-Letter Editions have also caused some bad theology. These editions have made it possible to introduce division or disagreement into the Trinitarian nature of God.

Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are always in perfect unity and community, and they have, and forever will, exist together as equal.  This means, throughout the Old Testament and the New, Jesus was inspiring the human author to write the text.  If that is true, and it is, then Jesus wrote and breathed the black letters too. The whole Bible is “God-breathed”.

Here is one example I have heard most frequently.

Some see a contradiction between what Jesus said in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20, and Peters words in Acts 2:38. The issue centers on the phrase “…and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…” emphasis added, and Acts 2:38 “…be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ”; emphasis added.

How we typically handle this issue is by saying, I just rely on what Jesus said in Matthew.  This sounds good—but it is very dangerous.  It is dangerous because we have indirectly asserted that what Jesus inspired Peter to say in his sermon was wrong. 

What are some possible ways to explain the differences found in Matthew and Acts?

1. Baptism is not necessarily Christian.  Jews also practice baptism when someone converted to Judaism.  Peter was telling the crowd to look to Jesus for salvation and not the Law.

2. Some may have been baptized by John in the Jordan and now Peter is directing them to the One John was pointing to.

3. Most likely, the reason for the differences, can be found in the fact that Peter and Matthew address different scenarios. Peter was speaking to a group of Jews who already knew God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is explaining to them that Jesus is the son of God and should be included in the Trinity.  In Matthew we see a commission to reach a pagan world; people who have no idea who the God of Heaven and Earth is.  Matthew’s version is a doctrinal statement to the world at large as to Who God is and what He is like.  We cannot neglect the fact of His trinitarian nature—the fact that He is one God existing in three persons.

Hope this helps.