Over the past 2 weeks I have been reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's life by Eric Metaxas. It is an excellent read and I highly recommend it. It has brought me back to one of my favorite books written by Bonhoeffer called "The Cost of Discipleship", a challenging book on the reality of the complete and fundamental change within the man when he/she enters into this process of discipleship. Another book I highly recommend. In contemplating these things and losing myself in my discipleship to Christ, I realized that this month, the first of 2013, marks an interesting point in my ministry to the young adults I minister to. It's been 6-7 months since we all came together and life is more real and raw than any of us ever anticipated. It's like we jumped on Satan's nerve in unison as we have come together, all of us imperfect people at different places in our discipleship to Jesus. We are increasingly learning the the "cost" of discipleship is gloriously hard, and harmoniously beautiful at the same time.
Over the next several weeks, I am going to blog about different aspects of the cost of discipleship. Each week is designed for us to consider what we actually committed to when we entered into a relationship to Jesus. Our western culture has badly marred the reality of this decision in such an unrecognizable way. Where I come from, pastor's and youth workers describe discipleship as a relationship of mentor and pupil. We have made the fatal mistake of eliminating Jesus as the one we walk with in discipleship, and make him some sort of end goal. My soul has slowly been embattled against such atrocities around me. A famous pastor, Rob Bell, tries to desperately bring meaning to discipleship by correlating it to the first century rabbinical training of Jesus contemporaries. He eloquently convinces his audience, however, utterly fails to correctly describe discipleship.
As I run into old friends, acquaintances and family at Starbucks, I get a chance to observe from a distance how they conduct themselves. As a pastor, I take great joy in seeing these people grow closer to Jesus, and experience brutal disappointment when they are walking further away from Jesus. All of this is involved in our process of discipleship to Jesus. As I have asked before, as we begin this adventure in understanding our walk with Jesus, the Master, consider Matthew 8:18-22. Two guys who have different excuses for when and why they want to follow Jesus. A young scribe wants notoriety and a youthful disciple wants to fulfill cultural obligations and go bury his father. Both are shockingly disappointed when Jesus gives them no excuses for dropping everything to follow him. The scribe won't find anything but a difficult and challenging process of discipleship, that will fulfill and bring more joy than any popularity or social power could ever bring. The young disciple must understand that in order to follow Jesus, even family obligation takes a back seat, whether or not he is shunned and scorned for it. But a true family is waiting if he so chooses to embrace the call of the Master.
Discipleship is not an attractive interactive experience that is easy. In fact it is difficult, straining, and a lot of times unattractive. I have had to battle those closest to me because of the overwhelming truth that this process is first, over any comfort, over any relational dynamic, even over my physical family. Jesus does not mean, when he says "if anyone comes to me and does not hate is father and mother, wife and children, yes even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." that our love for him out weigh our love for all others. This is meant to be an extreme statement, compelling his followers to priorities his following over anything in this world. We are reoriented as a spiritual family. Unfortunately, Jesus call to true discipleship is bucked, even by those who claim to serve and follow him. I have not only battled those closest to me, but lost them as well.
As we go on this journey over the next several weeks, I ask that you allow the Word of God challenge your view of discipleship in a way that you are drawn into this very real and extremely fulfilling relationship to him, at all costs. I ask you to count the cost of discipleship, and then enter it with the Master, Jesus.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Newness
It is a NEW year and the canvas is blank in the minds and hearts of people across the world. As people usher in the new year they resolve to change something, do something, and create in order to improve on the "self". I have nothing against resolutions. In fact, I have had resolutions, and most notably I have made them as a believer. I can remember time and time again promising both my brothers and sisters in Christ and God that I would do something to become a "better" disciple in the new year. I have promised things like, "I'm gonna share my faith more!" or "I am going to spend time in the word every single day". Sadly, These resolutions miss the fundamental truth about Grace which undoubtedly transforms us.
I had the opportunity last night to celebrate the New Year with my beautiful wife and our Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship young adults. We brought in the New Year with shots of sparkling cider, worshipped God together, and had a genuilnely great time. I did not prepare an inspiring sermon for the night or some emotional monologue about how we need to change in the new year. I simply told them, "Continue to live for Jesus" "Continue to live a gospel-centered life". In fact in the middle of worship, I interuppted because the TV that was on caught my eye. Famous musicians were entertaining the world and it looked like they were having a great time in NY. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite musician. But for some reason it brought me to 1 Corinthians 1. Paul describes the cross as foolishness to men. He makes the wisdom of man foolish and uses what they considered foolish (the cross) to be the means of salvation. Ushering in the New Year for these young people means ushering in a more focused mindset on Grace, God's transforming grace in our lives.
You see, we have been made new. When I think of this New Year, I don't think of the possibility of how I can change for the better. I don't think about my moral standing before God and wonder how I can get closer to him. Relfect with me on Romans 6:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11 ESV)
Paul is describing here how being saved by grace through faith does give us license to continue to sin. In fact, many of Paul's enemies were Jews who believed this idea of grace devalued living in obedience. But here in this passage Paul so elequently explains that true grace brings true transformation and newness. Our old self was enslaved to sin and entering into a discipleship relationship to Jesus brings us a newness of life that frees us from that enslavement. In fact this change goes further than freedom. Our new life that is dead to sin and alive to God is commanded to live it to God not to that old dead self.
What a promise that God does it all. It was Christ who died. It was the Father that raised him from the dead. And it is God who changes and transforms us. Man what a relief because I utterly fail, each day, when I try to hijack and take control of my transformation. God has conquered sin and death in order to give us an avenue to daily commune with HIM in the realm of the truly living.
So in this new year, I encourage you to not try and change yourself. You can't. You might find temporary success and change from a resolution. But long lasting change that matters only comes by surrendering to God, continueing to identify with Christ and allowing this transformation of our newness to take root and make change deep, deep in our souls. I pray that God refines and transforms us this year, but I hope that our change comes from the death-conquering Lord of all, Jesus. Live for Christ today, live in Christ today, and allow Christ to overflow out of you today. Let's start with today.
I love you guys and happy new year!!!
I had the opportunity last night to celebrate the New Year with my beautiful wife and our Temecula Hills Christian Fellowship young adults. We brought in the New Year with shots of sparkling cider, worshipped God together, and had a genuilnely great time. I did not prepare an inspiring sermon for the night or some emotional monologue about how we need to change in the new year. I simply told them, "Continue to live for Jesus" "Continue to live a gospel-centered life". In fact in the middle of worship, I interuppted because the TV that was on caught my eye. Famous musicians were entertaining the world and it looked like they were having a great time in NY. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying your favorite musician. But for some reason it brought me to 1 Corinthians 1. Paul describes the cross as foolishness to men. He makes the wisdom of man foolish and uses what they considered foolish (the cross) to be the means of salvation. Ushering in the New Year for these young people means ushering in a more focused mindset on Grace, God's transforming grace in our lives.
You see, we have been made new. When I think of this New Year, I don't think of the possibility of how I can change for the better. I don't think about my moral standing before God and wonder how I can get closer to him. Relfect with me on Romans 6:
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:1-11 ESV)
Paul is describing here how being saved by grace through faith does give us license to continue to sin. In fact, many of Paul's enemies were Jews who believed this idea of grace devalued living in obedience. But here in this passage Paul so elequently explains that true grace brings true transformation and newness. Our old self was enslaved to sin and entering into a discipleship relationship to Jesus brings us a newness of life that frees us from that enslavement. In fact this change goes further than freedom. Our new life that is dead to sin and alive to God is commanded to live it to God not to that old dead self.
What a promise that God does it all. It was Christ who died. It was the Father that raised him from the dead. And it is God who changes and transforms us. Man what a relief because I utterly fail, each day, when I try to hijack and take control of my transformation. God has conquered sin and death in order to give us an avenue to daily commune with HIM in the realm of the truly living.
So in this new year, I encourage you to not try and change yourself. You can't. You might find temporary success and change from a resolution. But long lasting change that matters only comes by surrendering to God, continueing to identify with Christ and allowing this transformation of our newness to take root and make change deep, deep in our souls. I pray that God refines and transforms us this year, but I hope that our change comes from the death-conquering Lord of all, Jesus. Live for Christ today, live in Christ today, and allow Christ to overflow out of you today. Let's start with today.
I love you guys and happy new year!!!
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