ECIPLESHIP for Passionate Christ-Followers

Living primarily for ourselves and our self-made puny dreams relegate our ability to persevere to wimpy wisps of air in the hurricanes of life.

Harvest season was always intense on the farm. All of the crops needed to be brought in before the Minnesota winter set in. On one particular day, while emptying wagon-loads of feed into the silo, I ripped my knee wide open on a rusty protruding nail on a fence post. The nail actually flipped me completely over as I was running by. But I was on a mission! There was no time to worry about an open knee (a three-inch gash that allowed me to see the inner workings of my knee joint). I needed to get the wagon empty and get back to the field where my Dad would be waiting. A little pain could not stop me from doing what needed to be done.

Do you get the picture? I think we Christ-followers are often on a theoretical mission that has failed to grip our soul and infuse our passions. We do what good Christians do, but fail to be unrelenting in our pursuit of God-things. As a result, trials come and overwhelm us, derail us, and render us useless for the Kingdom.

Here’s the truth of the matter: When we passionately engaged in what Jesus told us to do, the trials of life are never our primary focus, but rather, opportunities for God to morph us even more into the image of Christ.

All of the heroes of faith, honored in Hebrews 11, staked their lives on the word and character of God, no matter what the results of their faith acts might be. And not every faithful person was rewarded with a storybook ending. Listen to verses 35b – 38:

“But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. ³⁶ Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. ³⁷ Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,^[d] and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. ³⁸ They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.”

Key phrase in there: “They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection.” Yep! That’s right! Because an awful lot of them bit the dust placing their faith in God. They believed that whether they lived or died, as long as they followed hard after God, they would also be safe, whether in life or death. The three young mavericks in Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said it so well when facing certain death by fire. Refusing to worship the king’s gold idol in a foreign land, the godly rebels declared, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Biblical faith is only faith when it presses through fear. The fear of failure, fear that God’s way won’t be as good as yours, fear that something tragic will happen, fear that God won’t come through like He says He will, fear that God won’t provide, fear of pain,  fear of what others think…. Our fears are endless! Authentic faith is what enables us to overcome fear.

Fear paralyzes us from significantly following after God. Fear is the number one thing that keeps us from being and becoming everything that God has in mind for you. We have a nation filled with Christians who are living an acceptable lifestyle, according to the church’s standards today. We measure our Christianity according to the expectations of our Christian culture and fellow believer-friends. Many of us measure up quite well.

How does God see you? Are you living a lifestyle of risk-taking faith? Are you crazy for God?

Would others say you are?

Christ followers have a Hall of Faith! Similar to the Hall of Fame for football in Canton, Ohio, or the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, the Christians’ Hall of Faith is located in Hebrews 11. Residing there is an amazing assortment of unique and high-achieving individuals. All of them have exhibited a degree of startling and rare faith. Beginning with Abel, the son of Adam and Eve, to Zechariah the prophet, we are reminded of heroes to admire from A to Z! And we can learn from them too.

The common element of faith demonstrated by all in The Hall is that they were crazy! Really. At least they were from our human perception.

• Imagine being in the heat of battle so much so that you get rid of 30,000 soldiers in order to fight with only 300! And you do that with only a few clay pots, some ram horns and ancient torches! And then you win! Meet Gideon.
• Consider a prostitute in Jericho, a city about to be annihilated by the Jews crossing the Jordon River into their Promised Land. Rather than living out her days in hopelessness and despair, she heard of the God of Israel that performed the impossible on behalf of His people. She simply believed, even though her life was twisted, ugly, and godless. Her unlikely faith and life-saving actions on behalf of Israel’s spies secured her place in The Hall. She even became an ancestor of Jesus! Meet Rahab.
• Daniel (one of the prophets alluded to in verse 32) shut the mouths of lions!…and also of a few pagan enemies of God too. Even though Daniel was a man of eighty years old at the time (ancient for sure in those days of old), he was arrested for praying to the God of Israel. He didn’t wane in His devotion for God, nor shrink in the face of certain death. He totally entrusted His life into the hands of Yahweh who he knew so well. (He had spent lots of time talking with Him.) By faith, He never stopped being on task for God, entrusting Him to take care of all the details…even when he was dropped into a pit of blood thirsty ravaging lions. The beasts enjoyed a Persian meal the next morning after Daniel was surprisingly protected.

Fairly crazy people, don’t you think?

Every person in the Hall of Faith pushed through their fear. I’m sure they were often terrified to the core, but they refused to let fear win the day, even when their actions seemed ludicrous. They staked their lives on the word and character of God, no matter what the results of their faith acts might be.

Our Edinbrook leadership team met last night. I was reminded again of what godly and committed people we have leading our church. I left with a new gratitude for their partnership, encouragement, and critical help in getting where God wants us to go.

Where does God want us to go as a church?

We need to get from “here” to “there”. That’s what leadership is all about. “There” is the preferable future that God has planned for Edinbrook Church.  The movement into our place of vision is difficult, painful, challenging, but also invigorating, life-giving, and hopefilled.

“Here” is where we are now…maybe. In fact, as we discussed our current status as a church, we decided we’re not “here” nor “there”! We’re in the land between. This, of course, is a difficult place to be. It is an experience riddled with uncertainty, confusion, misunderstandings, personal opinions, grumblings, and leadership meltdowns. The land between is also where we throw out our easy and theoretical Christianity and truly learn to trust God.

The question was asked, “Do we ever get there?” Great question! It seems that once we get there, God often gives us time to gain our equilibrium and then…He calls us to another “destination”.

So here we are — on a the journey of a lifetime as a church. We get one shot at it. Let’s do it right.

May we never settle for “here” since God wants to bring us to new places to experience new things to reach new people with the Message in order to engage thousands of others into the GREAT CAUSE.

Let’s give this journey everything we’ve got for the benefit of those who need Jesus — all for the glory of God!

I will work harder at bringing the picture of “there” into clearer focus so we can all see it better and enjoy the journey more. Let’s go!

Accepting Jesus’ invitation “to come” to Him, especially extended to all who are weary and over-burdened (Matthew 11),  means you will also be leaving something else behind.

With the invitation, Jesus clarifies that we are to come to Him. This is not an invitation to

• religion
• a theological belief system
• or a ministry endeavor.

Sure—they are all somehow a part of this quest, but the invitation is first to simply come to Jesus. We get this single truth so twisted and cluttered at times. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent” 2 Corinthians 11:3. Just as a half-truth destroyed so much in Eden, so a little twisting or cluttering of the truth wreaks havoc still. I am concerned about the overzealous student who sees so many details in theology that they miss the point of it all (it’s what happened to the religious leaders in Jesus’ day). Or the person who is convinced that in order to be a Christ-follower you need to receive Jesus PLUS not have certain habits, have correct political views, and do certain things that make you “fit in”. Or the good person who does all “the right things”, but has somehow missed the core of it all—pure unadulterated devotion to Jesus.

Coming to Jesus means that nothing else matters at this moment…not where He wants you to go, how He wants you to change, or what tasks He has in store for you to pursue. What matters is that you come to Jesus. Just come.

Jesus offers a welcomed invitation to a weary and worn audience in Matthew 11:28-30.

²⁸ Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting pretty weary at times. The fast-pace life of the 21^st century can become overwhelming. There are great benefits to technology, but it also makes “escapes” a little more difficult. The wi-fi connections, cell phones, and hip-side computers bring the work-a-day world with you wherever you go. The intrigue of a consumer-based society, the assault of a sensual sex-crazed culture, and the tantalizing array of modern pleasures can consume our attention at the expense of sinking our roots deep in the person of God. Of course, there are trials that people have faced since Eden…sinful choices made out of foolishness rather than faith, sickness and disease, broken relationships, living with the destructive choices of others, the baggage of shame, guilt, and remorse. Weariness and heavy burdens may describe our lives quite well these days. It’s a broken world we live in and it gets mighty tiring as we try to hold it all together.

So Jesus says, “Come.” The Greek word for come is deute’ and is used thirteen times in the New Testament. It is an imperative invitation, meaning, God is insisting that you accept His offer. With strong urging, he is inviting you to take what He is proposing…He knows the benefits He can deliver for you if you’ll only receive it.

This same word is used in Matthew 4:19 when “Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” The “come, follow me” is only one Greek word (made of two parts) simply meaning “follow behind me”. This invitation was given to Peter and Andrew as they were fishing on the Sea of Galilee. These simple fishermen were given an invitation to join up with Jesus and become immersed in a much greater cause than catching fish. They would become fishers of people!

Whenever Jesus invites us to come, there is something great on the other side of that invitation. Each time Jesus used that imperative plea in scripture, He backed it with a promise and a plan that was stunning. Peter and Andrew became spirit empowered world-changers—something they could have never imagined while casting nets, yet possible through the doorway of Jesus’ invitation. But also notice that Jesus doesn’t offer us our plan, but His.

Accepting His invitation means you will be leaving something else behind.

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” Ecclesiastes 4:9.

We were in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. My son, Shane, was thirteen years old as we trekked into the great wilderness of lakes, streams, and rugged trails. After being plagued by more mosquitoes than I’ve ever seen, wood ticks by the thousands, and a fertile black-fly hatching, we decided to get out a day early. Along with my brother and his twin boys, we mustered our resolve and decided to travel two days worth of territory in one day. The last leg was the most difficult of all. The portage was 1.5 miles…over a continental divide! I can’t even describe to you how painful this was. With a canoe on my shoulders and pain in every muscle of my body, we began the last great leg of our day’s bold excursion. And what fun! My brother, Glen, was carrying his canoe right in front of me when he suddenly went into a spasm of uncontrolled coughing. His canoe went down as he doubled over to get out whatever went down there. As my brother soon described, “a prehistoric creature the size of a hummingbird flew right down my throat!” I laughed so hard I cried. I also needed to suspend my hike for a few minutes. I made sure he was OK before we set out again to conquer the trail. Of course, the stories of suffering are almost endless. What pleasure we had in traveling together.

That’s what the wise words of Ecclesiastes means when it states the “two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed.” It may be laughing together when we would normally cry, or giving some practical help when the other needs it most, or encouraging when resolve is waning, or carrying a piece of their pain when nothing else can be done. The equation in this verse is a little like this: 1 + 1 = 3.

The equation doesn’t really make logical sense, but it is true in the realm of relationships. There is a richness and pleasure in sharing experiences together, good and bad, that enhance the quality of life to a much greater degree. We tap into a completely different dimension of life when it is shared with others.

When my wife Susan and I lived in central Minnesota, we served a country church where the compensation was small and the benefits lean. We loved these people, but often served with little encouragement and a steady dose of critique. That’s why it meant so much to us when one day a couple from the congregation came to our house and said, “You need a suit. We want to take you to town and you can pick out any suit you want…on us!” We were blown away. I will never forget that day because we suddenly had someone who was on the mountain with us.” Even though they didn’t say it outright, Susan and I both knew it was their way of saying, “We love you guys and we’ll do anything to help you succeed.” They are very special friends to this day because of the partnership in ministry we develop with them years ago. There is certainly pleasure in sharing life together.

This morning I read about Uzziah, King of Judah. It says in 2Chronicles 26:5 that “Uzziah sought God during the days of Zechariah, who taught him to fear God. And as long as the king sought guidance from the Lord, God gave him success.” And much success he had, by the way. He was king for 52 years — most of that consisted of honoring God and leading well.

Things changed toward the end of his life, however. In verse 16 we read, “But when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall. He sinned against the Lord his God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord’s Temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar.” His sin subjected Him to God’s discipline. He was stricken with leprosy right on the spot and lived outside of the city for the rest of his life.

Here are a few random thoughts related to Uzziah:

• A godly priest was a critical part of his holy living. We will never succeed without godly people pouring themselves into us.
• Fearing God was central to his holiness. God was not overly friendly to Uzziah. He was, however, powerful, strong, righteous, and just. Tremendous respect for the nature of God enabled Uzziah to live rightly for most of his life
• Uzziah was successful as long as he “sought guidance” from the Lord. He was dependent, therefore, humble in this sobering task of leading a nation.
• Success and power planted the seeds of pride and independence leading to his downfall. Evidently, Uzziah forgot how dependent he needed to be upon God. He presumed that he was invincible to failure, even in his relations with a holy God.
• No matter how much good you have done, sin is still sin. God will deal with it.
• Uzziah failed to finish well due to the pride that infiltrated his soul. He forgot to seek the Lord, humble himself daily, and depend on God’s wisdom rather than his own.

So – fear God, humbly seek His guidance today, and persevere in God’s ways to the very end.

2 Timothy 2:3, 8-10:

Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. …8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, 9 for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10 For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.

A soldier suffers for a bigger cause. And suffering is part of the equation when you’re a soldier.

My son, Erik, is a member of the Army National Guard. He recently attended an advanced man-to-man combat training program where he earned a Marshall Arts degree. I have come to admire him so much for his willingness to suffer simply because he’s a soldier. In this week of advanced training, he tells of being pulverized by guys nearly a hundred pounds more than him. Out of twenty six soldiers, only twenty graduated. The others came home with broken body parts and torn tendons. The assaults were brutal, but with determination to persevere, he finished the course. Why? Because he’s a soldier and soldiers do this stuff.

Scripture tells us to “suffer as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Be tough! Be strong! Persevere! This is what soldiers do…and they do it for a higher purpose. They always need to be ready for battle so that their side wins.

By the way, soldiers never fight alone. They train together, fight together, and suffer together.

The Apostle Paul, who penned the above Bible passage, then tells us how he has applied this to his life. Do you see it? “I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

This Christ warrior is so gripped with his purpose in life that suffering makes sense! Most of us don’t have such a good handle on this aspect of life. We often live for ourselves and our personal pursuits rather than for the purposes of God. His transcendent purposes are more compelling and life-giving than anything we can ever manufacture.

When you have been gripped with the higher purposes of God for your life, suffering begins to make sense. It’s not about you…not even in hardship.

Perseverance is succeeding because you’re determined to, not because you’re entitled to. Achievers don’t sit back and wait for success because they think the world ‘owes them’. No, if you’re wise you’ll ask God for direction, stand firm on the word He has given you, go forward and refuse to quit. You must adopt the attitude of the man who said, “We are determined to win. We’ll fight them until hell freezes over, and if we have to, we’ll fight them on ice.” Recalling the trials he’d faced, Paul said: “I started, and I’m going to finish. I’ve worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death’s door… And that’s not the half of it” (2 Corinthians 11:23-28 TM). The Word for Today, by Bob Gass, January 1, 2009 (www.thevine.co.nz)

One word describes Paul – relentless. He was relentless to persevere for something bigger than himself. To persevere, as I am addressing it here, is not just about surviving, but thriving for a greater good. Persevering does not simply mean we keep our heart beating, our thoughts sane, and our heads held high no matter what may come. To persevere means that when we get on the other side of an ordeal, we are better for it, that God’s plan has been accomplished, and that God’s glory has been revealed.

To persevere, we need more than outstanding determination and good information. We need others to help us along. Even though this notion is not popular among many today, it is absolutely true. Our American culture has reinforced the idea that individualism is better than community. We have adopted a dangerous ideology that has convinced us that life is better and easier when it is uncluttered from watchful eyes and caring accountability. We convince ourselves that we can handle life alone better than depending on others. Of course, when we’ve adopted this mentality, we don’t have to deal with our failures, shame, weaknesses, and sin so much. We can pretend that all is well even while our inner world is crumbling in solitude.

Don’t ever climb a mountain in that condition. Don’t ever climb a mountain alone. Never-the-less, those mountainous challenges are a fact of life. We will need to face them. The question is not if it is even possible to conquer them alone. Why try?

Base camp is an essential element in conquering any of the world’s most challenging peaks. Everest’s base camp, for example, stands at over 17,000 feet! This is where teams gather to get acclimated to the high altitude (they stay there for three weeks before ascending the peak), form relationships with their climbing partners, learn from their guides, and prepare mentally for the daunting challenges ahead. The value in togetherness is never overrated in mountain climbing. Only a fool would ever attempt to ascend a mountain alone. To do this means you are asking for trouble. Most wouldn’t even survive. Base camp is essential in conquering any of the world’s most challenging peaks.

Base camp is essential in conquering life’s most challenging peaks too. Don’t go it alone. There is a much better, safer, and wiser way to persevere through life’s hardships.