Tag: Bible

Commitment

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(Luke 9:51-62)

Are we really that bad at commitment, or are we just over-committed? There is a difference. Being bad at commitment simply means you don’t stick with doing what you say you’re going to do. Companies and services are well aware of our lack of commitment. Cell phone providers offer great deals in exchange for a one or two-year commitment because they know that otherwise you’ll likely jump ship and go somewhere else. 

They also offer free trials. “Try this service for free for so many days and if you don’t like it, just cancel at no charge.” Now we could presume that they are so convinced you’ll be won over by that trial period that you’ll continue paying for their service or… they have studied the statistics that support the number of people who will not follow through with their commitment to cancel before being charged for a subscription. Those people then go on months or years somehow unaware of the ongoing charge. 

We could look at marriage and divorce statistics to support our lack of commitment, too. The number of billboards for divorce lawyers would imply that business is good. And of course, fewer and fewer couples are even getting married in the first place, which also reflects an unwillingness to commit. 

Or, if it isn’t that we lack commitment, it may be that we are over-committed. Do we still fool ourselves into thinking that we can say yes to an endless list of commitments without ever giving anything up? We try to squeeze one more thing into the same 24-hour day that we’ve always had, and wonder why we end up dropping the ball here and there. Commitment is more than just saying “yes” to some event or activity; it is also saying yes to the necessary responsibilities that accompany that commitment. My kid playing the sport doesn’t just mean showing up for a game once in a while; it means multiples practices each week, perhaps weekend tournaments, coordinated pickups and drop-offs, snacks, plans for where the other kids are going to be, end of the year party, coach’s gift, etc. – and that’s just one commitment! How many of those types of commitments can we successfully pull off? And more importantly, how many of those commitments end up squeezing out the other commitments that we’ve already told ourselves are the ones that matter?

If that is where we’re at culturally, struggling so much with commitment, should we really be surprised to see a struggle with commitment in the Christian church?  

As Jesus walked with his disciples, he had three separate exchanges with individuals. Each one demonstrated a deficiency when it comes to commitment. These three individuals will serve to display three prominent struggles stifling Christian commitment today. As we look at these three “commitment killers,” listen to each. Each scenario may apply to us in different seasons of life.

Yet, while we struggle at various times and in various ways with each of these “commitment killers,” there is likely one of them that stands out among the others as the most challenging for us. Identify which one it might be for you, and you’re already on your way to allowing God to help you overcome it.

The three commitment killers can be broken down into these three struggles: “Nice vs. Sacrifice,” “Divided vs. Devoted,” and “Past vs. Present.”

Nice vs. Sacrifice captures the first individual’s struggle. “As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’  Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (v.57-58). There was certainly an appeal to following Jesus. Miracles happened. Needs were met. Lives were changed. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of something so positive? So this individual expressed his desire to join Jesus – sounded nice!

But Jesus didn’t just respond with an “OK – fall in line and let’s get after it!” No, by his response he communicated to the individual the need to count the cost of discipleship before making such a commitment. Even though foxes and birds have a place to call home, Jesus did not (v.58). And if Jesus himself did not then his disciples needed to be ready for that same type of lifestyle – one that would involve sacrifice. 

What a commitment killer! And one that has filtered out casual Christians from committed Christians for centuries! It’s a popular idea even today. Many jump into Christianity being drawn to everything that is nice about it. Belonging to a church can be a great way to find friends. It can be a nice place to hear a generally positive message or uplifting music. It might be a good place to turn when I’m in a bind and need something. Maybe it’s good for my kids. There are lots of nice things about a church.

But often the cost is not counted. When commitment means sacrifice, it loses its appeal. When we’re so overcommitted in so many other areas, Sunday morning is relegated to just one more commitment. When it church life cuts into other commitments, we don’t see it any longer as a place to eagerly serve and make a difference, but a place that demands more of my time and responsibilities. When things get messy and I am expected to forgive and reconcile instead of just forget and leave awhile, that’s more than we signed up for. Too often we just want nice without the sacrifice.

The second commitment killer is represented by the individual Jesus calls out to next. “He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God’” (v.59-60). Divided vs. Devoted. This almost sounds downright cruel – how can Jesus say no to burying his father?!? He was illustrating the difference between being Divided and Devoted. The point Jesus was stressing was that commitment to him is not a both/and, but an only. If anything is allowed to precede one’s commitment to Christ, it’s a divided commitment. That is not the kind of dedication Jesus calls us to. 

It has been shown time and again that a significant shortcoming of multi-tasking is that it results in doing multiple things poorly. Yet, rather than focusing on doing one thing well, we still try to get away with getting multiple things done at once.

We even do this when it comes to our commitment to Jesus. We want Jesus… and the priorities that my worldly friends have. We want Jesus… and the material things I can’t live without. We want Jesus… and whatever else it might be, not realizing that Jesus and anything else means a divided heart. My heart wants what it is convinced is the best of both worlds. When we keep living that lie we don’t see that our commitment to Jesus is not devoted, but divided.

The third commitment killer, “Present vs. Past,” is illustrated by the final individual in these verses. “Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God’” (v. 61-62).

How we long for the things that were! We crave the good ‘ole days. We want things the way they were, leaving us stuck reminiscing on the past while missing out on the present and the future. That means we aren’t using the present and the future to plan, prepare, and carry out the ministry to which Jesus has called us!

How long do you think you could successfully drive your car from where you are to where you’re going with your eyes glued to the rearview mirror? I don’t encourage you to find out! Yet, we are satisfied with a commitment to Jesus that can’t get beyond the way things used to be. And then we fail to see how that stifles our present and future personal and congregational growth and ministry. 

Furthermore, if we insist on looking back into the past at the expense of the present, then let us also compare the commitment of generations past to current generations. Shall we compare the commitment to church attendance, when commitment meant attending every Sunday? Shall we compare commitment to keeping the church and school up and running by rolling up the sleeves and putting in some sweat equity rather than writing a check to pay someone else to do it? Shall we compare generations past when young people were encouraged to serve in the public ministry as pastors and teachers versus pursuing successful careers that make more money? 

These three individuals and their examples – “Nice vs. Sacrifice,” “Divided vs. Devoted,” and “Past vs. Present” – are not insignificant! They might shock us. We might be rather sympathetic toward the requests these individuals made. They were not just along the lines of, “May I return home and feed my pet?” No one would balk at Jesus refusing that less significant request.

But burying your dead or saying bye to family??? What is Jesus’ point? If these requests had been merely small things, and Jesus had permitted them, we would reason that there are some things that would understandably come before Jesus – for the right reason(s), of course! But Jesus goes big to make a big point: nothing comes before him. Commitment is a serious thing! 

Commitment has sometimes been broken down into three levels: commitment to Christ, then to his church, and finally to his cause. Where are you at on that spectrum? Wherever you may be, we’re all in the same spot: we have room to grow when it comes to our commitment to Jesus and his church. Assessing our level of commitment to Jesus can lead us to draw only one conclusion: our diluted commitment to Christ deserves condemnation from Christ. 

But instead of condemnation from Christ, do you know what we get? Complete commitment. We don’t have to question Jesus’ level of commitment to us. Jesus was perfectly committed. In fact, a word that Luke uses to introduce these verses reflects that very commitment: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (v. 51).

“Resolutely” describes Jesus’ commitment to the destination where he would die. Jesus would not be deterred. Jesus counted the cost. His priorities were not divided. He was not longing for the good ‘ole days where suffering and death were not a part of the discussion. Jesus was fully committed… to you. He committed to being ridiculed and bullied for you. He committed to suffering excruciating punishment for you. He committed to dying for you. He committed to condemnation in hell for you. 

And his commitment is why you will never feel the lick of hell’s flames. His commitment is why you will never be abandoned by the Father. His commitment is why you can give it right back to Satan instead of giving in to him. His commitment is why your place in heaven is never in question, never in doubt. His commitment… is what makes it possible for us to deepen our commitment to him. To level up. To number our days on earth as days of committed service to Christ and his kingdom. 

Jesus’ commitment has made you fit for service in his kingdom. His Word possesses the power to take your commitment to new heights. Tap into the power of his Word daily. Choose sacrifice over nice. Choose dedicated over divided. Choose present and future over the past. What difference would it make if each one of us moved one level forward in our commitment? How healthy and vibrant would our congregations be? How impacted would our communities be? What could Jesus do with us, with a church filled with intensely committed Christians? I’d sure love to find out – wouldn’t you?

Bounce Back to the Word

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(John 7:40-43)

Five years before the world was introduced to Harry Potter, JK Rowling was a struggling single mother living on welfare. She wrote while working as a teacher at night, and her manuscript was rejected 12 times before finally being published. Walt Disney’s first animation company went bankrupt, he experienced other failures, and some of the most loved characters today were initially panned by critics. Rowland Macy had four failed retail stores before opening his first Macy’s, and even his first Macy’s had to close because it didn’t bring in enough. Not until he opened another one fifteen years later did the store stick. Abraham Lincoln failed at multiple businesses, lost one election to Congress, two elections to Senate, and even the vice-president election before becoming the 16th President of the United States. Great as all these stories ended up, you know what it sounds like? It sounds like they all went through their own 2020. They all had their share of experiences that they wouldn’t have asked for at the time, but which allowed them to get where they ended up! Bitter before the sweet!

Will 2021 be your comeback story? Will it be the year that you bounce back? Will you turn a set back into a comeback?

If so, the single greatest key to your ability to bounce back in 2021 is to realize that it doesn’t depend on your ability to bounce back. Rather, it depends far more on how much you depend on the single greatest comeback story of all time: Jesus Christ. There’s no greater comeback story that will ever be written than the One who bounced back from death to rise up and live again. And don’t dare forget that he did not accomplish this for himself, but for you. He came back from the dead so that your comeback story could be written. Christmas was the start of what would become the greatest comeback story ever written. So if you want to bounce back in 2021, hear me out: doesn’t it make good sense to make the greatest comeback story in history a bigger part of yours?

That was basically the issue at hand as our text today picks up the people’s response to Jesus. What did they think of him? Who was he? Was he of any benefit to them or not? Was he to be followed, his advice acted on, his counsel considered, his teachings to be trusted? Guess what? “On hearing his words… the people were divided because of Jesus” (v.40, 43). Not everyone came to the same conclusion about Jesus’ place and role in their lives. Some acknowledged his place as a prophet. Others saw him as Savior, the Messiah and long-awaited answer to sin and salvation. Others still struggled and were on the fence with questions and answers that didn’t add up for them. 

It’s no different today – outside of the church to be sure. Prophet, preacher, pacifist – opinions vary, but there is a consistent theme to the world’s view of Jesus: they use him as they see fit. There is no small amount of animosity toward Jesus when his teachings don’t approve of a certain way of life that a person insists on living. Most, though, will not direct their disdain at Jesus himself, but ease their own consciences by claiming to be just fine with Jesus, while pretending the problem is with Christians themselves or with organized religion – as if those are in some separate category into which Jesus doesn’t belong. They become experts in their own minds at using Jesus’ words against Christians to point out where his followers are failing. Such people clearly are not familiar with Jesus’ own words to comfort his followers, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil” (John 7:7). No matter how they may disguise it then, the world’s differing views of Jesus are ultimately a dismissal of Jesus.  

But that wouldn’t apply to those of us inside the church, to believers, would it? Surely our words and actions couldn’t be perceived as a dismissal of Jesus… right? What would a quick glance back over the course of 2021 reveal? Did we ever find ourselves as activists more concerned about a movement or a cause than about Christ? Did we ever stoop into the darkness to dabble in debate with others steeped in the dark rather than letting Christ’s light shine through us? Did we look to worldly solutions – sometimes even destructive ones – to console us and help us cope with crisis, rather than to Christ? Ah, then perhaps we shouldn’t be too quick to deny dismissing Jesus the way the world does, for the ugly reality is that we are quite adept at it. In fact, we’re so good at it that we even manage to pull the wool over our own eyes so that we don’t recognize how frequently we dismiss Jesus. 

2020 also provided us with another challenge to reflect on our relationship with Jesus: our relationship with church. Gathering restrictions have forced us to think about the role a local congregation may or may not play in fostering our faith in Jesus. In our case, some leaders were concerned that if members couldn’t meet for worship, some may not be spiritually disciplined enough to personally keep growing in their faith on their own. Others saw a positive opportunity for individuals to take more ownership of their faith, rather than presuming that worshiping for an hour on Sunday is sufficient for spiritual growth. I don’t know that anyone can claim to have the answer, but the past year has required us to evaluate our connection to Jesus and his Word and where our church fits into that.

But enough about the problems and challenges. While we could spend all day discussing such matters – and much of it would be very profitable to be sure! – let us instead focus on the solution, for the solution in all of these matters of what one thinks of Jesus is the same solution: the Word. Truly, if 2021 is to be a bounce-back year, the Word alone will serve as the catalyst to make it happen. Sure, there are certainly other solutions that will help in other areas of life, but if this year is going to count in the one area that matters most – our walk with Jesus – then let us get back to the Word. 

Why? Because it works. “For the word of God is alive and active” (Hebrews 4:12). God says through the prophet Isaiah, “[My word] will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Is. 55:11). The Word works. We want stuff that works, right? More than ever, we don’t have patience for things that don’t work. How many times would you guess you’ll Google something this year to find out how to do something or where to buy something? Whatever you’re searching for, the desired outcome is the same: you want a solution that works. You don’t want to purchase something that doesn’t work. You don’t want to learn a new tip or fix-it trick that doesn’t work. You want what works – we don’t have time for what doesn’t. 

Friends, we have 100% guarantee that this (Word) works! It is alive and active. It will accomplish what God desires and purposes. It will work. If. We. Work it. See, it doesn’t matter if we have a solution that works if we never bother to use it. When I make pizza dough for pizza and a movie with the family on Fridays, yeast does a great job of making the dough rise… if I use it. It’s not so effective, however, if it doesn’t ever get mixed in. Your phone is a great tool for keeping in touch with family members who live in another state… if you use it. A dumbbell will help you add muscle and build strength… if you use it. You get the point. 

So it works, if we use it. Here’s the bigger question: why should we use it? Ultimately, we’re only interested in using something that works if it achieves something I am interested in. I am glad your curling iron works, after all, but I don’t have much of a need for it. Unless we see why it matters for us that the Word works, we aren’t likely to use it. Now I could go a step further and tell you it matters because it will strengthen your relationship with Jesus, but you might naturally go the next step and ask, “So what? Why does it matter that I have a stronger relationship with Jesus? After all, I already have faith and I know I’m going to heaven – isn’t that good enough?”

You know why you want a deeper relationship with Jesus through his Word? Because he is the only one who will be 100% real with you all the time. He isn’t going to be fake with you to suit his own purposes. Neither is he going to cater to your every whim and demand, like so many are willing to do in this cancel culture. He isn’t afraid of showing you tough love. He isn’t going to tell you one thing and then do another. He won’t make a promise and then break it. He is 100% real with you all the time.

That can be extremely painful when he is blunt about how disgraceful our sins are and how much he despises them. He will not buy our excuses or accept our ignorance when we try to downplay our violations of his commands. He will not hesitate to be completely transparent about the hell we deserve for dismissing him and despising his Word for so much of our lives. He will be real with us, and it will hurt when he exposes what’s really buried within our hearts. 

But he will be real with us as well when he lavishes us with an unwavering love that will not be deterred by even our worst sins against him. He is 100% committed to you, proving it by his willingness to have his body pounded to a cross while his own life was slowly drained from him. He was not interested in seeking out revenge for all the wrongs you’ve done against him, but seeking out forgiveness for them, not so that he could get even, but so that you could have peace. No one – NO ONE – on this earth will ever care enough about you to show you that level of commitment. That kind of loyalty, that kind of love, will never be found but in Jesus Christ. You want 2021 to be a bounce back year? It’s got to include more of Jesus and less of anything and everything that gets in his way.

Fast-forward to New Year’s Eve, Friday, December 31, 2021. Look back on this year. Will you reflect on this year and see it as a bounce-back year from 2020? That depends on what happens after today. What happens this week? next month? this summer? I will boldly guarantee you this: if you are committed to reading and applying the Word of God this year like never before in your life, 2021 will easily exceed your wildest expectations.

Not So Shocking

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Photo by Aaron Burden

Is it really that shocking that a book like the Bible would have what appear to be contradictions? 

Have you considered its length? It is made up of 66 books, ranging anywhere from 1 to 150 chapters each. 

Have you considered its depth of content? Everything from the account of how the world came to be to how the world will end and everything in-between is covered in a variety of styles and genres, including history, prophesy, prose & poetry, genealogies, letters, etc. 

Have you considered the period of time over which it was written? A span of around 1,500 years passed between the writing of the first book and the writing of the last book.

Have you considered the number of different authors? While not every author of each book is identified by name, enough are to reasonably conclude that around 40 different authors penned the Scriptures.

Is it really that shocking that a book like the Bible would have what appear to be contradictions? 

Here’s what I think is even more shocking than the alleged number of contradictions: the scale of content that is in agreement (like, all of it!).

Try to find the same scale of agreement today among a sample of tweets, blog posts, academic course books, etc. which claim to cover the same event or subject matter and see what you get.  

Through and through, the theme of the Bible is echoed loud and clear:

The Holy Scriptures… are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

(2 Timothy 3:15 NIV)

Jesus himself acknowledged,

These are the very Scriptures that testify about me.”

(John 5:39 NIV)

Oh, and if you’re still wondering about those “contradictions,” you’re just as likely to come across as many plausible explanations for them in the same way you likely discovered the “contradictions” – a simple Google search. But if you’re interested in something that can provide you with even greater results than a Google search, I’d highly recommend a Scripture search.