Progress With Jesus
Continued...
Let’s face it, it’s very easy to find ourselves caught in the whirlwind of everyday life in 2015. Strangely this same whirlwind can be the very definition of boredom; “to weary by dullness, tedious repetition, unwelcome attentions, etc.” The state of being bored is one which is apt to bring about negative side effects. Our human nature is exposed in boredom. Whatever our sinful tendencies are, in a bored state we are much more likely to fall.
Aha, you might say, “That’s why we need to be busy”! God’s word says we need to work, yes, but what we are working toward is every bit as important as our working. And don’t forget, God’s word also says we aren’t supposed to be gossips and busybodies. (2 Thessalonians 3: 11, 1 Timothy 5: 13) We can be very busy at the world’s affairs and still have the state of busybody going on within us and around us; spreading like cancer. How many people of this world have you encountered in your years on earth who are successful and busy, perhaps even in the church, who love to talk about other people and spread gossip and harm? And being busy and consumed with this world’s demands IS NOT what God’s word says we should do anyway. (Romans 12: 2)
With all the complexities of western life in 2015 how is it even possible that anyone is bored? Wouldn’t it seem impossible to be bored when we are busier than we’ve ever been? Take on one worldly treasure or responsibility and there are five more responsibilities added by default. You might say, “Well isn’t that picking up our cross and denying ourselves?” I suppose it could be. But is that really the case with most of us, most of the time?
Are you, and I, most times taking on worldly responsibilities as a means of self denial, or are we up to something else which revolves around our own personal missions? So often times we say things like, “Well a man has to provide for his family!” And then we go on and make our kingdom a little larger than it was before, convincing ourselves that we are doing God’s work. Making money, keeping money, throwing our scraps to the Lord, to our neighbor; this is not God’s way revealed to us in Jesus.
Jesus is the New Covenant between all of us and God the Father. In this day, in the West for sure, it’s become more and more a temptation to focus on Old Testament Scripture of God’s promises, which were specifically laid out for the people ISRAEL (Jacob/Jews), as our fuel for our personal goals and missions. We try sometimes to attach God’s promises given to Israel as our own, as we strive to store up for ourselves treasures here on earth. And yet the more we get, the more we “need” and something goes on eating away at us; and people keep dying without Jesus while our minds and mouths are preoccupied and silenced by the focus of our attention.
Jesus brought the new relationship and the Way for us, non-Jews, to God the Father. Jesus said that if you put old wine in new wineskins they will burst or if you sew an unshrunk patch on an old garment the new will pull away from the old and a worse tear will result. Are you feeling like bursting sometimes as you walk through this world a Christian? As busy as you are, are you actually bored and trying to find a way to keep busier so that you don’t have to think about what’s bothering you? Are you trying to live up to a standard set by your church, and maybe even your family, and find it is really getting you down?
If that sounds like you friend, you have a choice. You can rest in Jesus. You can abandon ship! You can give it up... all of it! Give up career goals, give up material dreams, give up relationship hopes, give up your personal identity, and find the treasure of being redefined by Jesus Christ alone! He said all that old stuff from long ago relies on two simple commandments; LOVE God with EVERYTHING YOU ARE AND ALL YOU’VE GOT, and LOVE your neighbour as yourself.
If you and I choose to open His word, read what Jesus says, and discover what His heart is for the world around us, our lives will be transformed into something unlike anything we can imagine. It's pretty scary to put His words into action, but when we look at Jesus, what's the alternative? Do we really want to die physically rich but enter eternity having lived for ourselves?
It sure is a good thing we don’t get saved by following commandments. It sure is a good thing we can rest assured that Jesus did what we need to be saved! Praise God for His mercy. We don’t have to do more. We don’t have to do more. We don’t have to do more. We need only to submit to Him.
Truth is relentless. Truth pursues us. Truth can crush us or set us free. If we resist the truth till the end, we will be crushed eventually. If we acknowledge the truth, in our own lives, yes it will hurt us...and yes we will be broken, but we will be remade and reformed step by step, walking joyfully again like a child, into eternity with Jesus as our Good and only Shepherd.
There is nothing more precious to God than people. He wants us set free. He desires us to be free so that we can see there is nothing more precious for each of us than God Himself. He made a way for us to be free from the cares of the world; eternal life; fellowship. And this is a precious gift given to us. Our mission is the gospel of Jesus Christ! Our mission is His and His is supposed to be ours! Living on the edge with Jesus is anything but boring. Living on the edge with Jesus is a scary, humiliating, difficult journey. If you haven’t done so in while, or ever, open up the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and check out how Jesus warned His own disciples (anyone following Him) about the cost of following Him. He didn’t leave any fine print. He laid it all out for all of us, for all time.
Maybe you find yourself around people who leave that part of Jesus out a lot? Maybe you find yourself in a church experience where people are focused on the outward appearance of goodness, and so they disregard the suffering of following Jesus? Maybe you have family or friends who think the way you will prove you are following Him is by succeeding at worldly things? Take heart friend, because if that was the case then Jesus, Peter, Paul, Stephen, and countless others throughout the ages suffered and died for nothing.
But the resurrection is real! The suffering of Jesus brings joy and fellowship! The suffering of Jesus brought the resurrection! Jesus told the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16: 19-31). Try to fit that parable into modern life. I’ve tried. It doesn’t work.
His word is the light, and He is the Light. He said we are supposed to make more people like Him, not more people like Bill Gates. It is our duty yes, to make disciples of Jesus... but mere duty is without love. Let us adore Him, let us love Him, and let us cherish who He is. Forgive us Lord for making this dirty so often times. We do love You Lord. We do love You. We need each other Lord. Please get people stepping up and out of loving this worldly existence so that we can fight together.
Help us to have courage. Help us to be simple. Help us to take this day and make it Yours. Help us to reject the obesity of our pride and of our culture. Help us to live day to day. Our Father, You are in Heaven, Your Name is way beyond all others, please give us what we need today, lead us away from the evil one, and lead us toward You, we want to see Your kingdom come now Lord, we want the Truth. Thank You for Your great love and mercy, we love You.
Amen.