March 26, 2012

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"  Matthew 16:24-26

Back when education was about educating we used to promote the three "R's" - Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmatic. It is hard to get more basic than that! If you can read well, and write well and do the necessary math you will do just fine in life.

When it comes to being a follower of Christ, Jesus calls out His disciples to the three "R's" of discipleship. What are those three "R's"?

Rights - lay 'em down

Responsibilities - lift them up

Relationship - live it out

Your Rights - “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves......."

In an age when people are protesting for their rights, and suing for their rights and occupying for their rights, Jesus says, "Give them up to me!" 

This sounds foolish to people who don't understand faith and counter-intuitive for many who think they do. But if you want to follow Christ and know His power and love you must surrender your rights to Him. You must commit to do what He says is right above what you think you want to do - every time!

Your Responsibilities -  "and take up their cross"

Imagine how much better our world would be if people took their responsibilites as seriously are they take their rights.

When Jesus challenges His followers to "take up their cross" He is saying, "Forget about your rights and pick up your responsibilities as a Christ follower!"

Taking up your cross means you choose what honors God and what serves other above what you desire. Surrender to God and serve others!

Your Relationship - "and follow me."

Disciples have two basic responsibilities: to live in a love relationship with Jesus and help encourage others to know that relationship and grow in it.

Relationships require time - quality time getting to know God or God's people. Do you take time to spend with Him in prayer and quiet moments in His Word?

Following Christ requires a desire, a decision, denying and a devotion live in a daily love relationship with Him. Does that describe you?

The good news is you don't have to do any of these things in your own strength. Confess to God that you need help and He will give you His Spirit to help you deny yourself and die to yourself and daily follow.

Christ, Who did these very things during His earthly life, will dwell in your and enable you to follow Him and know His love!

That's CRAZY love!

 

March 25, 2012

^"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."  Matthew 16:24-25

Jesus is calling out His disciples.

Do you know what it means to be "called out"?

I think I first heard the phrase back in the days of the old Western movies when the hero would ride into town to get some supplies or for some other benign reason the local gunslinger would feel the need to challenge this stranger to a gunfight by "calling him out".

Of course, the hero would decline, so the villain would have to up the ante by calling him "yellow" or "coward" or would through a drink in his face.

At some point it would become intolerable for the hero, usually John Wayne or Gary Cooper or Clint Eastwood, so he would reluctantly agree to being "called out" and promptly proceed to step out into the middle of main street and beat the foolish gunslinger to the draw and fill him with hot lead.

When I had watched dozens of these "horse operas" with a similar plot line I got to where I would yell at the TV screen to the foolish gunslinger, "Don't do it! Don't call him out!" But they never would listen. I guess that is how bad guys get to be bad guys - and how they end up as dead bad guys.

Obviously, that is not the same context in which Jesus is calling out His disciples but He is saying, "Show me what you truly believe" or "Show me what you are made of". The challenge is to their authenticity as followers of the Son of God. Will they demonstrate with their lives the things they have claimed with their lips?

History records that with one exception, all of these disciples did answer the call to live out (and die for) their faith!

Actually, it is entirely for Jesus to call them out. They were to be the founders and foundation of the Church of Jesus Christ and the word for "church" is "ekklesia", which means "the called out ones"! So, He was calling out the called out ones!

If you are a Believer and a church member did you know you are called out? God has called you out of your sinful past, out of your self-centeredness, out of your willful disobedience, out of your foolish pride, and into His life of holiness. You are called out to live as His Word instructs you to live and to follow in the ways of Christ.

You are being called out!

Are you answering the call? 

March 24, 2012

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

So, what does it cost to have CRAZY LOVE?

Are you sure you want the answer?

Jesus says that if you want to receive His freely given love, it will cost you everything!

You say, "That sounds like a heavy price! How can He ask that much?"

Jesus could ask that much because He was about to give that much to make God's love available to you! He was about to face a cruel and excruciating death on a cross to atone for your sins. You don't think that was costly?

When Jesus made this challenge to His disciples they were standing in an area called Caesarea Philippi. All of them were well aware of what happened in that dark and evil area. This is where the Romans had put down several attempted rebellions by Jewish zealots and over the past three decades and estimated 30,000 rebels had been publicly crucified in a blatant attempt to discourage any further uprisings. There very well may have been some crosses on the horizon as Jesus spoke.

So, Jesus picked the most challenging place on the planet to call out His followers on their commitment. "Do you love me enough to suffer as these have suffered?" or "Do you want my love badly enough to give up all for it?"

History records their answers. What is yours?

March 23, 2012

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

Love is interesting because it can be given but unless it is received it loses its effect.

Trust and respect are the same. They must be given but also must be received to have an impact. Since love is built upon trust and respect, I guess it makes sense that they would operate the same way.

If you learn just one thing about God's CRAZY LOVE during this 40 Day Focus, I hope you will understand how to receive that love into your life. While His love is freely given there IS a cost to receiving it and here Jesus points to the price tag.

The cost of receiving God's CRAZY LOVE according to Jesus in this passage is three-fold:

1) You have to lay something down - "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself"

2) You have to lift something up - "and take up his cross"

3) You have to live something out - "and follow me."

Wow! That is a high price to pay in order to receive something that is supposed to be free! You have to deny and you have to die and you have to devote to that lifestyle for the rest of your life!

Does God REALLY expect you to do that? How can He ask that?

Oh, maybe because THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT JESUS DID to prove God's CRAZY LOVE and to purchase that CRAZY LOVE for you!

He denied Himself of all His Heavenly privileges and humbled Himself to become a baby born in a feed trough in a barn.

And He died a painful humiliating death on a Roman cross to pay the penalty for your sins.

Both of those things He did because He loved the Father and was committed to following His will.

So, God can demand that we pay the price to receive His CRAZY LOVE because Jesus paid the price to make that love available!

What do you have that could be more valuable or more rewarding than receiving His CRAZY LOVE? Why would you not deny yourself of that so you could get THAT?

What needs to die in you so that you can live in His CRAZY LOVE? The truth is if you don't die to that sin in your life it will kill you.

And what could you devote yourself to that would give you more joy than following Christ? If you can think of something then devote yourself to it, but if not then become a devoted follower of Christ!

Will you pay the price to receive this great gift freely given?

March 22, 2012

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." Matthew 16:24

Isn't love amazing? No One captures it or communicates it better than Christ.

In this one verse He shows the inclusive nature of love when He says, "Whoever" but then He also demonstrates the exclusive aspect of love when He used the word "must".

To me, this is an incredible insight about the love of God. It is a key to experiencing His CRAZY LOVE.

God's love is unconditional love because it flows out of His nature. He gives it freely to everyone. You are loved fully and completely regardless of who you are or what you have done. Tomorrow as you drive to work, everyone you pass or everyone who passes is loved unconditionally by God. As the children's song goes, "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world".

So, love is given to all 7 billion souls on planet Earth! Love is given to whoever draws a breath everywhere all the time! His love is all-inclusive!

But having said that, there are conditions to receiving His love and to growing in that love. In this verse Jesus clearly articulates those conditions. They are:

Decision - "Whoever wants to be my disciple"

Anyone can receive His love but must decide to receive it and enter into a personal faith relationship with Him. That is an exclusive decision.

Denial - ".....must deny themselves...."

To receive His CRAZY LOVE you must deny your selfish self-centered love. You must surrender any competing loves to allow His love to be supreme in your heart. It is that exclusive.

Dying - ".....take up their cross...."

For Jesus to make it possible to receive God's love, He had to die on the cross. The exclusive nature of receiving His love requires you to die to desires that compete with His love.

Devotion - ".....and follow me!"

Once again, if you are to enjoy the fullness of His CRAZY LOVE you must follow Him exclusively. Since love is received in relationship with Jesus, being a follower of Jesus is absolutely required. And unless you are devoted to Him you are not a follower you are just a fan.

Love is given unconditionally but there are conditions to receiving it.

Have you received it?

March 21, 2012

"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:1-9

Almost everyone loves a good story so it is not a surprise that Jesus, knowing how effective stories can be, told parables to illustrate kingdom truths.

One of the best known parables of Jesus was the parable of the sower. In a rural setting with some farmers in the crowd, Jesus launched into a story that they could easily relate to - a sower sowing seed. It was a common scene in those parts during certain times of the year.

First the farmer would plow and prepare the soil to receive the seed that would be sown by the farmer. When those seeds landed on the soft, moist, well prepared soil it would take root and grow into a large stalk of corn or wheat. Each of those stalks of grain was ladened with considerable amount of additional seeds.


Of course, not all seed would land in the well prepared soil. Depending on the accuracy of the sower and the direction or velocity of the wind, some seed would land on the hard-packed path, some would land on the rocky ground, and others would land among the thorns. The four various soil conditions resulted in four quite different results. Only one would bring the harvest they depended upon to secure their future as a family.

A bountiful harvest would provide the food they needed for the year, plus it would allow them to set aside the seed for the next crop and then sell what was above that to provide money for their needs. There was a lot riding on the harvest and they knew they had sown good seed so it all depended on the condition of the soil.

The sower of course, represents God and the seed represent the truth and grace that He sows into your life and mine. It is good seed capable of producing a bountiful harvest in His kingdom. For purposes of our current CRAZY LOVE study, this parable illustrates how you are to receive the love of God into your life. Your responsibility is to make sure you are good soil so your life will produce fruit for His kingdom.

In this parable, Jesus identifies three common obstacles you will have to overcome to produce good soil. One is hardness. One is shallowness. One is stress. Those three realities of daily life in the 21st century will rob you of the joy of experiencing God's love unless you are detemined to produce good soil in your life.

Hardness typically comes from disobedience. When you hear the truth and become aware of what God desires from you but you willfully refuse to obey, that hardens your heart. God's love cannot take root in a disobedient spirit. Do you have an area of disobedience in your life this morning?

Shallowness represents a lack of discipline in your spiritual life. When you don't apply yourself to regular study and prayer you will not develop any spiritual depth. When you deprive yourself of fellowship with other believers you will have trouble developing spiritual depth. If you are not regularly involved in serving God you will stay shallow in your spiritual development. When you limit your spiritual experience to feelings and emotions, you will struggle with shallowness. What are you doing to develop spiritual depth today? Are you giving God's love a fair chance to take root in your heart?

Life has always involved stress but in 2012 America it is getting increasingly more difficult to make ends meet. Financial worries and job security issues and demands of balancing work schedules with time for family or faith and fun can generate stress. Stress drains energy and focus and diverts you from concentrating on God's love. God's Word calls you to pull Him into the center of your stress reminding you to "cast your cares upon Him for He cares about you". Will you do that today? Will you decide that you will share your stress with God and turn your worries into a place of worship?

Receiving God's CRAZY LOVE is the result of being good soil. His seeds are good and can produce and abundant harvest of love and grace within your heart! Will you cultivate good soil today?

March 20, 2012

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:9-10

Just a few minutes ago I checked the meter on our website that tracks the number of hits we get and where they originate.

Here is what it showed for the last several days:

United States - 48   Russia - 11   India - 2   Slovenia - 2   Brazil -1   Germany - 1   Poland - 1   Venezuela - 1

Our little church on a corner in Spotsylvania County touches people around the world! Think about this, between the witness of our website on the world-wide web and the several missionaries we help support it is correct to say that the sun never sets on the ministry of Fredericksburg Wesleyan Church!

That is pretty amazing but what does it have to do with CRAZY LOVE?

Here's the point. We tend to overlook or underestimate the power of small things done well, done consistently, and done in love.

Just the time taken to load our sermons (English Church and Spanish Church) on the website makes those messages available to literally billions of people over the world-wide web. It is the digital equivalent of sending a missionary overseas except we get to go everywhere the internet goes!

Writing daily devotionals requires some time but once it is posted on the website it is there for millions of English-speaking people to pull up and read.

It is very easy for us to get intrigued and infatuated with the big things, the spectacular things, the high budget and high tech productions and become discouraged by our inability to do ministry like that.

There are certainly some amazing and ingenius new ways to present the gospel and some very creative people designing them. I say, "Thank God for them!" Big things done well can get some big results!

But just because we can't do those things on that large scale, don't fall into the trap of believing you can't make a difference! You can by doing small deeds well and consistently over time motivated by God's love!

Only Heaven will reveal this for sure, but I bet there have been more people reached by small acts of love than by big events. CRAZY LOVE is communicated most powerfully face to face, person by person! And since there are more people doing small things than there who do big things, it makes sense that more people would be reached by small acts of love lived out consistently!

Don't get weary doing the small stuff! Keep doing it as well as you can and often as you can with as much love as you are able! And don't forget, there are a bunch of small things that are done well to make those big productions work!

CRAZY LOVE expressed consistently is crazy powerful!