ROOTED IN CHRIST

Last week, in my message, I laid the foundation for the commitment Jesus Christ asked for from those who wanted to follow Him. I am following that message up with four more messages that take a look at a discipleship process that every individual can use for self evaluation and our church can use to evaluate our ministries as it relates to helping people become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

This first message of the four, Rooted in Christ, deals with the first stage of spiritual growth, pictured as a tree that needs to develop a strong root system. It is geared for new believers, those living like new believers, and yet encourages mature Christians to remember the importance of these foundational steps.

By the way, where it says Video: A Week in the Life of a Neglected Bible, you can view this at sermonspice.com Just search for this video and see a free preview of it.

Since you are reading this, you are not able to see what went on. I began the message dressed in First Century attire and acting the part of the synogogue ruler, Crispus, who was baptized by the Apostle Paul. Then, I went to change while Steve, our associate pastor, read passages from Colossians. I then returned, dressed a little more casually than normal, sitting on a bar stool. I wanted to bring across a little less formal atmosphere for these discipleship messages.

ROOTED IN CHRIST

Please turn in your Bible to Colossians 1. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 1019 or 1045.

Good morning. Greg is running a little late, so he asked me to begin the message time. Hope you don’t mind. My name is Crispus. In case you don’t know who I am, let me tell you a little about myself. I lived over 2,000 years ago; and I am very humbled and privileged to know that I made it into THE BOOK – The Bible! And I’m not just mentioned once in the Bible, like many people, but twice! Don’t believe me? Let me prove it to you.

I Corinthians 1:14: “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius.”
Ah Ha! There it is! This Bible thing is so cool. When I was alive, we had just part of the Bible, what you call the Old Testament. It was great and everything, but you are so blessed to have the whole entire Bible. You get the chance to read the very Word of God anytime you desire. I bet you can never get enough of it. The New Testament is great because it gives you the specifics of the time in which I lived. It tells you about Jesus’ birth, life and death. If I were alive today, I would read this book every day, as though my life depended on it. Well, actually, your life does depend on the truths found in the Bible, doesn’t it?

You may have noticed that the verse mentioned about me in I Corinthians was connected with the issue of baptism. I have heard, that in the past 2,000 years, this idea of baptism has gone through quite a few changes. There are a lot of different ideas out there about it. For a few minutes, I just want to share my personal testimony with you.
You saw the passage about my baptism. I will get back to that. Let me take you, first, to the most important decision and experience in my life. It is mentioned in the other verse of Scripture, where you can find me.

Acts 18:8: “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord…”
As this verse mentions, I was a ruler in the synagogue. I was a leader. I was highly religious. I knew the Old Testament! I went to church every day. I had tremendous influence. I had life figured out. But like many in America, in 2008, I was religious, but not a Christian, a follower of Christ. I was religious, but had no real relationship with God. I was worshipping God on my own terms. The major problem was, that up until the Apostle Paul walked in my door, I had rejected the message God sent me: the message about Jesus.
You have so many religions around today, its unbelievable. But, you know what I notice about them? There is one noticeable difference between what I would call true Christianity and every other world religion. The difference concerns what you believe about Jesus. It is the single fact that turned my life around 2,000 years ago.

A few verses before I am mentioned in Acts, you see the message that Paul delivered to me. It is in Acts 18:4,5:
“And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade…testifying…that the Christ was Jesus.”

Christ means Messiah; Savior. For many years, we were looking for what the Old Testament described as the Messiah. He would come to save His people from their sins. Understand something. We knew this Jesus guy. He was a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. The joke was, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” That town was notorious for being a place of “good for nothings”. So, over a 3 year period of time, this Jesus was claiming to be the Son of God. He was really claiming to be God Himself, who became man. That is why people, especially us religious types, wanted to stone Him to death. We knew, from the Bible, there was only one God; and He was claiming to be God in the flesh, the promised Messiah from the Old Testament.

This was the message that Paul delivered to me. And like most people who finally believe the simple message about Jesus, it just happened this one day. All of my defenses came down, and I simply believed the truth. Jesus was who he said he was. He was God, who became man in order to die for my sins. He rose again the third day, and offers me the free gift of eternal life. And that day, I decided to become a follower of Jesus Christ. And let me just encourage you, no matter how religious you are or how much you say you love God – if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation and have given your life to Him – do it today!

Perhaps you noticed in acts 18:8 that it says that I believed in the Lord. Then, it says that many believed in the Lord and were baptized. Have you been baptized? I realize that in 2008 America, there are many misunderstandings about baptism. Some people, I hear, teach that you have to be baptized to be saved. But, I can tell you, having been there when this baptism thing first started, that they were two completely separate things.

Just for one example, you see it as two separate actions in:
Acts 8:12 – “But when they believed [the]…good news about…Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.”

If they were the same thing, then Jesus would have baptized, but we read in:
John 4:1,2: “Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples).”

Jesus did not baptize. We already read in I Corinthians 1 that Paul rarely baptized, and yet his life mission was to see people saved. Baptism follows salvation. Granted, the decision to be saved and baptism usually happened right after one another 2,000 years ago. You see, we understood what baptism was all about back then. Once we trusted in Christ, we knew that our faith had to be declared by identifying with Jesus Christ through baptism.
His disciples baptized because it was what Jesus had commanded in:
Matthew 28:19 – “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

We didn’t have to wait to understand baptism. We knew that once we publicly declared our faith by being baptized, we were risking everything. We might lose the support of our family and friends, who would see our baptism as turning our backs on the religion they raised us in. We might lose our jobs, having employers that hated the Christ we were identifying with. And we also knew that is was possible, because of our identification with Jesus Christ, that we might lose our lives. We did it because Jesus had saved us. We did it out of obedience to His command. And I am not ashamed that I did.

So, why haven’t you been baptized yet? Is it because you are afraid of going under the water? Is it because you were baptized as a baby and don’t want to offend your family? Is it because you have physical limitations? Or, is what I have heard from American pastors to be the number one reason people don’t want to get baptized? Because you are afraid to get up in front of other people. I know what you mean. I was terrified myself. But, you know what made the difference for me? And I really do think it was easier for us to overcome this fear 2,000 years ago. When I thought of the love of God for me, that He would send Jesus Christ to save me from my sins; and when I saw how people had treated Jesus and yet He loved them anyway – I decided that the fear I had of water and of public speaking was nothing compared to what Jesus Christ did for me. Please consider this important step.
It was nice to meet all of you and thanks for listening to my testimony.

Steve Strong: I am reading from Colossians 1, beginning in verse 3. Not only do these verses introduce what Greg will be talking about this morning, but they also reflect the heart Greg and I have for each of you in the area of spiritual growth and discipleship.

Colossians 1:3-6 – “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing – as it also does among you, since the day you hear it and understood the grace of God in truth.”

Colossians 1:9-23 – “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.”

Colossians 1:27-29 – “To them God chose to make known how great among te Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning, everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”

Colossians 2:1-10– “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have no seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

Greg: Over these next four weeks, I want to talk to you about something very personal, and yet it is something that we must talk about as an entire church. Therefore, instead of preaching at you from behind a pulpit, I am talking with you in our living room – a very large living room! I want you not just to hear my words, but hear my heart. I asked Steve to read this passage of Scripture to you because, within it, in the prayers and desires of Paul for the people he ministered to, lies the same prayers and desires Steve and I have for all of you when it comes to spiritual growth.

Last week, we explored what Jesus did when He called people to Himself. It was not His desire that people would repeat a prayer after someone so that they could stay out of Hell and then live their lives as they saw fit. Jesus was here to make disciples. He was here to call followers. He said: Follow Me. I think His expectations are the same today of anyone who claims to be a Christian. Are you a follower of Christ? You prayed a prayer? Great. Are you a follower of Christ? You are a member of Baptist church – wonderful. Are you a follower of Christ? Once you can say: Yes, I am a follower of Christ. Sinful, failing often, struggling, but a follower, nonetheless. Then, we can talk about how to grow in that discipleship and how we as a church can help.

At the very beginning here, I must be clear about something. Discipleship is about becoming a more fully devoted follower of Christ. It is not about a list of rules. It is not about do’s and don’ts. However, in order to be a more fully devoted follower of Christ, He asks us to do certain things and not do certain things. The things we are going to emphasize are the things that God emphasizes in His Word. Many individuals and churches emphasize a list of rules that God does not. We want to concentrate on what He tells us about becoming a more fully devoted follower.

As you may know, we have chosen a church theme taken from:
II Peter 3:18 – “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”

For the glory of God, we desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Growing in grace is not about legalistic rules. It is about pursuing the truths and application of God’s truths in the midst of His underserving favor (grace). We have tried to give some concepts of what it means to grow in grace, and I would like to remind you of those now:

GROW IN GRACE

1. Serve God for who He is and what He has done, not because you want to gain his acceptance through good works.

2. Live for God out of love and thankfulness, rather than guilt and duty.

3. Believe in biblical absolutes, but reject attempts to legislate the Christian life through human rules.

4. Accept people at their current level of spiritual development and encourage them to grow in an atmosphere of grace.

5. Commit to honesty and transparency, which models love and acceptance.

6. Place the emphasis on inner motivations rather than outward behaviors.

7. Refuse to deny or minimize the pain that comes into your life as a result of your sin or the sins of others. Allow the pain to draw you to God.

8. Learn to forgive others as Jesus did, and point people, who do not know Him, to the God of grace.

9. Understand the biblical commands as describing the life befitting a Christian already accepted by God, not as laws that bring you more merit with God.

10. View your pain, in any form or area of life, as a way for God’s power to be shown in your life and for God to grow you.

We now want to take this a few steps further. We want to introduce you to one process, one way of looking at our spiritual growth.

As Steve was reading from Colossians, I wonder if you caught some key themes in those verses:
· Your faith in Christ (1:4)
· The gospel is bearing fruit, growing among you (1:6)
· You understood the grace of God in truth (1:6)
· Be filled with the knowledge of His will (1:9)
· So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord (1:10)
· In Christ, we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (1:14)
· Continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting (1:23)
· Christ in you, the hope of glory (1:27)
· Teaching everyone, that we present everyone mature in Christ (1:28)
· To reach the riches of full assurance (2:2)
· See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, and not according to Christ (2:8)

These verses emphasize growth – spiritual growth. There is being assured of your salvation, understanding the truth, not being swayed by false teaching, continuing to grow in faith, becoming mature in Christ, walking with Christ and bearing fruit for Christ.

There are tons of spiritual growth analogies given in the Scriptures. But, the one Steve and I have chosen to challenge and encourage you with is the picture of a growing tree. And the very first thing that must be emphasized is the root system. I don’t know much at all about trees, but I’m pretty sure of this one. The root system is key to any tree that wants to last and wants to grow. It is the first major emphasis in the Christian’s life – being rooted in Christ.
And the theme verses we are using to describe stages of growth in discipleship gives us the picture of a growing tree. Come back to:

Colossians 2:6,7 – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

We are using the phrases from these verses, in the midst of this entire passage in Colossians that speaks to spiritual growth, to describe a process. It is not a perfect process, but it is a process. This will allow each of us to do some evaluating. And it will allow our church to order our ministries around a discipleship process. We believe God has called every person and church to the Great Commission commandment in Matthew 28:19,20. And the basic command in those verses is: Make Disciples. That is what we must be about. So, a process of discipleship in the church is our focus for these weeks.

In verses 6,7 of Colossians 2, He makes it clear that the people He is talking to have already been saved. The discipleship process has begun. He is encouraging them to walk with Jesus Christ, their master, throughout life. And as they take steps of faith with Christ, the picture of trees are used for spiritual growth. And being rooted in Christ is the first stage of this growth. The seed has been planted, it has taken root in our hearts and we have come to Christ. Now, our first priority, as a Christian, is to be firmly and deeply rooted in Christ.

We would like to suggest, before we close this morning, of a few simple ways to be rooted in Him. And we would like to use the idea from our church theme verse in II Peter 3:18 – Growing in grace and knowledge to consider the first steps of growth. If you have been a Christian for a long time and already have these qualities, then you can concentrate on how to continue in these as a mature believer and how to pass them on to someone else.

Please turn in your Bible to Psalm 1. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 467 or 481.

Let’s begin with an attitude. The new believer and growing believer are filled with joy about Christ has done for them and they are excited to talk to others about it.
Let’s look at one story that illustrates this:

Matthew 9:27-31 – “And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David.’ When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘according to your faith be it done to you.’ And their eyes were opened…they went away and spread his fame through all that district.”

These men had a need. They were blind; but they also came to believe that there was one man who could heal them. They knew they deserved to be blind and much worse for their sins. But, they asked for mercy from the Son of David, demonstrating that they believed He was the promised coming Messiah. Their belief in who He was and what He could do led Jesus to say that because of their faith, they were healed.

In a spiritual sense, all of us who have come to Christ, were blind and now we see. It is a miracle of the heart, that God the Holy Spirit performs on all those who trust in Him for salvation. But, what I want you to notice the most from this incident is the natural response of what these formerly blind men did. As soon as they were healed, they didn’t go watch movies, enjoying their new eyesight. They went away and spread his (Jesus Christ’s) fame throughout the entire area.

This is a natural characteristic of a new believer, who understands what a change Jesus Christ has made and the fact that they have gone from death to life and from a spiritual blindness to being able to see clearly. That person will tell other people. He just can’t help it. Have you been around a new believer who gets this? He wants other people to know. He will talk about Christ even if it means receiving strange looks or critical remarks or worse.

If you have never been excited about what Jesus has done for you, enough to tell someone else, you need to evaluate your heart attitude. If you know for sure that you have this personal relationship with Jesus, then perhaps, you need to try and fill your mind and heart with the truths of who you are in Christ. Let me give you just a sampling from the book: Bondage Breaker by Neil Anderson. Say these out loud with me:

IN CHRIST:
· I am God’s child (John 1:12)
· I am Christ’s friend (John 15:15)
· I have been justified (Romans 5:1)
· I have been bought with a price – I belong to God (I Corinthians 12:27)
· I am a saint (Ephesians 1:1)
· I have been adopted as God’s child (Ephesians 1:5)
· I have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18)
· I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins (Colossians 1:14)
· I am complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10)
· I am free from condemnation (Romans 8:1,2)
· I am assured that all things work together for good (Romans 8:28)
· I am free from any condemning charges against me (Romans 8:31-34)
· I cannot be separated from the love of God (Romans 8:35-39)
· I have been established, anointed, and sealed by God
(II Corinthians 1:21,22)
· I am confident that the good work that God has begun in me will be perfected (Philippians 1:6)
· I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20)
· I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind
(II Timothy 1:7)
· I can find grace and mercy in time of need (Hebrews 4:16)

Meditate on those truths and see if you can’t get excited about what God has done for you – to the point that you want to share it with others you love. This is a natural sign of someone who is growing in Christ. It is harder for those of us who were saved at an early age or who have been saved for many, many years. But, there is no excuse for not having the joy that comes with being saved from our sins and the desire to talk about it!

In this very first stage of spiritual growth, being rooted in Christ, there is some growing in knowledge to do. Knowledge is not good if it puffs up and stays in our brains. But, knowledge applied to life is what makes a good, growing disciple of Christ. The first part of growing in knowledge here is:
· Learning basic truths

There are some very basic truths the Bible tells us we need to know in the first stages of growing in Christ. But, we should not think too simple here. Listen to:

Hebrews 6:1-3 – “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And this we will do if God permits.”

Those don’t necessarily sound like elementary, basic truths, but they are. And if you are willing to admit that you don’t know everything about what is listed here, then you have some growing in knowledge to do. The other key issue in this stage of being rooted in Christ, when it comes to growing in knowledge is:
· Having assurance of salvation

I John 5:13 – “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Yes, it is possible to know for sure you have salvation. But, unfortunately, many people who are weak in their faith, fail and sin, and then are not quite sure if they are saved or not. The growing disciple of Christ will learn what it means to be assured of salvation, and that will be a key foundation as they continue to grow.

Now, let’s think about growing in grace in this stage. Although these are some things to do, they are not to be done in a ritualistic, legalistic way. They are to be done in the grace of God:
· Reading the Bible

Psalm 1:1-3 – “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

We are not to spend our time being influenced by the world’s philosophy and those who have bought into it. Instead, what are we to delight in? The law of the LORD – that is, the Bible.And did you notice what happens to the one who meditates on the truths of God’s Word? He is pictured as a tree, that is planted and brings forth fruit! That is what we want for our lives – it begins with being rooted in Christ through His Word.

If you read the Bible, does that guarantee that you are a fully devoted follower of Christ? Of course not! But I can guarantee you this. If you don’t read the Bible, you cannot be a fully devoted follower of Christ. Why not? Because this is not about a duty or another thing on a list of dos – I have to read my Bible; but this is about relationship. Think of your Bible as God’s love letter to you, His instruction guide for your life, and His primary way of communicating with you today.

Video: Week in the Life of a neglected Bible

It is of course, not just the single guy, who might go a full week without reading His bible, except for taking it to church. But, we all know how the media, friends, personal hobbies and fun, children, can take the place of spending time listening to and learning from God in His Word. It can happen to all of us. And don’t think of this as another rule to keep: I have to read my Bible.

See it as it is: the opportunity to grow in the most important relationship you will ever have. This is about your personal relationship with God, and the letter He has written to you, by which you will not only get to know Him better, but also know what He desires for your life.

There are all kinds of great resources and devotional materials out there. But, I must tell you, that I believe the best thing a new believer can do, the best thing any growing believer can do is to simply read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to use it to change us. Just read it.

Out on the welcome center table, there have been Bible reading schedules if you would like to follow one. On my blog, gregshalftime.gbcwestlake.org, there is the same schedule on the right side of the page. I also will be commenting on my own perception and application of those readings a couple times a week. This is a place to start. If you simply cannot take the 15-20 minutes it would take to read through the Bible in one year, then just start with reading for 5 minutes and move up from there.

Another aspect of growing in grace is:
· Prayer

It is through the Bible that God speaks to us, and it is through prayer that we talk to God. Many people from a variety of religious backgrounds learned the Lord’s Prayer growing up:

Matthew 6:9-13 – “Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

Let’s keep this very simple. In this example prayer that Jesus gave His followers, there are a few main areas that can guide us in prayer. One simple acrostic you can use, in order to pray about the things God has asked of us is the word ACTS. Many of you have seen this and used it, but I offer it as a resource for those of you who may need something to guide you in your prayer time:

Adoration – spend some time praising God for who He is – His qualities and characteristics
Confession – Spend some time agreeing with God about your sins and failures
Thanksgiving – spend some time thanking God for all He has done
Supplication – Ask God for what you want Him to do in your life and in the lives of others

If you just use this simple acrostic, you will find that time passes quickly and before you know it, you have spent many minutes just talking to God. And please keep in mind, that at its foundation, that is what prayer is: talking to God. Anyone can do it. You can do it. And if you claim to be a follower of Christ, it is crucial to talk to God if you are going to grow in grace.

The final area we want to touch in growing in grace is that of:
· Baptism

Crispus covered that pretty well, so the only thing I will say is this: Since baptism is a command of God and a sign of submission and identification to Christ, it is important that every person who claims to be a follower of Christ is baptized. Yes, even if you are scared of water, were baptized as a baby or are terrified of people seeing and hearing you give your testimony. You can do it – with God’s help. And if you have interest in that, all you have to do is tell me, and I will walk you through the process.

With each of these stages of spiritual growth, we also want to consider one church ministry emphasis that can be utilized in helping people grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. For Grace Baptist Church, our ministry emphasis for this area is our: Sunday morning worship service. This service is the main entry point for people who are new to Grace, including those who are non-believers and new believers.

Our services have non-believers in them, but we do not gear everything we do toward them. Our services have people who have been saved for many many years and are spiritually mature in Christ. They will benefit from our services but we do not gear our services for those who already know all the Bible stories and the details of deep doctrine. Our services have all kinds of different people attending. We have children who are 8 or 9 up through adults who are pushing their 90’s. We have people who have not yet come to faith in Christ and those who have been walking closely with Him for 50 years.

Therefore, I gear my messages, and we want to gear our services for those who are fairly new to the faith so that all of us can benefit. I try to speak in a way that can be easily understood and we emphasis application of biblical truth. We try not to assume that you already know everything about the Bible and Christianity, so we focus on the simple truths that are beneficial to everyone. Even if you are mature in Christ, you have the opportunity in the morning service to worship God in many ways and continue to grow in Him.

Is there a step you need to take from this stage of spiritual growth? Would you like some help? Let us know how we can pray for you and encourage you in your growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I Must Be Super Spiritual

A few people (possibly the only people) who have read my blog have mentioned to me that they noticed I was writing at 1 or 2 or later in the morning. It may have seemed as though I had either stayed up extra late or gotten up extremely early to study God's Word, pray and submit my journal writing (blog) for the day. I suppose if someone found out that I had written a blog about my devotional time, at 2:30 or 3 in the morning, they might even get the idea that I was so devoted to God, that I would get up that early to spend time with Him.

Truth is: I have not blogged at these times ever. For some reason, even though my computer screen tells me the correct time, when I blog, it records a comletely different time. Not sure why. So, this gives me the opportunity to look like I am rising early in the morning to spend time with God, when, in reality, I am in deep sleep, dreaming of chocolate cake. What a deal!

I know the temptation there is in life to be concerned about what others think of me - good or bad. And I know of people who will say or do things (me included) that are meant to give a good impression, when the reality of life is much different. There is also a lesson for me here about perceptions. What I perceive about circumstances or people is not always reality either. Things are not always as they seem.

So, if any of you thought I was super spiritual man for spending all night in prayer, you now know the truth. Lord, help me to be transparent, real, and honest, about where I am with you and where I want to be!

Bible Reading

Genesis 21,22 - The story of Abraham is an amazing one. It is a great example of God choosing to do what He chooses, when He chooses, through whom He chooses, for His own glory. Although Abraham tried to bring about God's promises his own way, he is still presented as a man of faith who trusted God to do what He promised. And God did. He came through with a baby for Sarah, even at her advanced age. At a point where you would think the climax has already taken place with the birth of this promised son, God raises the stakes.

He orders Abraham to take his son, probably now a pre-teen or teen, and offer him as a human sacrifice! Abraham was going to do it, and we are told in Hebrews why: "He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead..." - Hebrews 11:19 Abraham was ready to bring the knife down, kill his only son, and yet believe God was still going to keep His promises.

This is a challenge for me. I do believe God's promises in His Word; and yet, I find myself unwilling to take real steps of faith on a regular basis. I like things easy and comfortable. I don't see myself as a real risk taker. However, I believe God expects me to enter each day, ready to obey and ready to act and speak as He directs. This is my heart's desire, and I pray I will ready for what He has planned today.

BURN THE SHIPS

Moving into this new year, I always do some type of vision series: purpose statement, core values, vision for Grace, etc. This year, it has been laid on my heart to begin working through a discipleship process. I will be doing a series of messages on four stages of spiritual growth and what ministry emphasis our church will have for each stage. But, to lay the foundation, I am speaking today on what it means to be a disciple of Christ. It is not an easy message because it may make many people uncomfortable. The things Jesus said about being His disciple are not the things we emphasize when sharing the gospel. And yet, Jesus never led in a salvation prayer. He told people to "follow Me". So, that is the emphasis of this message; and I pray God will use it in my heart and others to more dedicated followers of His!

BURN THE SHIPS

Please turn in your Bible to Luke 14. In the Bible in front of you, it is page 905 or 924.

Just As I Am – choir
Just as I am, without one plea, But that thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, O Lamb of God, I come! I come!

[as they repeat the song] – I grew up hearing this song sung. Normally, it was sung at the end of the service, during what was called the invitation time. This was when people were encouraged to leave their seats, walk the aisle to the altar, and make a decision for Christ. At first, the idea was that the decision was a salvation decision, but over the years, it changed to pretty much any decision someone wanted to make, including needing prayer or wanting to join the membership of a church.

Thank you choir. You can come have a seat down here. The song itself has a great message to it: Jesus, I am coming to you, as a sinner, trusting that your shed blood was sufficient to save me. You have called me to yourself, and I am coming. Nothing wrong with that. However, in my few short years on this Earth, I have noticed what I would call a salvation tradition, a story that has been passed down generation to generation that I believe has caused all kinds of obstacles to Christianity and discipleship.

The story goes something like this: a person, normally a very young person, hears the story of Heaven and Hell and decides that she wants to go to Heaven. When an adult asks her if she would like to go to Heaven, she says “yes I would”. Then, the adult tells her that if she wants to go to Heaven , to pray a prayer – to repeat the words that the adult says. The child prays the prayer and is then assured by the adult that she is now saved and on her way to Heaven. The adult might even write the date in her Bible and tell her that if she ever doubts her salvation during her life, she should look at this date and know for sure that she is going to Heaven.

Now, there are many variables; and depending on different people’s experiences, this may or may not sound like the norm. However, most people I know that claim to be Christians were saved at a younger age, before they became an adult. And in most cases, they prayed a prayer that someone led them in to become a Christian. And in most cases, that is where the discipleship started and ended. They prayed a prayer, they are saved because of that, and they have been struggling to grow in faith every since. In fact, many children who prayed prayers of salvation are now adults who are not walking with God intimately and are not giving their lives for His glory.

Please understand something before we go on. I am not trying to cast doubt on your salvation or on the salvation of anyone who has prayed a certain prayer. In fact, I fully believe that I became a Christian as a very young child, and in the process, prayed a salvation prayer, led by my mom. What I want to challenge you to consider this morning is a part of what salvation is all about, but is largely ignored all together when salvation is discussed. It is clear in the Scriptures, but not normally addressed, because it makes us a little nervous. But, we must not be nervous because of what God has to say. We need to be nervous if we have allowed our traditions to overtake the Word of God.

My goal this morning is to help us be more effective followers of Christ. In fact, I am going to suggest that the phrase “followers of Christ” is a better description of what Jesus calls us to then all the other popular terms that are used and misunderstood. So, what I am going to ask you this morning is to listen carefully to the Word of God. Listen to what Jesus asked people to do: those who wanted to be “saved”; those who wanted to be “born again”; and those who wanted to become a Christian and spend eternity in Heaven.

Did Jesus have a choir sing a song and ask people to pray a prayer? If you read the whole Bible through, even several times, you will not find that that was Jesus’ practice. Instead, Jesus took a very risky, unique, approach in building up a loyal group of believers. Jesus often had large crowds following Him, as He had the opportunity to say anything that He desired. In fact, if He wanted to lead the crowds in a prayer of salvation, He could have. What did Jesus do?

Luke 14:25-33- “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

Wow! Those are some pretty powerful and thought provoking words. If anyone else in the world, beside Jesus, were to demand those types of things from us, we would rebel and refuse to follow such extreme actions and heart attitudes. Why would Jesus say these things? Was He power hungry? Was He arrogant? Was He contradicting the rest of the Bible? Those of us who know Jesus Christ would say a resounding “NO” to those questions. But, these are hard words. Why would Jesus say them? Why didn’t He just lead the crowd in a prayer of salvation?

I believe the answer is in the goal to which Jesus called people. He called them to be His disciples – His followers. If you read the gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, you read that one of the first things Jesus did in public ministry was to go to 12 specific men and to say to them what 2 words? ___________ ____:
FOLLOW ME. It is today as it was at the very beginning: Jesus calls people to be His devoted followers.

This is salvation. This is discipleship. This is what Jesus is talking about with His difficult to swallow words here in Luke 14. He was not looking for people who would say a prayer so they wouldn’t have to go to Hell; and then live life any way they wanted, for their own pleasure. That was not God’s will; and yet countless numbers of people have followed this traditional plan: to get eternal fire insurance by saying a prayer; and then selfishly going through life, never becoming a fully devoted follower of Christ. If this describes you, you can change that today. But, it means accepting what Jesus said as truth and applying it to your life.

In trying to understand the kind of commitment that Jesus is asking us to make, let’s remember a historical event, the details of which are under some debate. I will tell it as I have read it in a variety of sources:

In February 1519, after receiving vague reports of a wealthy civilization in Mexico, Diego Velásquez the then-governor of Cuba--. sent a career soldier—Spaniard Hernando Cortez--to explore the area. Soon, Cortez landed in Mexico, and he brought with him between 400-500 soldiers, 100 sailors, and between 10 and 20 horses. He soon gained political control of a key city and renouncing the authority of Velasquez, declared himself to be in supreme command. He sent a letter to King Charles I of Spain, explaining his intentions. He mentioned to the king the immense wealth of the Aztecs. It was Cortez’s desire to seize the great treasures known to be there.

How did a small band of Spanish soldiers arrive in a strange country and swiftly bring about the overthrow of a large and powerful empire that was in power for over 600 years? And how did Cortez keep his men unified, and how did he address the unhappiness and unrest that began to set in? Those of his men still loyal to the Governor of Cuba conspired to seize a ship and escape to Cuba, but Cortés moved swiftly to quash their plans. There was only one answer for Cortez. And for all the others, as long as there were ships to retreat to, retreat would remain an option.

According to Andy Stanley, in his book: Choosing to Cheat: “For Cortez, the answer was easy. It was all or nothing! A Complete and Total Commitment. Here’s how Cortez got the “buy in” from the rest of his men. He took away the option of failure. It was conquer and be hero’s and enjoy the spoils of victory…or DIE! When Cortez and his men arrived on the shores of the Yucatan he rallied the men for one final pep talk before leading his men into battle, and utters these three words that changed the course of history: ‘Burn the Ships’.
He met with resistance from his men. ‘Burn the ships,’ he repeated. He then uttered these words ‘if we are going home, we are going home in their ships’. With that, Cortez and his men burned their own ships, and by burning their own ships, the commitment level of the men was raised to a whole new level. A level much higher than any of the men, including Cortez, could have ever imagined. They had no way to get back. Their backs were to the wall. The only way for complete victory was complete commitment.”

This is what Jesus asks from His followers. Let’s look again at Luke 14, and see that Jesus was helping His potential followers understand that this was not discipleship on a trial basis. This was not like an advertisement that says: try Jesus for 30 days; and if you aren’t 100% satisfied with being a disciple, your money back! That was not Jesus’ offer. He was offering salvation, but it had to be on his terms. And no, it wasn’t about a works salvation. It was about true faith. Only those with true faith would be willing to follow Jesus in the way He demanded!

Luke 14:25 - “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them”

I do think it is significant that Jesus, in a moment where He could have said anything, decided to give a call for total commitment like the phrase: “Burn the Ships”, telling them what they would need to commit to in order to be His follower; and it was anything but easy!

Luke 14:26 – “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

Wow! What kind of statement is that? “anyone who does not hate his family cannot be my disciple”? It would much easier to swallow, I think, if He stated it here as he states it in:

Matthew 10:37 – “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”

That is a little more palatable. But he uses the word hate to make a very emphatic point. In fact, he uses hyperbole to make his point very well. Hyperbole is exaggeration for effect. We know he wants us to love our families and make them a priority. But, in talking about discipleship, He wants it to be crystal clear. You want to follow me? Then, your devotion to me must be so strong that it may seem at times that you hate your family. Why?

“Because I take precedence over your closest relationships in life. You want to follow me? Then you will choose me over your families’ wishes every time. And if, because of that, your family does not think you love them, then so be it.” Jesus was not being mean. He was stating the fact of what commitment it takes to follow Him. He didn’t make it easy. He was, as Cortez did, burning a ship. For our understanding, let’s state it this way: A follower (disciple) of Christ:

· Treats God as more important than family

Luke 14:27 – “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

There was no mistaking, in that day, what Jesus was talking about with this phrase. We sometimes like to sterilize this statement and talk about bearing a cross in our lives because: we have a disobedient child or a boss that is tough to please; or we are bearing our cross because we can’t eat as many desserts as we want or some other trivial thing. But, when Jesus said if you want to follow me you have to carry your own cross, he was burning another ship.

The people knew that a cross was a symbol for death; and that it could be a possibility if they followed Christ. It meant humility, shame and guilt. It meant being treated like a criminal, whether you were guilty of the crime or not. Anyone carrying a cross down the road was on their way to be crucified as a criminal. This was not a soft, easy statement. Let me put it this way. A follower (disciple) of Christ:

· Has a humble willingness to suffer

Christianity is not about safety. It is not about comfort. It is about going wherever God leads and doing whatever He has asked us to go, regardless of what people think of us and any other consequence that may come.

In his book, Don’t Waste Your Life, John Piper says:
“Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a gift to my generation of students. I pray that his costly message will be rediscovered in each generation. Even though he died at the age of thirty-nine, his life was not wasted. His life and death continue to speak with power. He was hanged in the concentration camp at Flossenburg, Germany, on April 9, 1945. He had been a pastor and teacher and leader of a small training school for the confessing church and had participated in the Protestant resistance movement against the Nazis.

The book that set fire to the faith of thousands in my generation was called The Cost of Discipleship. Probably the most famous and life-shaping sentence in the book was, ‘The cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise God-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ.’ When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die. Fleeing from death is the shortest path to a wasted life.

Bonhoeffer’s book was a massive indictment of the ‘cheap grace’ that he saw in the Christian Church on both sides of the Atlantic. He believed in justification by grace through faith. But he did not believe that the faith that justifies could ever leave people unchanged by the radical Christ they claim to believe. That was a cheap response to the Gospel. The only man, he said, who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ.”

This quote caught my attention: [on screen] “But he did not believe that the faith that justifies could ever leave people unchanged by the radical Christ they claim to believe.”

Please listen carefully. Do not misunderstand what I am saying this morning. As the Bible says so clearly: We are saved by grace through faith in who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for us – PERIOD. But, we must also listen to what else the Bible says, to what Jesus says about people who claim to follow Him. He never intended for people to just pray a prayer to stay out of Hell. His intention was for people to make the commitment to follow Him – to follow Jesus Christ for the rest of their lives. That is what Jesus emphasized. And that sometimes means pain, suffering; and it definitely means the willingness to be humble. He was burning another ship.

Luke 14:28-32 – “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish. Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.”

What is Jesus saying with these illustrations? A follower (disciple) of Christ:
· Counts the cost

Jesus did not say to the large crowd: Do you want to go to Heaven or Hell?; and then follow that up by saying: If you want to go to Heaven, repeat after me. He could have done that – He never did that! Instead he said: Don’t make a rash decision. Don’t just give into your emotions because the choir is singing Just As I Am. Don’t just make the decision because the person next to you made the decision. Count the cost.

A builder must do it before starting construction. A military commander must do it before entering into battle. A Christ follower must do it before praying a prayer. That might make you a little uneasy. It doesn’t need to. Listen: I am not saying that when you trusted in Christ, probably by praying a prayer, that you had to understand everything that came with Christianity. It is a free gift – salvation is – that God offers us through His Son.
But, when Jesus gave the gospel presentation, this is how He decided to do it. He is saying to you today, whether you have prayed a prayer or not: I want you to follow me. I want you to make this commitment. I want you make sure you have counted the cost. Well, Greg, what kind of costs are we talking about here? You name it, and it might be one of the prices you pay for following Christ. You never know.

Listen to some of the costs Jesus made clear to those who wanted to follow Him. What was Jesus saying the cost would be for them? What are some more ships to burn if you want to follow Christ?

Jesus was talking to a rich young ruler – a man with power and wealth – who was saying that he wanted to be a follower of Christ.

Luke 18:22-27 – “When Jesus heard this, he said to him, One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. Jesus, seeing that he had become sad, said, How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. Those who heard it said, Then who can be saved? But he said, What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Luke 16:13 – “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

When Jesus says to count the cost, one of those costs is our:
Costs: Money

Jesus may not ask you to sell all you have and give it to the poor. But, He makes it very clear. To follow Him means you choose Him over money. It means you understand that every penny you have comes from Him and is to be used for His purposes. He may not ask for all your money, but He does ask for you to give at least 10% of what you earn or receive back to Him through your local church. He does ask you to give more offerings on top of that amount to people or ministries that are in need. He does ask you to be willing to follow His lead when He asks you to give financially anytime anywhere. Count the cost. Another cost?

Luke 9:57,58– “As they were going along the road, someone said to him, I will follow you wherever you go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

Jesus was saying: don’t think it is going to be easy. Following me may cost you:
Security. I don’t have a home. Would you be willing to follow me if it meant that you had to leave your home or your state or your country? Steve and Michelle Glick are following the call of God to Asia Minor, not because they don’t enjoy the freedoms or comforts here in the States, or being around family; but because this is all about following Christ. Christ does not promise us security or safety. To follow Christ means it might cost you your security. Count the cost.

Luke 9:59,60 – “To another he said, Follow me. But he said, Lord, let me first go and bury my father. And Jesus said to him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

Luke 9:61,62 – “Yet another said, I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home. Jesus said to him, No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

Was Jesus anti-family? Of course not. But, understand something. This was not someone asking if they could make a quick cell phone call or take a drive home, pack their bags and give hugs and kisses. These were people who wanted to go back home with their families until it more convenient: until their father would pass away; until it seemed like the right time. And Jesus said: You want to follow me? It may cost you: Relationships

Believe me – I have seen it happen. A young person commits their life to Christ, and God leads them to consider ministry of some kind – maybe to be a pastor or a missionary. Instead of throwing a party and being proud of their children for their decision to follow the call of Christ, do you know what some parents have done? They try to talk their children out of it. They talk about the difficulties of being in ministry, the low pay, the insecurity. They talk of the dangers of being a missionary, and God forbid that you would leave the great United States of America – in these dangerous days? And they load on guilt, they make bribes – if you go to this school and stay near home, we will pay your tuition. You don’t believe parents do that? It happens. And this is just one little example of how following Christ may cost you relationships.

If you follow Christ at work, it may cost you a promotion, a raise or even your job. I’m not talking about being excessive, trying to cause problems by pushing your faith. I’m talking about simply doing what Christ asks you to do, regardless of what it might cost you. You can fill in the blanks with all kinds of examples and areas of life. But, this is one of the costs that Jesus said: you need to count.

We see another major cost in a conversation Jesus had with his disciples:
Mark 8:29,31-33 – “And he asked them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the Christ…And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Here was a disciple of Jesus Christ, one of the 12 who said the same thing they all said in different places: We are your followers. We believe in you. However, after Jesus shared God’s plan for His death, Peter rebuked Him! But, Jesus rebuked him in the presence of all the disciples because Peter was not in charge, but was thinking only about his own plans and desires – the way he would like to see the world. What was Jesus saying, or what would He say to us? You want to follow me? It may cost you: Your Will

Peter thought he had a better plan than God’s! But, the truth is: We all have plans for our life and how we would like to see things happen. We have plans for our country, our government, our family, our kids, our work, our finances, our church, etc. It is ok to tell God what we would like. Even Jesus Himself told the Father what He wanted. But, He ended that prayer the way we must end ours: “Not my will, but yours be done.”

If you want to follow Christ, you will need to set aside your fantasy of how life will go; and turn your will over to God. If you want to live life your way, then don’t follow Christ. Jesus said: Count the cost.

Stories aboud of people who make a decision, revealing what they have put their trust in. And it is sometimes hard to tell if they have truly counted the cost.
· 50 people on a holiday-shopping trip to Lille, France, ended up 100 miles away after the driver followed his satellite navigation system to another Lille- the one in Belgium. He committee himself completely to what his computer system told him – and he was wrong and I’m sure had 50 very angry people to deal with!

· Two Ohio college students face 20 years in prison after robbing a bank – done, they say, because they couldn’t pay their tuition. They made a commitment, and it will affect the rest of their lives.

· A candidate for Grant County sheriff in Wisconsin legally changed his name to Andy Griffith, in the hope that a little of that Mayberry magic will rub off on his campaign. If you change your name so people will identify you with a television personality and hopefully vote for you in politics, you are committed; or should be committed…somewhere.

· For the third time this year, a doctor at a Rhode Island hospital performed brain surgery in the wrong side of a patient’s head. The hospital has been fined $50,000 – that’s all? Brain surgery seems like a pretty big commitment to me, don’t you think? It might be important to have someone operating who you completely trust!

That is really what we are talking about today. True followers of Christ are not professing Christians, in it just to stay out of Hell. True followers of Christ have committed themselves to following Christ, wherever He leads, whatever He asks – till death. This is not a commitment to church, but to Christ. This is not a commitment to perfection, but to pursuing Christ.

And this leads us back, to the final verse of this passage in Luke 14:

Luke 14:33 – “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

A follower (disciple) of Christ:
· Will give up anything

Jesus said:Matthew 10:39 – “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

What would this look like in our attitude and motivation? Listen to what -
The Apostle Paul said:
Acts 20:24 – “But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

A follower of Christ may not sell everything and go live in a cave. There have been people in history who thought the answer to Christianity was to give up every convenience and go live quietly in place far away from other people. The problem is: that is not what God has called us to. He has called us to be in this world of people but not to be a part of this world’s philosophy, that is opposed to the ways of God. You may not have to give up all you have, but you have to give up your ownership of it. A follower of Christ recognizes that he is a steward of what God owns and has given him – not the owner who can do whatever he wants with it.

A follower of Christ does not love this world’s system, although he may enjoy living. He understands that this life is temporal and that all that can be gained in this world will pass away. He is living for eternal things even while he lives his short life here. A follower of Christ has embraced what Jesus said with this rhetorical question:

Mark 8:36– “ For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”

If you are going to commit yourself to following Christ, you have to burn the ships. Don’t even contemplate going back to your life without Christ. The Bible says that when you come to Christ, your life changes, and it is supposed to be seen in how you live life. This may mean you have to get rid of a friendship that is an obstacle to your commitment to Christ. This may mean that you have to put away some good things, good activities in order to follow Christ. Christ is asking you to be willing to sacrifice absolutely anything.

What is your answer? This is the call of Christ to you – all of you. Follow me. I can say something to you with upmost certainty. That if Jesus Christ appeared to us this morning and came forward to address all of us, He would say something like this: Follow Me. I don’t believe He would ask you if you think you are born again or even a Christian or even if you said a prayer at some time in your life. He would ask if you are willing to give up your life in order to gain your life – to give up the temporal for the eternal – to give up the trivial for the truly important.

Will you follow Me? If He asks you that question, I don’t think he would appreciate this answer: Well, Jesus, I did pray when I was a kid – “I’m sure I’m going to Heaven.” He might say to you: That’s not what I asked. Will you follow me?” “Well, Jesus, I will try – I’m not perfect you know”. He might respond: That’s not what I am asking of you. Will you follow me?

There are some great verses in Scripture that are used many times in leading someone into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ:

Romans 10:9, 10 – “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”

One phrase, however, that is often overlooked, is truly key for this discussion of being a follower of Christ: “confess with your mouth that Jesus is [what?] LORD!
Lord means master. Naming Him Lord of your life means you are recognizing that He is not just the only one who can save you from your sins, but he is also the one who is in control of your life; and you are submitting your life to Him. Even if you didn’t realize that you were doing that when you became a believer in Christ, hopefully you can see that it is what God requires. Are you a follower of Christ?

I didn’t ask if you were a Baptist. I didn’t ask if you were a religious person. I didn’t ask if you said a prayer. I am not asking if you are able to perfectly live out your commitments (because none of us can fully). I am asking what I truly believe Jesus Christ Himself would ask you: Are you a follower of Christ? Have you entered into a relationship with Him and burned all the ships?

Today is a great day, here at the beginning of a new year, for you to make a commitment to Jesus Christ. This commitment is to be His follower. Whether you have ever prayed a prayer or not, I want to challenge you to make this commitment. You will fail in some ways on a daily basis. But, so did His original disciples, the followers He personally chose. He is asking you: Will you follow me?

You are being handed commitment cards this morning so that you can make any commitment you are ready to make and let us know about it. If you are not ready to make one today, feel free to take this with you and fill it out at another time. If, however, God has worked on your heart today; and you are ready to make a commitment, there is no better time then right now. As the song plays, I encourage you to pray, and to mark your commitment down. Then, because we would love to pray for you about your commitment, we encourage you to take your cards to the welcome center table following the service and drop them off there; or you can hand them to myself or an usher. Let’s take this time to consider our commitments:

Burn the Ships
Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott

In the spring of 1519 a Spanish fleet set sail. Cortez told his sailors this mission must not fail. On the eastern shore of Mexico they landed with great dreams. But the hardships of the new world made them restless and weak. Quietly they whispered, "Let's sail back to the life we knew". But the one who led them there was saying Burn the ships, we're here to stay. There's no way we could go back now that we've come this far by faith. Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return. Our life is here. So let the ships burn

In the spring of new beginnings a searching heart set sail. Looking for a new life and a love that would not fail. On the shores of grace and mercy we landed with great joy. But an enemy was waiting to steal, kill, and destroy. Quietly he whispers, "Go back to the life you knew"But the one who led us here is saying, Burn the ships, we're here to stay. There's no way we could go back now that we've come this far by faith. Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return. Our life is here, So let the ships burn. Nobody said it would be easy, but the one who brought us here is never gonna leave us alone

Burn the ships, we're here to stay. There's no way we could go back now that we've come this far by faith. Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return. Our life is here so let the ships burn.

Bible Reading Today

Genesis 8:1 - "But God remembered Noah...and made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided."

It wasn't that God was busy doing something and all of a sudden, he thought: "oh yeah, I forgot about Noah down there with the stinky animals in the ark!" No, He knew all along what was going on. But, this was the way that God wanted us to know that He was ready to act. When He "remembers", He acts on our behalf. His action here was to begin to dry up the water from the earth so that Noah, his family and the animals could come on dry ground again.

Matthew 4 - One of the things that impresses my heart the most with Jesus' temptations is that he fought them off with the quoting of Scripture. This was His weapon and His defense. For me, it means I have to know the Word of God well enough, to hide it in my heart. This will allow it to come to mind in times of temptation.

Bible Reading today

Genesis 5:24 - "Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him."
Easy to miss jewels like this in the midst of a list of names and repeated phrases. But, it does stick out and it is something to meditate on. Enoch walked with God. It seems to be connected to the fact that God took him without death. In a couple other places, we are told that Enoch was a man of faith and that he taught what God told Him to, including the hard task of opposing false teachers.

I want to be known as a man who walked with God. That begins with my pursuit of God today.

Genesis 6:5,6 tell us that God saw the wickedness of man and was sorry for creating Him. That is something to dwell on. How sad to think that the creation God said was "very good" was then looked on as "continually wicked", and all because of the sin of man. And yet, in the midst of the sin and consequence of complete destruction through the flood, God saves a remnant and gives hope for the future - thank you God!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

It is now 2008, and I begin the challenge of remembering to write the new year down instead of the previous. But, one of the things I absolutely love about a new year is the freshness of it. It is a time of new beginnings, of starting over, of having a second chance. At least, that is the way it strikes me most years. I choose not to look at the terrible things that might happen, or the great things that will probably not hapen; but instead,I choose to consider what great things God might have in mind to do this new year. And I do define "great" by what God considers to be great and for His glory.

Every other year, I read through the Bible. I admit that, some years, I get distracted or hurried and just read to read and say I have done my duty. But, this year I am taking measures that wil help me get the most out of my reading and prayer time. I am setting aside one hour each day, at the beginning of the day, in order to spend time with God. This might sound legalistic to some, or just routine, but for me, it is energizing. It is what I need. I know that if I will set aside that hour (no less than 60 minutes), I will be able to relax and just take the time that I need to spend with my God before each day.

I am following a Bible reading schedule I received from Faith Baptist Bible College in Ankeny, Iowa. It has me reading 2 Old Testament chapters, 1 Psalm, and 1 New Testament chapter every weekday; and then 2 Old Testament chapters on Saturday and Sunday. This will help me not get too bogged down in tougher parts to read in the Scriptures; and it will give me the opportunity to gain from different kinds of biblical literature at the same time.

This morning, there were 3 main thoughts that I dwelt on as I read:
Genesis 2:25 - "They were naked and not ashamed"
This struck me, that even though in our world today, people are naked and seemingly not ashamed, this was entirely different. When Adam and Eve, still without sin at that point, were not ashamed, it was because of their absolute purity. When people today are not ashamed of nakedness, it because of their absolute depravity. What a contrast.

Psalm 1:6 - "The LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly will perish."
I couldn't help but think of the terrible proclamation Jesus Christ will make to the majority (I am assuming) of people one day: "I never knew you" [just before He sends them to everlasting punishment].

Matthew 1:23 - Immanuel means "God with us".
What an exciting thing to celebrate coming off of Christmas and into a new year. When Jesus Chrst came to Earth, He personally entered our space as a complete human being for the first time - and in doing so, we experienced God. He was now with us in a way He had never been before. In the way that had to take place for Scripture to be fulfilled and for us to be saved.

Thank you God!

May this year with God be like no other.