Meeting with Jesus Conclusion (02-11-16)

Imagine what the world would be like if people lived as Jesus did? Followers of Jesus, motivated by their personal experience of God’s love, insist on pressing selfless and extravagant love into the darkest, most broken places of the world, no matter what the cost, no matter what the obstacles, no matter what the man-made boundaries. They do it compassionately, boldly, creatively, and persistently because it’s what Jesus did and they follow him. His love compels them and empowers them. That’s what it means to be a Christian.

Remember the previous story about the children lined up for lunch in the cafeteria of their religious school? Imagine the atmosphere created among the kids if the sign above the bowl full of apples read, “Take as many as you want. God is watching.” And then at the end of the line, above the tray of cookies, another sign said, “Take as many as you want. God is watching these, too.” And at each station, the teachers were there smiling and laughing as they gave an abundance of apples and cookies to every student. What picture of God would these children begin to develop? What example of living would the teachers (the God followers) be exhibiting?

Would that be the kind of environment you’d enjoy spending time in? Would those be the kind of people you’d like to hang around and maybe even help serve with? 

The Marks of a Jesus Follower (Part II 02-10-16)

They don’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

Love in action. Here’s the kind of practical and unselfish love Jesus describes his followers enthusiastically giving:

“I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (Matthew 25:35-40, NLT)

The Marks of a Jesus Follower (Part II 02-09-16)

Using whatever resources you have to show compassion to those who are suffering and in need is exhibiting Christ-like action for that person.

Jesus’ story of the good Samaritan illustrates this kind of compassion (Luke 10:30-38). When a Samaritan traveler on business happens upon a severely wounded Jew who’s been robbed and beaten up, the Samaritan immediately uses all his resources to show compassion: he risks personal safety to stop and help, he uses his personal supplies to clean the wounds and bandage the man up, he puts the wounded man on his donkey and takes him to the closest Inn, he pays for the man’s room in the Inn for as long as needed and any potential medical care, and then he returns later to check on him. And to do all this, the Samaritan has to willingly cross multiple boundaries and taboos, risking his entire reputation with the folks back home. Not a great business plan! But he does this because he’s motivated, as Jesus specifically states, by “compassion.” Whether this man knew Christ or not, he was, by definition, a follower of the way of Christ. Today’s Christ followers offer intentional and bold compassion with whatever they possess, too.

The Marks of a Jesus Follower part I (02-08-15)

What kind of behavior do followers of Jesus exhibit? How do people act who are truly following Jesus?

1. They “give up their lives” for others. 

What does that mean? Must you literally die to give your life for a person?

No. John is describing Jesus’ way of life, a willingness to live out the fullness of Himself by unselfish giving. Long before Jesus hung on the cross He had already given up His life for people.

He willingly crossed national, religious, ethnic and social barriers to bring healing and help to powerless, hurting, and marginalized people.

He willingly stained his reputation by associating with “sinners,” people considered to be under God’s judgment because of their lifestyle or failures.

He ate meals with anybody who was interested, high and low, “in” and “out,” famous and infamous, the successful and the losers.

He showed the value and worth of women, children, the chronically ill, the disabled, and ethnic minorities.

He regularly interrupted his busy and strategic schedule to pay attention to people in need. He refused to kick off of his leadership team those whom he knew would fail him miserably.

Jesus “gave up his life” boldly, creatively and extravagantly over and over again long before he went to the cross. That, too, writes John the disciple, is what Jesus’ followers do.

Following Jesus With A Life of Compassion (02-04-16)

So what does it look like when followers of Christ serve and love like Jesus? Does it involve bombing abortion clinics in order to demonstrate the human sanctity of life? Does it involve gay bashing and violent protests again gay marriage in order to demonstrate the sanctity of marriage? Does it involve kicking people out of the church who have failed in order to demonstrate the purity of the church? Does it involve consigning people who don’t accept “the Truth” to eternal judgment in order to demonstrate the significance of correct doctrine? Does it involve fearing to befriend people who don’t believe like you in order to protect the safety of the church? Does it involve condemning AIDS as God’s judgment on sin in order to demonstrate the holiness of God? What does it look like when Christ followers serve and love like Jesus?

Mahatma Gandhi, the Hindu leader who created a global movement of social transformation through nonviolence, once said, “I love your Christ. It’s Christians I can’t stand.” Isn’t he actually describing what should be considered an oxymoron? How can there be a disconnect between Jesus and the followers of Jesus? Aren’t they supposed to be one and the same in character, principle and behavior? Shouldn’t the Gandhis of the world be able to love Christ’s followers because they in turn love Christ and live like Him? Loving one is loving the other.

The disciple John understood this perfectly. So he challenged the believers of his day, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” (1 John 3:16--18, NLT)

Following Jesus With a Life of Confidence (02-02-16)

One of the intriguing descriptions the disciple John (author of at least five books in the Bible) gives to himself is the disciple who often is leaning up close to Jesus, his head either on Jesus’ chest or shoulder (John 13:22-25). “The disciple Jesus loved” is his designation. Apparently, John was especially close to Jesus and therefore boldly loyal.

The night Jesus was arrested and sent to His execution, John is the one disciple who refuses to run away in fear and instead follows as closely as possible to Jesus. And years later, when John has been banished by the Roman authorities to a little island off the coast of Turkey, he documents (in the Bible document called “Revelation”) his visions of Jesus returning to earth at the end of time as the triumphant liberator.

In all his letters John writes with boldness and confidence, brimming with a sense of security from knowing Jesus, deeply experiencing His love and eagerly anticipating Jesus’ return. Here is one of those passages: “And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.” (1 John 4:17--18, NLT)

John writes these words facing a very uncertain future since the Roman authorities are actively persecuting Christians. And yet his words exude great confidence and lack of fear. He’s completely secure in his connection with God, unafraid of the future. He’s being empowered by his love with Jesus. He’s living in that love and the more he acknowledges it, relishes it and lives in it, the deeper and more complete that love becomes. And with every deepening comes greater confidence. He calls it “perfect love.”

The disciple known as “the one Jesus loved” … the disciple who was often leaning up against Jesus’ chest so closely he could hear Jesus’ heart beat … the disciple who, when Jesus was hanging on the cross with life violently being ripped away, stood at the foot of the cross and heard Jesus say about his executioners, “Father, forgive them because they don’t know what they’re doing” … the disciple who watched Jesus during the moments of his greatest suffering remember to provide for his mother by giving her to John and giving John to her … this disciple experienced so intimately the unselfish and extravagant love of Jesus that he described it as “perfect love.” And it empowered him with absolute confidence and assurance.

Have you noticed the difference between people who are fearful and insecure and those who are confident? Who would you rather be around? Jesus’ followers are genuinely confident people, not because they have life all together, not because they’re perfect, not because they know it all, not even because everything always goes smoothly. They’re not arrogant. They’re not presumptuous. They aren’t intimidated by what others think of them or think they should be. They’re not insecure with having mystery and the unexplainable. They’re not afraid of differences of opinion. They’re not threatened by diversity. But they are secure: they know who they are and to whom they belong. They have complete confidence and assurance in God’s love for them and their love for God and their ultimate destiny.

Consequently, they can live with boldness, like the One they follow. They can serve others freely no matter what the cost, like Jesus. They can love sacrificially because they hold everything with an open hand. They don’t grasp tightly, they give extravagantly. Only free, confident, secure people can live like that; Jesus’ way of living!

Disciple John remembers clearly that night in the upper room when Jesus, Rabbi and Lord, took off his robe, put on the servant’s towel, picked up the pitcher and basin, and washed the disciples’ dirty feet. John got it when he later reflected on the scene and described how Jesus could do such a radical act of service and love:

“Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet.” (John 13:3-5, NLT)

Jesus revealed the key to serving boldly and unselfishly: being confident and secure in who you are and where you’re going and how God feels about you. Only the truly confident, who know they are completely embraced by God unconditionally, can unashamedly and courageously serve and love extravagantly.

Following Jesus (02-01-16)

So what does being a Jesus’ follower look like? Herein there is much confusion and misunderstanding. After all, if all you knew about Jesus and God were what you saw in people who called themselves Christians, what picture would you have? Would it be positive, progressive, open-minded, inclusive, humble, and extravagantly compassionate? Or would it be exclusive, traditional, judgmental, critical, arrogant and self-absorbed? Or would it be a mix of the two? What would you learn about Jesus and God by simply observing Christians?

Admittedly, no one, no matter what their views of life and religion, is perfect. No one lives in complete alignment with their cherished values. No one lives consistently in congruency. We all are challenged to “practice what we preach.” That seems to be a painful human reality. So we are hard put to have the audacity to judge others.

That said, however, how we live our lives does go a long way toward giving credibility (or not) to what we believe. And so it is significant that Christianity embraces much more than simply what a person believes and values about Jesus and God. Christianity (being a follower of Jesus) involves not only cherishing Jesus but especially cherishing Jesus’ way of living. Central to following Jesus is placing His values and what He came to reveal about God as the pattern for contemporary living.

So what should that look like? Over the next couple of days we are going to examine this a bit closer.