discipleship

Weddings, Social Politics, and Seating Charts

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Do you care where you sit?

7Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”  Luke 14:7-11

What was obvious to Jesus is also obvious to others. When we are eager for respect, honour, position, status, we will climb over others to get into the seat of honour. Those who demand honour cannot calibrate the mind of a greater host. We are at the mercy of the host; to act otherwise is to show our smallness, pettiness, jealousy, vanity, and fear.

Jesus’ words here are not just wisdom for endearing ourselves to others by refusing to manipulate social politics for personal gain. Jesus is showing us the basic internal posture of kingdom citizens. His Kingdom citizens entrust themselves to the Host of the Great Wedding Feast. We are His servants, invited to His party, and He decides how, when, where, and why to exalt us.

Humility is a choice. It only becomes unconscious and part of our character when we are glad to be at the party with Jesus and anyone else He has included. Humility becomes our character as we are extraordinarily confident and secure in the Father’s love and acceptance of us through Christ Jesus our Lord. Then it doesn’t matter where we sit.

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What starts now.

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27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me,is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”  John 10:27-30

Jesus is talking His relationship with the people who become His disciples.

They know Him. Now.

He is speaking with them. Now.

They are following Him. Now.

They have life. Now.

They have a victory over death. Now.

They are securely in His grip. Now.

They are the gift of the Heavenly Father to Jesus. Now.

They are simultaneously in the Father’s hand. Now.

I’m so glad for the grace to be living what starts now.

 

Jesus didn’t write a book.

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17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.  Matthew 4:17-22

Jesus didn’t write a discipleship book. Instead He invited people to put their faith in Him. Instead He called disciples to be with Him. And in the process, the Scripture He inspired speaks to us today. We can truly say, Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) For He is the subject of our faith and He is the one who animates our faith for His glory.

But it starts with the invitation to be with Him. Discipleship is in relationship. All the reflective processes are engaged and the Spirit of God brings change. Discipleship is not just about knowledge. Its about the adjustment of obedience generated by Jesus in our lives.

Jesus called disciples into relationship:  Follow me.

Jesus promised to change them: I will make you…

And Jesus promised to engage them in His Kingdom mission: I will make you fishers of men.

So, when we read His book, the Bible, our ambition is to get to know The Author… the author and perfecter of our faith.

 

Leak Jesus

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7But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.  2 Corinthians 4:7-11

When the pressure is on may we leak Jesus. He’s on the inside making the difference. He is the treasure contained in our lives now as we are filled up by Him. God raised Jesus from the dead that now by His Spirit we who have been given grace to know Him, may demonstrate that the power for love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, come not from us, but from Him. We are living from the inside out.

In the grip of shame or the grip of God?

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1But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
Isaiah 43:1

When you are in the grip of shame, you feel disowned.

When you are in the grip of shame, you believe you are unlovable.

Shame keeps you attached to sin.

But here is our assurance through Christ:

He redeems us; has gone to great lengths, all the way to the cross

to cover our shame.

11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  Titus 2:11 – 14

When you are in the grip of God, you arrived there because He called you by name.

When you are in the grip of God, you know you are His.

God frees you from the grip of sin.