Pastors

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:5

The lives of Christians would be a lot easier if we did not teach these truths; and, this is a big reason why most of us Pastors are weak in our faith (but many will never admit it) and most Christians just sit in their pews and do nothing. This is why many churches no longer teach Truth, but rather false doctrine, liberal ideas, and/or spend all their time chasing trends. It is easier to sit and believe what we already desire and to be entertained rather than to walk in and obey what we ought to believe. It is much easier to believe what we want and look up at Jesus on occasion, but never get up to follow. It is easier to have Christ as a part of us, but our call and obligation is to have Him as THE part of us. This is about Lordship; Is Christ Lord over you? Has He come to bear upon your life? Who is He to you? Who are you in Him? Can you answer these questions? If not, what is in the way? His redemptive work must break your will so you are in Him and He is not just A way, but THE WAY (John 3:30)! Nevertheless, if we never follow, we can never be fishermen or teach others to be.

God calls us out of the darkness and into the light. He tells us that we need to know our neighbors and their objections, but not let that deter us from His plan. We cannot just take our beliefs and keep them in a secret huddle. A football team that wants to win does not hold a huddle so the quarterback can get some sleep, so he can say and do nothing. No, the huddle is to unleash the plan of action that the coach has called them to do. Our Christian faith is based on the cross of Christ, but it does not stop there, as the start of a football game does not stop at the toss of the coin. We are called to do and obey with the gifts and abilities that our Lord has given us.

God calls us to respond; the passage in 1 Peter 3:15 calls us to respond. It must be an action. We are encouraged to respond with passion, boldness, compassion, clarity, truth, and tact. The Roman Empire persecuted the Christians because their faith went against Roman beliefs, even though Roman philosophy had an almost anything goes attitude (just as American culture does today, but these same anything goes people are very intolerant to Truth.) However, with Christ, anything does not go, and without Christ, we do not go. We will run into people who are offended, but we need to take heed and comfort from the Lord through His Word. Christ says we are sinful and that He is the only way; people say, "No, I am my own way." So, by obeying Him, we may cause conflict and strife and even experience rejection and persecution. Accept it as the challenge and call that it is. Remember, we are not responsible for how others treat us; we are only responsible for how we treat them.

Keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 1 Peter 3:16

Peter says we can do it. "Do this with gentleness and respect." This is our call. Being ready is a big part of the Christian life, and the defense is to know what you believe and why; thus, our passion should be to lovingly give a response, even in the midst of hostile reactions and the threat of persecution.

"No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) This may seem like a strange passage for the city folks, but what this means is that we are to put forth the effort. Putting our "hand to the plow" means we are to use the necessary means and determination to accomplish the task He gives. A field does not plow itself; and without plowing, the field will not be ready or usable, and thus no harvest will come about. It comes down to removing our "me first" mental attitude and replacing it with a "Christ first" determination; then the fish/harvest will come. For the farmer to farm, he must have a symbiotic relationship with God. The farmer can neither make it rain nor create the soil or the seeds. The farmer is given the seeds, the soil, and the ability from God, but it is up to the farmer to prepare the field, plant the crops, and then care for them until the harvest is ready. It is the same with evangelism. He gives us the ability and reason, and He saves; it is His work, but He uses us in the process to deliver His message.

The Desire Not To Follow

Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." Matthew 8:21-22

I want to challenge you to see some of the root reasons that people use to turn you off when you evangelize. By knowing these common objections (we will look at more of them in the coming chapters), you will understand why people respond the way they do, and you will not take things so personally. That way, you will not be turned off from doing evangelism. This will give you greater confidence; you will know how people respond, and you can be a better listener and evangelist. We first need to ask, what are my objections? What stopped me before? What can still stop me? What do I fear giving up or where do I fear to go?

When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Matthew 7:28-29

People will not follow because they are too caught up in their own lives and are unwilling, and even unable, to look up to Christ. This passage reveals some seemingly strange happenings and words coming from Jesus. Large crowds often followed Jesus, attracted by His teachings (Matthew 7:28-8:1) and His miracles (Matthew. 8:16-18). This time, He saw a large crowd coming toward Him and He ditched them. Then, individual people came up to Him and He turned them away, too. He even turned away a Jewish leader. Jesus gave the impression that He was pushing people away who had come to Him, which would have been in direct opposition to His character and mission. So, what was going on here?

This passage stresses the radical demands of Jesus' call. His call is above all else for Christians. The practice of our faith so we will grow in Him is what God's will is all about, and what we are to be doing in our personal lives and in our churches. This is discipleship. Nothing else is more important. Period! At the same time that He gives us this call, a great cost is placed before us that we need to accept. It is a cost that He paid on the cross, a cost of our will. It is a sacrifice of all, as in everything we may think is important in life, except that with eternity in mind, it is not. But, most people do not realize that the things they are chasing in life are really meaningless and worthless from an eternal perspective.

We need to understand that none of these people were really turned away by our Lord. Rather, they turned away of their own will because they just wanted a show. They had no intention of actually following Him. Those who said they wanted to follow Him refused to pay the cost. Remember, our Lord knows what is in our hearts and what is motivating us. Jesus desires for us to grow in Him, not to merely seek a show. The scribe said, I will follow you. He was, perhaps, requesting an apprenticeship, to study under Him and learn. Most people back then followed in their family's business or trade. There were many schools for the basic education of how to read, write, and learn the law, but there were few organized schools or universities for professional learning. People who did not want to follow their family's trade would seek out a good teacher and plead for them to take them in and mentor them. In the process, they would become a servant to the mentor, or do whatever it took to get his attention and admiration, as well as learn from him. Then, one day they would go somewhere else and take over or franchise what they had learned. This could be any professional trade, from carpentry to philosophy. Jesus did both roles. Here, several people came to Jesus seeking His mentoring. Jesus saw their real intentions. Perhaps, these men had ulterior motives; they were not honest in their approach. Maybe, they just wanted to go with Him to see more of His miracles. Maybe, they were seeking to cash in on Jesus' fame, or make a name for themselves, while uninterested in godly pursuits or real discipleship and learning. The main question is, what are your intentions?

Me First!

Then he said to them, "Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For he who is least among you all-he is the greatest." Luke 9:48

It was common for Greek teachers and philosophers to make difficult demands on their potential students to test their resolve, commitment, and intentions. These demands were meant to discourage people who had bad intentions and ulterior motives from taking up valuable time and resources. The best teachers would only take in a few of the worthiest students, just as most universities do today with screening processes. Jesus' own profession as a carpenter was considered a very good profession. Many sought to get into it because it was far more lucrative and respected than the other occupations in an agrarian community where farming and trade were the norms. Jesus must also have had a lot of people seeking Him as a carpenter prior to His public ministry.

The point of this Matthew passage is that selfish intentions will block us from knowing and growing in Him (Matthew 8:16-20). We must be aware of selfish intentions both in us and in others. Being me first is common, and part of our sinful nature that Jesus asks us to purge. We have to be honest and introspective as to why we want to serve Him, why we want to grow and be discipled. If it is for egotistical and selfish gain, it will not be real or loving. Pride, spiritual blindness, and vacillation will become our mentors, as we will not have His will and glory in our sights. Jesus will be bearing with us in our unbelief and failures, but He will not be helping us grow. The same goes for people coming to the Lord; selfishness will be one of the biggest barriers.

Jesus calls His disciples (all who follow Him) to a higher standard of commitment beyond poverty and social status into real sacrificial servitude and a discipleship lifestyle. This is scary, and many will not want to do this, or else will only make a shallow effort. Just look at the scribe who desired to come to our Lord, wanting to become a disciple. He said he was willing to follow Jesus anywhere, a seemingly commendable offer. But, did he know what anywhere meant? It seems he just wanted to see more of the show. His job was to record the Law and keep records for the nation, a very important leadership position in Jesus' time. Perhaps his intention was to spy or to gather false information. Whatever it was, Jesus saw through it. We do not have the insight Jesus did, and we cannot judge the motives of people. Even if they do respond, we never know for sure how sincere they are until we see the Fruit in their lives (Galatians 5:22-23). That is why when we are called to follow, we must keep our eyes on Christ and not on our situations or how people respond.

At once they left their nets and followed him. Matthew 4:20

To literally follow Jesus at that time, that is, travel with, learn from, and minister with Him, would have meant leaving everything, including one's home, as His disciples did. This was not permanently leaving, as the Gospels record them going back to their homes on occasion, but it did mean venturing beyond the normal way of life. This scribe was, perhaps, a person focused on his home and material positions. Jesus was telling this scribe that he needed to count the cost before becoming a disciple (Luke 9:57-62; 14:25-33). We do not have to become homeless to follow Jesus, but we still must love Him more than anything else. That way, He proves to be the Lord and Ruler of our life. We must consider the cost before we commit. Otherwise, we will not remain, and will become a bigger hindrance than if we had never bothered following at all. A lot of people do consider the cost, and they refuse to pay it. You have to pay it before asking others to do so.

Another man came to Jesus in Matthew, chapter eight, and desired to follow, but wanted to return home first, to "bury my father." This may seem sincere, too, as this was one of the most enduring and basic of responsibilities of a son to his family. The father was probably not dead yet (or he would not have been there, or asked the question). Rather, the son's duties were to take care of him and then take over the household, business, and any family matters. One normally did not go into a mentoring position until his family was taken care of first. After death, the body was entered in a ground burial. A year later, it was dug up and put into a family crypt or box, much like the one discovered that may have belonged to James, the brother of Jesus. This process can take one to two years. So, this man was seeking something he had no intention of following through with until a much later time. Jesus calls us now, not later. This man can be described as a reluctant disciple, one who needed to be reminded of what it means to make a real commitment.

Jesus responded, "Let the dead bury their own dead." Jesus is telling us the importance of discipleship, and of our growth in Him. He is saying to let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead, as they are both dead. The time we have on earth for obeying His call is short, so it demands our full attention and commitment. Jesus was not telling the man to disrespect his parents; rather, he was telling him to consider what is important, and to have the right priorities in life. We are to make disciples in order to revive the spiritually dead, not wait around for someone to die and be buried-especially in our personal spiritual life and the example we are to be in the spiritual life of others. Remember that command to "follow Me." Jesus is asking us to place Him above all-including occupation, family, personal desires, and aspirations. All we desire, and all our work must have Christ as the focus and purpose. A true disciple will not have a pecking order where Jesus is not number one on the list. There is a cost to following Jesus. Most people do not want to pay that cost, neither then, first hand with Christ Himself, nor today in the church.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

We are not told if the man followed Jesus into the boat, or if the storm (verses 23-27) or his inclinations distracted him from this ever so important sojourn. To really follow Christ, we will surrender all to Him. But, what we give up is nothing compared to what we gain. Remember, Christ surrendered Himself so we could have eternal salvation. Should there not be a small piece of gratitude within us to say, hey, I will go wherever you call me? If we respond to "follow Me" with a "but," we will never truly follow. We will never grow in the depths of His precepts or be able to serve Him fully. We will remain in our status quo, perhaps saved, but uninvolved, just sitting in a pew, with no impact or reason for being a Christian. If you have reservations, think them through. Do they have more to offer you? Do they have a greater purpose or impact? Will they follow you into eternity? Life is short; make the most of it and just go and follow Him. Be real and be committed. Do not let doubts, the pleasures of this world, or your sin distract you from life's greatest opportunity and adventure; His call is to make you a "fisher of men!" Embrace His call with unmovable trust and be assured that His plan is the best plan!

Obedience is not so much in words as it is in deeds that demonstrate our words through practice and action. When we read and/or hear the Word of God, we will have the desire to heed the call and to put it into action. There will be times we do not feel like it, but our obedience will override our feelings so we remain steadfast and secure. Remember, your effectual faith will have results! And, for us to have effectual faith, we need to have obedience, which means a willingness to go all out in faith, and a motivation to endure whatever it takes to serve our Lord faithfully.

All that you do in life must be a reflection of that life surrendered to Christ. If you are so self-willed there can be no room for the living Christ, this may mean that others will use you, take advantage of you, get mad at you, ignore you, go around you, ridicule you, and persecute you! But, remember, what they do to you, they do to Him! Make sure you are not the one persecuting the Lord! Your motives, obedience, and persevering will be the keys to succeeding in Christ. Be in love with Him. Seek His presence, and be persistent with your prayers. If you fear you will ask Him for the wrong thing, remember, we all do that. As you draw closer to Him, you will learn the right things to ask. Prayer is persistence and learning.

You may have made the decision to "follow me," but what have you done with becoming "fishers of men?" Have you counted the cost? Are you willing to pay the price? Do you know that both are required in order to follow Jesus?

Questions to Ponder

1. What does it mean to you when people treat you with gentleness and respect? Why is it important for you to do this in witnessing?

2. Are you fixated on your own way of life? What would happen if you removed your me first mentality and replaced it with a Christ first mindset?

3. Have you considered the importance of discipleship and of your growth in Him?

4. How can you prevent doubts, the pleasures of this world, or your sin from distracting you from life's greatest opportunities and adventures?

But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Some passages to consider Matthew 16:24-28; John 4:10-14; Romans 3:3; 23; 5:12-19; 6:23; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Peter 3:15

© 1999, 2008, Richard J. Krejcir, Ph.D. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership, www.churchleadership.org