What if you don’t follow? Consider the alternative: Not to follow Jesus will cost you a whole lot more. You see. Joining God’s adventure is a radical Risk & Reward proposition. In the next verses Jesus says, 35-36 (NIV) “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” What is Jesus trying to say to us? Jesus made it very clear if we identify with him and follow him, it will cost us. We’ll have to deny ourselves and die to ourselves. That doesn’t sound much like the American dream we are all in pursuit of, does it? Who wants to risk the safety, security, and satisfaction the American dream promises us? Who want to give up the comfort, better stuff and greater prosperity? Here’s what I’m wrestling with: Pursuing the American dream is not the same as following Jesus. Has Christianity become just another way to pursue the American Dream? To follow Jesus means we may lose much in this world. There’s a price tag/risk involved. There may be suffering, rejection, pain, trouble, loss, and danger as Jesus experienced. One author said, “To everyone wanting a safe, untroubled, comfortable life free from danger, stay away from Jesus. The danger or cost in our lives will always increase in proportion to the depth of our relationship with Christ.” No wonder I settle for a casual relationship with Jesus. Most of us are willing to take some big risks if there is a promise of a reward dangling out there for us. So here’s the question: Do we believe the reward found in Jesus is worth the risk of following him? So what’s this reward to counterbalance the risk? The radical reward is everlasting heaven. We must come to realize and embrace that this world is not our home. We are just passing through. It’s not until we start doing life through the lens of our heavenly home, will we ever be free to take the radical risk of following Jesus. It’s our only hope to break free from the selfish pursuit of earthly values, desires, pleasures, and the Am. dream. Our safety, security, and satisfaction are found in Jesus and our heavenly home. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:21 (NIV) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Our reward is Jesus and our home is heaven. If our life is going to count on earth, we must follow Jesus, while concentrating on heaven and our Heavenly Father. It’s worth the radical risk on earth, knowing our radical reward awaits us in heaven. So, follow Jesus and live for heaven. Back in 1952 the US government and private enterprise built an $80M troop carrying ship for the Navy, called the SS United States. It was the fastest and most reliable troop carrier in the world, able to carry 15k troops. One problem—it never carried troops. Instead, the ship stayed a luxury liner for presidents, heads of state and celebrities for 17 years. Rather than a vessel used for battle during wartime, the SS United States became a means of indulgence & pleasure. In the same way, why have we turned Christianity into a luxury liner that seeks more comforts out of life rather than a troop carrier that forsakes the American Dream to achieve God’s mission on earth and an eternally satisfying reward in heaven? We’ll begin looking at God’s earthly mission for us next week. Until then: Follow Jesus & live (not for the American Dream) but for Heaven. Author AW Tozer says: “To be crucified means, first, the man on the cross is facing only one direction; second, he is not going back; and third, he has no further plans of his own.”
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 03:44:07 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015