As a Christian, are you committed to Jesus?

For fun I was checking out the average cost of Super Bowl tickets for this year’s big game in New Orleans.  Here is what I found:  The average ticket for this year's game is currently $3,278.39, with luxury suites costing more than $300,000 on the high end (I can’t fathom that). The cheapest available ticket is just over $2,000. Face value of Super Bowl tickets is between $850 and $1250.  For a guy like me with the salary I make…that’s a lot of money.  It would take some serious commitment to save and sacrifice from me to get the Super Bowl.  That’s why I’m good sitting at home watching.  But here’s the deal…people have already made that commitment to be there at the Super Bowl and will pay whatever it takes to be there.  Hey I got tip my hat to those that are totally committed. 

I like to think of myself as a “committed” man!  I am committed to my wife and children.  I love wife and children and I am very active with them.  I constantly think of them, constantly putting them before me.   I am a committed sports fan especially that of the Washington Redskins and the Florida State Seminoles. One look at my office, clothing in my closet, and my mood on Saturdays and Sundays (during football season) will attest to this truth of my commitment.  I am committed to other things as well like food, driving properly, movies, and my career.  How about you?  What and where are you totally committed to?

            Jesus was committed!  He was committed to doing the will of His Father.  He was committed to teaching truth!  He was committed to people! He committed to being the suffering servant so He could be our Savior!  He was committed to agape love!  He was committed to sit and eat with sinners!  There is a whole lot more I could add as this list isn't exhaustive.  Here is the thing though, Jesus was committed and He wanted His people to be the same.   

“And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his [b]life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” – Mark 8:34-38

        Many believers think they can be committed to Jesus and to the world. It doesn't work that way.  Jesus lets us know in the above passage that such philosophy of life is false. As a Christian, I am called to be committed to walk in the ways of Christ.  Once Jesus began to teach and speak to crowds, He would tell about the cost of following Him.  Of course the crowds would dwindle.  Jesus spoke truth.   He wanted them to know that it would not be cheap, it would not be easy, and that there would need to commitment to Him to be His disciple.  If you've ever read my blogs, I always seem to bring up John 15 and Jesus speaking about fruit.  If you are a Christian; then it’s important that you are committed to Jesus.  That commitment will be evident in the fruit you produce. 

Let’s look at this passage:

“Come After Me” this was a call to the new birth. It was a call to make a personal commitment to Jesus Christ. It was a call for them to turn their backs on the world and give their life to Jesus.  Being born again starts with baptism (John 3:3-5, Acts 2:38).  It’s about being a new creation in Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). This new birth causes your life to change (in a wonderful and amazing way). Your desires and habits will change. Your commitment will change.

“Deny Himself” This phrase literally means, “to completely disown, to utterly separate oneself from someone.” We see this phrase in Matthew 26:34 describing Peter’s denial of Jesus.  This is not the same thing as self-denial. Denying self involves me surrendering my will and submitting to God’s will.  I stop leaning on my own understanding and trust God (Proverbs 3:5-6).  My plans, my desires, and the like are committed to being what the Father wants.  God is sovereign and I allow Him to be just that.   I recognized that my body belongs to Jesus because He died for it and to the Father because He created me (1 Cor. 6:19-20).  Denying oneself is hard because we as humans are so committed to being selfish, to pleasing our own wants and needs. 

“Take Up His Cross” This phrase held meaning for the people in Jesus’ day and not in a good way.   As I read in history, we can estimate that over 30,000 people were crucified by the Romans during Jesus’ lifetime.  I’m sure as the people heard Jesus say take up your cross, they cringed and it was upsetting.  In that day, a cross was not jewelry or a decoration on a wall but rather a method of shame, humiliation, suffering, torture, and then ultimately death. When someone had to take up a cross, it was the same as a man walking on death row.  You were going to die!  For one to take up their cross, they were carrying something that was going to lead to their own death upon their shoulders.  When they came to the place where they were going to ultimately die, they laid down on this cross that they just carried and they were nailed to it.  They were hung on this cross where they suffocated and suffered as they died.  He’s the deal:  When Jesus is telling His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him, He is calling them to die to self and commit to their life to living in righteousness and holiness (Gal. 2:20, Colossians 3, 1 Peter 1:14-16, Romans 6). Jesus is calling to die and be separated from this world and it’s lusts and passions.  We take up our cross when we choose to live according to God’s ways rather than the way of the world no matter what it costs. We take up our cross when we live out God’s righteousness in our lives and in our relationships no matter what it costs. We take up our cross when we are willing to suffer as Jesus suffered no matter what it costs.  We never comprise God’s word.  We always stand where God stands.  We stand out when God calls us to stand out.  A Christian is committed to the Lord no matter the cost.  

“Follow Me” A disciple of Jesus turns away, makes a 180 from his self and old life. The disciple of Jesus takes up his cross and is willing to lay down everything for the glory of God. The disciple of Jesus takes his place behind the Lord and he follows Jesus wherever He leads, wherever He goes. The disciple of Jesus walks in complete obedience and submission to Jesus, our Savior!  This is a continuous act.  It never ceases.  A disciple of Jesus is committed to being a constant student; they are committed to consistently growing in the Lord.   There is genuine commitment to serve and lead others to Jesus! 

            Jesus says if you look to find your life you will lose it but if you lose your life for His sake, you will find it.   Christians are you committed to Jesus as you claim to be?  Are you too busy trying to find life comfortable here in this world?  Remember Jesus says if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us in front of the Father.   Oh Christian…are you committed Jesus?  Does your life right now suggest?  

2013, time to continue to grow

Wow it's been a long time...I promise to be better at the blogging here in 2013

I love being a husband.  I love being a Father.  My wife and our three children are my world.  That world is a joy and a blessing.  I am thankful that God had blessed me with that world. 

It has been a quite a journey watching my marriage grow as it has been with watching my children grow, too.  I remember when it was everything seemed simple being a bachelor but then I got married.  My home went from three to five (six if we count the dog and knowing my wife and children I will).  I have grown as a husband…not sure how my wife has put up with me these last 9 years of marriage (10 if you can’t dating and I will because that will earn me cool brownie points with my wife).  I believe she has been able to put up with because she too has grown as a wife.  I remember when my little guy was “iddy biddy” and now he is going on 11 years old.  He has finally admitted his like in girls. 

Sometimes I wish time would slow down a little but that isn’t happening.  I wish my kids would stay small just a little longer but they just keep growing.  I’m not the young man I once was and my body will attest to that notion.  I am closing in on 40 and I finally am starting to see gray hair.  Sweet!  I guess I’m saying all that to say this:  It’s natural to grow.  It’s true.  Now unfortunately in our world people are born with certain defects that cause them not to grow or the like.  But that defect is unnatural. 

It’s natural to grow in my walk in Christ.  I should be different than I was 10 years ago…5…2…6 months ago.  What I mean is that my faith should be stronger.  My knowledge of the scriptures should be better and stored in my heart (Psalms 119:11).  My willing to be patient, to love, to be graceful, to forgive all should be growing and continuing to grow.  I should be able to lead others to Christ on a daily basis.  My character in front of people and behind closed doors should be something that makes God smile.  I start standing where God calls me and I as I grow, I refuse to compromise God's Word for being comfortable.  I should be living a righteous life that is bringing the Father glory (Matthew 5:14-16).  In fact if I’m growing in my walk...it will be known by the fruit that I’m producing and leaving behind.    

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

-John 15:1-11

Jesus tells us 10 times in that passage above to “Abide in Him”.  That’s very significant.  Hey if you ever done gardening or farming…if something you've planted isn't growing and is no good and in the way of other produce growing…it’s thrown out, burned.  The evidence that you as a Christian and that you are growing is the fruit that you are producing.  This brings the Father glory.  That fruit is your personal growth in Christ and leading of souls to Jesus.  My challenge to you today is reflect upon yourself.  Are you growing in Christ or are you content with being complacent? Are you producing fruit that is bringing the Father glory or that’s going to have you cut off and thrown in the fire?  That’s my thought and challenge for the day.