Sermon for February 19th (Follow Me)

How would you like to drive a vehicle through a war zone?  How would you like to parachute thousands of feet through the air to lead a secret mission behind enemy lines?  How would you like to be responsible for the lives of an entire unit of young men who are counting on you?  How would you like to risk your life to protect the lives of thousands?

                Recently, on the radio, I heard an advertisement about joining the armed forces that sounded a lot like what I just read for you . . and do you know what?  I wanted to go.  Something in that commercial resonated with me.  It sounded dangerous, but it sounded worth it.  That’s the way Jesus’ call should sound to all of us.  Dangerous, but worth it.

It’s about time that you heard the truth.  When Jesus said, “Follow me” it was a call into danger.  It’s a call for you and me to walk into the war zones of this country.  It’s a call to go behind enemy lines and risk our reputations for the sake of God’s honor at work and around our friends. 

Why did 12 guys who were mostly fishermen follow Jesus away from their jobs and everyday lives?  Were they suckered into it?  No.  They knew exactly what they were getting into because Jesus told them what to expect.  It’s written right here in Matthew chapter 10, “Be on your guard,” Jesus told them, “you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues.”  Jesus tells them that they are going to be arrested, betrayed by even their own family members and would, eventually, lose their lives.  “You will be hated by everyone because of me” Jesus said. 

Is that what you were told when you joined the church?  When you became a Christian?  I bet not.  What a shame.  So now God’s army is sitting in congregational pews throughout the world, thinking that this—Sunday mornings—is what the Christian calling is all about.  No danger.  No challenge.  No cross.

Honestly.  Haven’t you ever wondered why Jesus and the disciples were murdered for this—for what we are doing?  Being a Christian today seems like no big deal—it’s just a social club.  If you sleep in late, what would you be missing really?  I’ll tell you the truth: you’re missing a lot, but you’ve got to hear the whole truth to understand why.  This morning, you’ll hear the beginning of what every Christian should have been told a long time ago.  In Jesus’ words it goes like this, “Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

Since Kristy and I bought the Fontanelle Observer, I’ve gone to a lot more basketball games than I would have normally.  Here is what I’ve noticed: if there’s a good chance that our teams will lose, more of a crowd will come.  Comfortable wins keep the crowds at home.  If you can believe what I’m about to tell you this morning, it just might change your whole view of faith and of Jesus.  I hope that you’ll never want to stay home and miss church again. 

Here it is: following Jesus is dangerous.  Having faith will force you to become a risk taker.  Some of your family and friends will not like you as much as they used to.  So often, people join a church because they want to be seen as “respectable” in the community.  Here’s the truth: people won’t mind if you “say” that you are a Christian or “look” like a Christian by going to church and stuff.  But if you start ACTING like one—some people will definitely start to hate you. 

There’s more.  Being a Christian isn’t going to give you an easier life.  It’s going to make some things harder.  Sure, everybody suffers in this life, Christian or not.  But Jesus said that being a Christian was going to CREATE some suffering for you.  Let’s stop sugar coating it—Martin Luther said that one of the marks of the church was suffering.  Jesus didn’t fit in, neither should we.  Jesus said that if we didn’t take up our cross and follow him, we weren’t worthy of Him.  That’s the truth.    

At Seminary, one of my professors joked one day about how every church just had to have a mission statement.  He said that the church’s mission statement should be, “Come, die with me.”  I laughed because that statement can be taken in so many different ways.  On the one hand, mainstream religions ARE dying—less people go to church today that 60 years ago.  In addition, some churches are places where people just come for support during tough times—come die with me, I don’t want to feel alone. 

                But, in a very real way, Jesus DID tell His disciples, “Come, die with me.”  Give up your lives, your expectations, your worldly aspirations, your desire for comfortable religion.  Risk everything for your faith and the promise of eternal life.  Come into the war zone between God and the Devil.  Proclaim what you hear in scripture from the lockers at the high school and over facebook.  Don’t worry about hurting your reputation, live your life with dangerous disregard for what others think of you.  Focus on what Jesus thinks of you. 

Here’s the truth: A Christian is someone living dangerously, losing their life in order to gain a different one.  Jesus never promised us a comfortable existence; He promised to lead us in victory over sin, death and the Devil.  “For whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” Jesus said.  Yes, that’s sounds dangerous.  But it’s worth it.  Amen.