After a few meetings/encounters this week my mind is weighted down with thought. It is nothing ground breaking but something I would consider to be obvious if people would only read the Bible. I had a meeting this week concerning the low number of baptisms in our area churches. I have spoken with fellow pastors about evangelism methods and one thing keeps coming out....people think that following after Christ is easy!!! Our invitations are simply that; inviting; warm and fluffy. But isn't this call to follow Christ really a warning more than an invitation?
In Luke 9-23-26 we learn that "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
The call to follow Christ is a warning. John MacArthur puts it this way. "If you come to Christ, it may make your family worse, not better. It may send a shift into your family, the likes of which you have never experienced before. IF you give your life to Christ, there will be an impassable gulf between you and people who don't give their lives to Him."
This is much different than the typical evangelism going on in our churches. But I would be willing to bet that our "numbers" would have much more integrity if we honestly warned people about the truth of discipleship rather than embelishing the words of Jesus.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Invitation or Warning
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3 comments:
Dude I enjoyed this a lot. But for your other readers out there, can you telll us how we are supposed to harmonize this call with Matthew 11:28-30? I think it will help all of us? Appreciate you man...
How should we harmonize the teaching that it's hard to follow Christ, with Matthew 28-30? Consider the context:
Matthew 28:20-30
Then [Jesus] began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You will be brought down to Hades. For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I tell you that it will be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom than for you.”
At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:20-30, ESV)
Context is everything. Jesus is speaking very clearly that those whom the Father has chosen to reveal Himself to, through the Son (verses 25-27), are those whom God has revealed the awful fate of the wicked...which is the fate of all mankind apart from the grace of God. Those who have been given this revelation realize their complete and utter ruin, and total need for redemption, therefore lose all sense of pride in their own wisdom and strength, becoming like little children.
Little children are the ones who realize how heavy things are, and how hard it is to carry burdens. They naturally come to someone stronger to ask for help. It is their very nature, because they are children. Here, Jesus gives a most comforting call to those whom He has chosen to reveal Himself, those being the ones who realize how heavy the burden will be to follow Him, that all who come to Him as little children (Matthew 18:2-4) will find that His burden is not heavy...but on the contrary, they will find rest.
The way to harmonize this is to recognize that the call to a light burden is not to the proud and wicked, but to those who are already humbled by God. Jesus is not giving a universal call here....only to those whom He has chosen to reveal Himself (see verse 27).
This call of rest is therefore exclusive to the children of God. All who are in Him will find rest. No exceptions. What a glorious statement! What an awesome God we serve, who, in His unchanging will, promises rest for our souls!
Well said Matt!! We must view and understand scripture as a whole not in parts. The call to follow christ isn't some weak and emotional thing. It is a call to die to self...to take up a cross and follow Him daily.
So how is His "yoke easy"? As believers; not seekers or those who are looking at Christianity intellectually; but believers, those who have been born again and experienced Christ. For them His yoke is easy because it is a labor of love not just obligation and religion. In the difficulty of following Christ I find rest in Him not the culture or the world. Because of the revelation that He has given me as a believer I understand the the pain and struggles of this world are only momentary...just read 1 Peter chapter 1.
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