1. COMPLETE COMMITMENT If an athlete is aiming for Olympic gold then the regimen he has to follow will impact on every aspect of his life. His time, his finances, his relationships, and his career – they will all be made subordinate to this one high ambition. Similarly, the Christian has to make a decision in respect of what he/she is aiming to achieve; the greater the goal, the heavier the commitment. Jesus said true discipleship is costly. In this matter we must repeat verses we considered earlier.
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.”
Therefore, we must not take the decision lightly.
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26-34)
These words send shivers down your spine. If we want to make a difference for the Saviour then it is going to require total commitment. The greatest example, as always, is the Saviour Himself. Three times He declared that He was going up to Jerusalem to suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders and sacrifice His life for the sins of the world. His determination is recorded in the verse, “Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
2. NO TURNING BACK
Borden of Yale had a motto, ‘No reserve, no retreat, no regrets’. His commitment was total. Not only ‘no reserve’ but also ‘no retreat’. To those who were offered discipleship and who replied, ‘later’ Jesus said, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) In a different context there is a Scripture that says, “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32) which seems pertinent here; that is, do not even look back.
As a sub-section of this area of the Christian life we have to say:
A DISCIPLE WILL SEEK TO BE EFFICIENT FOR THE LORD
It is clear that there is much to do. The task is enormous – of a magnitude that can hardly be imagined. We need to make the gospel known in all areas of the earth in such a way that each generation can understand it and respond to God’s offer of mercy. For a task this big we need team-work, with every member of the team knowing their place, using their gift under the guidance of the Spirit and making Jesus known as the Saviour of the world.
1. BE PRO-ACTIVE
This means – have a ‘self-starter’. There is nothing that encourages a Christian leader more than having someone in the Church or in the team who gets on with things. They see something that needs doing and they do it. Similarly, in the greater scheme of things, we are expected to get on with our ministry – we do not need guidance for everything. Paul planned his journeys so that he went to population centres where his ministry would be of the greatest benefit – this was the sensible course – he did not need divine guidance in that matter – it was self-evident. Of course, he was always sensitive to special guidance as when in some instances he was forbidden to travel to one area but encouraged to take on a different mission field, but mostly it was he who planned where to go and what to do.
2. SET PRIORITIES
Not all things are of the same importance – some things need to be done first. Work out a strategy - have an overall plan. If the Lord has given you a mission in life – then identify it. Keep it always before your eyes. It does not preclude other duties and other responsibilities but it will allow you to prioritise and do first things first. If possible write a mission statement. I worked for a University. Their mission statement declared they were ambitious to be a dynamic and successful centre of higher education with an international reputation for high quality teaching and research. Each separate department had their own mission statement, which reflected the overall goal of the University, and identified how they could further the mission of the institution by their specialised activities. This is very close to the Biblical pattern. There is an overall mission statement – it was supplied by the Head of the Church to the apostles who published it. Each apostle then had his own ministry that furthered the overall aim of the Head of the Church. This mission statement is expressed in different ways in different places, but essentially it is God calling out a people to be loved by Him, to love Him in return, and to share an eternal loving relationship. There is an expression of the mission statement in Ephesians 2 and there it declares that the apostolic ministries were foundational and Jesus Himself was the chief cornerstone. There, the mission is visualised as constructing a building fit for God to live in. Each later ministry was to build on that foundation. Paul warns us to make sure that we are furthering the mission of the founder of Christianity by building with the best materials for ultimately it is to be a dwelling place of God.
With this in mind it should be understood that all ministries should be performed with the aim of furthering the overall mission of Jesus. No room here to pursue selfish aims – they will not add one iota to the building but simply provide materials for a bonfire.
Even for those who have a clear idea of their mission and who are confident that it is promoting the purposes of God, there are hurdles to overcome. Paul found that he was constantly under attack from those who felt his message did not conform to their understanding and who wanted him to adapt it to accommodate its Jewish roots. However, He was careful not to compromise the overall mission revealed to him by His Master. He stood for the purity of the gospel and the unity of the Church.
(a) The Purity of the Gospel
There is only one gospel. There are not two gospels – one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. ‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; …. for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross’ (Eph. 2:14-16). (The both here are Jews and Gentiles). Paul said, ‘If any man preach any other gospel …. or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed’ (Gal.1:8,9). Paul would not have others modify his clear instructions from heaven.,
(b) The Unity of the Church
It would have been so easy to have established a church just for the Gentiles. There could have been a Jewish church with its headquarters in Jerusalem, and a Gentile church with its headquarters in Antioch. But Paul would have no divisions: only one gospel and one church. The church he reveals is the body of Christ, and so he asks, ‘Is Christ divided?’ a rhetorical question with a negative answer. He expanded the thought. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:12-13). And again, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Paul even took practical measures to promote the unity of the body of Christ by collecting relief from the Gentile Churches and taking it to Jerusalem when the mother Church, which was mainly Jewish, was in need.
While the opposition Paul suffered was of a magnitude that most will not have to face, it should be recognised that there are pitfalls placed in the path of all who would serve the Saviour. There will always be more demands on their time than they can meet. In some ways it is the strategy of the Devil – to keep believers occupied with the lesser to the neglect of the greater. Do not get quagmired with the minutiae of life. Know what you should be doing and do not allow yourself to get side-tracked. Sit down and make a list of the objectives that you feel the Lord wants you to accomplish. If they are wide-ranging try to break them down into smaller sections that can be seen to be accomplished. Be specific. Not all ministries lend themselves to this kind of analysis, but there are many Christian activities that do. For example, if the Lord gives you a prayer to pray, make a note of the date, and keep reviewing that prayer until it is answered, (the answer may, be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’). Either way, when it is answered you can cross it off your list. Or if you have a burden to witness to a particular acquaintance, pray for and speak to that person until they are clear about God’s offer of mercy. Once that is done you can leave it to the Spirit of God.
3. PLAN AHEAD OR SET YOURSELF GOALS
One young man, studying for his University entrance examination worked out how many hours he needed to revise to obtain successful grades. He then resolved to revise for two and a half hours each night. Dividing the total number of hours needed by the two and a half, he was able to arrive at the number of days he had to revise. Then committing himself to studying on six days of each week he was able to arrive at a date when he needed to begin his revision. Needless to say he achieved his objective, obtained good grades and went to the University of his choice. It is in this way that the goal determines the commitment. This principle can be used in Christian work. Within the overall scope of the tasks that God has given, it is sensible to set intermediate goals and aim to complete them. Paul broke his ministry up into sections – usually identified as the first, second and third missionary journeys. For example, the intermediate task identified for the second missionary journey is stated: Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing” (Acts 15:36). It was Paul and Silas that made the journey, but they departed with a clear, identifiable aim that not only could be accomplished but could be seen to be accomplished.
4. SEE THINGS THROUGH
Alas, over many lives could be written – ‘he started well, but …’. It is important to see things through to the end. Where would we be if Jesus had not finished the task given to Him by God? The night before His execution, when His public ministry had been completed, He declared to His Father, without fear of contradiction, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). And from the cross when the work of propitiation, expiation, compensation and purification had been accomplished, He shouted, “It is finished” (John 19:30). At the end of Paul’s life he wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).
Seeing things through does not simply mean maintaining your ministry and witness to the end of your life but also completing the various tasks and stages in between the beginning and the end. When Jesus first offered the kingdom of heaven to the Hebrew nation, He accompanied it with many significant miracles to authenticate the offer. But after they rejected His Messianic claim, those signs for the nation stopped. The first part of His ministry was completed – He had seen it through to the end – He had given them every opportunity to accept Him – but once the rejection was made formal He ceased that element of His ministry. No more attesting miracles for the nation and no more clear teaching – He began to teach in parables, so that hearing they might not understand. He did not repeat, ad infinitum, the offer to those who were determined to reject it. Similarly, Paul went to the Jews first, but when they rejected it he said, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). Both, in the case of the Saviour and one of His chief apostles, they performed a task until it was completed and then began the next. Each was seen through to its conclusion and then they moved on.
Next Time: Working with Others
As a sub-section of this area of the Christian life we have to say:
A DISCIPLE WILL SEEK TO BE EFFICIENT FOR THE LORD
It is clear that there is much to do. The task is enormous – of a magnitude that can hardly be imagined. We need to make the gospel known in all areas of the earth in such a way that each generation can understand it and respond to God’s offer of mercy. For a task this big we need team-work, with every member of the team knowing their place, using their gift under the guidance of the Spirit and making Jesus known as the Saviour of the world.
1. BE PRO-ACTIVE
This means – have a ‘self-starter’. There is nothing that encourages a Christian leader more than having someone in the Church or in the team who gets on with things. They see something that needs doing and they do it. Similarly, in the greater scheme of things, we are expected to get on with our ministry – we do not need guidance for everything. Paul planned his journeys so that he went to population centres where his ministry would be of the greatest benefit – this was the sensible course – he did not need divine guidance in that matter – it was self-evident. Of course, he was always sensitive to special guidance as when in some instances he was forbidden to travel to one area but encouraged to take on a different mission field, but mostly it was he who planned where to go and what to do.
2. SET PRIORITIES
Not all things are of the same importance – some things need to be done first. Work out a strategy - have an overall plan. If the Lord has given you a mission in life – then identify it. Keep it always before your eyes. It does not preclude other duties and other responsibilities but it will allow you to prioritise and do first things first. If possible write a mission statement. I worked for a University. Their mission statement declared they were ambitious to be a dynamic and successful centre of higher education with an international reputation for high quality teaching and research. Each separate department had their own mission statement, which reflected the overall goal of the University, and identified how they could further the mission of the institution by their specialised activities. This is very close to the Biblical pattern. There is an overall mission statement – it was supplied by the Head of the Church to the apostles who published it. Each apostle then had his own ministry that furthered the overall aim of the Head of the Church. This mission statement is expressed in different ways in different places, but essentially it is God calling out a people to be loved by Him, to love Him in return, and to share an eternal loving relationship. There is an expression of the mission statement in Ephesians 2 and there it declares that the apostolic ministries were foundational and Jesus Himself was the chief cornerstone. There, the mission is visualised as constructing a building fit for God to live in. Each later ministry was to build on that foundation. Paul warns us to make sure that we are furthering the mission of the founder of Christianity by building with the best materials for ultimately it is to be a dwelling place of God.
With this in mind it should be understood that all ministries should be performed with the aim of furthering the overall mission of Jesus. No room here to pursue selfish aims – they will not add one iota to the building but simply provide materials for a bonfire.
Even for those who have a clear idea of their mission and who are confident that it is promoting the purposes of God, there are hurdles to overcome. Paul found that he was constantly under attack from those who felt his message did not conform to their understanding and who wanted him to adapt it to accommodate its Jewish roots. However, He was careful not to compromise the overall mission revealed to him by His Master. He stood for the purity of the gospel and the unity of the Church.
There is only one gospel. There are not two gospels – one for the Jews and one for the Gentiles. ‘For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; …. for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross’ (Eph. 2:14-16). (The both here are Jews and Gentiles). Paul said, ‘If any man preach any other gospel …. or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed’ (Gal.1:8,9). Paul would not have others modify his clear instructions from heaven.,
(b) The Unity of the Church
It would have been so easy to have established a church just for the Gentiles. There could have been a Jewish church with its headquarters in Jerusalem, and a Gentile church with its headquarters in Antioch. But Paul would have no divisions: only one gospel and one church. The church he reveals is the body of Christ, and so he asks, ‘Is Christ divided?’ a rhetorical question with a negative answer. He expanded the thought. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body— whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:12-13). And again, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Paul even took practical measures to promote the unity of the body of Christ by collecting relief from the Gentile Churches and taking it to Jerusalem when the mother Church, which was mainly Jewish, was in need.
While the opposition Paul suffered was of a magnitude that most will not have to face, it should be recognised that there are pitfalls placed in the path of all who would serve the Saviour. There will always be more demands on their time than they can meet. In some ways it is the strategy of the Devil – to keep believers occupied with the lesser to the neglect of the greater. Do not get quagmired with the minutiae of life. Know what you should be doing and do not allow yourself to get side-tracked. Sit down and make a list of the objectives that you feel the Lord wants you to accomplish. If they are wide-ranging try to break them down into smaller sections that can be seen to be accomplished. Be specific. Not all ministries lend themselves to this kind of analysis, but there are many Christian activities that do. For example, if the Lord gives you a prayer to pray, make a note of the date, and keep reviewing that prayer until it is answered, (the answer may, be ‘Yes’ or ‘No’). Either way, when it is answered you can cross it off your list. Or if you have a burden to witness to a particular acquaintance, pray for and speak to that person until they are clear about God’s offer of mercy. Once that is done you can leave it to the Spirit of God.
One young man, studying for his University entrance examination worked out how many hours he needed to revise to obtain successful grades. He then resolved to revise for two and a half hours each night. Dividing the total number of hours needed by the two and a half, he was able to arrive at the number of days he had to revise. Then committing himself to studying on six days of each week he was able to arrive at a date when he needed to begin his revision. Needless to say he achieved his objective, obtained good grades and went to the University of his choice. It is in this way that the goal determines the commitment. This principle can be used in Christian work. Within the overall scope of the tasks that God has given, it is sensible to set intermediate goals and aim to complete them. Paul broke his ministry up into sections – usually identified as the first, second and third missionary journeys. For example, the intermediate task identified for the second missionary journey is stated: Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing” (Acts 15:36). It was Paul and Silas that made the journey, but they departed with a clear, identifiable aim that not only could be accomplished but could be seen to be accomplished.
4. SEE THINGS THROUGH
Alas, over many lives could be written – ‘he started well, but …’. It is important to see things through to the end. Where would we be if Jesus had not finished the task given to Him by God? The night before His execution, when His public ministry had been completed, He declared to His Father, without fear of contradiction, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). And from the cross when the work of propitiation, expiation, compensation and purification had been accomplished, He shouted, “It is finished” (John 19:30). At the end of Paul’s life he wrote: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7).
Seeing things through does not simply mean maintaining your ministry and witness to the end of your life but also completing the various tasks and stages in between the beginning and the end. When Jesus first offered the kingdom of heaven to the Hebrew nation, He accompanied it with many significant miracles to authenticate the offer. But after they rejected His Messianic claim, those signs for the nation stopped. The first part of His ministry was completed – He had seen it through to the end – He had given them every opportunity to accept Him – but once the rejection was made formal He ceased that element of His ministry. No more attesting miracles for the nation and no more clear teaching – He began to teach in parables, so that hearing they might not understand. He did not repeat, ad infinitum, the offer to those who were determined to reject it. Similarly, Paul went to the Jews first, but when they rejected it he said, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles” (Acts 18:6). Both, in the case of the Saviour and one of His chief apostles, they performed a task until it was completed and then began the next. Each was seen through to its conclusion and then they moved on.
Next Time: Working with Others
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