A little of this and a little of that...and what a week!
August 13, 2009
What a great week—I wanted to meet with – face to face as many students as I possible.All told I met 36 students.It was great to put names with faces and to hear directly from each student.I found it interesting that each 1 I talked with wanted to experience Christ in a real and honest way.Whether it was to trust Him more, or find out more, learn more, or simply find the path by which to grow in Christ—all were at a point in their lives that they were eager to move forward.
That is the thrill of student ministry.Yes, the thrill of seeing students responding to the simple way of Christ.“To follow me” as he stated to the early disciples and their eagerness to drop their nets and follow, and so I met similar followers all week.Eager to drop their “nets” and follow.
Which brings me back to Hebrews 11.6—
6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Many students want to please the Lord.They do, they want very much to please Him with their behavior, their “being devoted” their spending time with Him, their prayer lives.Many voiced a real desire to follow the Christ in a way that is more than the same ole same ole.
Isn’t that like all of us?Those of us that love the Lord want to follow Him in a more dedicated, life changing way.The question—is how?Is it more time in devotions?Is it more time praying?Is it more time in church?Is it more commitment to the ministry?What is it?How does one truly follow Christ and get it?
Let me talk experientially first.Looking back over my years as a follower I was taught that it is all about the doing—more of this more of that, more more more.But then as I have lived this life committed to Christ—I have found that more more more is not exactly what is important.More doing does not take care of the sometimes wondering was it enough?Did I do enough?When circumstance arise that are not so good—I found myself thinking because of what I was taught, to Pray more, read more, be more involved.That was not good for me, or for those that want to follow the Christ.Doing more and such actually moves into a works mentality or by doing more “I can fix it”or even “I can by my doing, be the one to earn the fix.” Possibly moving a person from faith producing good works-- to good works producing what I think I deserve because of what I do. This is a problem for all that are honest because we all know by experience that doing more and more does not fix us or the circumstance surrounding us.
No—the issue of living the life of Christ follower is actually about—now the Biblical and experiential --- living the life of following Christ is about faith and faith alone.Really?Yes really period.I have found that faith in the one I follow brings much peace and joy in the midst of life.And that is where our God wants us to be—living by faith, obey not out of duty, but out of our sheer trust in God, in Christ, in his work in and through us.
Living by faith starts inward and then turns outward.How?As a student learns to live by faith suddenly doing for the Lord is not the means to pleasing Him.The sojourn, the journey becomes one of total dependence—based on the true understanding of how much one needs the Lord to deal with the complications of life.Thus we, the student, followers of Christ—find that trusting then produces of sense of purpose behind study, devotions, prayer, involvement—Yes, following Christ becomes an incredible journey as one places their faith everyday in the author and perfecter of our faith.
Hebrews 12.2
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of ourfaith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Give me 10 students living by faith and I’ll show you 10 students that can change the church, the community, their campus, their world.After all just 12 guys followed and now I follow over 2000 years later.If it were about a list what would that list be?To some—the list is all about the fruit of the spirit, or the 10 commandments, or Paul’s writings, or the way they were brought up— the list changes all the time.
I say follow Christ by faith and let Him show the way—it may not look at all what we think—lets see what happens.I say follow Christ by faith—because that pleases the Lord.I say follow Christ by faith--- the adventure is way beyond the “list” – oh the list has value for helping people to good things and so on, but it is not the final say—no, Christ is the final say.Really?Yes really.
Fix your eyes on Christ by of course faith—for this is pleasing to God.Then what happens—we live our lives as seekers, as followers—of what—the Christ.
Great week, looking forward to this Sunday.Then Monday and Tuesday with 35 students at camp joy—great things are going to happen!Big time!
