Tag: christianity

Leave Everything and Go Wherever

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical3 Comments

Traveling Bone

Abraham is a prime example of someone whom God asked to leave everything and go wherever. In Genesis 12:1, we read,

“Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” (Gen. 12:1b)

Leave Everything

God asks Abraham to leave behind all he has ever known – his idol worship, his family, his inheritance, his safety, and his culture. We may not see this as a big deal because we live in a transient society. A lot of us leave home and strike out on our own. But as one commentator says,

“To leave home and to break ancestral bonds was to expect of ancient men almost the impossible.” [1]

Go Wherever

On top of asking Abraham to leave everything behind, God also asks him to follow Him wherever He leads. It is one thing to leave behind what you have knowing something better awaits. Think about all those immigrating to the United States. Many of them leave behind everything they have ever known for what they believe to be a better life in the States.

Put yourself in Abraham’s shoes for a moment. Imagine God asking you to leave your home for a place you know nothing about. You don’t know what kind of life you will lead there, if it will be safe, or if you will have an opportunity to provide for your family. Thinking about it like that, we see just how tough of a decision Abraham had to make.

Jesus’ Disciples Should Leave Everything and Go Wherever

Abraham, however, isn’t the only one God asks to leave everything and go wherever. He also asks us – Jesus’ disciples – to do the same.

A couple of years ago my friend John (not his real name) and his wife left family, friends, and all that is familiar to them to move halfway across the world to live in Africa as missionaries. While they were willing to answer God’s call, they didn’t have a complete picture of what was in store for them. They didn’t know they would move several times, suffer several illnesses, or be robbed and extorted for money on multiple occasions, nor did they know the extent of the heartache they would experience. Even though they were in the dark about these things, they went anyways. As far as I know, they don’t regret answering God’s call, and they aren’t planning to come home.

While God certainly asks missionaries to pick up their life, leave everything, and go wherever, His call on His disciple’s lives doesn’t end there. In other words,

God doesn’t just ask missionaries to leave everything and go wherever, He asks us all to give up everything and go wherever He leads.

Sure, God may not ask most of us to move halfway around the world, but He does ask us to give up our life – our will, our desires, our wants, our safety, our family, all that is comfortable to us – and go wherever He leads.

Question for Reflection

  1. Are you ready to answer God’s call to give up everything and go wherever He leads?

Resources

Post developed from the sermon: God’s Reclamation Project

[1] Von Rad, Genesis, 161 via Greidanus, Preaching Christ from Genesis, 151.

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On Whose Approval Matters

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral, QuotesLeave a comment

Those who are servants of Christ, those who are entrusted with the secret things of God, do not see themselves winning popularity contest – not even within the church’s borders. That is what Paul means when he says,

I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court” (1 Corinthians 4:3)

There is only one Person whose “Well done!” on the last day means anything. In comparison, the approval or disapproval of the church means nothing.

Question for Reflection

  1. Who do you try to please – Christ or Man?

Resources

D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry, 97.

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On the Primary Responsibility of Christian Leaders

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Leadership, Pastoral, Quotes4 Comments

All valid Christian leadership, however varied its style, however wise its use of sociological findings, however diverse its functions, must begin with this fundamental recognition:

Christian leaders have been entrusted with the gospel, the secret things of God that have been hidden in ages past but that are now proclaimed, by their ministry, to men and women everywhere…and all their service turns on making that gospel known and encouraging the people of God, by word, example, and discipline, to live it out.

Question for Reflection

  1. Pastor, do you recognize the immense calling God has placed on your life?

Resources

D.A. Carson, The Cross and Christian Ministry, 96-97.

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How are We to Love Others? – Part 3

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical2 Comments

Love others

As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love?

How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love?

(3) Jesus’ Love is Continual

It’s not temporary. He doesn’t love us for a time and drop us. He doesn’t fall out of love with us. Nor does He trade us in for a new model after a few years. Jesus’ love is continual. It never wanes or goes out. It always burns hot for us.

Likewise, our love for others should be the same. In 1 John 3:11, John commands us to

“Love one another.” (1 Jn 3:11b)

The Greek Grammatical category for love John uses is a customary present. It is important to know that because it tells us our love, just like Jesus’ love, should be continual. It should never go out. We should never fall out of love with someone. Instead, we should continually love them no matter what they do or how they act.

One really awesome thing about a lot of the couples in my church is that they have exhibited this type of love. There are a lot of couples who have celebrated 30, 40, 50 years of marriage, which is a great testament to continually loving someone over the years.

I mean in 30, 40, or 50 years a lot changes. Not only physically but also personally — people’s likes and dislikes, what they want out of life, and how they act — change. So to love someone despite those changes is a real testament to true love.

In the same way many of in my church have loved their spouse, we are supposed to love others — continually. Despite what they do and how they change. We are to love them.

Question for Reflection

  1. How have you loved someone continually?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon Love Others – Growth through discipleship – week 3

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How are We to Love Others? – Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, PracticalLeave a comment

Love others

As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love?

How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love?

(2) Jesus’ love is unconditional

We know Jesus’ love is unconditional because Jesus sacrificed Himself for us even while we were His enemies. In 1 John 4:10, John writes,

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:10).

So John tells us that Jesus came and died for us while we were His enemies. He died for those who sinned against Him. He died for His enemies because His love is unconditional.

As Christians, we are to imitate Jesus’ love, which means our love is to be unconditional. It can’t just be reserved for those who love us, or for those who have or can do something for us. Instead we should love others regardless of their love for us.

A Story of Unconditional Love

It has been a few years now, but you might remember the story of Atheist Patrick Greene who brought a lawsuit against the city of Athens, TX. The city allowed a nativity to be displayed at the courthouse  and Greene wanted it removed.

While he was waiting on a court date, his eyes started bothering him. I don’t remember all the details, but he ended up needing to get eye surgery to fix his problem. To save money, he dropped the lawsuit against the city. But before he was able to save enough for his surgery, his eyesight worsened. Since he was a cab driver, he could no longer work, which meant he could no longer save money for his surgery.

One of the churches in Athens, TX found out about Greene’s condition. Instead of celebrating, instead of saying he got what he deserved, they started to send him money so he could pay for his surgery. After they started doing that, other Christians in other churches around the nation started sending Greene money for his surgery and bills as well.

All these folks did this even though Greene was an atheist. Even though it was his mission to have that nativity removed from the courthouse. Even though he was persecuting them, they cared for him, they loved him.

Their actions didn’t go without notice. Greene’s heart was softened to the point where he used some of the money he received to purchase a star for the top of the nativity. He even said he was planning to move to Athens and start meeting with some of the folks from the church to discuss the Bible after his surgery.

So as Christians we should not only imitate Jesus’ self-sacrificial love, but we should also imitate His unconditional love by loving everyone we come into contact with no matter how they act towards us or what they can do for us.

Question for Reflection

  1. How have you loved someone unconditionally?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon Love Others – Growth through discipleship – week 3

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How are We to Love Others? – Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical2 Comments

Love others

As disciples, our love should imitate Jesus loves for us. But what exactly does that look like. In other words, how are we to love others as an imitation of Jesus’ love?

How are We to Love Others As an Imitation of Jesus’ Love?

(1) Jesus’ Love is Self-Sacrificial

Smack dab in the middle of the verse 16 in 1 John 3, John says:

“[Jesus] laid down his life for us.” (1 Jn. 3:16b)

Then John goes on to tell us, based on what Jesus did, we ought to lay our life down for others. When he says that, he doesn’t mean we should all go out and kill ourselves for the benefit of others. While Jesus gave up His physical life for others, He gave up much more than that. He also sacrificed His desires, what he could have been, what He could have done, for our benefit; for our good.

So when we talk about loving others self-sacrificially, we aren’t talking about us offing ourselves for another. Instead we are talking about something more. We are talking about dying to self for the good of others.

When I think of someone who sacrificed for another like this, I think of Lloyd Latimer, who is Jen’s granddad. About 8 or so years ago, his wife Ruth, who just recently passed, suffered a stroke. She survived but was physically limited. One side of her body was paralyzed.

This happened when they were in their 80’s. But even though he was getting up in age, he didn’t want to put his wife in a nursing home, so he committed to take care of her. For about 8 years he did. He cooked all their meals, got all the groceries, cleaned the house, took her to all her doctor’s appointments. He bathed her, took her to the bathroom, and even dressed her. Everyday, 24 hours a day, he took care of her.

In order to do that, he had to make some sacrifices. He had to give up his wants, his comfort, his desires for his wife’s. He did that — he was willing to die to self — because he loved his wife.

So when we talk about love being self-sacrificial, what we are talking about is dying to self for the good of others, which tells us love is more than a feeling. Love is an action.

Question for Reflection

  1. How have you loved someone self-sacrificially?

Resources

Post adapted from the sermon Love Others – Growth through discipleship – week 3

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