So I was in church this morning and the pastor was talking about the call to discipleship. It is this series entitled "Come, Follow Me" and I'm all for following Jesus so I was looking forward to what he was going to say. The sermon was not what I was expecting, not that I know what I was expecting. The bottom line was based on two questions, the first was, is just Jesus enough, and the second, what are you holding on to that you need to set down to follow Jesus?
The first question seemed to strike something within me. So with the first question the pastor asked another question, if Jesus were not in heaven, but you got all the other things would you be happy there? and i have to admit part of me thinks that it wouldn't be bad, it wouldn't be great, but not bad. seriously, though, no illness, no death, no brokenness, no sin, no war, plenty of all the good things, lots of love, happiness, friendship, music and dancing. But I guess what I am beginning to realize, as the larger part of me says I could not be happy without Jesus, is that Jesus is what makes all those things. He puts the beauty in them, so if He were not there to make them what they are, then it would be empty. So is Jesus enough, just Jesus? if the answer is anything but yes, my entire paradigm is lost. if Jesus is not enough then I can never follow Him the way He requires. how can I lose my life, give up every hope and dream, if Jesus is not enough.
Paul writes in his 2nd letter to the Corinthians, "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him (Jesus). That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. (1:20)"
I totally recommend reading 2 Corinthians, its rocking my world.
oh and on a totally ridiculous note, go see Be Kind Rewind. This is Jack Black's new movie with Mos Def and Danny Glover, directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). There is no lame romantic story line to make it marketable, there are limited special affects, it is just so different then most of what is being produced these days. The movie is feel good, funny and fresh.
3 comments:
nif, dude its funny becuz as i read the first part i kept thinking exactly what you then said as i continued to read. i couldn't agree more
the question in and of itself is in a way impractical...simply because all good things come from God, He created all those things, embodies all those things, to seperate them is impossible. Without Christ, heaven could not exist or at least for what purpose...
i understand kilgore's reason for asking the question, "if Jesus were not in heaven, but you got all the other things, would you [still] be happy there?" which is: Jesus must be our first love and desire; which nothing else can compare. and i agree with him. but just to be a pest, i wanna ask the question:
can you really separate "no illness, no death, no brokenness, no sin, no war, plenty of all the good things, lots of love, happiness, friendship, music and dancing," aka heaven, from God/Jesus.
correct me if i'm wrong but, it seems that heaven is only heaven because Jesus/God resides there. that is, if Jesus/God wasn't a resident of heaven, then it wouldn't be heaven, it would just be another sinful place like the world. but the reason why jesus is so attractive to us, is because he offers eternal life, unconditional love, and forgiveness; jesus is the redeemer of our souls--all things that are characteristic of the Kingdom of God/heaven.
i appreciate the ole chanster, even if he can be a little pomo at times, and i appreciate this thought. thanks for sharing nifs.
on a side note--call me a heretic but, reformed theology is really starting to piss me off.
vince. i started watching the hauerwas video. so good. i hate that i have so much to do these days. but you'll get the full response when i've seen it all :)
james. always splitting hairs. the point is that Jesus is the point.
and you might be a heretic. jk.
reform theology is rough and people are crazy about that stuff. just read the Bible and see what it says, then live it out. that's all you really need anyway, right?
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