Discipleship isn't sexy!

Francis Chan, formerly the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, is now living in an urban neighborhood filled with poverty and addictions. He spends most of his time building friendships, offering prayer, and pointing people to Christ. In a blog post bearing the title I lifted for this CWTW, Chan speaks about his ministry. “I wish I could tell you a bunch of stories of lives that have changed as a result. I wish I could tell you that hundreds have repented and are now serving the Lord faithfully. Instead, I’m pretty sad as very few of my new friends are ready to ditch their lives to follow Jesus. Some are not convinced they need to repent. Others are not convinced He is worth it.” I love his candor!

Too many sell us a Christian ‘story’ of perpetual victory, of miracle tales, of hearts that overflow with happy thoughts! These leave a lot of us wondering if our faith is faulty, our prayers weak, or worse; if God has chosen to ignore us.   

Sometimes, I'm one of those wonder-ers. I love the community in which I minister. I make no apologies for how hard I work and pray. Yet, to be as candid as Chan, the harvest is meager. Yes, I can tell you about moments of grace when my heart overflows with joy when a sinner is restored to his Abba or a prayer is unmistakably answered. But, I can also tell you about hard-hearted people who turn their back on Christ knowing full well what they are doing. I know more who love their stuff than who love God.  And, in spite of my prayers, I go to sleep some nights with this prayer of uncertainty on my lips: “Why, Lord, don’t you heal that marriage or restore that man’s health, or send a spiritual revival to our church?”

Why am I surprised at the hardship? After all, the Scripture is very clear about the state of the world in which He sends me. "For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to right teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear. They will reject the truth and follow strange myths. But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at bringing others to Christ. Complete the ministry God has given you." (2 Timothy 4:3-5, NLT) The Bible makes it plain that I am called to a war, not a party.  Then, too, I'm told that we’re not home yet. We are ‘aliens and strangers’ who are ‘looking for a city whose builder and maker is God.’

Discipleship isn’t sexy! It is hard work that only finds the final and full reward on the other side of time, when we are home with Abba. You want your pay-out now? Think twice about following Jesus. You want an easy life, an untroubled conscience, the freedom to fulfill your whims? Don’t give yourself to Him. He demands all of us, leads us into conflict with evil, and takes our time and treasure. He asks us to give up our privacy, to share our homes, to love those who are not easy to love, to take the side of those who are rejected by the powerful. And He warns, it will kill you. We know the words of this text, but do we understand the meaning? "Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life. And how do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?" (Luke 9:23-25, NLT)

This message won’t allow me to pastor a mega-church. After all, the crowds deserted Jesus when He told them about self-denial, and He was able to feed them with loaves and fishes and raise their children from the dead, something I have yet to see in answer to my prayers.  

You might be thinking that I am full of regret for how I have lived my life. You would be wrong. Do I think that I made a mistake in answering His call? Not for a moment. Here’s why. It’s not because I got rich (though I am blessed) or became a celebrity or found a life of unbroken happiness.  

I can see the horizon line that marks the end of my time here on earth. Were it not for Christ Jesus, I would be staring into an abyss, dark and fearful. But, because of His love, I am saved from death and share the promise of the resurrection life, first seen in Jesus, who was raised from the dead. "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:8, NIV)

So, let’s embrace the challenge, stop looking for a ‘sexy’ life, and serve like soldiers. “Stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NIV)