Class Lesson May 7, 2017

HOME. For most people, that single word can generate a good feeling—a sense of comfort, security, and even longing. After all, “there’s no place like home.” 

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No matter where we live or in what season of life we currently find ourselves, home is that place where we can let our hair down and be, well, at home. It’s when we’re at home that we reveal who we really are and demonstrate what really matters to us. We might pretend to be a Christian at church, but it’s impossible to fake it at home. Home is the place where the people we love the most have a front row seat to our lives. 

Whatever your situation looks like at this stage of life, Jesus wants you to be the best member of your family that you can possibly be. Thankfully, He hasn’t left you alone to figure out what that looks like. As disciples of Jesus, our identity is in Christ—and that identity can be seen in a home environment of Christ-centered love, submission, and obedience.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 

Ephesians 5:22-24 

22 Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, 23 because the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 

Paul began with these words: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” Contemporary culture laughs at such wisdom, calling it ancient and out of touch. You may even cringe as you read this passage. Our society has gone to great lengths to paint a negative stereotype on any submissive person. 

Yet God intended these verses as an invitation to a blessing. 

Just as God has blessed the church with Christ as its Leader, God wants to bless every family with a leader. For families with a husband in the home, God has assigned him to be the leader. The text is as clear as our culture is confused. God’s design for the family has always been and will always be to have only two hands on the wheel. It would be disastrous to have four hands on the wheel—or none. 

Let’s first look at submission in a broader context. As Christians, we’re all called to submit to Christ. To be a Christian is to be someone who has submitted to and acknowledged the lordship of Jesus. Therefore, a wife who submits to her husband has simply submitted her marriage to Christ. That’s why Paul said wives are to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord.” 

Submission isn’t a natural behavior for us. It’s never easy, but it is expected. Wives who willingly submit to their husbands are entrusting their marriage to God. That doesn’t mean the wife places her faith in her husband; rather, she places her faith in Jesus to lead her husband.

In the same way, submission does not mean silence. I rely on my wife as a source of wisdom and a sounding board for what I am thinking. I look forward to her opinion and greatly value her thoughts and insights. I married an amazing woman, and I would be a fool not to listen to her advice. 

As the church submits to Christ, so too “wives are to submit to their husbands in everything.” To submit “in everything” doesn’t include things that are wrong. God never expects a wife to be complicit in sin. If the husband’s desires, choices, or demands are wrong, it’s the wife’s duty first and foremost to be obedient to Christ. 

In this way, submission is never a passive action. It’s a choice to live a life of obedience to Christ. As we’ll see, Jesus is the leader and supreme Head over all—especially husbands.

Ephesians 5:25-28 

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. 27 He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless. 28 In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 

For me, becoming a husband was easy. However, becoming a godly husband has been the greatest challenge of my life. And I’ll be clear up front: I haven’t always been a godly husband. My wife has endured my selfishness and has seen the very worst of me. 

Even so, we’ve celebrated over 20 years of marriage. How did that happen? Our marriage has not only survived, but it has thrived because of one simple truth: I learned to die to myself.

I learned about dying to self by studying the life and death of Jesus. Any man who desires to become the husband God wants him to be needs to study and imitate the life of Jesus. The apostle Paul commanded husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.” Jesus loves us and desires the very best for us. For Christ, the very best for us meant His death on the cross, because through that sacrifice we gained forgiveness and eternal life. 

Christ submitted Himself to the Father and to death for our benefit— to bring us back to Himself and make us “without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.” What an incredible sacrifice for us! In the same way, the husband is to sacrifice himself to ensure that his wife can become everything God means her to be. When husbands love their wives they way Christ loves, they surrender their own desires in favor of what’s best for their wives. Ultimately, this is submission to Christ, because the husband is placing the needs of another before his own. 

When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church, he models submission for his family. Husbands are to submit to Christ, and wives are to submit to their husbands. Husbands cannot lead their wives to a Christ-honoring behavior they are unwilling to demonstrate themselves. As I submit to Christ, my wife trusts me. By leading out in submission, I encourage her submission. 

The love and submission Paul lifts up in verses 22-28 not only benefit the couple, they also influence others who see their relationship and actions. And no one is more impacted than their children. After all, children don’t just learn to do what parents say; they learn by watching what their parents do. 

Ephesians 6:1-3 

1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. 2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, 3 so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. 

As a child, I didn’t understand many of the rules set down by my parents. I responded to virtually every one of my parents’ commands and requests with one word: “Why?” 

My parents often responded with, “Because I said so!” 

It’s natural for children to ask the “Why?” question, and good communication is a big part of effective parenting. In the end, though, children have a responsibility to obey what their parents say. The command is not to obey because parents are perfect, but because Christ is. 

Sure, obedience to parents is commanded for the children at home, but what does that have to do with us? We’re adults now! Our parents’ desire was to help us grow into mature men and women who live independent and responsible lives. When we reach that point and we’re out on our own, our relationship to them changes—but our charge to honor them does not. Honor never goes out of style. 

The decision to honor our parents isn’t without its benefits: “so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land.” Paul reminded us that God will bless us when we honor our parents. 

What does such honor look like? It’s more than a Mother’s Day or Father’s Day card. It’s more than flowers on their graves. Rather, we show honor in our attitude toward our parents. It’s seen in what we do when we’re with them—how we talk to them or respond to their advice, and how we talk about them. 

As we seek to live out our identity in Christ, we cannot do so by simply being a husband, wife, parent, or child. We do it as followers of Jesus—and we live out our submission to Christ in how we live at home.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you live out your identity in Christ at home in the days to come? Consider these suggestions to get started: 

• Submission. Begin each morning by actively and intentionally submitting to Christ. Verbally acknowledge Him as your Lord and Master. 

• Love. Be on the lookout for an opportunity to demonstrate self-sacrificial love to someone important in your life—your spouse, your friend, your neighbor, and so on. Express your love both verbally and through action. 

• Honor. Even as adults, we’re still called to honor our parents. Identify a practical way you can express that honor to one of your parents this week. 

There certainly is no place like home. It’s likely the place where you feel most comfortable—most like your true self. For that reason, make sure your home reflects your identity as a disciple of Jesus.

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Teacher Notes:

What did you like most about your family growing up?

What do we do with the decline of the home? 

I. Wives Submit       Ephesians 5:22-24

Why does Paul say that wives are to submit? And What does this mean?

What does “submit” mean? What does “submit” not mean?

• Submission does not mean to give in to the husband’s every whim, to be trampled underfoot, to be treated disrespectfully. Instead, wives give up control by placing themselves under the influence of their husbands. 
• Submission is a matter of the heart— a voluntary action. How does a wife submit to her husband? By allowing the husband to take leadership in the relationship. Authority is not domination but responsible headship in the family. This action includes listening, encouraging, cultivating a calm and gentle spirit, and respecting. Such behavior is not one of weakness and inferiority but of humility and prayer. Matthew Henry said it best: “The woman was made out of Adam’s side. She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” 
• Submission is like traveling to a foreign country with a friend who has made all the arrangements, planned the itinerary, made the reservations at the hotels, knows the transportation schedule, and how to get to all the sites with you in mind. All you have to do is follow their lead, enjoying the trip. The stress-related details have been taken care of. Why fret? Why not follow their lead? The friend has your best interest in mind (as we will discover next) and wants nothing but the finest for you. 
• Too many of us, men and women, feel like we have to be number one, like we have to be in control, like we always have to have our way. Submission recognizes that many matters aren’t as important as we think. Like the subtitle of the popular book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff: “And it’s all small stuff.” It takes a strong and mature woman to be submissive and a loving and selfless man to exact Christ-like influence—one who loves his wife. Ephesians 5:22 would be harder if it weren’t for 5:21.

In what ways can faith in Jesus fuel a wife’s submission to her husband?

How is submission a godly value all Christ-followers should embrace?

Submission is an important issue in relation to marriage. Here is the plain biblical command: “Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” (Ephesians 5:22–24). Even before sin entered the world, there was still the principle of the headship of the husband (1 Timothy 2:13). Adam was created first, and Eve was created to be a "helper" for Adam (Genesis 2:18–20). God has established several types of authority in the world: governments to enforce justice in society and provide protection; pastors to lead and feed the sheep of God; husbands to love and nurture their wives; and fathers to admonish their children. In each case, submission is required: citizen to government, flock to shepherd, wife to husband, child to father. The Greek word translated “submit,” hupotasso, is the continuing form of the verb. This means that submitting to God, the government, a pastor, or a husband is not a one-time act. It is a continual attitude, which becomes a pattern of behavior.

First, of course, we are responsible to submit to God, which is the only way we can truly obey Him (James 1:21; 4:7). And each Christian should live in humble, ready submission to others (Ephesians 5:21). In regards to submission within the family unit, 1 Corinthians 11:2–3, says that the husband is to submit to Christ (as Christ did to God the Father) and the wife is to submit to her husband. There is much misunderstanding in our world today about the roles of husband and wife within a marriage. Even when the biblical roles are properly understood, many choose to reject them in favor of a supposed “emancipation” of women, with the result that the family unit is torn apart. It’s no surprise that the world rejects God’s design, but God’s people should be joyfully celebrating that design.

Submit is not a bad word. Submission is not a reflection of inferiority or lesser worth. Christ constantly submitted Himself to the will of the Father (Luke 22:42; John 5:30), without giving up an iota of His worth. To counter the world’s misinformation concerning a wife’s submission to her husband, we should carefully note the following in Ephesians 5:22–24: 1) A wife is to submit to one man (her husband), not to every man. The rule to submit does not extend to a woman’s place in society at large. 2) A wife is to willingly submit to her husband in personal obedience to the Lord Jesus. She submits to her husband because she loves Jesus. 3) The example of a wife’s submission is that of the church to Christ. 4) There is nothing said of the wife’s abilities, talents, or worth; the fact that she submits to her own husband does not imply that she is inferior or less worthy in any way. Also notice that there are no qualifiers to the command to submit, except “in everything.” So, the husband does not have to pass an aptitude test or an intelligence test before his wife submits. It may be a fact that she is better qualified than he to lead in many ways, but she chooses to follow the Lord’s instruction by submitting to her husband’s leadership. In so doing, a godly wife can even win her unbelieving husband to the Lord “without words” simply by her holy behavior (1 Peter 3:1).

What happens when followers of Christ abandon submission? What does that do to a family? A friendship? The church? Our faith?

II. Husbands Love            Ephesians 5:25-28

Why does Paul say that husbands are to love their wives? And What does this mean?

• Interestingly, twice the space is used in Ephesians 5-6 to address the husbands as the wives. Love sums up the action and attitude of a husband. “Husbands love your wives.” The word used is the same as God’s love: agape. It’s a self-giving, self-sacrificing, self-denying love that puts the other’s needs ahead of one’s own. It’s a love that has no limits. 
• A marital questionnaire asked the question: “What do women love most about their husbands?” The leading answer was a “husband’s sensitivity and love for them.” For a husband to love his wife goes beyond merely being committed to the relationship. It is more than sending flowers, writing love notes, and taking her out to dinner (though she would appreciate these acts of love). Agape love requires an active commitment that entails sacrifice. This kind of love costs. It takes time, mental and emotional energy, and self-discipline. Such love denies self-centered desires and preferences and focuses instead on the needs of the wife. It might mean engaging in conversation when sitting quietly is preferred, or focusing full attention on her instead of watching a ball game, or listening to her frustrations after hearing coworkers complain all day. It definitely means praying with her and for her even when physically exhausted and sleep is needed, being committed to her spiritual growth, and engaging in her personal well-being. 
• A correct understanding of love makes submission possible. Too many husbands bang the drum of submission but don’t practice God-like love. In a family where Jesus is Lord, genuine submission can’t exist without sacrificial love. Or, the whole relational balance is upset and the possibility of damage is paramount. For the correct picture of love, study Jesus’ sacrifice. The strongest virtue a man can pass on to his children is to love his wife. The old saying bears repeating: The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. Love her openly. Love her deeply. Love her continually. Love her faithfully. 

Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. What are some characteristics of Jesus’ love?

• Submission should be a natural response to loving leadership. When a husband loves his wife as Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25—33), then submission is a natural response from a wife to her husband. But, regardless of the husband’s love or lack thereof, the wife is commanded to submit “as to the Lord” (verse 22). This means that her obedience to God—her acceptance of His plan—will result in her submission to her husband. The “as to the Lord” comparison also reminds the wife that there is a higher authority to whom she is responsible. Thus, she is under no obligation to disobey civil law or God’s law in the name of “submission” to her husband. She submits in things that are right and lawful and God-honoring. Of course, she does not “submit” to abuse—that is not right or lawful or God-honoring. To try to use the principle of “submission” to justify abuse is to twist Scripture and promote evil.
• The submission of the wife to the husband in Ephesians 5 does not allow the husband to be selfish or domineering. His command is to love (verse 25), and he is responsible before God to fulfill that command. The husband must exercise his authority wisely, graciously, and in the fear of the God to whom he must give an account.
• When a wife is loved by her husband as the church is loved by Christ, submission is not difficult. Ephesians 5:24 says, “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.” In a marriage, submission is a position of giving honor and respect to the husband (see Ephesians 5:33) and completing what he is lacking in. It is God’s wise plan for how the family should function.
• Commentator Matthew Henry wrote, “The woman was made out of Adam’s side. She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” The immediate context of the commands to the husband and wife in Ephesians 5:19–33 involves the filling of the Spirit. Spirit-filled believers are to be worshipful (5:19), thankful (5:20), and submissive (5:21). Paul then follows this line of thought on Spirit-filled living and applies it to wives in verses 22–24. A wife should submit to her husband, not because women are inferior (the Bible never teaches that), but because that is how God designed the marital relationship to function.

III. Children Obey         Ephesians 6:1-3

• Children are to accept the leadership of their parents. They do what their parents say. Obedience is expected and rewarded. In fact, as Wayne Grant states in his book, Growing Parents Growing Children, “children feel more secure and protected when their parents set rules and regulations and enforce them consistently.” 
• As with submission, a corresponding benefit manifests with obedience: “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land” (Ephesians 6:3 ESV) or as the NIV translates it: “that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy a long life on the earth” (Ephesians 6:3 NIV). Who doesn’t want things to go well? And who doesn’t want a long life? Unfortunately, for many children life is difficult and short, dying too soon. 

The home is disintegrating. The moral fabric of families is unraveling. Houses are war zones. How do we teach our children to obey? By saying “no” with love, by setting boundaries with love, by spending time with them, by listening to them, by praying for them, by being there when they really need us, by praising our children, and by setting the right example. The best way, however, to teach obedience is to model obedience. Like many important traits obedience is more easily caught than taught. Children quickly learn from parents following scriptural teaching, most importantly: “Wives submit to your husbands . . .” and “Husbands love your wives . . .” Our children will learn to honor us as we honor our parents. Our children learn respect as we respect each other. Children don’t do what we say; children do what we do. They become what we are.

Conclusion

What are the benefits of a home marked by mutual submission?

There certainly is no place like home. For that reason, make sure your home reflects your identity as a disciple of Jesus.

Hope to see you on Sunday! 

In His Love, 

David & Susan 

Class Lesson April 30, 2017

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

It was like standing at a fork in the road, except the road went in a dozen directions. I was preparing to graduate from college and was terrified because I had no idea what to do for the rest of my life. And that was because I had no real idea about who I was up to that point in my life. Throughout my 16-year educational journey, I had learned a lot of things about other people, but almost nothing about myself. 

All that changed when I found my identity in Christ. 

When I came to Christ, I came to His body, the church. My identity in Christ is wrapped up in my identity with other believers. That’s true of all who follow Christ. We find who we are in Christ, and we live out that identity through our involvement with other Christians. 

As you explore an important passage from 1 Peter 4 in this session, you’ll see that to love and serve the body of Christ is to love and serve the Head of that body: Christ Himself.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? 

1 Peter 4:7 

7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. 

If we are connected to Christ, we also are connected to other believers. Scripture describes the church in several ways: the body of Christ (see 1 Cor. 12:27), the bride of Christ (see Rev. 19:7-9), and the family of God (see Eph. 2:19). All of these word pictures convey a key truth about the church: we need to work together. 

In our Scripture focus, Peter began by telling believers that “The end of all things is near.” This “end” refers to the end of time when all humanity will stand before Jesus (see Rev. 20:11-12). The last days were inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Christ; the New Testament frequently refers to this period between His first and second comings as the last days (see Rom. 13:11-12; 1 Cor. 10:11; Heb. 10:23-25). 

Considering the brevity of our time, Peter identified three ways believers can serve one another and, therefore, strengthen the church. First, we’re told to “be alert and sober-minded for prayer.” As a spiritual family, we hold on to each other and hold each other up through prayer. As a pastor, I can’t tell you how important this is for me. I need the prayers of other believers—and so do you. 

Jesus didn’t save us so that each of us could be an only child. He called us to love both Him and His family. If we love the church—the family of God—we will pray for her members. By praying for the church, we’re serving other believers. Prayer is dependence on God, and when we take the lives of others before God’s throne of grace, we’re laying their needs before the One who loves, cares, and can fully meet their needs. 

Part of discovering who we are is discovering that God made us to be prayer warriors. All believers have a direct connection to God because of our faith in Jesus. Let’s use that connection to bless the church with prayer. 

1 Peter 4:8-9 

8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 

Even in the best marriages, where two people love each other more than anything else, conflict happens. It’s inevitable. Conflict also happens in the church. And just like in a marriage, Christians are called to respond to that conflict with love. 

Peter has already told us that, in light of “the end of all things,” we should pray. For the same reason, the second way Peter taught us to serve our spiritual family was to be filled with a deep love for each other. This is the selfless, benevolent, agape love (or affection) that God bestows on His people. 

Such love isn’t automatic or easy. It takes work to maintain love in any relationship. Life among believers is no different—which is why Peter wrote, “Above all, maintain constant love for each other.” 

When we work to maintain love for each other, that love “covers a multitude of sins.” Peter wasn’t writing about our sins toward God. Our faith in Jesus Christ covers those. Instead, Peter was referring to the offenses we commit against each other. My love for others leads me to overlook their offenses against me. Love leads us to move past the hurt and see beyond one another’s faults. 

The church isn’t filled with perfect people; therefore, it must be filled with God’s perfect love. 

Peter gave us a picture of what love should look like. In doing so, he described the third way we are to serve our spiritual family: “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” To be “hospitable” means to be kind and welcoming to people. This is to be a hallmark of the Christian community, otherwise known as the church. 

Peter wasn’t the first to elevate the importance of hospitality in the New Testament. Paul called all Christians to pursue hospitality in Romans 12:13, and he listed hospitality among the defining traits of Christian leaders (see 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8). 

Such hospitality was especially significant in the early years of the church, when lodging wasn’t affordable for traveling Christians. The advance of the church’s mission in sharing the gospel was greatly aided by believers who were willing to open their homes to travelers. 

It’s one thing to share a home or share a meal; it’s another thing to do it without grumbling. We can begrudge our own hospitality if we feel obligated to offer it. But if we strive to maintain an intense love for those who share our tables or lodge at our homes, we can be hospitable without complaining. 

Hospitality moves love away from an abstract truth. Indeed, hospitality is love in action.

1 Peter 4:10-11 

10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 

Have you ever wondered why God placed so many different kinds of people within the church? It’s because He has given each different person a different set of gifts. 

Every person in the church is a gift who brings gifts to the body of Christ in order to make it stronger. We need all of these members and their gifts, and they need us. 

That’s important. Christians know they need Jesus, but we sometimes fail to realize we need other Christians, too. We weren’t made for just ourselves; rather, we were made to serve Christ by serving His body, the church. 

For that reason, you are called to use your gifts to serve the Lord and His church. That phrase “Just as each one has received a gift” means you already have a gift from God. Each one who has trusted in Christ has received a spiritual gift—one that is purely a gift of God’s grace. All of these gifts involve serving and helping others, which is why Peter categorized them by a general function of speaking or serving. When we review the other passages where spiritual gifts are listed (see Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-10), each gift can be placed in one of these two categories. 

We don’t use these gifts in our own power or for our own benefit. Rather, we do so as people dependent on God. We speak “as one who speaks God’s words,” and we serve “from the strength God provides.” 

How has God gifted you? God will awaken you to these gifts by the power of His Spirit, and He often uses two avenues: 

1. From others. Many times other believers will see your giftedness before you see it in yourself. Christians around us will help us to discover how we can speak the truth and serve others. 

2. From action. God’s giftedness may become clear, not as we seek His gifts, but as we get our hands dirty and begin to serve. 

Every believer is called to service, but God will not enable the full potential of your gift until you surrender to Him. He hasn’t given us all the same gift, but He has called us all to the same service. Once you discover your identity as a servant of God in His church, you will understand so much more about who you are as a person—and who you are meant to become. 

LIVE IT OUT

How will you love and serve Christ through His church this week? Consider the following suggestions. 

• Pray. Make a commitment to pray each day. Prayer is simply talking to God. Pray for your church and those who lead it. Serve them by praying for them. 

• Practice hospitality. Identify a way you can show more love and kindness to the people in your church, in your community, and in your family. 

• Identify others’ gifts. Every member in God’s church is gifted, but many Christians don’t see themselves that way. Encourage others by pointing out the gifts you see in them. Bless each other with a word of encouragement, a note, a phone call, and so on. 

Whether you’ve been a Christian for years, or whether you recently discovered your identity in Christ—you have a vital connection to the church. Don’t miss out on that incredible gift. 

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Teacher Notes

LIFE IN THE CHURCH: Why are you here? Why do you come to church? 

What does the church mean to you and how is it different from a club, association or team of which you are a member?

• our identity – who we are, who I am – depends on the identity of God’s people: I am a member of Christ’s body; I am part of God’s people; I am a child of God called to love Him and His creation; I am a follower of Jesus because in Him I am fully alive and willing to serve.
• My identity in Christ is wrapped up in my identity with other believers. That’s true of all who follow Christ. We find who we are in Christ, and we live out that identity through our involvement with other Christians. 

What are some names for the church you read about in the bible?

1. The family of God (Eph. 2:19) How is church like family? 

2. The body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27, Rom. 12:5). How is the church like a body? Work together.

· I am connected in a living way to Jesus.

· I am part of a living organism bigger than myself.

· I have a purpose and function in that body.

3. The bride of Christ (Rev. 19:7-9). How is the church like a bride? Marriage covenant

One of the most radical distinctions of following Christ in our secular society is a commitment to serving one another. We do this in the church. 

Our society promotes the individual and for us to look out for ourselves. Christ compels us to respond to the needs of others with the love of God. The church distinguishes itself from the rest of the world by serving each other. Here needs are met, wounds are soothed, hearts are mended, and prayers are answered. 

Peter recognized that our time is short—either Jesus’ return or death is imminent—so he gave some practical guidelines for the church to practice. He’s going to talk with us about prayer, love and hospitality, and then the use of our spiritual gifts all of which is to serve one another.

You see, when we love and serve the church, we love and serve Christ.

I. Serve One Another Through Prayer 1 Peter 4:7 

7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be alert and sober-minded for prayer. 

Peter begins by telling us that we need to Live with the end in view: “The end of all things is near.”

Why does Peter say this and how important is this to us today? How does reflecting on the end times affect the way you live – or does it?

All things are ready for Christ’s return, so don’t ignore or overlook it. Christians are to live godly lives in anticipation that Christ will return. Getting ready to meet Christ involves continually growing in love for God and for others.

Why is prayer so important to serving one another in the church?

• Praying for each other is one of the best ways we can serve one another. Not just saying we will pray, but actually praying for the needs, hurts, concerns, and hopes of those in our church. It shows that we believe in the power of prayer and the One who answers our prayer. 
• We hold each other up through prayer. Jesus called us to love both Him and His family. If we love the church—we will pray for her members. By praying for the church, we’re serving other believers. All believers have a direct connection to God because of our faith in Jesus.

II. Serve One Another with Love and Hospitality 1 Peter 4:8-9 

8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 

Peter is referring here to the sins or conflicts that arise in the church. He’s talking about how we should relate to different people, even those we don’t necessarily gel with. 

How does Peter say we are to respond to these “family members”? What does that look like?

· Love one another. If we respond simply from natural impulses, we’d probably be nice when people were kind. At other times though, we would likely be vengeful, angry, or hurtful. Jesus clearly teaches us to love even when those around us seem unlovable. Look at how Christ loved: Romans 5:8 “Christ loved us enough to die for us while we were still sinners.” Surely, out of gratitude for what He did, we can love others. Love is something that we work at, just the way an athlete works on his or her skills. Love is not a matter of emotional feeling, though that is included, but of dedicated will. Blessings from loving one another: God is pleased and this should give us joy, peace, and a sense of accomplishment; excitement and anticipation for how God will move in the relationship; there is an awareness that the Holy Spirit is working from within, enabling divine love to flow through a yielded human life. John 13:35 tells us of another important benefit: Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Since unconditional godly love is uncommon in our world, people will notice.

How does love cover a multitude of sins? Love heals…

· Medical doctor Bernie Siegel said, “I am convinced that unconditional love is the most powerful known stimulant of the immune system. If I told patients to raise their blood levels or immune globulins or killer T cells, no one would know how. But if I teach them to love themselves and others fully, the same changes happen automatically. The truth is, love heals. Remember I said love heals. I do not claim love cures everything, but it can heal and in the process of healing cures occur also.” And, when we love others it covers over or soothes the wounds that have hurt us. Love can change our hearts and in turn change our churches and ultimately change our world. When we have been wounded, and hurt by others to love them often will be a strain. We will have to work at it. It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it.

· Love is the basis for forgiveness. Even in the best marriages, where two people love each other more than anything else, conflict happens. It’s inevitable. Conflict also happens in the church. And just like in a marriage, Christians are called to respond to that conflict with love. Peter taught us to serve our spiritual family was to be filled with a deep love for each other. My love for others leads me to overlook their offenses against me. Love leads us to move past the hurt and see beyond one another’s faults. 

Peter gave us a picture of what love should look like: “Be hospitable to one another without complaining.” 

What does hospitality look like in words? In actions?

· To be “hospitable” means to be kind and welcoming to people. Show hospitality to one another. God is a hospitable God, welcoming the prodigal home and the sinner to His side. Likewise, He expects His followers to show the same practice toward each other. In a time before hotels and motels, travelers had to depend on the generosity of their brothers and sisters when they needed lodging. Today we need to open our homes to those in our faith community to share in meals, laughter, and plans. 

What makes complaining so easy—even in the church? 

III. Serve One Another Through Your Spiritual Gift 1 Peter 4:10-11 

10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. 11 If anyone speaks, let it be as one who speaks God’s words; if anyone serves, let it be from the strength God provides, so that God may be glorified through Jesus Christ in everything. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. 

What is the significance of different kinds of people in the church? 

· Each different person has a different set of gifts. Every person in the church is a gift who brings gifts to the body of Christ in order to make it stronger. We need all of these members and their gifts, and they need us.

How do we discover and discern the gifts God has given us? 

God awakens you to these gifts by the power of His Spirit, and He often uses two avenues:

1. From others. Other believers will see your gift before you see it in yourself. Christians around us help us to discover how we can speak the truth and serve others. 

2. From action. God’s gift may become clear, not as we seek His gifts, but as we get our hands dirty and begin to serve. 

What is the purpose of a Spiritual gift?

· Gifts are to serve one another. Peter said, “gifts to be put to use in serving one another.” Believers have a spiritual responsibility to use the gifts to serve others. Spiritual gifts like the money we possess have been given to us by God. They are not ours. Our responsibility is to employ those gifts in service to others. As we serve others we are also serving God. The only way to serve God is by serving other people. 

· Christians, know they need Jesus, but we sometimes fail to realize we need other Christians, too. We weren’t made for just ourselves; rather, we were made to serve Christ by serving His body, the church. For that reason, you are called to use your gifts to serve the Lord and His church.

· Each one who has trusted in Christ has received a spiritual gift—one that is purely a gift of God’s grace. All of these gifts involve serving and helping others, which is why Peter categorized them by a general function of speaking or serving. When we review the other passages where spiritual gifts are listed (see Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:7-10), each gift can be placed in one of these two categories. We don’t use these gifts in our own power or for our own benefit. Rather, we do so as people dependent on God. We speak “as one who speaks God’s words,” and we serve “from the strength God provides.” 

· Every believer is called to service, but God will not enable the full potential of your gift until you surrender to Him. He hasn’t given us all the same gift, but He has called us all to the same service. 

Gifts of Service: Giving, Discernment, Mercy, Administration, Service, Hospitality, Faith

Gifts of Speech: Prophecy, Wisdom, Teaching, Knowledge, Exhortation, Evangelism, Leadership

· God grants to every believer a grace gift to be used for the common good.

· Believers are responsible to be faithful managers of the grace gifts they have been given.

· God gives us the message to declare and the strength we need for service.

· Whether we honor the Lord by speaking His Word or serving others in His name, He is the one to whom all glory is to be given.

Conclusion: Friedrich Nietzsche, the atheistic philosopher, allegedly stated, “Jesus’ disciples will need to look more saved if I am to believe in their Savior.” Nietzsche used the poor witness of some Christians as his excuse for not believing. He makes a good point: the world is looking for Christ’s followers who look like Jesus. The world looks at us not only for right belief, but also for a distinctive Christ-like lifestyle, a faith expressed through action. The world looks at Christ’s followers and says, “Show me your faith by the way you live and serve in this hurting world.” Service exemplifies the way Christianity is supposed to be lived. Believers who visibly and actively serve present Jesus to a watching world.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

NEW SERIES begins April 23, 2017

Who are you? Start with Christ. 

Most of us struggle with our identity at some point in life. Not knowing who you are can really mess up where you are and what you do. 

I know that to be true from personal experience. When I was in my early twenties, I was a passenger in life, traveling through my days without a destination. I had grown up in a great environment, but I had made a total mess of my circumstances. 

Jesus changed all that. He changed me, and now my identity is wrapped up in Christ. 

In these six sessions, we’ll see what God says about who we are and who we can be in Christ. Our identity in Christ alters our identity at church, in our homes, at our places of work, and everywhere else. We never lose our uniqueness in our various roles, but those roles are transformed by our life of faith—our true, defining identity. 

Let this study help you be sure of who you are in Christ and how you can live out that identity.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE 

Who am I? That’s not always an easy question to answer in one specific way. For example, I’m a husband, a father, and a friend. All of these relationships help to define me. What’s certain is that how I define and see myself—my identity—will affect my thoughts and actions. 

The world understands this truth, which is why it tries to shape how we see ourselves. Advertisers want us to see ourselves in a certain way—and then believe their product will enhance that image. 

What truly affects our identity is how we see Jesus. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” How these men saw Jesus changed their lives because it changed how they saw themselves. 

The same is true for us. How we see Jesus shapes how we define ourselves. Without correctly understanding who Jesus is, we will never truly understand who we are. Consider, then, life’s most important question: Who is Jesus?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Luke 9:18-20 

18 While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.” 20 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 

During the short period in which the disciples were with Jesus, they saw Him do amazing things—feed the hungry; raise the dead; heal the lame, blind, and diseased; and more. Jesus went from an unknown carpenter in a small town in Galilee to the biggest celebrity in all of Palestine. Many people came to love Him, yet others despised Him. (It seems not much has changed over the last 2,000 years!) 

The conversation we’re studying in Luke 9 happened in “the region of Caesarea Philippi” (Matt. 16:13), which had served as a spiritual and cultic center for thousands of years. In that place of spiritual deception and confusion, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They responded with the various opinions people had about Jesus’ identity. Their opinions differed, but they all shared one thing in common: Jesus was somebody of importance. 

We hear similar responses today. To your Muslim neighbor, Jesus is a prophet. To your Buddhist friend, He’s an enlightened teacher. Even many atheists regard Jesus as a person of inspiration. All of this is interesting, but the real question—the one Jesus would ask each of us—is the one He asked His disciples: “Who do you say that I am?” 

Peter identified Jesus as the long-awaited Christ—a revelation that would transform Peter’s understanding of himself and change his future. Only when Peter rightly understood who Jesus is could he correctly align his own life and identity.

Luke 9:21-22 

21 But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” 

Peter correctly identified Jesus. Yet, it is surprising what Jesus told Peter and the other disciples to do with that information. He told them not to tell anyone. 

What? Aren’t we called to proclaim Jesus as the Messiah? Yes, and later Jesus gave these same disciples the commission to be His witnesses—to tell anyone and everyone about Jesus (see Acts 1:8). At this particular moment in time, though, Jesus didn’t need the full truth about Himself announced. 

Jesus had a precise appointment with death, and He would not die a moment too soon. The word Messiah had become a term that was full of political significance. Many would-be revolutionaries saw themselves as “messiahs.” While many eagerly awaited the Messiah, others saw the “Christ” title as a threat. So, if the disciples went around declaring this new information about Jesus, the political expectations or fears of people would have limited His ability to travel freely and preach the good news of God (see Mark 1:14). 

Although it was not yet time to publicly proclaim Jesus as the Christ, it was important for the disciples to know the truth. Since they acknowledged their full awareness of who Jesus was, He told them, “The Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” 

At that point, the disciples probably believed, as most Jews did, that the Messiah would be a political leader who would free them from the oppressive rule of Rome in some type of military victory. The disciples likely were crushed to hear that Jesus would not lead them to military victory, but instead He would suffer and die.

Any political leader might expect opposition and death, but Jesus didn’t expect just to die; He told them He would be raised again. He told them before it happened so they would not be surprised, as if the work and ministry of Jesus had all been a mistake and for nothing. It was all part of God’s plan that Jesus would die—but He would also rise again! (See Acts 2:23-24.) 

As hard as this may have been for the disciples to hear, Jesus was about to add a shocking challenge: He was not the only one that must die!

Luke 9:23-26 

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. 

Just as the apostles began to catch their breath after hearing the news of Jesus’ divine appointment with death, Jesus told them of their own. Luke 9:23 is one of the most important verses for any follower of Jesus. 

We will never understand who we are until we understand what this verse means for our lives. 

If we want to call ourselves followers of Christ, we must say yes to Jesus, which means we must also say no to ourselves. We must pick up our cross and die to self—daily. Every day, we must say no to our desires, our wishes, and our dreams, and we must say yes to Christ’s lordship over our lives. 

All of this is extremely difficult in our culture. Why? Because we live in a world that caters to self. By the world’s standard, everybody is in it for themselves—and everyone is drowning! 

• Drowning in broken relationships because he demands everything be centered on him. 

• Drowning in debt because she has to have it all. 

• Drowning in illness and disease because they have to eat or experience it all. 

How many times have you seen people work at jobs they hate to buy stuff they don’t need so they can impress people they don’t even like? How many times have you been in that cycle yourself? 

Jesus calls us to be different. 

Jesus calls us to make a decision about Him. But it can’t be a private decision. Nobody can be a Christian and keep his or her faith completely private. Jesus wants His followers to be loyal to Him, to die to self, and to publicly proclaim their faith in Him: “For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.” 

We must understand who Jesus is so that we can understand who we are. Our identities are built on the foundation of His identity. Once we’ve made that connection, our decision to follow Jesus— and to follow Him daily—changes everything else.

LIVE IT OUT

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. How will you respond to that truth in the days to come? Consider these suggestions. 

• Research. Take some time to read through your church’s statement of faith. (You can start with the church website, or with a staff member.) What are some specific truths that statement teaches about Jesus? 

• Surrender. Saying yes to Jesus as Lord means saying no to yourself. Do a self-examination and surrender any areas of selfishness to Him. 

• Share. We are called to tell everyone who Jesus is. Think of someone you know who needs Jesus. Pray as a group for this person to come to know Jesus, and pray about your part in that process: sharing your testimony, inviting him or her to church, answering questions, and so on. 

Who are you? That’s an interesting question. An important question. But you’ll never find the best answer without understanding that your identity is directly tied to Christ. 

Teacher Notes

The comedian Don Rickles died on April 6 at the age of 90. He was often described as an insult comic. Rickles would always answer the question of who you are with humor allowing you, just for a moment, to laugh at yourself always in fun. 

Video: Don Rickles’ Roast Bob Hope

Click Here to Watch

Sometimes when we let others define our identity it can get out of control. There is a Netflicks Series on called “13 Reasons Why” taken from the 2007 young adult novel written by Jay Asher. The show revolves around a student struggling with her identity and she ends up committing suicide because of 13 people in school that labeled her, bullied her and/or did nothing to stop it. It’s a pretty compelling watch – my son/wife believe it should be required viewing among high school. My reaction to this series was, “If a student can just survive high school.”

We all have our own personal stories of coming to terms with, who we are.

In our next six lessons, we’ll see what God says about who we are and who we can be … in Christ. This is key – our identity “in Christ” alters our identity in everything else. It all starts with Christ.

So, in Luke 9 - records Jesus’ commissioning of the Twelve disciples (see vv. 1-6). The disciples traveled from village to village ministering in Jesus’ name. Jesus then miraculously fed over 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish (see vv. 12-17). These events brought more and more attention to Jesus as He carried out His public ministry. About midway through His earthly ministry, Jesus gathered His disciples to discuss His identity and its implications for their lives.



Luke 9:18-22
18 While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” 19 They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.” 20 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 21 But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.”



What truly affects our identity is how we see Jesus. Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”



If someone were to ask you who Jesus is, what would you say to them?

Savior, God's Son, God in the flesh, Counselor, Friend, Redeemer, Lord

Why is Jesus’ true identity so important to us as believers?

• How these men saw Jesus changed their lives because it changed how they saw themselves.

How we see Jesus shapes how we define ourselves.

Co-worker, grandparent, employer, counselor, teacher

Luke 9:23-26

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. 25 For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels.


Luke 9:23 is one of the most important verses for any follower of Jesus.

• While watching a football game on television have you ever noticed someone holding a sign that reads “John 3:16”? It’s one of the most memorized verses in the Bible. It communicates a great truth. In that one verse we learn that God loves us, Jesus died for us, and we can have eternal life through Him. I’ve never seen someone holding up a sign that reads “Luke 9:23.” Luke 9:23 also records Jesus’ words. I can understand why no one would paint that verse on a sign and hold it up for all to see. It doesn’t make a very appealing advertisement for Christianity. In fact, it might make it difficult to recruit new Christians. But the truth is that John 3:16 and Luke 9:23 go together in order for there to be an accurate understanding of the gospel’s invitation. John 3:16 emphasizes believing. Luke 9:23 focuses on following. Those two things are necessary and must go together. There is no believing without following.

We will never understand who we are until we understand what this verse means for our lives.

So, Jesus says that if we choose to follow Him it will require two radical other choices: deny self and take up your cross.

What does it mean to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily?

• We must say yes to Jesus, and no to ourselves. We must pick up our cross and die to self—daily. Every day, we must say no to our desires, our wishes, and our dreams, and we must say yes to Christ’s lordship over our lives. Jesus challenged His followers to lives of self-denial in which they laid aside their personal agendas to submit to His agenda. 

• A surrendered life. Jesus made it clear that if we are to follow Him, a casual no-strings-attached arrangement isn’t a possibility. You can’t “come with” Jesus without denying yourself. It means to forget that one exists or to cease to consider one’s own interests in the slightest degree. Followers denying themselves say, “I choose Jesus over my family, money, career, freedom, and what people think of me.”

• A committed walk. The cross was an instrument of torture and death. When Jesus said “take up his cross” it would translate in today’s vernacular as “take up his electric chair” or “take up his lethal injection.” He was saying “Come and die.” As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, “When Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die.” To carry a cross meant certain death. Jesus took the most despised and rejected symbol of His time and said, “If you want to follow Me, take this up.” He invites us to die.

• What Jesus was telling them is that they needed to put to death their own plans and desires, and then turn their lives over to Him and do His will every day. You see, Jesus doesn’t simply call us to believe that He existed, or even to believe that He can save us. He calls on us to commit our whole lives to Him—to trust Him alone for our salvation, and then to follow Him as His disciples. He said, “Anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27).

• If anyone, man or woman, wants to follow Jesus, to be his disciple (be a “Christian” we tend to say), then he must do two things. He must “deny himself” and “take up his cross.” When Luke tells this same story, he clarifies that we are to take up our cross “daily” (Luke 9:23). What does this mean? The answer to this question shows why the path is so different form the world. To “deny” yourself means to say “No” to yourself and “Yes” to God. Paul is not talking about asceticism — forgoing earthly possessions, not eating certain foods, ignoring the world, etc. To say it differently, the process of denial is “to humbly submit my will to God.” It is to go through life repeating the words that Jesus said the night before He died. When He was praying in the garden, He said to God His Father, “Not My will but Yours be done.” It is what millions of Christians have prayed for centuries when they repeat what we call the “Lord’s Prayer.” “Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). What does it look like to live out this prayer? Someone hurts you. Your natural reaction is to lash back, to get angry. But the path of discipleship is “not my will but Yours.” It is humbly submitting my will to God’s will. Instead of getting angry, we realize that God is calling us to forgive even our enemies. When I am hurt, I am called to submit my will to God’s will and follow his example. This is what it means to “deny” yourself.

• What does it mean to “daily take up your cross”? The cross was a horrid symbol of pain, shame, and death. A person hung on it, naked, until his skeletal structure collapsed and he suffocated to death, without air and with his body drowning itself in its own fluids. Every day we are to live in such a way that it is apparent to everyone that we have died to ourselves, to our selfish ways and ambitions, and live for God. Another translation words the verse: “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me” (NLT).

• Something unfair happens and instinctively we want to get even. But we have died to that “right,” we have prayed “not my will but Yours be done.“ Hopefully we humbly submit our will to God’s will, and we respond in kindness and humility. Will you always do this right the first time? Of course not, and that is, in a sense, okay. Life is a journey. God understands that over the years we have created habits of our heart that are not easily broken, and He is patient with us as we learn to walk the new path. Nevertheless, we are called daily to humbly submit our will to His.

Why is the new path of discipleship (following Jesus, being a Christian) different? It’s because we have been changed. We now follow Jesus, and the new longings in our heart are to do His will, not our own.


Don’t be frightened. God is not standing there with a scowl on His face, arms folded, with a whole new list of things we can do and things we can’t do. Remember Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore”. The path of discipleship is the path of joy, but it is also a path that is different. Because Jesus is different.

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me”?

(Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23)

Let’s begin with what Jesus didn’t mean. Many people interpret “cross” as some burden they must carry in their lives: a strained relationship, a thankless job, a physical illness. With self-pitying pride, they say, “That’s my cross I have to carry.” Such an interpretation is not what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.”

When Jesus carried His cross up Golgotha to be crucified, no one was thinking of the cross as symbolic of a burden to carry. To a person in the first-century, the cross meant one thing and one thing only: death by the most painful and humiliating means human beings could develop.

Two thousand years later, Christians view the cross as a cherished symbol of atonement, forgiveness, grace, and love. But in Jesus’ day, the cross represented nothing but torturous death. Because the Romans forced convicted criminals to carry their own crosses to the place of crucifixion, bearing a cross meant carrying their own execution device while facing ridicule along the way to death.

Therefore, “Take up your cross and follow Me” means being willing to die in order to follow Jesus. This is called “dying to self.” It’s a call to absolute surrender. After each time Jesus commanded cross bearing, He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?” (Luke 9:24-25). Although the call is tough, the reward is matchless.

Wherever Jesus went, He drew crowds. Although these multitudes often followed Him as Messiah, their view of who the Messiah really was—and what He would do—was distorted. They thought the Christ would usher in the restored kingdom. They believed He would free them from the oppressive rule of their Roman occupiers. Even Christ’s own inner circle of disciples thought the kingdom was coming soon (Luke 19:11). When Jesus began teaching that He was going to die at the hands of the Jewish leaders and their Gentile overlords (Luke 9:22), His popularity sank. Many of the shocked followers rejected Him. Truly, they were not able to put to death their own ideas, plans, and desires, and exchange them for His. Following Jesus is easy when life runs smoothly; our true commitment to Him is revealed during trials. Jesus assured us that trials will come to His followers (John 16:33). Discipleship demands sacrifice, and Jesus never hid that cost.

In Luke 9:57-62, three people seemed willing to follow Jesus. When Jesus questioned them further, their commitment was half-hearted at best. They failed to count the cost of following Him. None was willing to take up his cross and crucify upon it his own interests. Therefore, Jesus appeared to dissuade them. How different from the typical Gospel presentation! How many people would respond to an altar call that went, “Come follow Jesus, and you may face the loss of friends, family, reputation, career, and possibly even your life”? The number of false converts would likely decrease! Such a call is what Jesus meant when He said, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” If you wonder if you are ready to take up your cross, consider these questions:

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing some of your closest friends?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means alienation from your family?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means the loss of your reputation?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your job?

• Are you willing to follow Jesus if it means losing your life?


In some places of the world, these consequences are reality. But notice the questions are phrased, “Are you willing?” Following Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean all these things will happen to you, but are you willing to take up your cross? If there comes a point in your life where you are faced with a choice—Jesus or the comforts of this life—which will you choose?

Commitment to Christ means taking up your cross daily, giving up your hopes, dreams, possessions, even your very life if need be for the cause of Christ. Only if you willingly take up your cross may you be called His disciple (Luke 14:27). The reward is worth the price. Jesus followed His call of death to self (“Take up your cross and follow Me”) with the gift of life in Christ: “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:25-26).




Story: When Cortez landed at Vera Cruz in 1519 to begin his dramatic conquest of Mexico with a pocketsize force of 700 men, he purposely set fire to his fleet of eleven ships. His men on the shore watched their only means of retreat sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. With no means of retreat, there was only one direction in which to move, forward into the Mexican interior to meet whatever might come their way.



This is what Jesus asks: Move forward committed to Him, no turning back. What old ways of retreat or going back do you need to set fire to?





Who are you? That’s an interesting question. An important question. But you’ll never find the best answer without understanding that your identity is directly tied to Christ…is it?



Hope to see you on Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan