Growing in the Love of Christ

Series: Preacher: Date: October 11, 1998 Scripture Reference: Matthew 4:18-22

There was a second lieutenant during WWII who had graduated from Harvard University before enlisting in the U.S. Army. He was very proud of his alma mater and since he was active in the ROTC program, he was also very proud of his new commission as a 2nd LT. His first assignment was to take a group of raw recruits from the hills of Oklahoma and convince them that they should buy G.I. Life Insurance, a policy offered by the U.S. Government that would pay their families $10,000 if they died while on duty. He marched in with his freshly pressed uniform and shining brass lieutenant bars, wanting to do a good job in his first assignment.

Well, with great eloquence and rhetorical ability he appealed to these men’s responsibility, their love of family, and loyalty to country. He came to the end of his presentation and asked for a response. How many of you will buy G.I. Life Insurance before you go overseas? No one responded. Well, he tried again and once more with great expression he explained the insurance policy but still no one responded. He was about to lose his temper when an old master sergeant walked up and whispered in the lieutenant’s ear, Sir, let me give it a shot. Then the SGT turned around and said, Men it’s like this. If you go overseas and get a bullet in your head and DON’T have G.I. Life Insurance the government doesn’t have to come up with anything. On the other hand if you go overseas and DID buy G.I. Life Insurance and get a bullet in your head, the government has to come up with ten thousand big ones. Now tell me, gentlemen, whom do you think the government will send to the front lines first — those who bought G.I. Life Insurance or those who didn’t? Every soldier present responded by purchasing a policy, which goes to show that motivation can be a powerful thing! It has the ability to compel us to do things we might not do otherwise.

Well, as you have no doubt read in the SOWER or heard from this pulpit, we who make up this local church have felt God’s motivation in a special way in these past months. We have asked God to show us the one thing that should motivate us as His people. And in answer He has guided our attention to His grace….His unmerited favor toward us. In this process He has made us especially aware of the amazingly graceful ways He has blessed us as individuals and a church. It is as if God tapped us on the shoulder and challenged us with the words of II Corinthians 5:14 which say, For Christ’s LOVE compels or MOTIVATES us so that we no longer live for ourselves but for Him who died for us and was raised again. We have felt God saying, Grace should motivate you to do everything you do. Grace then, must be the compelling force behind each of the five basic tasks that God gives to each local church:

GRACE drives us:

  • to MINISTER to the needs of people around us.
  • to cherish the FELLOWSHIP of the Christians who make up this church
  • to give absolute priority to EVANGELISM….sharing the good news of God’s love in new and creative ways.
  • to structure our WORSHIP so that it gives us regular opportunities to meet God and experience His love and guidance.
  • And God’s GRACE also motivates us, as DISCIPLES, to GROW in our love of Christ.

We’ve made an acronym out of the word GRACE to help us remember these five tasks. And, for each of the next five weeks we will be looking together at a different segment of this acronym, studying what God’s Word has to say about each of these five grace-motivated tasks.

Today we begin at the top. The G stands for GROWING in the love of Christ also known as: discipleship. Having experienced God’s grace personally gives us a taste of His love and makes us want more. So grace prompts us to GROW in our love of Christ. It drives us to become better DISCIPLES….closer to God.

Well, what exactly is a disciple? I think we will begin to find the answer to this question by examining the calling of Jesus’ first disciples. So take your Bibles and turn to Matthew 4:18-22 and let’s read the story of the calling of Peter and Andrew and James and John:

18 – As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

19 – “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”

20 – At once they left their nets and followed him.

21 – Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them,

22 – and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

In this text we see that first and foremost a disciple is someone who learns by following someone else as these four men did Christ. And the Greek word for follower that is used here meant two things: It referred to someone who had a growing and deepening RELATIONSHIP to the one they were following. And, it also meant that the follower was committed to the process of a radical REFORMATION because of the influence of the leader on his life.

So today when Jesus calls people to follow Him…when people commit to being His disciples…their lives will be marked by these same two things: a RELATIONSHIP and a REFORMATION. And as a church if we are going to understand grace-driven discipleship, this is a good place for us to begin.

So, what is a disciple of Jesus Christ?

1. First of all, a disciple is someone who has a growing and deepening RELATIONSHIP with God through Jesus Christ.

Contrary to a popular misconception, Christian discipleship is not a religion. It is not memorized creeds or religious activity. It is a relationship. A maturing disciple of Jesus Christ is simply someone who has a relationship with God Himself that is alive and growing. And you know, all human beings hunger for this kind of companionship with their Creator and Redeemer. The brilliant young French mathematician, Blaise Pascal was absolutely correct when he said,

There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person, and it can never be filled by any created thing. It can only be filled by God.

We were custom-designed for an intimate relationship with God. Humans were made to literally walk side-by-side with God through life as Adam and Eve did before they sinned. So, all people can relate to Psalms 42 and 63 which say, As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for You, the living God…..I earnestly seek You; my soul thirsts for You — my body longs for You in a dry and weary land where there is no water. All of their lives people search to fill this void-this emptiness — that sin and separation from God have created. In the days of those first disciples, people believed that the way to fill this God-shaped vacuum…the way to get close to God….was through a rabbi — because he was viewed as being the very epitome of how God’s truth was expressed through the Torah. So they initiated a relationship with a rabbi. They left everything they owned to go and live with him. They would serve the rabbi, sit at his feet, watch him intently, and seek, by following him, to go where their longing for God could be satisfied.

So it wasn’t odd that Peter and the others would follow Jesus. They saw Him as a rabbi who had an unprecedented understanding of God’s truth. But what was contrary to popular practice was the fact that Jesus initiated this relationship. He invited these men to follow Him — they did not ask His permission to do so. You see, not only do we hunger for a relationship with God….He desperately wants one with us! Jesus showed that God has a personal interest in knowing all people. Joe Stowell, head of Moody Bible Institute in Chicago says, God lures us with persistent love into a deepening relationship with Him. He is God, and a relationship with Him literally explodes with the love and leadership we long for.

So discipleship is first and foremost a growing love RELATIONSHIP between God and individuals who have accepted His invitation into relationship by becoming Christians. Now all of us know that it is challenging to have a meaningful friendship with another human being. It takes work and time and sacrifice. Well, think of the frustration of trying to build a relationship with Someone Who is invisible and untouchable-a Spirit who rarely speaks out loud! Twice in the last week or so individuals have asked me whether or not it was actually possible to have a genuine friendship-a personal relationship — with our unseen God. And that is a good question. How do you? Well…

a. We begin to grow a deep friendship with our unseen God by simply opening the door of our HEART.

Our heart is where we dream….where we think our inner-most thoughts. Think of it as CONTROL CENTRAL in your life. No one comes into this part of our lives unless we give them permission. It is the core of who and what I am. It is the real, authentic me. It is what is left after all the masks and costumes are off. God wants to meet me there….in fact, He won’t meet me anywhere else. Because He wants to know and fellowship with the REAL me….the sinful, weak, afraid, me. That in itself is amazing. I don’t have to pretend I am smart or funny or brave for God to want to be with me. I don’t have to EARN His interest. Our perfect, Holy God wants to know and relate to imperfect me, just as I am. That IS GRACE! He wants what I need most….an HONEST relationship…someone I can really talk to, someone I can cry with, laugh with, and be REAL with. But you know, tragically many Christians never develop this deep, satisfying relationship with GOD. They repent of their sins and accept God’s forgiveness through Jesus’ death and resurrection but they stop there. And because of this their relationship with God is shallow and weak. It does not satisfy and they hunger for more.

It’s like the story of the man who saved all of his life so that he could go on a week-long cruise on the Caribbean. Finally he had scrimped and saved just enough money and he purchased his ticket. He boarded the ship, found his cabin, and opened his suitcase which he had filled with crackers and peanut butter. Each day he would go out on deck and enjoy the sun and spectacular views but when it came time for meals, instead of following the other passengers to the dining hall, he would return to his room for a meal of crackers and peanut butter. He hungered for so much more. His mouth would water as he smelled the sumptuous banquets prepared for each meal…steak, lobster…..soups….salads…pastries…but he turned down all invitations to dine because he didn’t know that his ticket price included meals.

Many Christians are just like this misinformed vacationer. They don’t realize that God offers us so much more than just a ticket to heaven when we die. He offers us a deep, meaningful, personal relationship in the here and now. Do you remember Jesus’ invitation In Revelation 3:20 ? He says, Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. God offers us a relationship that will more than satisfy our greatest hunger and the first thing we have to do is open the door of our hearts and let Him in.

b. The second thing we must do it spend TIME with GOD.

All relationships are built on communication and closeness.

So to build a relationship with God requires regular conversations with Him through prayer and exposure to His word — also known as a QUIET TIME. Followers learn to discipline themselves to BEGIN each day with 10-20 minutes of this quiet time of drawing near to God as we talk with Him about our lives and listen for His guidance.

You know, when Sue and the kids and I first came here to Redland, we were almost immediately impressed by the number of influential government people who attended here. We noticed Army Colonels, Navy Commanders, Secret Service men, and all kinds of people who worked for our government in one way or another. But I guess one of the most impressive people we met was Boyd Robinson. Boyd told me shortly after we arrived that he had the honor of serving as the President’s dentist. When he told me that, my mouth just dropped open….luckily I closed it before Boyd tried to fill a tooth or something! I was so impressed! I remember calling dad and saying, I go to church with the President’s dentist! I have shaken hands that have actually been inside the mouths of Bush and Reagan! One Sunday, not long after we met, Boyd offered Sue and me an amazing invitation. He said that he would like to take us to the White House for a special tour on the following Monday morning during which we would actually meet President George Bush. We quickly said, Great! Let’s do it! Boyd made it very clear to us that we should meet him at the West gate of the White House promptly at 7:30AM so that he could take us on this tour. One of the reasons we had to be in and out so early was because a cabinet meeting was scheduled for 8:15AM and Boyd didn’t feel they would appreciate us walking through the room during the meeting. He advised us that if we were going to be in center-city D. C. by 7:30AM, we should leave our house by 6:00AM to avoid rush hour. This meant we would have to set our alarm clock for 5:00AM. We called my parents in Delaware to come and spend the night with us so they could watch the kids. We loaded film into the camera. We set our alarm clock. We laid out our clothes. I planned to wear my brand new seminary tie to impress President Bush.

Well, we went to bed with our heads spinning. We couldn’t believe that we were going to be standing in the Oval Office within eight hours. It took us a while to settle down to sleep, but finally we drifted off. During what seemed to be the middle of the night, the phone rang. I couldn’t figure who would be calling at that time of night, but I heard Dad answer the phone and then call out, Mark — get up-it’s the White House! Well, I guess I was feeling a little cocky because I leaned over to Sue and said, I hope they’re not calling to ask me to stick around for that cabinet meeting. I’ve got things to do today! I stumbled to the phone, still half asleep, only to be greeted by an urgent voice, Mark, it’s Boyd. Where are you? I’m calling from the White House. It’s 7:45AM. Look, if you haven’t left by now there’s no way you’re going to get down here in time. We’re going to have to can the whole deal. I’m sorry.

Maybe we can try to work it out again for you to meet President Bush after he is re-elected in 1992. By the time I hung up the phone, Sue knew something was up. She had only heard my end of the conversation but she could tell something wasn’t right. When I got back in bed she asked what the problem was and I told her, Sue, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you are married to one of the only guys in the world who has slept through a chance to meet the President of the United States! She was not impressed and was probably thinking the same thing you are thinking, How could you be so dumb as to allow this to happen?! How could you pass up this opportunity? Now, before we go any further, let me make two comments about this particular episode in my life.

  • COMMENT #1 — it never really happened. I made it up…in fact I got this idea out of a youth devotional book a number of years ago.
  • COMMENT #2 — actually it did happen.

In fact it has happened to me numerous mornings in my life….and it happens every day to thousands of people like you. I’m not saying that you and others are sleeping through a chance to go to the Oval Office and meet the president of the United States. What I am saying is that people just like you and me on days just like this one, sleep right through a chance to go into the throne room of Almighty God and talk to the Creator and Redeemer of the Universe. Every new day greets us with the opportunity to get out of bed and spend a few minutes in relationship with God Himself, but most of us pass it up for a few extra minutes of sleep. God wants to have a relationship with you….but no relationship will grow if you don’t give it time. And this church will only grow if the disciples in it GROW in this way…from the inside out by working to mature their friendship with God. One other way to develop this relationship with God is to:

c. …Commit to be where He is AT WORK

In his book, Experiencing God Henry Blackaby teaches that Christians shouldn’t ask God’s will for their life….rather they should ask what His will is…and become a part of it. A personal quiet time helps us to develop a sensitivity to where God is working. We grow that relationship even more by then joining Him in His work. True disciples value-cherish-their relationship with God. They help it to grow deep and strong by inviting God into their hearts, by spending regular quality time with Him, and by joining Him in His work.

I remember when I met Sue. We began our relationship on a group date to see SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE when I was home from seminary for Christmas break. The more I got to know her, the more compelling of a person she became. I spent every free minute with her. When I returned to campus I wrote her every morning and called her every night. It wasn’t long until I was wanting a full-time, lifelong, relationship with her. She said yes, and we were married nearly 20 years ago.

Now, I don’t continue to live with Sue only because of vows or commitments I have made. I am not faithful to her just because I want people to know I am a loyal husband. I am DRIVEN to be with her by the fact that she and I have a growing RELATIONSHIP with each other. It is the pleasure and the power of that RELATIONSHIP that affects not only my conduct toward her, but also the way I live all of my life. I am not perfect in this RELATIONSHIP…..ask Sue! But the bottom line is that our relationship is something that I highly value. And that is exactly what it is like to be a follower of Christ. It is not the codes or the catechisms. It is CHRIST. Because I am His and He is mine, I gladly follow Him, sit at His feet and learn from Him. I eagerly join Him in His work. I highly value my relationship with Him and it is this relationship that provides the power to make my life what it should be for Him. Joe Stowell says, Unless this relationship is vibrant and growing, the transforming power of followership will never take hold. Radical reformation will be too high of a risk. When I am far away from Him, replicating His character and conduct will seem like too tough a chore. When, however, He is the central relationship in my life, radical reformation becomes the intriguing adventure of life.

Which brings us to the second thing that is involved in discipleship. It is a RELATIONSHIP that leads to…

2. …a radical REFORMATION of the conduct and character of the follower.

True disciples let their relationship with God to change them. They commit to a process of patterning their lives after Jesus Himself. In II Corinthians 3:18 Paul wrote, And we who reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness. Disciples yield full control of their desires and decisions to God. They repent of their sin and give Him the right He deserves to do deep cleaning and major remodeling in their lives. Last week’s memory verse, II Corinthians 5:17 said it all, If any one is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone. The new has come.

So growing disciples pray as did King David in Psalm 139, Search me Oh God and know my HEART; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Let me say two things about this reformation:

a. First of all, it TAKES TIME…

We don’t become like Christ overnight. In fact, we won’t be totally like Him until we join Him in eternity. In Philippians 1:6 Paul said, The One who has begun His good work in you will go on developing it until the day of Jesus Christ. No, disciple means, learner not expert. Discipleship is a commitment to a life-long process of reformation. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff says that when he first came to the United States from Russia, he wasn’t prepared for the incredible variety of instant products available in American grocery stores. He said, On my first shopping trip, I saw POWDERED MILK-you just add water, and you get milk. Then I saw POWDERED ORANGE JUICE-you just add water and you get orange juice. And then I saw BABY POWDER and I thought to myself, WHAT A COUNTRY! Many times we expect to become like Christ this fast….instantly at conversion. But radical reformation like this takes time. As Hendricks says, Disciples are MADE not BORN. Saul met Christ in an instant of time on that Damascus road but he didn’t become Paul until several years of mentoring and study had passed. Reformation takes time.

b. And then secondly, this reformation is COSTLY.

Salvation is free but following Jesus and experiencing this wonderful relationship with God that we all yearn for will cost us. Jesus said, If any one would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. In John 15 Jesus explained why crosses are inevitable: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. The more we become like Christ, the less we are like the world around us and with this radical change comes a cost. We have to give up sinful habits that we developed before we became Jesus’ followers. We may lose friends who cannot understand the way our RELATIONSHIP with God changes our lives. It is time-consuming and energy-draining….BUT IT IS WORTH IT! You know, here in America, the crosses we bear are made of balsa wood compared to the crosses that Christians have to carry in other nations around the world.

Today there are more people dying as martyrs for their faith than in all the other years combined. In many Islamic countries heresy laws make conversion to Christianity a criminal act punishable by flogging, dismemberment, or death. In countries like Sudan tens of thousands of Christians are dumped in the open desert each year and denied food. Children are taken from their parents and raised as Muslims. Yet, LIGHT magazine reports that in spite of the incredible persecution, the Christian church is growing faster in Sudan than anywhere else in the Muslim world. I guess they have learned that their RELATIONSHIP with God is worth the cost. And they are right. DISCIPLESHIP that fosters a maturing walk with God is an incredibly precious thing.

It motivates us to change and grow…To think otherwise is to embrace a cheap grace. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who died for his faith at the hands of Adolph Hitler wrote, Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ living and incarnate.

COSTLY GRACE…is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which cases him to stumble. It is the call of Jesus Christ at which the disciple leaves his nets and follows Him.

SO, DISCIPLESHIP…..Growing in the love of Christ ….. involves a relationship and a reformation. Which are you missing?

Website design and development by Red Letter Design.