You Need Jesus In Order to Follow Jesus

Mike Leake

Our church is going through David Platt’s excellent book Radical in our small groups.  The first chapter is centered around Luke 14:25-33, which reads:

[25] Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, [26] “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. [27] Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. [28] For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? [29] Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, [30] saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ [31] Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? [32] And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. [33] So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:25-33 ESV)

I’ve struggled more times than once with this passage.  What really gives me trouble is the finality and broadness of Jesus’ statement: “cannot be my disciple”. 

I have heard, and read in a fair amount of sources, that discipleship is not the same as being a Christian.  In other words it is not as if you could read the verse as saying, “any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be a believer”.  Therefore, what Jesus is saying in this passage is optional.  It’s a second stage.  It’s not the Rocky Balboa version of Christianity—it’s the Apollo Creed.  Not as good as Rocky but still cool enough to don a sweet mustache, red, white, and blue trunks and fight the Russian—but not quite as cool as Rocky.  You’re saved but you’re just not going to be able to beat the Russian. 

I have a hard time buying that.  In Luke 14 he is talking to the multitude.  His audience isn’t believers.  His audience is those that are mostly following but still reserved about following this new teacher.  So, Jesus isn’t telling a crowd of uncommitted followers how to reach level 2.  He is telling those on the fringe to count the cost before following Him. 

But this doesn’t help me. 

What if I’m struggling with the idolatry of putting my family first instead of Jesus?  Does this make me an unbeliever?  What if I’m finding my cross a little too heavy to bear?  Am I now on the fast track to hell?  What if I have yet to renounce everything? 

Honestly, these questions feel more like the Law than the gospel.  It makes me feel like I have to love my wife less, sell a watch or something, and maybe get the Ebola virus and then I’ll be worthy to follow Jesus.  But that’s not what Jesus is saying here.  Is it? 

That is why I find these words of Piper helpful:

On the basis of who he was and what he accomplished, Jesus made his demands.  The demands cannot be separated from his person and work.  The obedience he demands is the fruit of his redeeming work and the display of his personal glory.  That is why he came—to create a people who glorify his gracious reign by bearing the fruit of his kingdom. 

When he said, ‘The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost’, he was speaking about Zacchaeus who had just been so transformed that he gave half his possessions to the poor.  In other words, the Son of Man came to save people from their suicidal love affair with possessions (and every other idol) and to lead them into a kind of impossible obedience that displays the infinite worth of Jesus.  (Piper, What Jesus Demands from the World, p23)

In other words you need Jesus in order to follow Jesus.  Just because it is Jesus making the demands it doesn’t mean that we are able to obey without the work of His Spirit.  So as I am confronted with texts like Luke 14 I have to ask myself a few questions. 

First, is my heart one that is progressively growing in this type of obedience?  Is there evidence of the Spirit rescuing me from a suicidal love affair with possessions? 

Secondly, when I discover that I’m not renouncing everything what do I do?  Do I start looking to myself to rescue me from myself, or do I turn and look to Jesus? 

Thirdly, am I following Jesus—and doing so in an increasing measure?  Or am I just making my own “Jesus” that is following me?  Because so long as my weak faith is laying hold of a strong Christ I know that nothing can snatch me out of his hand.  But if my weak faith is laying hold of a weak self I don’t have much hope.

Today in Blogworld 1.24.11

Mike Leake

Wise words from Jared Wilson, A Missional Way for the Pro-Life Passion

Justin and Lindsey Holcomb ask, What Does God say about sexual assault?

Colin Hansen lists the Top 10 Most Searched Bible Verses and comments on what is missing.

It is good to wait for God.  Mark Altrogge lists a few reasons why this is so.

Jonathan Leeman from 9Marks interviews Michael Horton on his new systematic theology book.  Man, the more I read about this book I may not wait until after seminary to purchase it.

5 Trends to Watch for in Evangelicalism

Impressive:

(HT: 22 Words)

It’s a little technical but still I find this helpful:  Did Jesus pray, Father forgive them?

9 Lessons on Commitment and the Family,

Dr. Mohler responds to Obama’s Radical Pro-Abortion President, Justin Taylor also has a response—which features a Piper video that is a must watch, I ventured a response as well although I’m certain not as articulate.

If you aren’t familiar with Robert M. McCheyne you need to be.  The good folks at DG are providing his Memoirs and Remains for free.

Tim Challies wants us to help him interview John MacArthur.

(HT: Brian)

I Agree with Obama on Abortion

Mike Leake

I agree with President Obama on abortion:

And on this anniversary, I hope that we will recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms, and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill their dreams.

Of course when I say that I agree, I mean that I pray our nation will be passionate about the rights of every daughter and every son…even those still in the womb. 

So, yeah.  I guess I really don’t agree with President Obama on abortion because it’s near-sighted and meaningless.  The same freedom and opportunities should be given to ALL our daughters and ALL our sons, especially those who are the weakest. 

This is somebodies son or daughter.  Ask yourself, is this being committed to their rights?  WARNING:  THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC AND NOT FOR EVERYONE!  VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

From Abort73.com

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I would also like to say that if you have ever had an abortion, gospel healing is still available.  Yes, abortion is atrocious.  Yes, abortion is wrong.  But so is my pride, anger, and all sorts of other sins.  Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners—no matter what that sin is. 

This isn’t a political issue—it’s a heart issue.  And Christ Jesus is still powerful enough to change any heart of stone and melt it to a heart of flesh.  May you find peace in Christ.

Rethinking Constantine

Mike Leake

What’s wrong with the church today?  Some will tell you that it goes way back to the fourth century.  In the minds of many, the greatest villain of church history is not a Nero, Domitian, Mao, or Hitler.  The greatest villain of the church is Constantine.  Peter Leithart hopes to balance that perspective.

In his book, Defending Constantine, which I hope to review sometime next week, Leither remarks:

   For Constantine and the emperors who followed him, after kissing the Son and Lord, it made sense to do homage to Jesus by supporting his Queen, the church—building and adorning cathedrals, distributing funds for poor relief and hospitals, assisting the bishops to resolve their differences by calling and providing for councils. Constantine did not always show restraint. Sometimes he took over business that belonged to the King and Queen alone. But if we want to judge Constantine fairly, we have to recognize that the Queen often had issues. A queen’s bodyguard ought to keep his hands off the queen, but what does he do when she turns harp and starts scratching the face of her lady-in-waiting?

   Once they noticed there was a Queen in their midst, some emperors and kings were often not satisfied with kissing the Son. Some could not keep their hands off her. Some wanted to steal a kiss or two from the Bride and seduce her. Plenty did, but it is important to notice the difference: adorning and protecting someone else’s queen, even protecting her from herself, is not the same as raping her.   (Leithart, Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom , p188-89)

This has been an enjoyable and enlightening read thus far.  Any student of the early church should certainly read this book.  It’s available at Amazon for only 16.93 (it’s well worth that price).