Fit For Service

Based on an original manuscript by Steve Andrews.

Good morning from the Panhandle. The sun is shining and if they are right by this afternoon the wind will be blowing 40, 50, and possibly as high as 70 mph. I am praying they are wrong because we would like to take our Bible Club kids on a picnic for their last day before school is out. 

Imagine a pastor or church leader having three church members respond to a challenging sermon about serving Christ Jesus. One volunteers to work in the nursery, one to teach a junior high Sunday School class, and the third to clean up after Wednesday dinners. The volunteers are respected church members and are successful in their vocations. The three volunteers are morally pure and appear not to have any flaws that would disqualify them from serving. They are the kind of volunteers that the nominating team has been praying for as they begin a new church year. Most believe the decision by these volunteers to “step up to the plate” is an answer to prayer, but the pastor tells each one, “We don’t need volunteers like you because you are not fit for service!” What!

While it may be difficult for us to imagine a pastor or church leader telling his members that they are not fit for serving in the kingdom, Christ Jesus did just that to three unnamed prospective disciples. Three men offered to follow Christ Jesus, but He told them, “I don't think so.” Well, Jesus didn’t actually say that, but He challenged their commitment to His cause. Then, He offered a stinging rebuke, “He who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God.”

Before looking at the specific reasons given by the prospective disciples for not following Christ, we should consider some of the characteristics of The Savior’s Call.

Luke 9:57-62

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."

58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."

59 He said to another man, "Follow me."

But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."

62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

First, the call of Christ Jesus is Universal. These men are not identified by name, but they receive the same call as the original twelve disciples. Following Christ Jesus is not a country club membership where you pay different fees depending on the level of your membership. You can join a club and pay a higher price for unlimited golf compared to a cheaper price for weekday golf. You may choose the tennis and pool options.

Following Christ Jesus is not a retirement package where you can increase giving as you get older. Some retirement plans allow you to invest or withdraw a greater percentage as you increase in age. Christ Jesus does not offer a call to follow Him 50% of the time until you are 40 years-old, increasing your service to 60% during your 60’s, and finally giving 100% when you are 70 and older. His is universal call to “Follow me!” It is the same call today as it was to the Peter, James, and John. It is a call to love God with all you heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Second, the call of Christ Jesus is a Voluntary call. The words “Follow me,” are not a command; they are the greatest invitation your will ever receive. Christ Jesus invites us to join Him on incredible journey of advancing His kingdom. He does not coerce us to follow Him, nor does He deceive us into following Him. You must willingly choose to embrace His rightful reign as the King of Kings or reject His offer to be Lord of your life. The Bible contains numerous sad stories of those who rejected Christ Jesus and what He offered.

Third, the savior’s call is General. I am using the term general like the basic core classes a college student would take before taking specific classes in his declared major. Whether a student is majoring in premed or engineering, he must take an English or History class. The general or core classes open doors to more defined areas of study.

The call to follow Christ Jesus is a general call. You decide to follow without knowing all the details about what you will do or where you will go. As you give God your whole heart, you will experience more specific leading with defined areas of service. The general characteristic of Christ’s call allows you develop your unique gifts for His glory. Following Christ Jesus is not a “cookie cutter faith” where everybody looks and acts the same; rather the savior’s call opens doors for you to fulfill the purpose for which God placed you on this earth.

Fourth, the savior’s call is Directional. This call is general, but it is also very specific as to the direction a disciple is going. You are following Christ Jesus. The writer of Hebrews described Christ Jesus as the “author of our faith,” which means He is the initiator and director of the call. While the geography of the call may lead to many different places, Christ Jesus is the one who is leading the way. He goes before us, provides our needs, and promises to never leave us or forsake us. Wherever He leads, whatever the task, our job is to keep our eyes focused on Him, obeying Him, honoring Him, and following Him.

SHARED CHALLENGES

In this text, we are introduced to three excuses, which are really challenges or obstacles that we all face when considering the call to follow Christ Jesus. These three challenges are not an exhaustive list, but they would certainly make the list of top ten reasons why people reject the call to follow Christ Jesus.

Challenge #1 - Security. Christ Jesus said the Son of Man has no place to lay His head, and those who follow him may have a difficult time finding a pillow as well. Additional insight is provided in Matthew’s Gospel, where he identifies the first prospect as a Pharisee, who enjoyed the privileges of being a respected leader in the community. Because of Israel’s social, political, and religious culture were so intertwined, Pharisees were like Senators in the U.S. congress. They enjoyed prestige and benefits of living at the highest level of the social structure.

The challenge Christ Jesus presents is not one of danger compared to safety; rather He challenges His followers to forsake the comforts and identity of the world for the opportunity to follow Him. Do you derive you security and identity from your worldly possessions, position in the market place, or popularity in society, or do your find your identity and security as a follower of Christ Jesus?

Are you willing to say as the apostle Paul said, “I am a fool for Christ!”? Paul declared that he considered the things of the world as garbage compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus. Today many people find their security is things like education, athletic prowess, material possessions, business success, significant relationships, and the list goes on and on. The world says you would be a fool to give up all those comforts of the world to follow Christ Jesus who offers none of those securities? Christ Jesus says, “Follow me any way.”

Challenge #2 - Urgency. Another prospect said he needed to bury his father. Most commentators agree that the man’s father had not yet died, so he was really asking for an opportunity to follow Christ Jesus at a later date. He wanted to follow Christ Jesus, but he did not want to do it today.

The Bible contains several warnings about the urgency of obeying God now. Christ Jesus told a parable about a rich man who chose to build bigger barns instead of honoring God because he did not know that God’s judgment was coming upon him that very night (Luke 16). Christ Jesus said we must work during the day because night is coming when no one can work (John 9:4). The Bible says, “Boast not in tomorrow because a man knows not what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1). Listen folks, don’t take the call of God for granted. Don’t deceive yourself that you will obey later. Don’t believe the enemy’s lie that you can wait. The call to follow Christ Jesus is an urgent call.

Challenge #3 - Tenacity. The third prospect requested to follow, but he wanted to return to his family for a final visit. Christ Jesus issues what seems like a harsh rebuke telling the man that he is not fit for service in the kingdom. We must recognize that Christ Jesus’ statement is not some isolated or obscure challenge. Throughout biblical history, followers of God have been challenged to serve the Lord with a focused intensity. When God led the nation of Israel, He placed a fire behind them, so they would not go backwards. When they crossed the Red Sea, God caused the waters to close drowning the Egyptians and preventing Israel from going backwards. God told Joshua not to depart to the right or left, but he was to say focused on carefully following the call of God.

Christ Jesus used the word picture of taking up a cross to illustrate the tenacity He expects of His followers. Paul described the Christian faith as a fight. When we accept the call to follow Christ Jesus we must never look back and never give up. Take up your cross, fight the good fight, stay the course, and never let go of the plow!

The sad reality is that many saints have let go. They have decided that other things are more interesting or important. It even happen to some follower in Paul's time. 2 Tim 2:17-18
17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

Perhaps they have grown tired. Maybe a trial has knocked the wind out of their sail, but most have just drifted from tenacity into complacency. They say like this prospective disciple, “I want to follow, but I want to do something else right now.” What would happen if you told your boss, “I want a job, but I don’t want to work really hard. I just want to do the bare minimum to get by?” How much playing time would a player get if he said, “Coach I want to play on Friday nights, but I can only practice two days a week because I like to go fishing on Tuesdays and Thursdays?” We would never accept poor commitment on our jobs or a sports team, but too many Christians offer their own selfish conditions and excuses to Christ Jesus every day. It is time to repent and take hold of the plow and never let go.

When Julius Caesar landed on the shores of Britain during the first century with legions of Roman soldiers, he took a bold and decisive step to ensure commitment from his men. He ordered them to march to the Cliffs of Dover where they could see every ship, which they had used to cross the English Channel, engulfed in flames. Caesar had burned the ships eliminating the possibility of retreat. With a new sense of urgency and tenacity Caesar and his army conquered Britain.

What is keeping you from following Christ Jesus today? Stop making excuses. Burn whatever ships are keeping you looking back instead of plowing forward for the glory of God.