Finally, we arrive at practical theology or Christian ethics.  Although, we could easily spend fifteen lectures together building up a full edifice of how God wants us to live, in this episode we’ll simply lay the foundation stones of following Jesus.  What I mean by follow is to read his words and do them, especially when what he says conflicts with our sensibilities, comfort, or common sense.  If we only “follow” Jesus when what he says agrees with us and then diverge when he disagrees, then we are not following, but merely walking in the same direction occasionally.

—— Notes ——

Two requirements of Christianity

1. believe the gospel (conversion/soteriology)
2. follow Jesus (ethics)

 

Following Christ is worth it

• Jn 10.27-28 sheep hear voice and get eternal life
• Mt 19.27-30 what will we get for following you?
• those who follow Christ get eternal life!!! that’s worth it

 

Confess Jesus as Lord to be saved (Rm 10.9-10)

• Jesus says can’t call him “Lord” if you don’t do what he says (Lk 6.46)
• Jesus defines the word “Lord” as those who do what he says
• if you are a Christ-follower you do what he says even when it disagrees with what you think

 

Different Jesuses

• hippie Jesus (love is all that matters)
• one and done Jesus (salvation and then do what I want)…oh yeah, I prayed a prayer once
• American Jesus (patriotic, my country right or wrong), we forget Jesus was a middle-eastern Jewish rabbi who counseled against violent revolution against Rome
• prosperity Jesus (he wants me to be rich!, sow/reap blessings)
• poverty Jesus (unless I’m dirt poor I’m not a true follower)
• part-time Jesus (compartmentalized life, Sunday Christians, cafeteria Christianity)
• real Jesus
  1. average Semite was 5’1, weighing 110 pounds (meaning he DIDN’T look like this! [muscular Jesus])
  2. if Jesus worked outdoors as a carpenter, he probably would have weathered tan skin
  3. popular mechanics
  4. the real Jesus is the one we read about in Scripture
• but how do we know which Jesus is the REAL Jesus?
  1. we are not left without help here
  2. the bible tells us who Jesus is and what he wants us to do

“The Christ that Harnack sees, looking back through nineteen centuries of “Catholic darkness”, is only the reflection of a Liberal Protestant face, seen at the bottom of a deep well” –George Tyrrell[1]

 

Absolute Commitment

Mk 3.31-35 Those Who Do God’s Will Are Jesus’ Family

notice what Jesus doesn’t say

• he doesn’t say, the one who has an emotional connection to God
• he doesn’t say, the one who sings uplifting, positive, and encourage Christian music
• he doesn’t say, the one who prays or reads the Bible or goes to church
• he says, the one who does the will of God

here Jesus redefines the family!

• this might seem radical to you, but it is merely the first step
• your closest relatives, according to Jesus, are not truly your mother or brother or sister anymore, but those who are unrelated to you by blood but do the will of God are
• the Palestinian Christ-follower is more your family than the apple-pie eating American who shares your politics but doesn’t follow Jesus
• just look at what Jesus says about his own mother

 

Lk 11.27-28 Blessed Mary Becomes Blessed Obedient

27 While Jesus was saying these things, one of the women in the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts at which you nursed.” 28 But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”

Again, what Jesus cares about is hearing the word of God and observing it, not blood relations

 

Day of judgment

The scene is chilling

Lk 13.22-30 Rejection of Wicked Even if They Knew Jesus

22 And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 “Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up to us!’ then He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 “Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets’; 27 and He will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME, ALL YOU EVILDOERS.’ 28 “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out. 29 “And they will come from east and west and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. 30 “And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last.”

• many will come and say “Lord, open to us”
• he will reject them, “I don’t know where you are from”
• he will say, “depart from me you evildoers”
• I know what you are thinking, “but I’m not an evildoer! I’m not saint, I might not know much of what Jesus said, but I’m sure I’ll be fine”
• the fact your thinking like this says you are not listening to Jesus at all
• this precise nonchalant and assuming attitude is exactly what these people had
• weeping and gnashing of teeth is not a picture of suffering but of anger
• people are going to be furious when they see Ab, Is, and Jcb entering the kingdom and themselves shut out

 

Jesus will deny those who deny him

Mt 10.32-40 Confess and Be Confessed; Deny and Be Denied

32 “Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven. 33 “But whoever denies me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in heaven.

he will not tolerate a private relationship

• he wants us to confess him before others
• just imagine the scene
  • you’ve confessed him
  • on that day he says, “Father, angels, this is ____”
  • you’ve denied him
  • on that day you say, “Lord, so nice to meet you” and he says, “I don’t know you”
• the opposites are equally extreme
  • either extremely good
  • or extremely bad

…continued He has to Be First!

Mt 10.34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. 40 “He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

 

Jesus requires absolute commitment not partial

 

Jesus requires absolute loyalty…even to death

• he is not willing to be your “friend”
• he is not willing to be a part-time lord
• he wants all of your allegiance
• to understand how remarkable this is, just imagine someone else saying this to you

 

count the cost

• is it worth it to you?
  • purpose, eternal life, deliverance
• b/c if there is one thing Jesus can’t stand, one thing that makes his blood boil, it’s fakers
  • he has absolutely no tolerance for hypocrites (Mat 23)
  • hypocrisy is the one behavior Jesus can’t stand among believers
• so I encourage you to take his words seriously
• but thankfully, we are not on our own to do this

 

Abide in him

Jn 15.1-10 Continuously Abide in Him Like a Branch on a Vine

1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

how hard does a branch work to produce grapes?

• if you are connected to Jesus, you will produce fruit
• we abide in him
• we do what he said
• it’s all good

to abide in Christ is to keep his commandments

[1] George Tyrrell, Christianity at the Crossroads (1913 ed.), pg. 44.

—— Links ——

• Check out more episodes and posts on Christian living
• For the textbooks, check out the New Bible Dictionary and Greg Deuble’s They Never Told Me This in Church.
• Also, listen to an interview with Deuble here.
• See other episodes in this Theology Class
• Find more Restitutio classes here
• More information about Converge 2019
• Intro music: Jazzy Frenchy by bensound.com. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License