‘’No one could say in these days that we Christians are spiritually starved. Through the care and faithfulness of God’s servants, we are generously fed, taught, encouraged, pampered, stimulated, supported, nursed along. A religious world of sermons, discussions, magazine articles, hymns, messages, books, meetings,
and conferences surrounds us for our participation and growth. Yet we know very well, if we are honest, that these things have all too little effect on our lives. Why is this so?’’
Verwer, George. The George Verwer Collection . Authentic. Kindle Edition.
This is what George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation asked.
Is he right?
Yes, at times, spiritual growth is about more information – the how and the why. That is one of the gifts of Alpha – it now only talks about Jesus, it gives practical information on how and why of following him – practices like prayer and bible as ‘’why and how should I pray? why and how should I read the bible?’’. So when we are young Christians or become a Christian there are many hows and whys – and I will always be thankful to my friend Jessie through whom not only God use to become a Christian but also daily for 6 weeks she popped round daily, to help get me started as a disciple and talk about
those hows and whys.
Yet, to be honest. Growth isn’t always about information, as Verwer says. At times we have so much information flowing into us but it has ‘’too little effect on our lives.’’
Maybe you feel that way?
Verwer says that he believes, one of the answers, is due to the choices we are making…
Turning to our readings. Matthew 9 and 10. Jesus speaks to his disciples. We see how they have been with him, and now he sends them out to do what he has been doing. Later they are commissioned to ‘’go and make ‘’No one could say in these days that we Christians are spiritually starved. Through the care and faithfulness of God’s servants, we are generously fed, taught, encouraged, pampered, stimulated, supported, nursed along. A religious world of sermons, discussions, magazine articles, hymns, messages, books, meetings, and conferences surrounds us for our participation and growth. Yet we know very well, if we are honest, that these things have all too little effect on our lives. Why is this so?’’
Verwer, George. The George Verwer Collection .
Authentic. Kindle Edition.
This is what George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation asked.
Is he right?
Yes, at times, spiritual growth is about more information – the how and the why. That is one of the gifts of Alpha – it now only talks about Jesus, it gives practical information on how and why of following him – practices like prayer and bible as ‘’why and how should I pray? why and how should I read the bible?’’. So when we are young Christians or become a Christian there are many hows and whys – and I will always be thankful to my friend Jessie through whom not only God use to become a Christian but also daily for 6 weeks she popped round daily, to help get me started as a disciple and talk about
those hows and whys.
Yet, to be honest. Growth isn’t always about information, as Verwer says. At times we have so much information flowing into us but it has ‘’too little effect on our lives.’’
Maybe you feel that way? Verwer says that he believes, one of the answers, is due
to the choices we are making…
Turning to our readings. Matthew 9 and 10. Jesus speaks to his disciples. We see how they have been with him, and now he sends them out to do what he has been
doing. Later they are commissioned to ‘’go and make disciples?’’ What does discipleship look like? Paul helps us. Discipleship is the theme of our PtW series in our Life
Groups, and some of its ideas I’ll use as illustrations or applications.
Testimony.
In Phil 3, Paul shares his testimony. He shares about his mindset, his focus – which is about confidence in Christ, to know Christ, to run the race, to forget what is behind,
to win the prize. He says, that despite all the privileges he has had – citizenship, heritage, education, nationality – he counts it all as rubbish compared to knowing Christ.
He says that Jesus is the greatest treasure, the most precious thing anyone can have or discover. He reminds us that it is through Christ alone, by faith alone, that he can be declared righteous in God’s eyes.
What is his focus as a follower of Jesus?
I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.
Focus – Knowing
That I may know him.
This is more than factual knowledge. Think of this church. You could go to the website see picture, learn when we meet, some of the things we get up to, who is on council
etc. But would people really know who All Saints are? I liked what someone from this church told someone visiting – you should come along for a couple of months
to begin to get know who we are. Information or personal knowledge. The Hebrew understanding of knowing is a personal knowledge, not just information.
It is personally knowing Christ and not just knowing about him. That means, an ongoing relationship with him.
You can compare it to marriage. In the marriage preparation course, each couple hears these words from AB Rowan Williams: Marriage is a commitment that says ‘I’m prepared, not only to spend the rest of my life with you, but to spend the rest of my life finding out about you. There is always going to be more of you to discover.‘ (Dr Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury).
I think that is such a great vision to apply to knowing Christ. Christ is described as the bridegroom and the people of God as the bride. You could rephrase it: I am prepared, not only to spend the rest of my life with Jesus, but to spend the rest of my life finding out about Jesus. There is always going to be more of Jesus to discover.
Power and Suffering
He says: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.
He says –that I may know the power of the resurrection And That I may know the fellowship of his sufferings. Discipleship is gaining Christ – salvation;
about Knowing Christ it is about knowing the Spirit’s power
And it is cross shaped – sufferings of Christ.
What Paul is saying – that discipleship, that following Jesus is more than just going to church or believing the right things; it is practicing a way of life. Paul connects together – knowing Christ, knowing the power of the resurrection – ie the Spirit’s power – and sharing in the sufferings that come from being faifthfully obedient.
Following Jesus can be costly. Martin Luther – Reformer – They gave our Master a crown of thorns. Why do we hope for a crown of roses?’’
That is Paul’s focus
But his story continues.
I have not.
V12 not that I have already obtained all this.
He says he is still in the process of becoming and reaching what he is aiming at.
We too are still in the process of becoming.
Earlier Paul had said:
12 … continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling Philippians 2:12 Work out your faith in your lives he says.
He does not mean – work for your salvation.
He says – work it out. Let your decisions, attitudes, how you life become a Jesus lifestyle.
As Arsenal player Eze said: ‘’If I say I am a Christian, that means it must affect the way that I act, the decisions that I make.’’
But in Phil 2, he goes on to say – 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13.
So we are working it out.
But God is at work within us, by the Holy Spirit – for the Spirit of God has taken up residence in us.
It is a partnership.
Paul says ‘’I have not’’ We are a work in progress.
I have not. Honesty and self reflection.
He says – Brothers and sisters I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold it.
Twice Paul says I have not taken hold of it.
Now I could ask you – how are you doing spiritually? That is a hard question usually. Most of us would probably create a mental ladder. So at the top, is someone we really respect – Christian leader, wise wonderful Christian friend or grandparent. So we will compare ourselves to them and, probably ourselves somewhere to middle or
bottom etc. It is hard to know.
Paul has an honest look.
What can help him. Well, in 1 Cor 11v1 he follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.
Becoming like Jesus. Jesus himself set that example – love one another as I have loved you – John 15, and also in John 13, ‘’Now that I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.’’
So we look at Christ, and we honestly consider, how am I becoming like him?
For that is the direction God wants to move you towards – Romans 8 says ‘’for those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son’’
That is the path God is leading you along. Likeness to his Son.
BUT when we compare ourselves to Jesus, well we all fall down, none can compare. But that can also give us a false image of how we are doing. Because we focus on our
failures, where it is going wrong, we may miss areas of growth.
The PtW has a helpful tool called a Spiritual Health Questionnaire. It is a series of questions – quick response ones – takes around 30 mins. It is online. Afterwards you
get sent a report – which highlights where you are growing, it suggest way you can grow further through going deeper or a new approach. I think it can help us honestly think – how am I doing… I will share the link in the church app.
Note what Paul says – I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.’’
Look at that verse – to take hold for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Christ wants him to know him, to know the power, to know the sufferings, to become increasingly like him. So Paul has his aim but that is also Christ’s aim.
As he said in Phul 1 ‘’he who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion.’’ Partnership.
Perspective.
He says – I press on to the goal.
It is a choice. Growth, is a choice you could say. I press on to the goal to win the prize. That is athletic language.
So you want to run a marathon. What do you do? You get out there, start running and hope it all happens. You have a plan. A plan to run one mile. Then the next week, a second mile. Then the following week maybe 3 or 4 miles etc etc. You may think about diet and so on.
Many of us desire to become more like Jesus, but we feel stuck. We need a training program, a reliable pathway to transformation. A way recommended taught through
PtW is to adopt a few of the spiritual practices seen in the life of Jesus. These practices in different ways create time and space with Jesus, time and space where the Spirit works. This training programme – the intentional plan – early Christians called a ‘’rule of life’’ – not rules but a rule of life. It meant a schedule with a few practices.
You need the plan that works for you in your context. I met someone, who shared their rule of life with me. He is in his 20s, busy job in big city in Europe. His rule of life : daily time of prayer; when he walks home from work to his apartment, which takes 45 mins, he will reflect on his day – called an Examen, where you consider where has God been at work, when did his voice, when did you experience his goodness. He attends an act of worship once during his working week; he sets aside an hour of prayer on a Friday when he goes to an open church; and finally he keeps sabbath – his Saturday is his day off (as
he is involved in his local church in a busy way).
He told me – he agreed that rule of life, with a wise Christian, as to what was possible and sustainable to do in his lifestyle, in this period of his life. To do what he could. Than try and do what he couldn’t.
Again for those doing PtW, this will be explored much more. I will come back to this in other sermons in the coming months.
The key idea – transformation is possible, but it is not inevitable. ‘’I press on’’ Paul says ‘’for the prize’’. A plan for your spiritual growth is what we are talking about.
Community.
Brothers and sisters, join in following my example and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk of whom I often told you … that they are enemies of the cross.
Here, Paul reminds us of that value of community in our discipleship. Observe those who walk. It is interesting this idea he says is like what the Jew understood to be a disciple. When a Jew was asked to become a disciple, the Jewish writings said: ‘’let your house be a meeting place for the rabbis and cover yourself in the dust of their feet and drink in their words thirstily.’ So a disciple was someone who would stay close to their rabbi, so they could take in every detail of this mentorship. So a disciple is with their rabbi. A Christian disciple to be with our Lord Jesus.
But that language ‘’observe’’ he uses for other believers.
Watch their lives. We are formed through the lives of others. Sharing life together forms us. That is why life groups – give spiritual life – not only by the study, or by being prayed with, but by also having room to talk about life and you are inspired and shaped by people and their stories and example. Life Groups help you observe how someone walks with the Lord. But observing is broader. This calls us to sharing life together as Christians, meeting regularly with believers, talking about things of faith, ‘’taking note’’.
Conclusion
Discipleship.
Paul asks us – what is our focus: his focus – knowing Christ, knowing the power, willing to suffer.
Paul asks – where are we at? He honestly assesses himself.
Paul asks – how will you press on? How will you get to where we want to be.
Paul reminds us ‘’for which Christ took hold of me’’ it is partnership – he does not do this alone. It is God’s plan and we and he has God’s help.
Paul asks us to observe – community can inspire and mould us we are to follow Jesus.
Paul says forget, move ahead. Discipleship means a challenging life. There are mistakes and failures.
A monk was asked once what he did in the monastery.
He said.
We fall we get up
we fall we get up
we fall we get up again.
We are going to finish with rereading – Phil 3v10-4v1 –
What is God drawing to our attention in these words?
What step of yes could he be asking you to take?
Or what was he pointing to, in our sermon?
What action will you take into the week ahead?
90 seconds silence…