A Sermon On Lordship For Election Day

A SERMON ON LORDSHIP FOR ELECTION DAY

LUKE 9:57-62

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PETE’S BIRD PART 1 (p)

There once was a guy named Pete. Pete decided that he wanted to buy a pet and have that pet with him at all times and always be with him. Pete went to his local pet store and explained to the kind pet store owner exactly what he wanted. He said, “I know it sounds silly, but I want a pet that will be my friend. I want a pet who will like me. I want a pet who will encourage me. Is that weird?” The pet store owner looked at him with a strange glare, but then his face lit up. He pointed to the bird section.

Pete walked over to the bird section and there was only one bird in the whole section. It was a medium sized Myna Bird with a little pair of headphones on. It was just perched there and watched him as he approached. There was a sign hanging in front of the bird. “No touching. This bird is ready to repeat whatever you tell him. Make it good. Buy him. Say one phrase, and he is smart enough to repeat it at exactly the right time. It is a super intelligent bird.” Pete looked at the bird. The bird seemed to smile at him. He saw the little yellow beak and jet black body and just fell in love with the bird.

The owner walked up behind him. “Do you want the bird?”

“Yes,” Pete said. As soon as Pete nodded, the store owner took the headphones off the bird and it jumped onto his shoulder. It just sat there. It looked at him. The owner pointed to the sign and indicated that the next thing Pete said would be learned and repeated by the bird. Pete realized the enormity of what he had to teach the bird. He wanted a friendly encouraging friend.

What would encourage him the most?

What would benefit him the most to hear often?

What would he need to hear over and over?

Then it came to him. He knew exactly what phrase he would teach his bird.

Today we are reading from Luke 9.

READ Luke 9:57-62

57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him [Jesus], "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."

The passage in Luke 9 that we just read has a specific topic attached to it and we find that topic in verse 57. Verse 57 directs what the rest of the verses are talking about. In verse 57, we get the sense that Jesus and His disciples and other folks who are listening to Him are walking along and various folks are coming up and are claiming that they want to follow Jesus. These people are coming up to Jesus and declaring that they want to follow Jesus wherever He goes and they want to follow Him with their whole lives. The short little passage talks about three people Jesus speaks with about following Him.

PETE’S BIRD PART 2 (p)

Pete knew the exact phrase he would teach his new fine feathered friend.

Pete said very clearly to the bird, “Follow Jesus in all things.”

The pet shop owner looked very strange at Pete for he was not a Christian. He had a Bible at home, but it was propping up his kitchen table to make it even. As he took Pete’s money he said to Pete, “That has to be the dumbest thing that I have ever heard. You are an idiot. Now for the rest of that bird’s life it will say, ‘Follow Jesus in all things.’ You are so dumb.” The owner just kept saying derogatory things to Pete over and over. His voice was angry.

Pete found himself getting angry himself. Who in the world was this guy? Why would he be so judgmental? Why would he just attack him about his faith? As the owner said more and more things, Pete got angrier and angrier. As he stood there waiting for his receipt, Pete felt the need to call down curses from God on this fellow and yell at him back, but all of a sudden, the bird looked at him and said, “Follow Jesus in all things.” Pete realized that answering in anger would solve nothing. Pete realized starting and argument would not be helpful. Pete paused for a moment and said simply, “Jesus is my anchor in life and I look to Him for direction. Right now, I want to yell at you and return the hate that you have flooded in my direction. But I won’t because a gentle word turns away wrath. I hope someday you meet God and experience His grace.” With that, Pete walked out of the store. The bird just bobbed his head up and down in approval.