"I’m Doing Fine!”

MELVIN M. NEWLAND, MINISTER

RIDGE CHAPEL, KANSAS, OK

TEXT: John 13:31-38

A. When I greet you before the service each Sunday a number of you ask, “How are you feeling?” And most of the time I answer, “I’m feeling fine.” In fact, I sometimes say, “I’m feeling great!”

But if you were my doctor & I was in your office that is not the answer I would give. You see, about a month ago I fell hard on my back & now I'm wearing a back brace to minimize some of the pain.

Besides that, ever since they began treating me for cancer, I have been experiencing hot flashes. So when I mentioned that to my oncologist, my cancer doctor, she smiled & told me she “was sorry about that.” I suspect that she was thinking that I now knew what a lot of women have had to endure.

Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not telling you this to get any sympathy, or to confess that I was lying to you when I said, “I’m feeling fine.” Rather, forgetting my aches & pains, I'm rejoicing with the happy poet who looked at the beautiful flowers & listened to the singing birds, & then ended his poem with the words, “All is right with the world.”

But wait a minute, all is not right with the world. With all the confusion about the coronavirus, & the political turmoil going on in our nation, how can any of us say, “All is right with the world”?

Well, I have an answer to that question. Because Jesus is my savior & my Lord I’m feeling wonderful. I’m rejoicing every day!

ILL. I told you this story a few years ago, but it fits so well with this message that I’m going to tell it again. You see, I’m afraid that too many of us tend to be like the fellow who showed up for a court hearing about an accident in which he had been involved.

His arm was in a cast, there were bandages all over him, & the exposed parts of his body were clearly bruised & scratched.

Looking rather surprised, the judge asked about his injuries. He replied, "Judge, I'm not doing very well. I have cuts & stitches all over me, & I'm feeling awful."

The judge said, "I don't understand. The accident report filed by the Officer says that at the time of the accident you told him you were just fine."

"Well Judge, I know that is what I said, but let me explain. I was driving my pickup & pulling a trailer. In the back of the pickup was my old dog Shep, & my mule was in the trailer. All of a sudden an 18 wheeler sideswiped me, knocking me off the road."

"My pickup & trailer rolled over & over, & we ended up at the bottom of a big embankment. The next thing I remember, a police officer was picking his way through the wreckage. I saw him stop & examine my mule, then he pulled out his pistol & shot my mule between the eyes."

"Next, he got to where Shep was lying, & after examining him, he shot old Shep, too. Then he walked over to me & asked, "How are you?" And I said, "I'm doing just fine."

We may think that is a ridiculous story, & it is, & we may understand why someone says, “I’m doing fine” even while experiencing physical aches & pains.

B. But when it comes to our spiritual life, most of us would probably assume we’re “doing fine,” when in reality we’re not doing so well. We’re finding it difficult to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

But what if we had a test that could measure the level of our commitment to Christ, & of our discipleship? Well, we do.

PROP. In John 13:31-38 Jesus provides us with the marks of true discipleship, & a measuring stick to show us how well we are doing spiritually.

Here is the scene. It is His last evening with His apostles before His arrest & crucifixion the next day. And they are all together in the upper room eating the Passover meal.

The evening began with Jesus washing their feet, teaching them humility. Then they began to eat, & while they were eating, Jesus says that one of them that night will betray Him.

Well, this immediately causes questioning & turmoil, & in the midst of all that Judas quietly leaves.

So when we begin vs. 31 of John 13, Judas is gone, leaving only Jesus & the other 11 apostles. Then Jesus begins to talk about what it means to be His disciple. And he mentions 3 characteristics of what it takes to follow Him.