Please open your Bibles to Matthew 16:21-28 which we will read in a few minutes.
This past Thursday we were privileged to have missionaries from Extreme Nazarenes with us for what we anticipated being our faith promise service.
As it turned out it was a time of them explaining to us how the Extreme Nazarene part of the church missions program works and it was wonderful.
Because they were not aware that that evening was supposed to be our Faith Promise gathering for the year they gave a different type of presentation in order to support the Extreme Nazarene missions.
Mistakes of communication like this can be used by the Lord for His purposes and we praise the Lord that He can not only supply for the Extreme Nazarene missions but for the World Evangelism Fund as well.
So, next Sunday we’ll be taking a look at how the Lord is moving around the world through our traditional world evangelism ministries and we will be receiving our faith promise commitments for the next year.
But for today let’s consider the question, “Are Extreme Nazarenes really extreme or are they what a normal Christian should be?”
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read: Matthew 16:21-28
Let’s read verses 24-25 again
Does verse 24 say, “Whoever wants to be one of My EXTREME disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. Otherwise, you can just be one of My regular disciples.”? Is that what is says?
There are examples of extreme followers of the Lord God Almighty all through the Old Testament:
Noah –
Genesis 6:5
“The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.”
Genesis 6:9
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”
(Expound on Noah and his situation and his faithful obedience to the Lord.)
Was Noah extreme or was he just faithful to the Lord?
Joshua and Caleb –
All of the 12 had seen
The plagues against Egypt
The crossing of the Red Sea with the destruction of the Egyptian army
The pillar of cloud by day and fire by night
The provision of water in the desert
The provision of the manna and the quail in the desert
The miraculous defeat of the Amalekites
The giving of the Ten Commandments
The Tent of Meeting and the Glory of The LORD
The Tabernacle and the Glory of The LORD
All 12 had explored the Promised Land
Only Joshua and Caleb trusted in the LORD
The ten men who went into the promised land but gave a negative report had experienced the mighty power of the Lord just as Joshua and Caleb had.
Were Joshua and Caleb extreme or were they just faithful to the Lord?
Is Extreme really Extreme or is it really just what a true follower of Jesus should be?
Show - “Solitary Prayer” video from VOM.org (approx. 5 minutes)
You may say that this event happened in 1948. Well, it is still happening.
Let me show you a video that will twist your mind around when it comes to praying for the persecuted church.
Show – “Pray with Us” video from opendoorsusa.org (approx. 2 minutes)
Don’t pray for the church to be safe …
Until our last breath … “Jesus is Lord”
Show – “Don't Pray for Us” video from opendoorsusa.org/pray (approx. 1 minute)
“God is doing amazing things even in the hearts of extremists”
What is their attitude? Is it Thy Will be Done no matter what?
So, here we have quite a variety; we have the Extreme Nazarenes who are giving up years of their lives in order to move away from family and friends for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So that the world may know.
Let me tell you about something we witnessed on Friday morning in the parsonage.
From 9 AM until 10 AM the missionary was on Skype with two of his friends.
Now, that may seem completely normal to you but here’s the thing, Extreme Nazarene missionaries move around so much that they cannot develop any close friendships or accountability partners other than each other.
We may not think much about that but it is a big sacrifice.
Every place you go. Night after night. Strange faces. Unfamiliar faces.
What do they expect from me? Will I be able to communicate God’s mission to them?
I love the Extreme Nazarenes and what they do in service for Jesus.
They are laying down their lives for Jesus, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
And, I stand in total amazement of those who literally lay their lives down for Jesus.
And I think about my pitiful life.
In comparison, no struggles, a kind, loving and forgiving wife, a wonderful church to serve, a comfortable home, more than enough food, many friends, a peaceful community, a wonderful family, freedom to worship the Lord God Almighty.
When the persecution comes, and it is coming, will we be able to stand strong for Jesus to the very end or, when the going gets tough will we deny Christ?
We will fail unless we learn to draw strength from Jesus even as infant Christians.
Dependence on Jesus increases the strength of our faith in Jesus.
Refusing to depend on Jesus weakens our faith in Jesus.
In closing, I love this prayer if John Wesley.
The prayer is not a feel-good, let's all join hands and sing Kum-ba-yah type of prayer.
It is a prayer of total, flat out commitment; a prayer of dying to self and Christ living in and through us.
And yet it is not extreme but just what a Christian should be.
I am no longer my own, but Yours.
Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;
let me be employed for You, or laid aside for You,
exalted for You, or brought low for You;
let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing:
I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.
And now, glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
You are mine and I am Yours. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
Concluding remarks and closing prayer.
