On April 21st, in the year 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die.
Let me read you another story from the Old Testament book of 1 Kings [19:15-21]. It involves the prophet Elijah and the calling of his attendant and eventual successor, Elisha:
"The LORD said to [Elijah], ’Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint . . . Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet’ . . . . So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. ’Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,’ he said, "and then I will come with you.’ ’Go back," Elijah replied. ’What have I done to you?’ So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant."
Here we see Elisha, a simple farmer, who is suddenly and unexpectedly approached by the famous prophet Elijah and invited to accompany him and serve him as his personal attendant. When Elisha requests time to first go home and say good-bye to his parents, Elijah makes it clear that the decision to come is entirely Elisha’s to make. "What have I done to you?" means, in essence, "What claim do I have on you?" And the implied answer is "none". In other words, Elisha is free to stay or go. In response, Elisha not only chooses to accept the call, but he slaughters his oxen and feeds them to his neighbors, burning his plowing equipment to cook the meat. By doing this, he publicly and irrevocably declares his intention to leave his former way of life and follow Elijah.
My topic this morning is "commitment," and so far I’ve given you two powerful illustrations of that concept. You’ve heard of "burning your bridges;" now you’ve heard of "burning your boats," and "burning your oxen." What does it mean to be committed? It means making a firm choice. It means not worrying about keeping your options open, or leaving yourself a way out. It means pursuing something wholeheartedly, with no contingency plans to fall back on. It means being 100% sold out to a person, or a cause, or a goal; not holding anything back, not keeping anything in reserve.
Now, the idea of being this committed – to anyone, or anything – makes some people uncomfortable. It feels risky. It feels like they’re going out on a limb. What if the person you’ve committed yourself to lets you down? What if the cause turns out to be not as worthy as you thought? And there’s a lot to be said for caution. God isn’t calling us to be reckless or foolhardy. He doesn’t want us to just rush into things without counting the cost. But once we’ve determined the path we’re going to take; once we’ve discerned to the best of our ability what God is calling us to do; then what he wants are sold-out followers who won’t look back when the going gets tough. What he wants are disciples who are so committed to Him that they will burn their bridges, or their boats, or their oxen, disciples who will jettison whatever is holding them back, and who will follow him wherever he leads. Are you that kind of disciple? Do you want to be?
Let me tell you something God hates: God hates wishy-washiness. God is not a fan of ambivalence. He doesn’t care for fence-sitters. He isn’t pleased by people who can’t quite make up their minds, who are forever weighing their options, who can never settle on a course of action. God isn’t calling us to act rashly, without any thought to the consequences. But what He wants are people who will follow Him with joyful abandon, without regret, without looking back. Listen to the words of Jesus:
"He said to another man, ’Follow me.’ But the man replied, ’Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ’Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ’I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ’No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’" – Luke 9:59-62
Let me ask you – are you sold out for God? Are you determined to seek after God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength? Or are you trying to have it both ways? Are you trying to serve God just enough to keep him happy, just enough to keep your conscience quiet, while at the same time you’re also following after the things of the world? Friends, there is no more certain way to make yourself miserable than to try to serve God, and to also serve the world, and to also serve yourself. Do you know what Jesus said? It’s better to be a wholehearted pagan, following after the world with all your strength. At least then, there’s hope for your conversion. But a half hearted, so-called "Christian" is something God despises. It nauseates him. It makes him want to throw up. Listen:
"To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.’ – Revelation 3:15-17
Have you ever been hot, and sweaty, and thirsty, just longing for a cold drink, but instead you get lukewarm tap water? You can barely swallow it. It’s not refreshing; on the contrary, it’s nauseating. And that’s how Christ feels about a lukewarm disciple. So what are you? Hot? Cold? Or just disgustingly tepid? Think about that, while you listen to what Jesus says about being single-minded:
"No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." – Luke 16:13
On the surface, this doesn’t seem impossible at all. Why should wealth be incompatible with godliness? And in fact, some preachers today will tell you that wealth is not only consistent with godliness, but is actually a sign of godliness. But the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible – impossible! – to serve God and at the same time serve anything else. You can’t serve God and also serve money. You can’t serve God and also serve safety and security. You can’t serve God and also serve career advancement. Why? Because we can only run full speed in one direction. Because there’s only room in our hearts for one consuming passion. And the object of our love, and devotion, must be Jesus Christ, because He alone is worthy of it. Listen again to the Word of God:
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does." – James 1:6-8
What does this mean? It means that if we are praying to God just as a way of covering our bases, then we shouldn’t expect a reply. If we want to receive anything from God, then our dependence has to be completely upon him. If we want Him to supply our needs, then our attitude must be one of complete reliance on him as the source of every good thing. So if we’re ambivalent about whether we should trust in God or in something else, then we shouldn’t be surprised if our halfhearted prayers go unanswered. God answers the prayers of those who place their welfare and happiness entirely in His hands, who look to Him alone for the good things they desire.
Let me ask you another question: Who were Jesus’ favorite disciples? Out of the twelve, who were his "buds," the ones he most liked to hang out with? Peter, James, and John. When Jesus had something special that he wanted to share with only a few people, these were the men he chose. For instance, Jesus invited these three to accompany him to the mount of Transfiguration, where his glory shone so brilliantly that it literally overpowered them. And these were the three whom he invited to pray with him in the garden of Gethsemane, on the night he was arrested. Now, were these the quiet, cautious, careful disciples? No, just the opposite. They were bold and courageous. In fact, Jesus’ nickname for James and John was "Sons of Thunder"! Let me give you an example. It takes place after Jesus has risen from the dead.
"Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas . . ., Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I’m going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We’ll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven’t you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards." – John 21:1-8
You’ve gotta love this guy. As soon as he realizes that it’s Jesus on the shore, he immediately jumps into the water and starts swimming for all he’s worth. He doesn’t stop to calculate the speed of the boat, to determine whether swimming would be faster than rowing. He just sees Jesus, and in he goes. "Here I come, Lord!" Did Peter make mistakes? Of course. For instance, when Jesus was arrested, Peter was the one who drew his sword and sliced the ear off the high priest’s slave – and Jesus rebuked him for that. But even then, you have to admire his boldness – here comes the high priest, with a detachment of armed guards, and Peter decides he’s going to go down swinging. He may have been misguided, but he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t fearful. He was bold, he was wholehearted, he was committed. And Jesus loved him for it. Let me ask you, if Jesus gave you a nickname, what would it be? Would he call you one of the "sons of thunder"? Or something else?
When Jesus calls us to be disciples, he calls us to make a lifelong, irrevocable, absolute commitment.
"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ . . . In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." – Luke 14:26-33
When we undertake to follow Christ, he invites us to first count the cost. Because once we set out on that road, there will be many temptations to turn back, to turn aside from the path. Jesus wants us to consider carefully what we’re getting into, so that we don’t fail at a critical moment and dishonor ourselves, and him as well. He wants us to determine in our hearts, once and for all, that when we follow Him, there will be no turning back. We’ve crossed the point of no return. And there’s really no alternative, is there?. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. As Acts 4:12 tells us, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Listen what Peter says in John 6:
"From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. "You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." – John 6:66-68
In other words, "Jesus, you’re the only game in town. No matter what, we’re sticking with you." That’s the kind of attitude God desires from us.
Well, from a practical standpoint, why is it so important to be radically committed to Christ? Why is it necessary to "burn our bridges" to the world? Why is it so important to take concrete steps to put the world behind us? Because as long as we have the option of turning back, as long as we can mentally entertain the possibility of giving up, then we’ve lost our edge. It’s very difficult to maintain the energy, and focus, and drive necessary to follow Christ through the hard times, if, in the back of our mind, we’re saying to ourselves, "I can always quit. If this gets too uncomfortable; or too unpleasant; or too demanding, I can always go back to the way I was."
Let me give you an example. Marriage. As long as a couple is still entertaining the possibility of separation or divorce, they are going to have a hard time summoning the will to reconcile their differences. That potential escape, that "out" of possibly leaving, robs them of the energy and commitment they need to work through their difficulties. It makes them too willing to throw in the towel, too willing to declare their relationship "hopeless".
Let me give you another example. Baptism. Some of you have not yet been baptized, even though you have trusted Christ. There are many reasons why people hesitate to be baptized – concern for what other people will think, or perhaps what their family will think; fear of going under the water; uncertainty as to whether they should be baptized, if they were sprinkled as an infant; a reluctance to be up in front of a group of people and be the focus of attention. My intention this morning is not to judge anyone, or to pressure anyone. But there’s a reason that Jesus instituted this practice, a reason why he made this, along with the Lord’s Supper, one of the two ordinances of the church to be practiced until his return. It’s because baptism is a stake in the ground. It’s a way of publicly burning our boats, of symbolically destroying our way of retreat. It’s a way of solidifying our commitment to Christ, so that we will be less likely to turn aside from following Him when the going gets tough. In baptism, we proclaim to the whole world, once and for all, "I am a Christian!" Jesus commands us to be baptized for the same reason that Cortez ordered his ships to be burned. It helps us to stay committed.
Let me give you one more example. Church membership. Again, people have different reasons for not officially joining the church, and my purpose is not to judge or pressure anyone. Is it possible to be committed to the church without officially joining? Of course. Just as it’s possible to be committed to a man or a woman without becoming officially married. It’s possible to be a committed, faithful common-law wife or common-law husband. And I’ll freely admit that the Bible doesn’t say anything about officially "joining" a church, just as it doesn’t say anything about marriage licenses or wedding ceremonies. So why do it? Because church membership is a way of solidifying our commitment to a local church body. It’s a way of saying, "I’m one of these people. This is my church family." It’s a stake in the ground that helps you to stay engaged in the life of the church, even if the day comes when you might feel inclined to leave. It’s a public statement of commitment that makes it a little more likely that you’ll stay and work things out, rather than just fading away, as people sometimes do.
Those are just a few examples, and by no means are they exhaustive. In fact, I’m confident that in the congregation this morning there are people dealing with all kinds of issues related to commitment, issues that have nothing to do with the examples I’ve cited. So in closing, let me ask you a question: what do you need to do to be completely devoted to Christ? What "boats" is God calling you to burn? What "escape hatches" or "exit doors" do you need to slam shut and padlock? What tangible steps of commitment is God calling you to make today?
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
