Counting the Cost – Part 2
January 19, 2003
Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by US Air Force pilots and the replies from the maintenance crews:
Problem: Left inside main tire almost needs replaced.
Solution: Almost replaced left inside main tire.
Problem: Something loose in cockpit.
Solution: Something tightened in cockpit.
Problem: Evidence of hydraulic leak on right main landing gear.
Solution: Evidence removed.
Problem: Number three engine missing.
Solution: Engine found on right wing after brief search.
Where there is lack of clarity there is always confusion and the potential for misunderstanding. Last week as we looked at the story of the rich young man coming to Jesus seeking eternal life, we saw that there was no room for confusion as to what Jesus was seeking. There could be no mistaking Jesus’ call to Him.
In the story we saw that Jesus does not have levels of followers. He doesn’t have the dedicated and the recreational and the occasional. He only has one bar that he calls us all to jump. That bar is complete devotion to him that shows in obedience to whatever He asks.
You may feel like you will never get there. You might feel like just giving up.
If you have felt that to some degree this week than you have probably grasped some of the significance of what Jesus is asking. It’s a big call. Jesus calls us to a life of surrender and devotion – a life of submission to him. We can never shake the truth of that. That is where true life is found.
And yet the reality is that we can’t do it. Let’s just admit it. That’s the truth – we can’t do it – we can never fully be the people Jesus calls us to be – not while there is sin in our lives – not while there is a hint of self centeredness. So we live in this place between what He calls us to and what really is. It’s uncomfortable.
1. You may feel guilty because you aren’t good enough. You may feel like you will never make it and you are always disappointing God. You may beat yourself up because you feel like such a lousy disciple.
2. Or you can try harder – you can busy yourself and work harder and harder to try and be the person God calls you to be and in the end you might even feel like you have made some progress. In fact you might even feel quite proud of the progress you have made compared to some of those other people who just don’t even seem to care. Losers! Oops, is that my pride showing?
3. Or you might just want to quit. You might just give up altogether because it’s too hard. You might feel like there are just too many things to do and you can’t do it. Or too many things that you aren’t supposed to do, but you keep doing. You keep on sinning and can’t live with the continual failure so you quit.
Sometimes it seems as though it’s impossible to be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ…to follow Him exclusively, love Him above all others, and serve Him devotedly.
It raises questions like:
1. If we can never get to where Jesus calls us to be why does He bother to have us start?
2. Why does He make it so unattainable? Surely He knows what we’re like.
3. Is this just a game He is playing with us?
4. Does He enjoy seeing us fail?
5. Is discipleship only for the elite? Is there a special kind of person who qualifies as a disciple of Jesus Christ and I might not be one of them?
Today, let’s look at the other side of the coin. The side that gives ordinary people like you and me a bit of hope. If we look at the 12 guys that Jesus chose as His own disciples we find great hope. It puts us back in the game in a big way. Because these were not elite people – they were not superchristians. They were people just like us.
Do you remember picking teams at school – some were the ones you wanted and others were left to last. Even now, we would still choose the best to be on our team.
When Jesus was picking his team of 12 guys, He could have picked the best. If He had approached the prominent business leaders of the time, or the political leaders and if He had presented His case right He probably could have got them on board. He could have influenced society through it’s key leaders – which to us might seem sensible. But it seems He didn’t go chasing those guys.
Have you ever looked at who Jesus did pick? If we are honest, it’s a pretty mixed up bunch. A fairly motley crew. An unusual group to change the world with.
He spent a night in prayer and then hand picked these 12. There were the ones He wanted. Ever wonder why?
If Jesus had hired a consulting company to see what they thought about His choices, He would have likely received a response much like the following one…
Dear Sir:
Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests, and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.
The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.
As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance. This additional insight is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.
It is our opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.
Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew has been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau. James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.
One of the candidates, however show great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.
Sincerely,
Jordan Management Consultants
Bloopers
1. There’s their lack of understanding that comes up time and time again. In mark Jesus says “are you still so dull?”
2. There’s the jostling to be king pin in Mark 9 – to be the greatest and most important while all the time Jesus is trying to teach them about servanthood.
3. Judas betrayal – one of His closest men lets Him down in the biggest way.
4. There is the night in Gethsemane just before Jesus is arrested when Peter, James and John fall asleep while they are waiting for Jesus.
5. When Jesus is arrested, they all fled.
6. Peter’s denial.
7. When Jesus does return, Thomas questions it.
These were people who blew it regularly and quite spectacularly. Are you starting to feel like being a disciple of Jesus is a bit more in the ballpark?
But, if we look at these 12 men, there is at least one characteristic that they had in common, and I’m sure Jesus was looking for when He chose them. It’s a quality that might seem insignificant in some ways, but it’s probably one of the most essential qualities of a disciple. It’s not related to giftedness or talent. The quality is “teachability”. It simply means an openness to learning, a humble spirit that isn’t always right, a desire to grow and develop. A recognition that you don’t know everything. A willingness and desire to follow.
A story is told of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked “are you a leader?” Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote “no” and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college. “Dear applicant, a study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that we have at least one follower.”
Jesus probably said “give me 12 teachable people and I can change the world.” I think that’s why he didn’t chase the high flyers and big shots. He didn’t want to waste His time trying to fight them and convince them of His truths, when these guys would just buy in. And that doesn’t mean that they were mindless morons who couldn’t think for themselves. Not at all. These were capable men, it’s just to say that they were open to new ways. They were ready to learn. They hadn’t become arrogant, thinking their way is the only way and were not unwilling to change.
He invited them to learn by being with Him. We still need to be with Him today. What we could learn!
John 6:66-69 – Following Jesus was too much for some people.
These 12 had left everything to follow Him. They had put all their eggs in one basket. They weren’t perfect, but they were teachable.
How teachable are you?
Where has God been challenging you in your life in the past year?
What have you discovered about following Jesus this month that you didn’t know last month?
If we aren’t growing, we’re becoming stagnant.
Struggle and failure do not necessarily equate to a lack of devotion. It just says that following Jesus can be hard – it stretches us – it’s beyond us – it’s risky.
As we read the gospels we see the disciples with Jesus. We see Him teaching them the truths they needed to grasp about God’s kingdom. We see them engaging in various kinds of ministry and from time to time doing well and then on other occasions making a real mess of things. We see Jesus equipping them and helping them grow.
Acts 2 – Peter preaches His first sermon and 3,000 people get saved.
Peter and John were moving among the people healing and performing miracles. They were getting beaten, abused and imprisoned, but going back for more.
John and Peter both write a few books that later get published and become best sellers.
Acts 4:13
These were ordinary unschooled men, nobody special really, but they had been with Jesus. Ordinary men willing to learn and men who spent time with Jesus.
God can do incredible things with ordinary teachable people who make their lives available to Him.
God is still looking for teachable people – not perfect people.
The question we need to ask ourselves is not “am I able to follow Jesus completely” but rather “am I willing to follow Jesus completely?” We are all human and sometimes we will fail in our commitment but the thing Jesus is interested in is not our ability but our willingness to follow Him with our whole heart.
Time of Reflection
