Discipleship + RVL
This post is a response to a comment from James (see posts from 9/2/2006 and 11/15/2004).
James,
Thanks for commenting on my ancient post (11/15/04). I completely agree with what you had to say. That's the problem with written communication (or at least poorly written communication) - you can't read sarcasm. My point, the one I wanted to make and should have clarified but never did - my point was exactly what you said. When God calls a disciple he is calling us to a radical way of life. We must surrender all of our desires and hopes and dreams to Him. There is no room for holding on to a little bit of self. Being a disciple is not a hobby, or a part-time job, or an interest. It is life.
What I was trying to express (and obviously did not, judging by not only your comment but also the comments from my friends) is our so often blindly self-centered, inadequate response to God's call on our lives. He can really knock us up side the head with an education of sorts, with a revelation of his desire for our lives, with an eyes-wide-open understanding of his call on our lives, and we trivialize it by making our newly-acquired lesson academic and philosophical. We like to make it about ideas instead of action. And in the rare case that we do try to put it to action, we do it on our own terms instead of on the terms demanded by the thing itself. "How can I fit this into my life without interfering with my current level of comfort and satisfaction?" "How can I fit this discipleship thing into my important plans?"
It all reminds me of a discussion from a Men's Bible study we had at school just today, looking at Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar was struck down by God and made to see that God, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty is sovereign over the kingdoms of men. And he does acknowledge this fact, multiple times even, throughout his testimony. But even after spending 7 years out of his mind, eating grass like a cow and living among the wild animals, when his kingdom is returned to him he talks about the "glory of my kingdom" and he mentions how Daniel is also called Belteshazzar, named after one of Nebuchadnezzar's gods. It's like the lesson was only superficial. It didn't sink into the very core of his being like it ought to.
There was a great quote from G K Chesterton in the study as well. I think I'll end with that quote:
“We talk of wild animals, but man is the only wild animal. It is man that has broken out. All other animals are tame animals, following the rugged respectability of the tribe or type. Man is wild because he alone, on this speck of rock called earth, stands up to God, shakes his fist, and says, ‘I do what I want to do because I want to do it, and God had better leave me alone.’”
May God save us from ourselves.
James,
Thanks for commenting on my ancient post (11/15/04). I completely agree with what you had to say. That's the problem with written communication (or at least poorly written communication) - you can't read sarcasm. My point, the one I wanted to make and should have clarified but never did - my point was exactly what you said. When God calls a disciple he is calling us to a radical way of life. We must surrender all of our desires and hopes and dreams to Him. There is no room for holding on to a little bit of self. Being a disciple is not a hobby, or a part-time job, or an interest. It is life.
What I was trying to express (and obviously did not, judging by not only your comment but also the comments from my friends) is our so often blindly self-centered, inadequate response to God's call on our lives. He can really knock us up side the head with an education of sorts, with a revelation of his desire for our lives, with an eyes-wide-open understanding of his call on our lives, and we trivialize it by making our newly-acquired lesson academic and philosophical. We like to make it about ideas instead of action. And in the rare case that we do try to put it to action, we do it on our own terms instead of on the terms demanded by the thing itself. "How can I fit this into my life without interfering with my current level of comfort and satisfaction?" "How can I fit this discipleship thing into my important plans?"
It all reminds me of a discussion from a Men's Bible study we had at school just today, looking at Daniel 4. Nebuchadnezzar was struck down by God and made to see that God, the Lord of Hosts, the Almighty is sovereign over the kingdoms of men. And he does acknowledge this fact, multiple times even, throughout his testimony. But even after spending 7 years out of his mind, eating grass like a cow and living among the wild animals, when his kingdom is returned to him he talks about the "glory of my kingdom" and he mentions how Daniel is also called Belteshazzar, named after one of Nebuchadnezzar's gods. It's like the lesson was only superficial. It didn't sink into the very core of his being like it ought to.
There was a great quote from G K Chesterton in the study as well. I think I'll end with that quote:
“We talk of wild animals, but man is the only wild animal. It is man that has broken out. All other animals are tame animals, following the rugged respectability of the tribe or type. Man is wild because he alone, on this speck of rock called earth, stands up to God, shakes his fist, and says, ‘I do what I want to do because I want to do it, and God had better leave me alone.’”
May God save us from ourselves.
posted by kentbrantly at 1:40 AM
4 Comments:
Kent,
Now that is definitely much clearer than before. I apologize for not being able to read into your sarcasm. As you said, it is one of the downfalls of written communication, especially when you don't know the person. I was seriously asking myself "How could someone who heard RVL speak about Discipleship STILL be thinking about their own plans?!"
I am very glad to hear that you aren't, and I agree with everything you wrote in your post today. The first time I heard RVL was last year, while a senior at Oklahoma Christian University, and I very much wish that I could have heard him sooner. What he talks about is just so extraordinary that it gets me fired up for God every time I think about it. It definitely changed my approach to this thing we call Christianity.
Thanks for the reply to my comment. I bless God for you and your faith.
In the dust of His feet,
James
Word.
I appreciate your desire to give God the glory that is due His Name.
Merry Christmas and God bless.
Well, the weather here is cold. Colder than it should be in Abilene, TX at least. And yes, it does warm my heart to see Indiana on my site meter.
Great post Kent! I think that so often in churches today, Christians want to hear about the "benefits" of following Jesus, like the blessings that He gives and the fruit-which is produced by the Holy Spirit in our lives when we follow Him. But all too often the church seems resistant to take to heart that in order to be a disciple of Jesus, it requires much. It requires our very being, our wants, our desires, and our sinfulness. It requires repentance, self-denial, and submission, things that our culture frankly doesn't want to hear about. But I'm so thankful that God's Word is alive and active, cutting right to the core of who we are-sinners in need of a Savior. The heart of the Gospel is not a matter of happiness, but of holiness. And I'm so grateful for the Holy Spirit who has the ability to turn our sinfulness into righteousness in Christ, and who constantly convicts us and aligns our desires with that of God's!
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