“Radical” Chapter 8
Going through my day…everyday…life just seems to reveal more and more of this fallen earth. Our flesh. Sin. Struggles. My mind at times goes back to a simpler time when I was a child. I think of how much different it was then (we won’t mention how long ago that was). But, the reality is…for me it was simple because I was a child. For my parents, I’m sure they struggled just as much as I do with this earth and all that comes with living here. The fact is…it’s not getting any better here…and it never will. We are not made for this place…and all we have to do is look inside ourselves to see that. All around us we search for something that will make us feel better. We buy something new…the newness wears off quickly, the sense of longing returns. We eat something that we long for…moments later the satisfaction it brought is completely gone. We engage in sin thinking that it will make us feel better, make us feel loved and wanted. Only to find out that we end up feeling just the opposite. If we have discovered nothing else in the book “Radical” we have discovered that EVERYONE needs the Only One who can take away the emptiness inside them…that Only One is Jesus. And we are the ones taking Him…in our neighborhoods, at our jobs, in the stores, on the ball field, and in the streets…Jesus is Who we need. Now onto our next to last week of Radical!
Please take the time to read Matthew 10:24-39 before you begin the lesson this week.
The Biblical truth that we want to learn this week is:
God’s People Are Called to Endure Risky Lives for the Sake of an Eternal Reward Found Only In Jesus.
Knowing that Jesus calls us to “risk” for Him and His Kingdom, there is a fundamental truth that we must learn, come to terms with and believe. Matthew 10:24…”A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.” This is Jesus telling us that He is the teacher and the master…we are the students and and servants. We MUST take this to heart. As a student and servant…we DO what the Teacher and Master commands. Not willing to do it…we DO it.
Lesson 1 Matthew 10: 25
Following Jesus means fully identifying with Him
Jesus says in this verse that it is enough for the student to be LIKE his teacher and the servant LIKE his master. In the context of Jewish tradition, Jesus is talking about His disciples in relation to Him as their Rabbi. As a Rabbi, those that followed him were not only following to learn all that the Rabbi knew…his knowledge. They also were encouraged as his student to fully identify with him…taking on his very way of life. They were to be committed to being like the Rabbi…in all things. Let me ask this question…how has our culture affected OUR commitment level to Jesus? Do our lives and churches more resemble our CULTURE or the LIFE and TEACHINGS of JESUS? In our study last night we discussed how our lack of real persecution in this country has caused us to become too “comfortable” in our faith. Nothing is demanded of us in the faith realm. We do not have to make a decision of either our life or our faith. This is not the case for thousands of others in this world.
Lesson 2 Matthew 10:26-31
God’s Sovereignty In Our Lives Enables Radical Living Instead of Fearful Living
In these verses Jesus says 3 different times to not be afraid. Why? Could it be that since He made us, He knows our tendency toward fear. If we were not afraid…we would not need God. We would think we could do it in our own strength. That’s where God steps in…in the midst of this very strong emotion…He commands us to look to Him and not to our fear.
When are you most prone to fear? I asked that question last night and got many answers…but overwhelming it was fear of the unknown. And when that fear of the unknown means that our families…our children…may be affected…fear can seem to camp right over the top of us. If God asks me to do something that could put my children in danger…what do I do with that? Is He asking me to make decisions that look scary and could result in harm to me or my family. The answer to that question is a very personal one…but I believe the answer could be “yes”. Because in all truth…what looks dangerous to us…in the recesses of our imagination…may actually hold no danger at all. But, even if that is not true and there is danger there…we are still called to be obedient. That is the test of our faith and obedience. And because He IS sovereign over all…doesn’t MISS anything…we can somehow rest in this fact. And because of that knowledge…He says…DO NOT FEAR.
We discovered in our conversations last night, that we really do cherish our comfort and security here in this land we call “home.” Safety here GREATLY influences our decisions and our lifestyles for the Kingdom. And most of the time, not in a positive, I’ll do whatever You say, kind of way.
Lesson 3 Matthew 10:32-37
A Radical Life is Spent in Devotion To and Longing For a Heavenly Home
On page 179 of the book David makes this statement. He believes that the key to taking back our faith from the American Dream and living a Radical life is realizing and believing that this world is NOT our home. We must learn to focus our lives, our minds and our attention on another world! How do we do that?
We spent much time on this one point last night. Fleshing out how to long for heaven. How to keep our focus on that HOME not this one. Because when that becomes our reality, it will change us. One of the things we discussed is getting rid of the DISTRACTIONS in our lives. Because those things that distract us will ultimately rule us. Whether it be a new book we just have to read, a TV show that we think we can’t live without, cleaning, talking on the phone, texting, facebooking, or you fill in the blanks…if it distracts us…if it keeps us from God…if we need and desire it over God…it is taking His place in our lives and it needs to GO!
Lesson 4 Matthew 10:38-39
Eternal Reward is Worth Earthly Sacrifice
Jesus tells us that when we loose our lives for His sake, that is when we find LIFE. His life…eternal life…life in Him that will never end…joy unspeakable. It really is worth whatever it will cost us.
Do we tend to loose our life for His sake…or do we spend the majority of our time guarding our lives for our sake? And in the process what is it doing for us? Is it working? It hasn’t for me. When I spend my time guarding my life…doing what I want…what pleases me…I end up at the end of myself. Miserable, anxious, selfish, sad and lonely. Always wanting more. Longing for something more. And the thing is…I know where the MORE is. It’s ALWAYS in Him…always in the sacrifice…always in the obedience. I must loose myself for His sake…and when I do that…it always ends up that somehow He makes it for my sake as well..for my good. Isn’t He wonderful that way?
In Matthew 13 Jesus tells a parable of Hidden Treasure. In this parable there is a great secret that is revealed to us. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. A man found the treasure while out walking one day (my version)…dug it up, saw it’s GREAT worth, dug a hole and hid it so no one would find it. Here comes the secret…in his JOY…in HIS JOY…IN HIS JOY…he went, sold all he had and bought the field. Jesus could of left that one word out of the story. He didn’t have to say the word JOY. But, really He DID have to…because it is vital to the story line. Why else would he go sell everything he had? We could find something of great worth…something that someone else might think was priceless, but unless we think of it as treasure, it will be worthless to us. For this reason…there will be no JOY in it for us. But, when we discover that ONE THING that WE consider treasure, that ONE THING that is worth losing everything for…there is great JOY in the gaining of the treasure and in the losing of all we have to gain it. The Kingdom of Heaven is that treasure…the ONE THING that is worth it all.
I’ll leave us with this last question. If His reward is worth the risk..how will you commit to following Christ with RADICAL faith? Pray that He will show you what He has for you to do in RADICAL obedience to Him. He is worth it…He is worth it ALL!
Sending much love,
Debbie
