CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

August 22, 2004

CONTINUE TO REMEMBER IN PRAYER:

Our congregation                                                      Our nation, leaders and military

Our college students                                                  David and Leon in the military

Yevette’s mom has a infection in her foot                 Various friends, co-workers and relatives

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS

“’Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men’” (Mark 1:17).

We talk about radical living, but being honest with ourselves, the adjective radical is not something that we see much of in ourselves or other Christians.  In fact, we are more interested in defining what type of Christian we are with various labels.  We are New Testament Christians, liberal Christians, conservative Christians, traditional Christians, progressive Christians, or grace oriented Christians.  None of the previous descriptions are found in scripture though the attitude is.  For instance, the apostles debated who was in or out and who was first and second.  In Galatians it was the Judaizers who came dividing the churches.  Corinth chose preachers and positions that were to be followed and boasted about it.  So we should not be surprised that we argue over these things today.

Dr. Timothy Johnson, a physician and journalist for ABC News has written a book called Finding God In The Questions.  He makes an interesting comment about the above.

        “I believe that if Jesus were to return to earth today he would be stunned and saddened to see

        that the church founded in his name has too often become a gathering of those more concerned

        to be politically influential or socially powerful than to be spiritually available to those in need.

        Indeed when I see parts of the church today on display with fine robes and crowns of jewels,

        and think about Jesus dying on the cross with his simple peasant clothes ripped and torn, my

        heart breaks over the way we humans have so often distorted or ignored the teachings of Jesus.

        Can we really believe that if Jesus came to earth today, he would be dressed in lavish robes and

        bejeweled crowns?  And if he wouldn’t, why should we?” (p. 134-135).

He then goes on to explain why he likes the description, “a follower of Jesus” better than the title “Christian.”  One, it causes us to go back to the Gospel accounts  and see the life and teachings of Jesus as our spiritual guide.  The first followers of Jesus “knew nothing of the later intellectual formulations that would transform the Jesus they had experienced in real life into the Christ of the creeds and of the church” (ibid.).  Second, we do not have to explain what type of Christian we are.  All the terms mentioned in the first paragraph are found in churches of Christ.  Whatever happen to the slogan, “we are simply Christians?”  Third, as a follower of Jesus we do not have to defend or explain the “terrible misdeeds of some past representatives of the Christian religion or to justify the cultural stridency of some modern Christians” (ibid.).  Finally, it frees us from the endless debates of who is right and who is wrong.

I think Dr. Johnson has said some important things in all of that.  My friend, Bob Delony, in one of our many discussions, talked about liberal or conservative.  He said, “I prefer Biblical.”  Amen!  Now all of this is not to say that there is no right or wrong; there certainly is.  The point is humility.  We follow Jesus.  “Love your enemies.”  “Pray for those who persecute you.”  Love one another and all men will know that you are my disciples.”  “Forgive from the heart.”  We are followers of Jesus becoming like Him, or as Paul said, “I want to know Christ…and to share in the fellowship of his sufferings” (Philippians 3:10-11).  Tough words there.  We should desire to be followers of Jesus through the study and application of His teachings and attitudes in the Gospels.  Does that mean that we should ignore the rest of scripture?  Of course not!  But when we read those scriptures, are we looking for Jesus being reflected in the letters of the New Testament?  And when we study the Hebrew scriptures, are we looking for the compassion, merciful, gracious and loving God who seeks redemptive fellowship with His people and all? 

A follower of Jesus!  Maybe we should change our name to “Followers of Jesus meet here.”  I wonder what type of response that would get?

                                                                                                   George B. Mearns