John 16:1-4

John 16:1-4 “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.

As Jesus continues the important work of preparing his disciples for his departure, He becomes more serious, telling them they will face trials and suffering for the sake of knowing him and serving God. Evil men who do not know God as Lord and who do not want to hear the gospel message will hate Christ's followers just as they have hated him. He tells them these events will happen because He wants them to be prepared: He does not want them to go astray because they are caught off guard. He wants them to remember his words and his precious promises, to retain the hope He has set before them again and again that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He wants them to know He is sending the Comforter to make this real to them that they might know and understand He will never leave them or forsake them, for He will be with them in Spirit and in truth. Unfortunately, many modern-day believers have not signed up for this type of fully committed Christianity. Our oldest son Jeff wrote a song where one of the lines says, "Sugar-coated Jesus, ain't that neat; being a Christian never tasted so sweet." We sometimes think following Christ means we just say a few words about him being Lord of our lives. Then we go on living pretty much as we did before we met him except that we might attend church, read the Bible occasionally, and pray when we have a need. As Paul warned Timothy, such a weak relationship with the Lord provides a form of godliness; but our sinful actions and choices are constantly denying its power, leaving us with little authority over sin and little evidence Christ is Lord of our lives. People searching for God want to see a difference between us and the world. If we hide our light under a bushel, we might appear really cool and with it to our unsaved friends, but they are not drawn to the Christ in us. Assuredly, if we fail to develop intimacy with Christ, we will not want to die for him: that is WAY TOO MUCH COMMITMENT.

This lukewarm attitude toward faith incapsulates Christianity for many American believers. We would rather read articles about Beyonce or Justin Bieber in "People Magazine" or wait with great anticipation for the winner on the latest talent show on TV than to pray for and try to help find answers for the starving children in Somalia. (Mom took those names off a magazine cover in the doctor's office this morning.) We want it all and we feel entitled. "Ease up old man and old lady--don't take life so seriously. The times they are a changing. Don't you know God loves us, and we are sinners saved by grace." Christianity and life eternal sounds like a good deal and it is. We give Jesus a cozy corner in our basket of goodies but no more than a corner. We will not give him everything and don't expect us to change too much or too fast, if at all. We will not surrender our lives at the cross of Christ because we want control of our destiny and our plans for the future. When we feel pressured by the vicissitudes and the hardships of life, we throw temper tantrums, carry on, curse, retreat, and quite often we blame God even though we have given him far less than our best. We place him close to last as a priority in life but rail against him first. "Where is this God who supposedly loves me? Why did He allow this awful thing to happen to me? God has failed me!" We shake our fists and pose faithless questions in times of trouble. What if we actually suffered without any hope of release as the sick, poor, and forsaken families, widows, and orphan children and babies are suffering right now in countries ravaged by war and destruction? What if we were thrown out in the streets naked and alone, exposed to unbelievable torment, and left for dead? Would Christ be expecting too much to ask us to endure to the end with only the promise of a future reward? He paid the price that we might take up the cross and follow him in glorious victory, rejoicing with great joy because we are washed in the blood of the Lamb and will reign with him forever, singing praises to the King of Kings for all eternity.

What a promise Jesus held out to the disciples: They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. How many of us would have remained when He said people will say your death will be a service to the one and only God. How many of us would have stepped back, saying, "I'm not sure there is much of a future in this Jesus movement: maybe I will just wait for another Messiah. Perhaps there is one who will promise a life of ease, who will answer every prayer instead of talking about deprivation and trials." None of us knows how we might have responded had we been in the circle surrounding Christ that day, but we do know that Jesus always did what the Father told him, always said what the Father told him to say. [Jesus] said, I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25) Today Mom is struggling with serious health issues, including probable back surgery, with potentially dire consequences. The devil does not like these breakfasts, seems to work overtime to curtail them. We are expecting a miracle; yet regardless of what happens in the natural: we are determined, committed, and will not be denied. As Mom says, "As long as there is breath, there is hope in the Lord! We may be weak in the natural, but we are strong in the Lord and the power of his might and nothing else really matters." He is our Messiah, our Strength, our Healer, our Provider, our Rock, our Joy, our Sufficiency, all we will ever need--Our Everything. We will continue to write until we can write no more. Nothing will persuade us otherwise, absolutely nothing. Jesus asked us to endure to the end, to fight the good fight, to live for him as long as He gives us life! He gave everything for us: how can we do less?