RSS Feed |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Gospel Truth
Real discipleship reflects the full gospel. The full gospel befitting a real disciple of Christ includes confessing Jesus as lord, witnessing and working for him as a member of his church, and taking time privately and corporately to worship him as God and savior. In our text today we have three characters who are true Christians. Their lives reflect real disciples, which befits true believers in the full gospel. Lazarus provides the witness of a changed life. Martha is a model of Christian service. Mary majors on the most important thing of all, worship. A real Christian disciple lives a full life of witness, work and worship. Lazarus reminds us that disciples are born, not made. At the beginning of John 11, Lazarus is dead. At the beginning of John 12, Lazarus is very much alive. What happened? The word of God spoke the word of God and the child of God arose to follow God. In other words, a person does not become a disciple of the Lord by erudition, competition, or social position. A person begins to be a disciple when they hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, repent and believe, and are "born again." Martha reminds us that disciples can't seem to do enough for the Lord. When God gives you life through the gospel, there is no end to what you desire to do for him. Martha, the much underrated patron saint of cooks, kicked it into high gear whenever Jesus was present. Christians are saved by grace through faith for good works. Real disciples know there is work to be done and they want to do it. They don't have to be dragged to the nursery, to lead a Bible study, or to another ministry assignment. We just can't wait to do something for the Lord who has done everything for us. Mary reminds us that disciples take time to sit at the feet of Jesus in genuine worship. Jesus' respectful words to Martha and commendation of Mary in Luke 10 should be remembered here. There are a lot of good and great things that born again, working disciples should do for the Lord. But there is only one best thing: worship. In the home and with the church, privately and publically, daily and weekly, a real disciple makes a priority of worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. Real discipleship pays the price. Salvation comes by the free grace of God. It is imputed to our account by the free gift and act of faith. Yet the true cost of true salvation is very, very great. It cost Jesus his life. It costs the real disciple his or her life. Consider the respective costs paid by Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Do you think there is any second of Lazarus' resurrected life that did not belong to Jesus Christ? Who do you think Martha, the gifted servant, most enjoyed rendering service to? Mary had one valuable asset to her name, the alabaster jar of perfume, and to whom was it given? Real disciples realize their time, their talents and their treasure do not belong to them. They belong to the Lord. Time is devoted to worship, work and witness. The talent of speaking and/or serving, spiritual gifts given by God, is spent on other people for his name's sake. Treasure is used for giving God glory and building God's kingdom rather than robbing him for excessive personal pleasure. Real disciples are cheerful givers, real disciples reap what they sow and real disciples understand the cost of discipleship. Real discipleship never ends. The major problem I have with the contemporary Baptist "gospel" is that it is superficial, unexamined and in most cases does not last. We have millions of members in our denomination who have prayed a prayer and asked Jesus into their heart. But the majority of them are not active in church, not disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and are not going to heaven. A gospel that begins with the flaw "ask Jesus into your heart" and ends with a faulty interpretation of "once saved, always saved" is no gospel at all. It does not take into account the reality and necessity of being a real disciple of Jesus Christ. Real discipleship is not always pretty, is never perfect in this life and sometimes takes a wrong detour before getting back on the main road. But real discipleship perseveres. It lasts. It never ends. So says the Bible, and so it is illustrated in the lives of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Lazarus suffered death threats for following the Lord Jesus Christ. Legend tells us he was 30 years old when he died and was raised again by Christ, then lived another 30 years afterward, all for Jesus. Martha did indeed become a patron saint of the Eastern church, which would not be possible unless she kept on serving Jesus until the lights went totally off in her kitchen. And then there was Mary, everyone's favorite in this family, who poured out her perfume on Jesus in preparation for the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Did that gospel act last? "The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." So is this one, today. "We've only one life, and it will soon pass; only what's done for Jesus will last."
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
