Saints, 11 Jan 11
Jesus is everything. Yes, Jesus is everything.
Reality is not measured by stuff. Reality is not glass, plastic, rubber, metal, concrete, and bricks. Actually, true reality isn’t even family relationships. True reality is Jesus.
Many have embraced this truth through the ages. We see Abraham who believed the gospel and his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. We see David who was a man after God’s own heart. We see Daniel who valued prayer--deep connection with his God as more important than breathing.
Today we will look at three people who have in some way communicated that Jesus is everything. First we will see the Apostle Paul. Then we will fast-forward 1600 years to Brother Lawrence. Finally, we will turn to a God-given gift and friend, Babak.
Please know that in no way am I trying to glorify these three men. God is God. God alone is worthy of all praise, glory, and honor. Today, however, we will see (or review) how these men through their lives and words proclaimed the truth that God is everything—He is reality.
Paul
I love how Paul lived not for himself, but for Christ. You may say, “Well of course, if God slammed me to the ground with intense light, blinded me, told me He was going to use me to open blind eyes and transfer folks to God’s kingdom forever, I would live for Christ too.” Even so, we do have the same Holy Spirit that Paul had living in us. Yes, may we live for Christ as Paul. We will look at two Bible passages to see Paul’s heart. Please read these slowly—let them sink in. Let’s ask God to work in our hearts so that Christ may truly be all to us.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Philippians 3:7-15 (NIV)
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
Brother Lawrence
Brother Lawrence was a monk in the 1600s. His duty in life was to work in the kitchen. His passion in life was to be consumed with God’s presence every moment. We read from the book, The Practice of the Presence of God from the Pure Gold Classics Series published by Bridge-Logos, which is written about Brother Lawrence,
“The time of business does not differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, even while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees at the Blessed Sacrament.”
“Brother Lawrence says of his constant conversation with God, “I make it my business to rest in His holy presence, which I keep myself in by habitual, silent, and secret conversation with God. This often causes in me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes so outwardly, so great I am forced to use means to moderate them, and prevent their appearance to others.” (p 2)
On his death bed, Brother Lawrence summed up the same heart Paul had for Christ,
“We can do nothing better than abandon ourselves to God.”
He continues after being asked what was on his mind after taking the Lord’s Supper for the last time,
“I am doing what I shall do through eternity—blessing God, praising God, adoring God, giving Him the love of my whole heart. It is our business, my brothers, to worship Him and love Him without thought of anything else.”
Yes, Father, please help us to have the same complete simple devotion to You as Brother Lawrence expressed.
Babak
Babak is a dear brother in Christ. He became a Christ-follower in Iran US
Over this past weekend I heard Babak give his testimony to a church in Southwest Colorado . It convicted me once again to see and hear alongside these dear brothers and sisters his gentle, soft-spoken expressions as he described being cut and beaten for his faith. As he spoke, I was impressed that he was not complaining about this horrible treatment—he was just describing his story for us. Babak finished by sharing, “I did not have anything, but I had God.” I imagine Paul might have told us his story in a similar way. Most likely, Brother Lawrence would have somehow rejoiced in such treatment for His Savior.
When Babak finished, Pastor Joe got up and gave a sermon based on Babak’s testimony using Luke 9:23-27 and 56-62 as his Scripture passage.
Luke 9:23-27 (NIV)
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see thekingdom of God
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the
Luke 9:56-62 (NIV)
56 and they went to another village.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
56 and they went to another village.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
61 Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family."
62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."
The most moving moment for me, followed Pastor Joe’s sermon as he asked Babak if all he suffered was worth knowing Jesus Christ. Joe asked, “Babak, would you do it again?” It took us a few tries to clearly explain this question so that Babak understood. The room was very quiet, patiently waiting for Babak’s response. You could see in his eyes the instant he understood the question and blurted out, “Oh yes!” As if to say, “Are you kidding me? Absolutely, I would do it all again. Absolutely, Jesus is worth it!” We ended the service by surrounding Babak and laying hands on him praying for him and his family.
Would you join us in that prayer? Please pray for Babak, that he will be granted asylum and be reunited with his family. But please do not stop there. Please pray that God would continue to use Babak’s story and others like him to awaken and revive our churches here in Colorado and the US
So here is my question, “Are you willing to do or give whatever it takes to love God and be used by Him to glorify His kingdom? These three men answered this question with a resounding, “Yes!” both with their words and with their lives.
God, You are worth it! You are worthy of my (our) all. Father please grant us the same heart Paul and Brother Lawrence had, as well as the heart our dear friend Babak has for You.
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