Thoughts From Luke LeFevre

Dear Friends,

Today a friend unexpectedly stopped by the office. As we spoke, he told me how hard it is to consider following Jesus. “You understand that, right?” he asked. I had to agree that I did. I remember well just prior to my conversion thinking about all it would "cost me" in terms of the things I would have to do and stop doing. (Of course, at that time, I thought it was something I would need to do on my own, not realizing God changes our nature, gives us His Spirit and strength, and makes us want to!) He spoke about following Jesus as something you don’t simply try out for a while and then discard. It’s a call to lifelong commitment. It’s all or nothing. And as much as we might prefer otherwise, coming to Him does mean we must embrace things that are new to us, and say goodbye to things (or habits) we are used to.

My friend is the one who suggested I post a thought for the week having to do with that topic. So, this thought is for him – and anyone like him – who struggles along the same lines. This excerpt is by Luke LeFevre, a 22 year old speaker, writer, and revivalist from Nashville, TN. There he helps lead a young adult movement called Revival Coalition, a ministry which focuses on inspiring and mobilizing young adults and college students to see this generation reached with the Gospel. Luke’s blog, from which this shortened version (yes, shortened and condensed version!) is taken, is called: theReb – rebelling against low expectations. Enjoy.

All or Nothing: Putting Christ at the Center of Our Lives
“We live in a generation where apathy is the norm, not the exception. We (the younger generation) are known for our addiction to video games, lack of interest, and irresponsibility. We live in a time when the most we are called to give God is a few hours a week for youth group, and maybe a couple more on Sundays. We say, “Here God, take this part of me, but I’m going to keep the rest.” Giving God everything isn’t even on the radar. Researchers suggest that this is the most Biblically illiterate generation in history! It’s time to change that…

Sports, media, and friendships fill up our time and deplete our physical energy when it should be devoted to God. Not that sports, friends, and Facebook are bad in and of themselves, but when we put them in a place above God it becomes idolatry. “When we build our lives on anything but God, that thing – though a good thing – becomes an enslaving addiction, something we have to have in order to be happy,” says pastor and author Timothy Keller… Idols can be the love of money, or of fame, or maybe it’s acceptance we are lusting after… We spend so much time trying to gain popularity or strive to excel in things that have no ultimate impact. Francis Chan says, “Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.”

…[By now] You may be asking the same question I am, “Is it worth it?” But let’s take a look at who we would be giving our all for. Jesus Christ, who was beaten to the point where he was barely even recognizable as human. He was nailed to a cross and the punishment and shame for our sins were thrust upon his soul. The King of kings willingly left the perfection of heaven and became a man; the only one who is truly worthy to be served, “came to serve, not to be served.” He was beaten, bruised, and broken. His skin was torn to pieces by whips composed of broken pieces of glass and bone that shredded him to pieces. All of this he bore willingly, so that the people who placed him on that cross could be forgiven. If Christ did all of this for us – taking what we deserved – isn’t he worth every ounce of passion, talent, and energy that we have? The very least Christ deserves is the very best we can give him…

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a man who was martyred standing for Christ against the Nazi regimes. He says in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Jesus says to us “take up your cross and follow me” (Luke 9:23). When Jesus tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” this is not a suggestion–but a command. That doesn’t sound very halfhearted. The words of the young missionary and martyr, Jim Elliot, ring loud and clear when he says, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

…Let’s take those idols that are impeding God’s power in our lives and not only tear them down but turn them around. We are no longer athletes; we are ambassadors for Christ disguised as athletes. We are no longer musicians, but ambassadors for Christ disguised as musicians. Let’s use those things that used to take our passion, time, and effort and use them as methods to share the gospel of Christ’s love and power in the lives of the hundreds of people that we come in contact with every day…

Jesus Christ changed the world with twelve men who were willing to give everything they had – including their lives – for his purpose and plan. Guillermo Maldonado in his book, How to Walk In the Supernatural Power of God, says, “The only ability God requires is availability.”… Let’s be the generation that says, “God, I will give you my all because you are worthy of it.” The generation that says, “It’s all or nothing.”

Almost every time I read the following words of Jesus in the Gospels, I continue to be amazed by the degree of commitment He calls for: "No man can serve two masters, for he will either hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. We cannot serve God and money" (Matthew 6:24). Or, again, “Anyone who comes to me and does not love me more than his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes even his own life – cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Or yet again, "Anyone who would come to me will deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life must lose it, and whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 14:27).

And they just keep on coming! "Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness..." (Matthew 6:33), "No one who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God" (Luke 14:62), "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His Father's glory with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38), "Go therefore into all the world and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19-20), "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mathew 19:24)... Many more could be cited, but these will suffice.

Who can read these verses and not see that Jesus unquestionably calls for a wholehearted commitment to Him? An "all or nothing" type commitment to Him. My friend is right - it is hard to consider following Jesus when you consider all that Jesus says it entails. In fact, it would be entirely impossible if He did not do for us, and through us, that which makes His, "yoke easy and His burden light" (Matthew 11:30). That is, if He did not join us in carrying His yoke and throw in His shoulder to assist us, bearing the vast majority of the weight for us!

The Gospel promise is that God will give us His Spirit, and that it's His Spirit who will, "remove our heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26). A new Spirit who will, "move us to obey His decrees" (Ezekiel 36:27).

As Paul tells us in I Corinthians 15:10: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me is not without effect. No, I worked harder than all [the other apostles], YET NOT I, but the grace of God that was with me." Life with Jesus is, and can only be lived, in total dependence upon God. That's what all these verses are intended to do. Every single one drives us to see our need to live a life in total dependence upon God, in Christ, through His Spirit, who alone gives us the strength, grace, hope and help we so desperately need. Because the true Christian life is one that cannot be lived apart from a constant reliance upon Him for all that we need. As the Lord Himself assured us, "Apart from ME you can do nothing."

In His All-sufficient Grace, Pastor Jeff