Jesus the Radical
03-26-2017
Welcome: “Good morning… if you have been with us the past 2 Sunday’s…Or, you’re just joining us today; we are in a 6-week series on Jesus leading into Easter Sunday.”
Two Sunday’s ago Pastor Billykicked off our series on Jesus the Righteous and last Sunday we had a guest speaker Scott Grabendike teach on Jesus the Redeemer… today, I will be continuing our series on Jesus the Radical(*Put up Radical Jesus surfing slide)
But specifically, the question I will try and answer this morning as it relates to Jesus the Radicalis this… Q.What does it mean to follow Jesus in radical obedience?
Pray:“Would you join me in prayer…”
For us to get a better understanding of the word radical; I thought it would be good to use another word related to radical…which is the word extreme.
I’m sure most of you have heard of the X Games, which is an annual and nowinternationalextreme sports event that is basically the Olympics of extreme sports that featuresextreme sports such as: Skateboarding, Freestyle Moto X, BMX, Snowboarding, Snowmobile Freestyle, withathletes such as Tony Hawk, Travis Pastrana, Sarah Burke, Shaun White, Dave Mirra, Bob Burnquist, etc…
Although extreme sports are some of the most popular and fastest growing sports in the world today… being labeled extreme or even radical in today’s Post 911culture isn’t necessarily good or even politicallycorrect.
I’m sure if you have been a Christian for any amount of time you have felt the pressure or have been influenced from culture, the media, or even close friends & relatives; not to be extreme or radical in your beliefs when it comes to your faith as a believer.
- And if you are in any way radical in your faith as a Christian you may have been labeled extreme, close-minded, a legalist, or even a radical right-winged fundamentalist.
A favorite saying amongst people in our culturetoday is… “Do everything in moderation…” Or, “It’s all good…”
Another popular saying amongst Christians is… “Try to find a balance…”
I’m always hearing in relation to our faith and walks with Christ… “You need to find a balance…”
- In our sharing the gospel… “Find a balance.”
- In our giving (time, treasure, talent)… “Find a balance.”
- In our service to Christ… “Find a balance.”
- In our devotion to Jesus… “Find a balance.”
Yet, I don’t find anywhere in the Bible (in relation to our faith and call as Christians) where God tells us; “To find a balance…” Or, “To do all things in moderation…”
The Bible tells us as followers of Jesusto be people that…
- Are led by the Sprit… (Galatians 5:16,18; Romans 8:14)
- Walk by faith… (2 Cor. 5:7; Hebrews 11)
- Zealous for the Lord… (Titus 2:14; Romans 12:11)
The Christian life and callis not to a life of balance and moderation… but a life of radical obedience(radical devotion);to our Lord and savior Jesus Christ!!!
And yet, in our call to be radical for Jesus… Love must always be the foundation and motivation of our obedience. If love is not the foundation (because of God’s grace); and love is not the motivation(because of God’s mercy); we will become legalistic Pharisees.
Our radical obedience for Jesus Christ must come from a place of delighting ourselves in the Lord; and never from a sense of duty.
With that said… lets take a look at ‘Jesus the Radical’ and some of the things Jesus did and said that made Him so radical.
When you read the gospel accounts of Jesus life and ministry you will see that Jesus was radical…
- His RadicalLove… His RadicalHumility… His RadicalForgiveness… His RadicalCompassion… His RadicalObedience.
I want to touch brieflyon a couple of Jesus’radicalattributes that we see in His life and ministry; as well as some of the radical things Jesus said(commanded).
Jesus’ radical Love Compassion (Luke 5:12-13) when Jesus healed the man covered with Leprosywho fell on his facebefore Him and cried out…“Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”And Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,”and said. “Be clean!”
As many of you know…leprosy at that time was one of the most dreaded and feared diseases. All of society (the religious, the secular, young & old);completely rejectedand banishedthose who had leprosy.
And yet, Jesus reached out and touched this man and healed him. What society and that culturerejected… Jesus reached out and touched.
In the same way, we as God’s people need to reach out and touch the rejected, the downtrodden, the broken, the lost, with the love and compassion of Jesus in extreme and radical ways.
Jesus’ radical Forgiveness (Luke 23:32-43) when Jesus forgave those who crucified Him on the cross… the account say’s thatthose in the crowd, the religious rulers, the Roman soldiers and even one of the criminalshung on acrossmocking Jesus…they sneered, they mocked, they hurled insults at him and Jesus responds by saying; “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
The heart and foundation of Christianity is forgiveness(motivated by love)… because of Jesus work and atonementon the cross.
Because of the love and forgivenessJesus demonstrated on the cross; we as God’s people are called to be radical like Jesus and forgive those who have sinned against us.
So, we not only see that Jesus demonstrated and lived out His radical attributes… but, we also know Jesus said(commanded); some really extremeand radicalthings such as:
In John 14:6 Jesus said;
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”John 14:6(NIV)
In Luke 14:26Jesus said;
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26(ESV)
In Matthew 7:21Jesus said;
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.Matthew 7:21 (NIV)
But one of the most radical things Jesus ever saidis found in Luke 9:23;
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 (ESV)
Jesus is saying straight up… if anyone wants to follow me… he mustdeny himself andtake up his crossdaily. We cannot serve Christ and be on missionwithout taking up the cross.
His original audience knew exactly what Jesus was talking about… what the cross was and what it meant. They were in no way thinking about a piece of jewelry.
The cross was a place where people died!!!It’s only ever what it meant in the ears of the hearer. It’s only ever what Jesus was refereeing too… DEATH!!!
“Take up your cross and follow me…” Jesus was saying in some way a prerequisite for following Him was DEATH. He meant death to self obviously, which can mean all sorts of things for us.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A major part of becoming a Christian is making the proclamation that “Jesus is Lord” and that means us saying… “I’m no longer Lord. I’m no longer calling the shots. It’s no longer my will be done, but His will be done.”
That’s where we get off the throne of our lives and put Jesus on the throne. “Take up our cross and deny ourselves…”
There are many different ways that plays out in our daily lives in relation to our wants, our desires, our wills and even our dreams.
And there are Big ways and Small ways in which this plays out in our lives everyday… and we need to be reminded what 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 say’s; “You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies(lives).”
As been mentioned so far… There are many things Jesus did and said that are radical… but the most radical thing Jesus ever said was…to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. This is one of the most radical things Jesus ever said… laying down your own life.
Ultimately, Jesus demonstrated his radicalness by going to the cross. The radical obedience of Jesus being our exampleas it say’s in Philippians 2:8, And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
In light of who Jesus is… and the radicalthings Jesusdid and He said… you may be asking yourself…
Q.What does that mean for me personally? Or, what does that mean for us as a couple or family?
You may remember that I asked the question at the very beginning of the message today; “What does it mean to follow Jesus in radical obedience?”
The simple, yet radical and sobering answer is: DEATH (dying to self)
But… What does that mean? What does that look like?
For some of us when I say…What does radical obedience mean or look like?
You may be thinking…
It’s the kind of obedience that’s described in Hebrews 10 when the early church found out that some of their friends were in jail, and at the cost of the plundering of their property, they joyfully went to the jail to visit them. That’s radical obedience when you do such a thing joyfully.
Or, like Moses when he had the opportunity to stay in the posh palaces of Egypt, and chose rather to share ill treatment with the people of God because he looked joyfully to the reward. That’s radical obedience.
Or, like Isaiah when he saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne and he heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And he said, “Here am I. Send Me!”That’s radical obedience…
Or, Saint Paul, counting everything as refuse in order to gain Christ.
That abandonment of all of his rich pedigree and all of the easy life that he might have lived for the sake of obeying the call of the Lord and gaining Christ, that’s radical obedience.
Or, like those martyrs in The Book of Revelation who were slain for the word of Godand for the testimony which they held. That’s radical obedience.
Or, like Jesus said, taking up your cross daily and following him precisely because if you lose your life, you will find it.That’s radical obedience.
For many of us when we talk about radical obedience or hear about radical obedience; this is where our minds and our conversations go. We tend to think that radical obedience is…
- Being a martyrand dying for Jesus… Or,
- Being a missionary overseas for Jesus… Or,
- Being ill-treatedfor our faith in Jesus…
Yes… this is radical obedience!!! God may be calling some of us to be missionaries overseas… God may call some of us to be martyrs… and God may call some of us to choose ill treatment with the people of God rather than stay in posh places and live in comfort.
But, when we only think of these grand and lofty callings as radical obedience...we can tend toforgetat times that radical obedience is simplyhearing and obeyingthe voice of God in our lives and obeyingHis written word… by being willing to die to ourselves and follow Jesus.
I’m in no way trying to lower the bar of God’s calling on our lives as Christians(as followers of Jesus), when it comes to radical obedience… What I’m hopingto remind us and encourage us today is…
What’s radical may be just showing up to love on someone who ishurting or who is sick. This could be yourneighbor, a friend, or a complete stranger.
An example of justshowing up is the story found in Mark 5: 21-43 of a synagogue leader, named Jairus, who fell at Jesus feet and pleaded earnestly with him to come and put his hands on his dying daughter so that she may be healedand live.
So Jesus went with him to his home where his little daughter lay…andHe took her by the handand healed her.
Just showing up is radical
What’s radical is when God calls you to share the gospel with a close friend, a family member; or possibly someone in a prominent position or place of power.
An example of this is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch found in Acts 8:26-40when an angel of the Lord toldPhilip to go down a desert road that goes down from Jerusalemto Gaza…
Then the Spirit toldPhilip to specificallygo and explain the scriptures (the Book of Isaiah the prophet); to an Ethiopian eunuch of prominent position who was seeking God.
Philip began with that very passage of scripture and told him the good news about Jesusin which the Ethiopian eunuch believed and came to faith in Christ and was baptized right there in the desert.
Obeying God’s voice is radical
What’s radicalfor those of us who are husbands…is lovingour wives as Christ loved the church by serving them.
An example of us loving and serving our wives is the story of Jesus washing the disciples feet found in John 13:1-17 when Jesus(who was God in the flesh);revealed His love to His disciples when after the Passover meal got up, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist… then poured water into a basinand began to wash His disciples feet… drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Serving our wives is radical
What’s radical is when God call’s you to start a prayer meeting at your place of work; especially at a work place that's a worldly environment with very few Christians.
One of my close friends RjHoskingis living this out… and I would like to invite him up at this time to share a brief testimony about following Jesus in radical obedience.
Testimony:Rj Hosking(*IMP:See Rj’s written testimony to know when to put up “Van Time” slide)
Rj’stestimony is so encouraging in light of what’sradical… What’s radical is when we as God’s people are aware of how God is speaking to us, moving us, nudging us… and in response we as God’s people making ourselves availableto be used by God.
Making ourselves available is radical
This is so important… being aware and allowingourselves to beavailableto be used by God. If you don’t remember anything else…remember this.
What’s radical… is the significance of what God doesand will dothrough our steps of obedience– God’s kingdom is expanding and being manifested on earth as it is in heaven.
This should be our prayer everyday … “His kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
We don’t know what God will do with one small step of obedience. All great and significant works of God started with prayer and steps of faith.
“Just imagine what the coastlands would like look like if others, like you, took the small, simple step of saying “yes” when you get the nudge.
I am not radical neither is the van, but God is radical and he is at work --- all we need to do is join Him.”Rj Hosking
What’s radical may look like a myriad of different things when it comes to denying ourselves, taking up our crosses and following Jesus… but, radical obedience is simply hearing and obeying the voice of God in our lives in however God is leading us to lay down our lives and live by faith.
In closing…the heart of this message, and what I trulybelieve God has been stirring in meby His spirit for our church…specifically as a local body of believers is…
When it comes to radical obedience… thatwe as God’s chosen people would be faithful and focused in oursphere of influence where God has sovereignlyplaced us… in our City’s, in our neighborhoods, in our places of work, in our schoolsand in our places of recreation…. And yes, in our homes.
That we would know and believe…
Where God has placed you He intends to use you!!!
As it say’s in Jeremiah 29:4-5, 7;
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. . . . 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”Jeremiah 29:4-5, 7(ESV)
If that was true for God’s exiles in Babylon, it would seem to be even more true for Christian exiles in this very “Babylonian” world. What, then, shall we do?
We should do the ordinary things that need to be done: build houses; live in them; plant gardens and seek the welfare of the place where God has sent you. Think of yourself as sent there by God. Because you are.
Our obedience as God’s people is the way God manifest his Glory in our culture and in our City’s as it say’s in Psalm 23:3, “He leads me in paths of righteousness, for his name’s sake.”
Radical obedience exists for the glory of God. We are led in paths of righteousness for his namesake.
Pray to the Lord on behalf of your city. “His kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”Ask for great and good things to happen in your city, your neighborhoods, your places of work, and your schools.