Tag Archive: Discipleship

Eric Liddell’s Questions for a Disciple

July 15, 2017 0 Comments

Recently I read Duncan Hamilton’s excellent biography, For the Glory: The Untold and Inspiring Story of Eric Liddell, Hero of Chariots of Fire. For all of you who only saw the movie, this is a wonderful account of what happened in Eric’s life before and after the 1924 Paris Olympics. I was challenged and inspired by his persistent faith in the Lord Jesus even under the pressure of a Japanese prison camp in China.

Eric Liddell had a several published works. Since reading Hamilton’s biography I have read through Liddell’s Disciplines of the Christian Life. Liddell used this book as a manual for growth and  refreshment forfaith. He encouraged the men and women he was discipling to read it slowly, look up the Scripture, and mediate on these thoughts over the course of year. It was also his habit to do so as he meet the Lord daily for an hour each morning before his tasks and adventures.

For Liddell, discipleship is about knowing God and seeing Jesus produce obedience, righteousness, and humility in our lives. I have found these questions for a disciple useful in my own life:

A disciple is one who knows God personally, and who learns from Jesus Christ, who most perfectly revealed God. One word stands out from all others as the key to knowing God, to having his peace and assurance in your heart; it is obedience. Obedience to God’s will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to do (obey) God’s will that brings enlightenment and certainty regarding spiritual truth. ‘If any man will do [obey] his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself’ (John 7.17). Here are some questions to ask yourself. If I know something to be true, am I prepared to follow it even though it is contrary to what I want, to what I have previously said or held to be true? Will I follow it even if it means loss of face, owning that I was wrong? Will I follow if it means being laughed at by friend or foe, if it means personal financial loss or some kind of hardship? Following truth leads to God, for truth is of God.

 

Obedience is the secret of being conscious that God guides you personally, If in the quiet of your heart you feel something should be done, stop and consider whether it is in line with the character and teaching of Jesus. If so, obey that impulse to do it, and in doing so you will find it was God guiding you.

Disciplines of the Christian Life, Eric Liddell.

 

 

 

 

 

Discipleship

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Get out of the boat… Jesus is calling.

June 8, 2017 0 Comments

I’ve been leading our summer term crowd at Origin Church through a series on Peter. More specifically we have been considering how Jesus moves, disciples, and shepherds Peter. In my mind the series is all about “How the Carpenter Shepherds the Fisherman.” We are discovering clues into how Jesus will disciple us!

Last week I serendipitously rediscovered John Ortberg’s book, If You Want to Walk On Water, You’ve Got  to Get Out of the Boat. He has wonderful observations about our view on failure and the negative take we often have on Peter. Here’s what Ortberg writes:

Did Peter fail?

Well, I suppose in a way he did. His faith wasn’t strong enough. His doubts were stronger. “He saw the wind.” He took his eyes off of where they should have been He sank. He failed.

But here is hawt I think. I think there were elven bigger failures sitting in the boat. They failed quietly. They failed privately. Their failure went unnoticed, unobserved, uncriticized. Only Peter knew the shame of public failure.

 

But only Peter knew two other things as well. Only Peter knew the glory of walking on the water. He alone knew what it was to attempt to do what he was not capable of doing on his own, then feeling the euphoria of being empowered by God to actually do it. Once you walk on the water, you never forget it–not for the rest of your life. I thin Peter carried that joyous moment with him to his grave.

 

And only Peter knew the glory of being lifted up by Jesus in a moment of desperate need. Peter knew, in a way the others could not, that when he sank, Jesus would be wholly adequate to save him. He had a shared moment, a shared connection, a shared trust in Jesus that none of the others had.

 

They couldn’t, because they didn’t even get out of the boat. The worst failure is not to sink in the waves. The worst failure is to never get out of the boat.

 

Hey, get out of the boat! Jesus shows up in our storms and our struggles. When we get a glimpse of Him in them and want to be with Him and in on what He is doing in the world, call out to Him. If He says, “Come on,” then get out of the boat and follow Him! Peter’s heart, his affection for Jesus, drew Him to pursue Jesus in spite of the storm and the waves. When Peter’s head caught up he had to engage faith in Jesus on a new level — and as we will see Jesus faithfully showed up!

 

It seems that more growth with Jesus happens “outside” the proverbial boat — that circle of comfort — that circle of anonymity — that circle of familiar people and practices —  than in it!

Change, Discipleship

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Jesus leads the way to doing good

May 12, 2017 0 Comments

In your hearts revere Christ as Lord. This posture toward Jesus fortifies us for all kinds of trouble. Peter knew the difference upholding Jesus as Lord in the heart can make. Peter knew the moments when things didn’t go well for him by his own failure; he knew those moments when his heart had lost courage. But he also knows now the power of Christ risen from the dead in his life.

 

So it is with complete confidence that he calls out to the followers of Jesus to not give into the pressure to comprise the life-giving press against the death and decay of the world. Who can really harm you in your life is in Christ? Who can really harm if your soul is secure in Him? Jesus has conquered death! He is at the right hand of His Father in heaven in which all powers are in submission to Him.

 

Setting apart Christ as Lord.

To trust in Him we must see His glory outweighing all we fear to bear. To not trust is do with fear. To be controlled by fear is to not be secure in the love of Christ. So take the time, carve out the space in your day, even now to “set apart Christ as Lord in your hearts.” Lay your affections, dreams, ambitions, and fears before Him. He will fortify your soul!
1 Peter 3:13-22; NIV

13Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.”

15But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

17For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. 19After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits— 20to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, 21and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

 

Discipleship

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If Jesus doesn’t show up.

February 3, 2017 0 Comments

Photo Credit: Todd Diemer

Reluctance to lead can infect any of us at sudden notice causing us to loose our nerve. Crossing the threshold into leadership by showing up, speaking up, remaining warm but firm and pursuing righteousness and the Kingdom of God, takes us outside the comfort of our couch and screen. Jesus has called His disciples to be salt and light. We are on the King’s Mission in all our circles of influence. We are called to participate in a mission of grace and truth for the redemption of people. Impossible situations abound and God calls leaders into them.

 

Deborah, the prophet and judge in Judges 4 and 5, issued God’s call to Barak to summon an army from the tribes of Israel so they could throw off the oppressive regime of King Jaban and his army commander, Sisera. The odds were against them. Israel was living scared, avoiding the roads for fear. They had no standing unified army. They did not have sufficient defence against 900 chariots. If they showed up by the Kishon river in front of Sisera’s army, surly they would be routed. Unless… the Lord showed up.

 

Barak said he would go if Deborah came with him. We are like that sometimes so find someone to go with you if you are loosing your nerve. Some in Israel stayed away without a second thought. Some had much searching of heart, but stayed away too. Others volunteered willingly and joined Barak and Deborah in their stand against Jaban.

 

It rained. God sent the rain and the chariots sank and slowed in the mire and muck. The situation changed because God showed up.

 

What are you doing that won’t get done unless God shows? What are you aiming at that requires grace? What are you trusting Jesus for? Into what relationships, what circles of influence will you bring hope, forgiveness, kindness, conscientious and quality work, and the Gospel? Are you trusting Jesus to do something there, at work, in your neighbourhood, in your family, in a friend, that can’t be done without Him?

 

“Our Father in heaven, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Discipleship, Leadership

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