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37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39
Following Jesus can lead us into a whole new way of life. It often involves forsaking the self and all our sinful dreams, goals and ambitions. It brings about new behaviors, actions, attitudes and character. To follow Jesus, we need to embrace God’s ways.
In this passage from Matthew chapter 10, Jesus has some challenging words for us to consider, and live by. When we come to faith in Him we exchange our ways for His ways. We give up our small plans to embrace His enormous plans for our life. If you selfishly cling to your life here and now, you will lose everything; but if you let go of your ways and follow Jesus, you find true life for eternity.
I remember struggling with my calling to be a pastor over thirty years ago. I was in college studying, anticipating a life in science and technology, with expectations of a good salary and way of life. I was also very involved in a campus ministry, leading Bible studies and doing outreach with my roommate.
I consciously wrestled with what to do with my life, as many young (and old) people do. I wanted Jesus but I also had dreams and ambitions of my own. Going into full-time ministry would mean a change of priorities and expectations. There would be a cost, perhaps a very high cost, to do this. Where would God send me? At one point I considered global missions – perhaps to Russia? That didn’t happen.
Then I considered becoming a pastor. I read through a Luther Seminary handbook a friend gave me. I heard about the growing need for pastors, especially in rural churches like where I grew up. I applied to seminary and was accepted, went through the candidacy process and finally ordained in 1996. Since then I’ve served in rural, small town, and city churches, a Bible Camp, and finally here.
Looking back, my life took a big turn in college. It has been wonderful, but not without doubts and struggles. You just never know where you will go, things change; the world changes, jobs and family needs change.
Life is like that, whether you are in ministry or not. Our paths are always uncertain; we live by faith. There are sacrifices, challenges, even suffering. But with obedience to God’s calling, there is always the promise of “life”. By letting go, or losing our self-centered ambitions, and following Jesus calling in our lives, we gain the whole world. We gain life itself, in God, for eternity.
We all dedicate our lives to something, or someone. What or who are you living for? Wealth or power? Family or fame? While these may not be bad, Jesus challenges us to think bigger, and even better, by centering our lives in Him. His kingdom is eternal, and greater than all the stuff of this world.
Each of us have a calling – a ministry. To be a parent, a builder, teacher, caregiver, or receptionist – you name it. Life is a calling from God. How we use that calling is important, it has eternal consequences!
Let’s continue to work toward that kingdom, here in our calling to be a community of churches, and a church to the community. Praise be to God who has given all of us this calling!
In Jesus name;
Pastor Dan
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Join us for worship this Sunday at First Evangelical and Holy Cross churches. We will have new member orientation coming up on July 26th after worship, and welcoming new members in worship on August 23rd. If you know anyone who might be interested in joining the churches, please contact one of the pastors or the office.
- Join us in supporting the local Palm Beach County Food Bank. Please bring your non-perishable food items (no glass) through the end of June and drop in one of the large boxes at the back of church. Items can include peanut butter, canned soup, oatmeal, protein bars, rice, pasta, etc. You have until Wednesday to drop off items. We will deliver them to the Food Bank on Thursday.
- In July we will be kicking off our “Back to School Supplies Drive” – Lined notebooks, glue sticks, clear or mesh backpacks, pencil pouches. Drop off at the back of the church through August.
- Grace Notes String Camp continues onsite through July 10th for area youth. Their teachers will be sharing some special music for us during worship on July 5th. The students will have concerts open to the public on Fridays, June 26th and July 10th at 3:30 p.m.
- Come celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our nation’s independence in worship next Sunday. We will have special music (string ensemble), pianist Anne Akerson, and a festive lunch for everyone.
