Judas wasn’t the only betrayer in the group. Nor was Peter the only denier. Truth is, every disciple is predestined to become not only a denier, and a betrayer, but ultimately, a crucifier as well. Committing these particular acts, like it or not, is inevitable for anyone who truly follows Christ. The real issue, therefore, isn’t whether you’ll eventually do such things as these, but who will be on the receiving end of them.

It’s either you or Jesus…

DESTINED TO DENY

Denial is a dirty word in the Christian dialect, and it’s all Peter’s fault. On the night of Christ’s arrest, when Jesus needed him most, Peter denied knowing Him three times over. And this wasn’t Peter’s first bout with denial either. Just a few short hours earlier, Jesus told Peter that he was destined to deny. And in true form, Peter flat-out denied it! Thanks to him, denial has been associated with sin ever since.

It’s critical to remember, however, that not all denial is a sin. In our case, it’s required. One of the prerequisites of following Jesus is having a propensity for denial. In fact, if a person isn’t willing to deny, they won’t even be allowed to follow Christ at all. In Luke 9:23 Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves”. Whether it’s a dirty word or not, “denial” is a “must”.

Somebody in your Christian life is being denied.

It’s either you or Jesus…

BOUND TO BETRAY

When Judas Iscariot was chosen by Jesus, his fate was already decided. “Jesus knew from the beginning who it was that would betray Him” (John 6:64). His future was as fixed as the Word of God Itself. Judas was bound to betray.

But then again, so were the other eleven.

Betrayal is in the cards for all of Christ’s disciples. The word “betray” means to ‘hand over’ or ‘abandon’, and it carries with it a sense of close, personal involvement. Anyone can do it, and everyone will. We’re bound to it.

All who follow Christ are called to the abandonment, or ‘betrayal’ of self. Jesus encourages all of His disciples to “Give up your life for me, (then) you will find it” (Matthew 10:39). Some, however, will reject that kind of self-betrayal. To them, a second option is given: Abandon Christ instead. Just like Judas.

Somebody in your Christian life will get betrayed.

It’s either you or Jesus…

CALLED TO CRUCIFY

The Nicene Creed reminds us that Jesus was “crucified under Pontius Pilate”. But truth be told, crucifixion is an activity in which everybody takes part. From the High Priest to the Apostles, and the ancient Jew to the modern gentile, everyone is a crucifier. This, of course, includes me and you. We may not have held the mallet, or delivered the blows, but I assure you, it was our sins that got Him killed.

Rising from the dead, however, Jesus now calls us to become active participants in yet another crucifixion: Our own.

Jesus commands us to “pick up our cross” (Mark 8:34), and to “crucify our flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24). We’re commanded to “Put to death (crucify) whatever is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).

Once more this leaves us with a choice: We can either crucify ourselves, or we can “crucify Christ all over again, putting Him to open shame”. There’s no way around it. We’ve been called to crucify.

Somebody in your Christian life is being put to death.

It’s either you or Jesus…

MAN ON A MISSION

By choosing Judas, Jesus was making the conscious decision to offer Himself up for betrayal. By choosing Peter, Jesus presented Himself to be denied. And by choosing God’s will, Jesus willingly offered Himself up for crucifixion.

Your Savior already knows what it’s like to be the victim of denial, betrayal, and crucifixion. Do you?

Your desire to be like Jesus is a single decision away from being fulfilled. Yield yourself to the only experiences that will truly unite you to Christ. You have been given the power & authority to deny, betray, and crucify.

Use that power wisely. 

In Luke 14, Jesus is amassing great multitudes who are traveling with Him. Christ, realizing that the vast majority of the supposed “followers” were unqualified and ill-prepared, turns to them to explain that most of their lifestyles were incompatible with following Him. He explains that the cost required to go where he was leading them was great, far greater than many were willing to pay. Jesus will take you on the journey of a lifetime if you will let Him, but it will cost you. Much of what you are tempted to hold onto in a life of following Jesus is going to have to go. For years this reality has been illustrated in many different ways. Below is my attempt to do so.

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The glow of the alarm clock read 4:57. Three more minutes until the alarm would sound, but I didn’t need any alarms this morning. Like a kid on Christmas morning, I had been awake for hours waiting for an appropriate hour to get out of bed. I had been waiting for this day for years. I was finally going to meet Chris Carson (Kit) and begin our accent up Mount Telos. I had been watching his videos for years and after two years on a waiting list, my turn to join his troupe of five other climbers had come. I glanced to the corner of my room and saw the heap of supplies all strapped tightly to my pack. I wasn’t sure it would fit in the trunk of my car but for the life of me, I couldn’t think of anything I could bear to leave behind, after all, climbing Mt. Telos was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I turned the alarm off at first blare, jumped out of bed, and begin getting ready. Six minutes later I was ready to go, hefting my massive pack onto my shoulders. I sure hoped Kit would be impressed with all my new gear. It had cost quite a bit, but I wanted to ensure that there was nothing that I was going to regret having left behind. I wanted to be ready. I ran out the door banging my tent pole on the top of my door as my collapsible camp dishes knocked over my coffee mug sitting on the counter.

My bag didn’t quite fit in the trunk, but no matter I got it in the back seat and on the second good shove was able to get the door to click shut. I turned my key and looked down at the clock, 5:11. I was going to be way too early, but oh well I guess that just mean more time to spend with Kit before we started our climb. The closer I got the more the peak towered above me. Pictures didn’t even begin to compare. As I pulled up to the shack that functioned as our point of departure, I realized I was alone. Kit was nowhere in sight. I pried my bag from the back and prepared to make a good first impression.

After what felt like hours, my four climbing companions arrived. I noticed smugly that none of their packs were even close to the size of mine. They must have forgotten all the important stuff. Well, I certainly wouldn’t be sharing. I had everything that I needed. Kit pulled up and jumped out of his car. As he approached, I noticed him eyeing all of us up. I thought I caught a snicker forming.

“All right,” he said, “start by dumping all your stuff out so I can get a look at your gear. I need to know you are ready and bringing what you need to make it to the end” I smiled knowing that out of the five of us I certainly had what it took.

We emptied our bags as he started his inspection at the opposite end of the line where a meager pile of supplies laid. Kit dug through slowly and silently eyeing each item and begin to form two piles. I figured some gear must not have met his required standards. He repeated the process without words all down the line and then stood before me. I couldn’t help but grin, I bet I had some stuff that even the great mountain man Kit had never seen. He had to be impressed, I had even managed to squeeze in my collapsible camp oven to make a proper celebratory dinner at the peak. I bet no one had ever brought a solar-powered laptop before, but if I was going to climb Mt. Telos I was going to be sure the whole world knew about it.

His eyes went back and forth between me and my impressive mound of supplies with no words. Finally, a grin broke across his face as he said, “Son, is this some kind of joke.”

“No sir” I replied. “I come prepared, you just wait and see”

I could tell he was taken aback by my uncommon forethought. He dug through my pile and to my delight I was the only person who had only one pile in front of them.

“Okay, the pile on your left is what you are taking, the pile on the right you can leave behind. And you,” he pointed his finger at me, “I don’t know what on earth you were thinking, but you can’t take any of that crap you with. You won’t make it 50 feet without collapsing.”

Was this some sort of joke? I had been planning this for years. How could I climb the mountain without my canon, or my go pro, or my picnic blanket, and what about my 3,000-foot rope. Surely, he was mistaken. I waited for the punchline but after a few moments, it was clear none was coming. My heart dropped. How could I have been so mistaken? How could I have been thinking wrong for so long? Here I had thought there was no climber better in all the world than Kit Carson, but it turned out he was nothing but a fraud. He had no idea what he was doing. How could I have ever trusted him?

He looked at me and said, “If you want to make it up this mountain, you’ll do exactly what I say. I know what I am doing. No one has ever done this on their own. You need to leave all that behind and I’ll give you my backup gear to use. You can leave all your toys here in my shack. Reaching the end requires certain things, and you’ll have to leave everything else behind.”

I just shook my head. “Fine then,” he said, “but you aren’t going to come with me if you want to try and climb this mountain your own way with all of that junk, you’ll do it alone.”

He was right. He didn’t own this mountain. I would just go on my own. I had what I needed. Kit could do things his way and I would do them mine. The rest would depart at first light the following day. But there were still a couple hours of daytime. After the way I had been treated, I was going to set out on my own. I didn’t want to lay eyes on Kit ever again. With indignation, I gritted my teeth and begin to carefully repack the contents that Kit had so foolishly dismissed.

I hoisted my pack on my back and left quickly. I was going to show him. After a few steps, I slowed my pace. It was a long journey after all. As the sun sank, I continued on. Growing weary but still determined. As the base camp disappeared from view, I let out a sigh of relief. I could finally lighten my pack. Not much, and I didn’t need to, but I might as well be comfortable as I go. I removed half my rope, and my collapsible oven, I wouldn’t need an oven if I was cooking just for myself anyways, and stowed it behind a tree hiding it from sight so that Kit wouldn’t think he was right.

As time stretched on, my legs grew weaker. My arms ached. Every step seemed like it would be my last. My knuckles glowed white as I gripped my pack. I noticed many of the things I had strapped on seemed to have fallen away as I had gone. The path too narrow to allow the width of my belongings to traverse. I remembered Kit’s words, but what remained of my pack was too precious to let go. I marched on.

Hours went by, perhaps days, and I had lost any understanding of time. The path continued to narrow and my belongings had been stripped back to just a few. I took one more step and was tugged to a stop. Try what I may, no amount of twisting and turning would let me continue. Not with the shreds of my pack still firmly strapped to my back. If I was going to continue on. I was going to have to let it go.

Dismay filled me. I had worked so hard and come such a long way, but the cost of moving forward seemed too much to bear. One more step meant leaving everything behind. It meant admitting my failure in humiliation. I had worked too hard and too long to let go now. My fingers were wrapped so tightly around the straps that it seemed impossible to pry them away. Yet to move forward would require just that. If I was going to get where I was supposed to be, I needed to say goodbye to that which seemed impossible to relinquish. What was I going to do? The cost seemed impossible to pay.

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Now you are left with a question, “will you reach the top?” Jesus will take you on the adventure of a lifetime, but it’s going to be costly. There are things currently in your life, relationships, character traits, long-held beliefs, that your fingers are wrapped around in refusal to let go. You can cling to those things if you want to. But remember if you do, wherever you’re going, you just might be going alone.

Guess what?! I’m 50% more accountable to God this year than I was last year!

Not that I’m particularly thrilled about it, but it’s a reality I can’t ignore. Not without grave consequences anyway. Let me explain…

GROWING PAINS

Not including myself, I’ve now got 18 members at this little church, the last 6 of whom were added since mid-February. In other words, our membership roster has grown by about 50% this year. Now, Hebrews 13:17 reminds me that I will “give an account” for all eighteen of those members. So, if you’re one of them, congratulations, I am now personally responsible to God for how you turn out.

(Woe is me).

Accountability, however, isn’t unique only to the pastor(s) of a church, it’s expected of the members as well. Again, Hebrews 13:17 says, “Obey your (church) leaders, and submit to them”. It appears that, by sovereign arrangement, your leaders are accountable to God for you, which makes you accountable to your leaders.

(Woe is you).

OLD CLOTHES

What, exactly, does ‘accountability’ mean anyway? Well, the Cambridge dictionary defines it as “being responsible for what you do, and able to give a satisfactory reason for it”. That said, you and I both have somebody in our life to whom we must explain ourselves. We are to be certain that they are satisfied with the choices that we are making. This means that we don’t live our life as we please any longer. It means that we take others into consideration when making personal decisions from now on. It also means that there will be divine consequences if we persist in selfish, independent living.  

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability.

Biblical accountability is an itchy garment we’re all meant to wear. God has woven it into the fabric of the church, and it’s as comfortable as burlap. Yet refusing to put it on just because of how it makes you feel, is entirely juvenile. Those who won’t, are like spiritual children with no qualms about running around naked in public. They might be enjoying themselves in the moment, but they are oblivious to the fact that somebody else is being held responsible for their behavior.

It’s a concern when this kind of lifestyle goes unaddressed. Those who hold too tightly to their personal freedom are destined to chronic irresponsibility, prolonged immaturity, and shallow relationships. Independence isn’t a mark of Christian adulthood after all, it’s proof of spiritual infancy. The reason you’re not growing up is because you won’t put accountability on.

NEW UNIFORM

Individuality is the air we breathe. Freedom is our life-blood. Answering to someone else is counter-intuitive, counter-cultural, and (in many churches) counter-orthodox. Accountability is a foreign practice in numerous American ministries. But apart from it, you’ll never be anything more than an “average Christian”, and we’ll never be anything more than a run-of-the-mill fellowship. It’s time to trash our old clothes.

The first step in taking responsibility for yourself is to acknowledge that someone else is responsible for you. The next step is to love them enough to make yourself accountable to them. Doing so will transform you into a healthier person, and us together, into a stronger church. Accountability propels us toward maturity.

“A culture of accountability makes a good organization great…and a great organization unstoppable” –Henry Evans

TAILOR FIT

Membership here means many things, but among them is accountability. Not because we like it, but because we need it. Responsibility and accountability are a prickly garb. But only when you put them on will you realize how well they fit. You and I were made to wear them.

Whether our church grows by another 50% next year or not, I hope we’ll recognize the importance of what God has said in Hebrews 13:17, “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you”.

Scripture and statistics both indicate that I’m more accountable this year than I was last year.

Is the same true of you?

Every Sunday we gather and sing songs to our Lord. If you are anything like the average Christian much of the time you are making noise and on occasion while singing those words you are truly worshipping. Every now and then while singing an often-sung line, something will suddenly hit me differently. It’s as though I’m hearing it for the very first time. It has nothing to do with “liking” the song. In fact, the last time it occurred it happened in a song I felt was overdone and had no strong inclination towards. We were in the midst of repeating a song that I had sung countless times in a mindless dull routine.

The Words We Sing

And the verse started,

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer
One day the stone rolled away from the door
Then He arose, over death He had conquered
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore
Death could not hold Him, the grave could not keep Him
From rising again

And the next verse,

One day the trumpet will sound for His coming
One day the skies with His glories will shine
Wonderful day, my Beloved One bringing
My Savior Jesus is mine  

Words Made Real

The reality of the words we were singing became very real all at once. Guys, one day we are done with all of this. And that is a fact. No more fighting our own sin, no more constant disappointment, no more struggle. One day Jesus is coming back and it isn’t as though any of you reading this do not “know” this. But there is a difference between “knowing” it and believing and living in light of it. I was left with an overwhelming feeling of hope. I was reminded that my hope, fulfillment, and joy do not need to be full now. Because my hope is not in the here and now. It isn’t found in this world. It is found in Christ and one day it will be fully recognized.  

Jesus defeated Satan, He defeated the power of death, and one day our risen Savior is coming to take us out of here. Don’t forget it. On the days you have had enough remember what will happen one day.

I was reminded of Psalm 42

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.

O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You.

Why do you let yourself think the thoughts you do? Why do you forget what is true? Do you remember what Jesus did? Do you remember what He will do? Does your life reflect that this life is not the end-all and be-all? How does your life prove that one day Jesus is coming to get you?  

Hope in God, nothing else. Remember what is true. And praise Jesus for what He has already done, and what He will one day do.

Henry was born into a world beneath the Earth’s surface void of any light. He stumbles around in pitch blackness navigating the underground tunnels entirely by touch, accustomed to collisions and falls from a lack of sight. Having grown up in this subsurface underworld, having no knowledge of surface-dwelling this individual is entirely unaware that they are missing out. Light is a foreign concept because the darkness is all he has ever known. Any rumors of light allowing something called “sight” that drift down to this subterrestrial existence that they may have heard about are entirely not understood. Henry is blind and he doesn’t even know it. 

Scripture indicates that this is not too far from reality for much of this world. Apart from Christ, our only option is to dwell in the dominion of darkness (Colossians 1:13). God says that not only are unbelievers living in darkness but that they actually are darkness (Ephesians 5:8). And like this fictional child, they don’t even know it. They are blind without even realizing it. They stumble through life unaware of what they are missing out on. Unbelievers are left in this condition until the light of Christ crashes into their existence and brings sight to the blind in a very real way.

Light breaking in

Eventually, a sliver of light breaks through the ceiling and shines down into the underworld and unknown sight is gained. It is foggy, blurry, and dim, but finally, a ladder leading up to the surface can be spotted. Henry doesn’t understand what is happening, but he now knows there is so much more to this world than he has ever known. So he climbs the ladder and with every step, the world gets brighter and brighter. After much squinting and pausing to allow his unaccustomed eyes to adjust to the sight he pushes his way up to the Earth’s surface.

When the light of Jesus breaks through the darkness of this world it can’t be ignored. For the first time sin is seen for what it really is. For the first time truth is seen, believed, and understood. The reality of God and the reality of our own condition can no longer be ignored because it is sitting right in front of us. The truth is not always pleasant, but we can no longer close our eyes to its presence.

A whole new world

Henry can’t believe his eyes the world is so much more than he had ever experienced before. It was beautiful. It was terrible. He never knew that this was reality. He had thought the tunnels he had spent years traversing were all there was, but it turns out there is so much more. It seemed as though everywhere he looked there was evidence that things were not right. His years in the tunnels had never shown him anything like this before. 

Before the light of Christ, we are living in ignorance. We are totally unaware that this world is broken. We have no idea of the existence of our perfect God nor the reality of our sinful condition. We are living blind to the real beauty of this world and also painfully unaware of our own condition. Living in real light changes all of that.

Is it worth it?

At times as Henry traverses this new world of light, he wishes he was still in darkness. It seems like it would have been easier to stay below the surface. He sees things he would rather not see. The reality that he can no longer avoid, is so unpleasant that he would like to close his eyes to it. He sees his reflection and he is not as attractive as he might have wished. At times he is even tempted to go through this sunny surface world with blinders in front of him. He desires to run from the light back to hide in the shadows. But he can’t. His eyes have been opened and no matter how hard he might try to close his eyes to this reality he cannot. He now has the light of the world. And the truth is, although his life is now more complicated than ever, and he can see all sorts of scary things, he wouldn’t trade it for the world, because closing his eyes to those things doesn’t make them go away. Now Henry can see real life.

Sometimes Christians don’t want to live in the light as they should. Instead, we try to slink back into darkness. The light of Jesus is too bright and we want to remove ourselves from it. It shines on us and shows all of our imperfections and we don’t like that. It would be ridiculous to close our eyes to the light once it has come into our life. If you are a Christian you are to live in the light. You cannot go back into darkness. And that light will show you just how broken this world really is. It will even show you just how broken you are. Be glad you can see it. Don’t close your eyes to it. Seeing it means you can see real life.

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Jesus is the light of the world. You don’t have to live in a world without light.

Long before King David had selected his “Thirty Mighty Men”, we see the young shepherd choosing “five smooth stones”. David’s men would eventually become the stuff of legend, remembered by name (II Sam 23), and revered for their heroism. By contrast, the stones he chose are all but forgotten, left behind long ago in the Valley of Elah. And yet, it was through David’s use of those five stones, that fear was vanquished, the foe was conquered, and God’s people were liberated.

Much has been said about “The Thirty”; too little perhaps, about “the five”.

Scripture doesn’t provide too many specifics about these unnamed stones, but the few details we’ve got are adequate to provide us with helpful insight & encouragement into our own life & ministry. Let’s remember what we can about these significant little chunks of geological anonymity:

“And David chose five smooth stones from the brook” -I Samuel 17:40

THERE WERE FIVE.

History verifies that one single stone was enough to slay the giant, yet David didn’t have peace until he’d chosen the fifth. He picked the amount he was comfortable with. Six would’ve been too many, four, too few. David needed five. Confident of his selection, he was ready for the fight.

Which stone it was that dealt the fatal blow isn’t revealed. Was it the 2^nd one taken from the brook? The 4^th? Scripture keeps that detail a secret. All we’re told is that, as David ran toward the Philistine, he simply “put his hand in his bag and took out a stone” (I Sam 17:49). It didn’t matter to David which one it was, for they were all equally suited for the task. He only needed to know that it was indeed one of the five.

Every stone serves its purpose, even the ones that are never taken out of the bag. Sometimes it’s our collective solidarity, rather than our individual accomplishments that God intends to reward. The Holy Spirit isn’t required to honor one above another who all serve the same Master (read the parable of the “Laborers in the Vineyard” Mt.20:1-16).

THEY WERE SMOOTH.

These stones had no rough edges. They had pushed against each other for so long now, that little friction remained between them. Sharing the same river for so many years had made them ready to serve the same mission. They fit well together in the shepherds’ pouch. Each one fit snugly into his sling. They would serve his purpose, even at high velocity. They could be trusted.

Not all of those who serve the Great Shepherd will endure their time with the sheep. If we aren’t willing to bear with one another long enough to knock off the sharp corners, we’re likely to be overlooked at a time of special selection. Our Master won’t send us out from His sling until He’s sees that we’re no longer jagged. He intends to hit His mark. If you don’t suit His purpose, He’ll pick a different stone.

The choicest servants that Christ can find are those who work together the longest. The current here is unapologetically swift at times, but there is only one surefire way to make a rough stone smooth.

THEY CAME FROM THE BROOK.

There are countless stones, in numerous brooks, all over the face of the earth. Yet God, for thousands of years, had His eyes on these five. Specially designed at the beginning of Creation, and strategically placed at the time of The Flood, these 5 stones had a long wait for glory. Thousands of years would pass before they’d finally be discovered by Jesse’s youngest, and brought to center-stage. Until then, they’d have to endure lifetimes of insignificance & anonymity.

Little is accomplished in the Kingdom of Heaven without great patience. A driving need for immediate gratification, recognition, & significance has led many of her servants into exile. But those who patiently remain in their place, are best positioned to be most useful to the coming King, whether we realize it or not.

ANONYMITY PREVAILS.

Those of us who crave recognition among our peers ought to be cautious. By chasing public acknowledgment, you may just forfeit your opportunity for true greatness. Be content with anonymity if that’s what God’s chosen for you.

Concentrate on unity, humility, & endurance instead. Only then will we become the mighty men and women we long to be. Only then will you live a life worth remembering.

“David prevailed…with a stone” -I Samuel 17:50