On Tuesday morning, Cyndi spoke of ‘school bus sightings’ and compared it to robin sightings in late winter. If you live downtown, you may speak of Queen’s student sightings. They are the people in green or red or yellow tee shirts. These sightings speak of transitions. The old fashioned word is ‘change’. A new season is beginning. The new season often brings a change in schedule.
Our schedule is changing here at the church. Small groups, Alpha and a revamped Children’s program with more classes are beginning. With the change of seasons come new commitments, responsibilities and opportunities.
Behind transitions are decisions, decisions, decisions. Sometime decisions are thrust on us. We have little choice. When our child turns four or five, school or some type of appropriate schooling is mandated by our government. Or our job ends and we are forced to search for a new one. The doctor says we have a health problem and we need to make some changes...and we do it.
Sometimes we make decisions in a proactive way. We decide to accept a new job or begin looking for a different job. We make a decision to improve our health or seek a new home or develop a friendship or become involved in church or control our spending or plan a vacation or grow in our relationship with God.
Proactive decisions reflect a felt need for change and a willingness to take the steps necessary to bring about change. Our reasons for change could reflect a fear of what will happen if we don’t do things differently, a desire to fill an empty space in our life, or a belief that change will bring greater fulfillment or significance our way. It may be a change to bring us more in harmony with what if means to be a devoted follower of Jesus.
Whether our decisions are proactive or reactive, easy or difficult, we make decisions. We soon discover the decisions we make are only the beginning. Next comes the follow through.
Personally, I find it easy to say “Yes” to a request, which is a decision on my part. But after I have said “Yes,” there are times when I ask myself, “What was I thinking?” Or maybe I ask, “Was I thinking?” The follow through on a “yes” can take a great deal of time and energy. Follow-through represents a challenge.
We find the Apostle Paul in transition. After a number of years at Ephesus he decides it is time to head for Jerusalem. He has several goals in mind. First, he wants to visit some of the churches he had earlier established in the province of Macedonia. He intends to go to Corinth to finish dealing with some issues and to pick up the money they had collected for the poor in Jerusalem. Then he plans to go to Jerusalem and on to Rome. As he reconnects with churches along the way, there would be time for encouragement, further instruction, and food and rest for Paul and his companions.
Paul soon discovered that others felt strongly he should change his plan. People, through the Spirit, warned Paul that it would be dangerous for him to go to Jerusalem. Paul says to the Ephesian elders who he met at Miletus: (Acts 20: 22) “And now compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardship are facing me.”
We find another example in Tyre one of Paul’s docking places on his way to Jerusalem. (Acts 21: 4) “Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem...” The Greek verb translated urged could be translated “kept on urging”. It was an ongoing discussion between Paul and his Christian brothers and sisters in Tyre.
The discussion continues when Paul lands in Caesarea. At this point Paul is only two days or 65 miles away from Jerusalem. Agabus, the prophet who is introduced earlier in the book of Acts, demonstrates what awaited Paul in Jerusalem. (Acts 21: 11) “Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
The response to Agabus’ prophecy was overwhelming. Luke writes, including himself as one of the participants, “When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem.”
Can you imagine the pressure? It is one against the crowd. Based on Agabus’ dramatic word, Paul’s closest friends are saying to him, “Don’t go!” The first part of verse 13 gives expression to the pressure Paul is feeling from his friends and fellow believers. “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart?”
In spite of the pressure Paul received to change his mind and in spite of all the warnings about the danger of going to Jerusalem, he was determined to go. Not only was he determined to go, he was willing to courageously face the consequences of his decision to go.
Determination and courage are qualities that are necessary to follow through on decisions. Determination is necessary because, as we see in the case of Paul, there are times when not everyone agrees with our decision. If you are in relationship with others, if you are sensitive to what others are feeling and thinking then sometimes you must exercise great determination to follow through on your plan. People and relationships are not the only things that interfere with follow-through. Circumstances often play a role. Events occur which affect a chosen course of action.
An example could be our pledge to the “Together We Build” campaign. Some may be finding follow through difficult. During the campaign you heard from God. You pledged an amount. But a year and a half later, things have changed. Your financial situation may not be the same. Maybe you have had unexpected expenses. You are feeling pressures you did not expect. It is not as easy as you thought it was going to be.
Sometimes it might be necessary to change the amount pledged. More often, what is needed is determination. Determination says, “I will follow through. I will trust God to accomplish his will through my willingness to do what I believed he asked me to do.” Follow-through at such times takes courage. It usually takes courage to do what we believe is right even if the foreseeable consequences may appear to be negative.
If determination and courage are important for follow-through, where does one discover the necessary determination and courage?
At one level we must acknowledge temperament. There are people for whom determination seems to be in their genes. (Another word which may not sound quite so positive is stubborn.) Some people are naturally goal oriented. Once they have set goals they are driven to achieve those goals. Many times such people are so driven they come across as insensitive, uncaring, people who refuse to listen or give up their course of action even when it seems obvious to everyone else they are crazy. Both heroes and fools arise from people with this kind of drive and determination. We remember the heroes for a time. The fools leave in their wake broken relationships, and confused if not angry, family and friends.
At another level, determination and drive come from a purpose greater than our self. Paul by temperament was a person of determination and courage. But there where was more than temperament when it comes to understanding Paul’s determination. As a devoted follower of Jesus, Paul committed himself to a purpose greater than his own comfort or safety or well being. Listen to what he says to the Ephesians elders about the dangers he will face. “... I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace,” (Acts 20: 24).
To those who urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem after Agabus’ prophecy Paul says, “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus,” (Acts 21: 13).
Paul’s commitment to the mission of telling others about the good news of Jesus was greater than personal comfort or safety or self interest. Jesus was his passion. He would follow-through on his commitment to be a spokesperson for Jesus. Discomfort or threats against his life, or imprisonment would not dissuade him. Paul was determined to go and would courageously face the consequences.
Tim and Amanda had Jonathan baptized, just as they baptized Jessie. In so doing they made the decision to bring Jessie and Jonathon up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord. They made a commitment to pray with them and for them, and to make every effort to so order their own lives that they will not cause Jessie or Jonathon to stumble. This is a big decision. It is a commitment that takes them beyond their own comfort or convenience. It is commitment to be the parents God as called them to be. It will take determination and courage. As one person has said, “Raising children is not for the faint of heart.” Raising children to be followers of Jesus can be even more challenging.
Kevin, Michelle and Gloria made the decision to be baptized this afternoon. Behind their decision is the determination to publicly express their desire to be a devoted follower of Jesus. By so doing they are saying. “There is a purpose in life that is greater than just living life for my own comfort and happiness.” That purpose is found in following Jesus.
I am excited when people make the decision to follow Jesus and then to publically declare that decision through baptism. But to follow through on the decision will take determination and courage. It will take so much determination and courage that Jesus formed the church so that people could encourage and pray for one another along the way.
As a church that is why we see our children’s program as important. We want to work with parents as they seek to train their children to be followers of Jesus. It is why we see small groups as important. We want to provide a safe environment where people can express themselves, ask question, share struggles, and pray for one another. It is why we run the Alpha program. We want to provide opportunities to help people discover Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
Let me leave you with some questions.
Have you made a decision to be a follower of Jesus? If not, are there questions you would like to talk about it? Are you willing to take the Alpha course to find out more?
If you have made the decision to follow Jesus, how are you doing?
If you are struggling, is it in the area of determination or is in the area of courage? What do you need to do to get back on track?
If Christ is as important to you as he was to Paul, do you think you would have to make any changes in your life? What are the changes Jesus would ask you to make? What is stopping you from making them?
At the end of his life, Paul’s determination and courage made it possible for him to look back over his journey and write these words: “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day –and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing,” (2Timothy 4: 7,8).
May this be our legacy as well!