If you ask most kids how they feel about school, most will tell you that they don’t like it. They think it’s boring, or useless, or that they don’t get to play video games during it, or aren’t allowed on their phones. It’s just awful. I trust that as they grow up, they will realize the importance of education, particularly as they are confronted with their future careers and adult lives. Whether they pursue college degrees, go to trade school, or go directly into the workforce, knowledge will be required of them.
I remember when I was in school, I was so naive to think that once I graduated college that my learning would be over. I would be smart enough to do everything required of a youth pastor. I would be set for life. Boy how wrong I was. To this day, I’m always reading books about ministry, whether it’s specifically youth or kids, or just ministry in general. My collection of books also includes those that help me understand the Bible better, or how to live it out. Now, I do enjoy reading, so it’s not so much a burden to me. It has been a shock to me how much I still have to learn, as is probably common for most young adults. The more I read, the more I realize how much I do not know. It’s humbling, yet exciting, as I get to learn more about God, His Word, and His Kingdom.
I’d like to share a little about a book I just finished reading before I wrote this article. It’s called The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard. I first came across Dallas Willard when I was in college, and I quickly realized he is much smarter than perhaps I ever will be. I highly recommend anything that he writes. But this book in particular looks at the Sermon on the Mount in a way I’d never thought of. The basis of the sermon is life in the kingdom of the heavens, or kingdom of God, if you prefer.
When Jesus first began his ministry, he was preaching everywhere he went about repentance, because the kingdom of the heavens had come. In Matthew 5, he begins this sermon that covers a multitude of topics. All of these topics, beginning with the beatitudes and ending with the parable of the wise and foolish builders, are about life in the kingdom of the heavens.
Jesus addresses anger, contempt, lust, revenge, giving, prayer, fasting, worth and treasures, and judgment. These are all issues we face day in and day out in our lives. Ultimately, it comes down to how we treat others in light of what God wants for us. And don’t get me wrong, this is hard. While we were made for heaven, because of sin, righteousness or right living doesn’t come natural to us. It led Paul to write about his struggles in Romans 7:18-20, another semi-popular passage. He writes, “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” (NIV)
Sin has a hold on all of us. It’s why Jesus was sent to die on the cross, as we just celebrated at the end of March. This is where my original question comes into play. Are you a disciple? You may think to yourself, “Of course I am.” But think about it. Do you come to church on Sunday mornings, listen to the sermon, sing the songs, and then go home and wait to hear from God until the next Sunday? Do you come up with excuses for why you don’t read the Bible or pray? Do you rely on the church to feed you spiritually? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then I would ask you to reflect on where you are with God, because you may not be a disciple, at least not in the sense that Jesus used the word and in the sense that first century Jews understood that word.
To be a disciple is to be a student. It’s to be a learner. Jesus’ disciples spent the vast majority of 3 years following him around, learning how he lives, seeing what he does, in the hope that they would become like him. That is the duty of a disciple. It’s not just about attending church. It’s not just about attending a Bible study once a week. It’s about focusing your whole lifestyle on becoming like Jesus. That’s where the word, “Christian” came from. It means “like Christ” or “little Christs.” How much more are you like Jesus now than when you first came to have faith in him and were baptized? I hope a lot. But if not, then I implore you to spend some time in reflection and prayer to see what you’re missing and what God wants for you.
Jesus came that we might have life in the kingdom of the heavens. It is an abundant life, not being burdened by hate, lust, judgment, or sin of any kind. Don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot to learn and plenty of areas of my life still need work. I strive to be a disciple of Jesus, because I know there is no greater life out there for me to live, and no greater hope than heaven for me. I hope you feel the same way.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” -Matthew 7:24 (NIV)
