DEALING IN ABSOLUTES Today, truth is subjective and personal. People say, “There are no absolute truths. Whatever I feel to be true is my truth. And my truth may not be your truth.” But think about the contradiction. For someone to insist that there are no absolute truths is a statement of an absolute truth.
A Christian once asked me, “Why should I go to church?” I thought for a moment and said, “You don’t go to church; you ARE the church.” Church is not a place; it’s what exists when believers gather together. A fully devoted follower of Jesus consistently gathers together with other believers.
Some people read their Bibles like a tax attorney reading the IRS code looking for loopholes. But God wants us to read and study His Word like a love letter He has written to guide us through our daily lives. When you’re asked a question that involves morality or ethics, is your first response, “What does the Bible say?”
Today, the image of the cross has lost its horror. The true message of the cross is death. How many of you are either wearing a cross today, or have a cross on your Bible? How nice. But what if we began to sell little miniature models of an electric chair in our bookstore, would you wear one? Or what if someone made a syringe of poison and started offering it as jewelry to wear? Can’t you hear someone walking up to you saying, “I love your electric chair, where did you get it?” Or would you say, “Have you seen my James Avery lethal injection syringe?”
Today, the cross has become benign—a piece of harmless jewelry. In Jesus’ time, it was a horrible, agonizing tortuous mode of execution. It was the noose, the electric chair, the lethal injection of His day. In the time of Jesus when you saw someone carrying a cross it meant one and only one thing-they were as good as dead.
As you and I walk along with Jesus, He brings us closer and closer to being conformed to His likeness: self-denial; and dying daily to our own feelings and desires. As we move along, He wants us to forget the past. We can’t go back there. We must fix our eyes on Jesus and keep growing and progressing.
Before Levi started following Jesus, his life revolved around his job. He was going to make a boatload of money because he was fixed for life in this lucrative occupation. When Jesus called him, he had to choose whether his life would revolve around making money or around pleasing and obeying Jesus. Let me ask you today: What or who is at the center of your life?
Personal evangelism is more than just getting to know people who aren’t saved, although that is the first step. You must be willing to build a bridge of friendship with a person without Christ, but then you must walk across that bridge and tell them about the good news of Jesus. Give them a chance to trust Christ, that’s putting your hook in the water. A good salesman calls this “closing the deal.” But what you are doing is “closing the door of hell” for that person and opening the door of heaven.
Peter started following Jesus. Wherever Jesus went, Peter went. Whatever Jesus did, Peter did. It’s a 24/7 lifestyle. Today, it means we constantly ask ourselves, “Would Jesus go here? Would Jesus do this?” Here’s how Jesus expressed this call in Mark’s account: “Come follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17) I like that phrase because it means Peter wasn’t naturally a fisher of men; Jesus was going to make him into one. So many people are afraid of following Jesus because they feel unqualified. Relax. You are unqualified. The good news is that when you start following Jesus, He begins to teach you and to make you into the person He wants you to be.
