Limited

Message Transcription

Well, I've been here now just over 11 years. It's hard to believe. I know some of you are thinking, no, it's pretty easy to believe. Others of you are thinking, No, no. It feels like you just got here. I'm constantly wrestling with some different things just in my own journey as I'm trying to build my skill level of how I preach and proclaim the gospel. One of those things is I'm trying to be less tied to the pulpit. So you've probably noticed I move around a lot more. It's not that I've got more nervous energy, though. I do have some of that. I'm trying to learn to to listen and respond to some things differently. And so I'm going to be wandering some. So I appreciate Your grace in that I'm trying to grow and get better. And so thank you for being my test audience to practice my skills on. But one of the things I've been really trying to wrestle with is this idea of being a disciple. What does it look like? This series is called Imperfect Disciples, as we're trying to think about how we follow Christ and how we invite others to do the same thing. What does it mean to to really put Christ first and foremost in our life? I've been blessed by Pete Scudero and his book Emotionally Healthy Discipleship, and that's where a lot of what I'm sharing with you has impacted me in my life, my own personal journey. So I'm trying to invite you into that.

Some of it have been things that have been chasing and hounding me since I've read them, and I'm also inviting you into that experience. Maybe you'll be hounded a little bit as well, but we've been thinking together about this definition. I came across from Dallas Willard about what it means to be a disciple, and it's simply this What would Jesus do? If he were you, what would Jesus live? What kind of life would he live if he were living your life? And thinking about that is important because the most important thing that God gets out of our life is not all the stuff we accomplish. What is the kind of person that we become? The greatest thing, the greatest gift you give to the world is not all the amazing stuff that you are trying to do and to accomplish. As great as those things may be, the greatest thing the world gets is a healthy, strong, vibrant disciple of Jesus. And so we've been wrestling some about what are the qualities, What does that actually look like in the life of a believer? So we started in week one by looking at Luke chapter ten, Mary and Martha and this idea of an imperfect disciple, as imperfect as they may be, learns to be slow, to slow life down, to slow that process down. In fact, Sakaziro challenges us to say, Are we doing more for God than our faith in God can handle, can sustain.

I talked with many of you over the last couple of weeks about how impactful that idea can be if we really learn to to do that, how impactful it would be to our relationships if we learn to slow down, take a breath, if we would learn to slow down and impact the people around us that we work with. Or maybe it's noticed that neighbor who is really struggling to get that yard mowed, What if we slowed our lives down and began to reach out and help in some different ways? Last week we looked at the passage that's found over in my notes here, John, where we looked at well, actually, we looked at a couple of different passages, but the main one in Matthew chapter four, where Jesus is tempted looking at this idea of being intentional, what does it mean to be intentional, that we're intentionally trying to pursue some things that are not of God, like success and greatness? What if we were willing to reject those things and instead the way Jesus did? Allow God's work to happen in us to be intentional about setting some things down and picking some things back up again. This week we're going to take our cue from that same story, but go a little bit even further today as we think about what it means to be a disciple who's limited. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't like thinking about my limits. Part of me confessing to you this morning of why I'm wandering around this stage a little bit more is I'm being interacting with some of my limits and my abilities, and I don't like that.

I like to push through them. And so I think there's a part of that. It's a God given deal, right? We all have these limits in our lives. So we're going to talk about those in just a second that God's challenging us to live through. But sometimes sometimes we struggle with the limits that God gives to us. You know, limits is an important thing. I think that's why it starts at the very beginning of our story with God. Back in Genesis chapter two, Remember, God creates the garden and He creates everything and everyone in the garden. He creates Adam and Eve, and he places them in the garden and then he gives them dominion over it. He says, I want you to take care of it, to watch over, to tend it, to make sure that it flourishes. And then he gives them this limit. You may remember this. He gives them this limit. And the Lord God commanded the man. You are free to eat from any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For when you eat from it, you will certainly die. As K0 points out, this limit wasn't random. I went straight to God's authority. Would they abide? God has created them. He's set them in this amazing environment.

And he says, I want you to take care of it. I want you to live in a way that allows it to flourish. But but I want you to have this one limit. Stay away from this tree. So the serpent who is crafty comes and guess what his temptation is? It's to take that limit and to try to manage it, to. To move it, to change it, to shape it, to cause them to stop and wonder. Is God really good? And so we hear, in his words to Adam and Eve, you will not certainly die. For God knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil. See God placed this limit in their lives to help them flourish, to grow, to develop. And the evil one takes it. And he twists it and now says, No, no, no, that sign is not a God, a sign of God's goodness and love for you. It's actually a sign he's holding out on you. There's some stuff that you could be experiencing right now, but you can't. But the solution is right there. Just take a bite. Just try it out. And the consequences from their decision. We still feel in our lives today, don't we? We still wrestle and struggle with Is God really good? Can we trust Him? Can we surrender to the limits that he places in our lives? Sakaziro argues in his book that that this is one of the foundational principles of being a disciple, learning how to understand and surrender to the limits that God puts on us.

How do we handle? How do we respond to those limits? It's a good thing our story didn't end with the first atom. But you notice back in Matthew chapter four, where we were last week, that this same temptation is the one that comes to Jesus, right? When he is in the wilderness preparing 40 days before his ministry will begin. The evil one comes to him to tempt him and notice how he tempts him with these limits. If you are the son of man. Rather son of God tell these stones to become bread. And if that's really who you are, then you have the power within you to solve this problem. Jesus, you've been in the in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and you are hungry. Just say the word. I bet Jesus understands and surrenders to the limit that God has placed on his time. And Jesus says, man doesn't live by bread alone. I'm not going to fall for it. So the second temptation, he's taken up to the Temple Mount on top of the temple, and he says, Listen, if you want to be known, if you want to be recognized and seen, then just do this miracle and everyone will know that you are from God. Just throw yourself off this temple because we both know nothing's going to happen to you.

I had. Those angels are going to come and they're going to carry you down. Yet again, Jesus recognizes honors, surrenders to the limit. And instead he takes the stairs. Goes back down. Third temptation. He's taken out to a high mountain and he's shown all the kingdoms of the world, if you will. Bow down, these will be yours. But again, Jesus surrenders to the limits. And he surrenders to the father's wisdom and that timing in his life. Jesus, you could skip over the cross. You could move right past all the suffering and the scorn and the shame. And you could have all the power that you want. Just bow down and worship and Jesus. Will not do it. He surrenders to the limits. To the father's wisdom. You know, it's interesting. Jesus could have skipped past all of that, but he doesn't. He could have called 10,000 angels, but he doesn't. Jesus surrendered his life. He experienced it fully, man and limited. Did you ever notice when you read through the Gospels, Jesus did not heal every sick person? Did you know Jesus did not even allow everyone who wanted to follow him. To follow him. Remember the story of the demoniac back in Luke eight? Whereafter Jesus transforms this man's life. He says, Jesus, can I come and follow you? I'm going to go where you go. Your people, My people. And Jesus says, No, no, no, no. I want you instead to go back to your people and tell them what the Lord has done.

Jesus refused to allow others to determine who and where and when and how and why in his life. He spent all night in prayer, but he only called 12 to be his closest disciples. Jesus never traveled outside of about a 1800 square mile area in Judea and Galilee. In its 33 years on this earth. Now, just to give you a sense of the size of that area. Texas is about 268,000mi². West Texas is just a little over 39,000mi². Jesus stayed within about 2800. And he submitted to that limit. And yet at the end of his ministry, as he's teaching his disciples to pray in John 17, this is his prayer, Father, I have brought you glory on Earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. We don't hear Jesus complaining to the Father. Oh, I could have just done more if you'd have let me go beyond God. I could have just done more if you to let me heal everyone. Instead, he says, Father, I did the work you gave me to do. It is finished. Do we think Jesus lived a full life? If you could describe Jesus as a human, as a person, did he live a full life? I think we'd all say absolutely. Jesus understood and he lived out the way of a disciple is to recognize our limits and our time remaining. This morning, I want us to look at another imperfect disciple, the one that Cathy read about just a moment ago.

If you have your Bible, turn over to John chapter three. We'll be there for just a few minutes. As John learned to embrace the limits that God had put in his life, here we find John and his disciples are out in the wilderness. And if you know much of John's story, you know that his ministry was flourishing. It was growing. In fact, so much so that that the Pharisees and other teachers of the law would send people out just to check in and take tabs of him. And whenever he encountered him, he said, what are you doing here? You brood of vipers. Right. John was just this powerful voice calling for repentance and change and his ministry actually flourishing. It's kind of an interesting person, an interesting character. But John never seemed to be overcome by that. Do you remember John's outfit that he wore the most? How many of you spent more than two minutes thinking about what you were going to wear to church today? Right, Myself included. You remember John's favorite outfit? Camel hair. How many of you are wearing camel? I see a camel. I don't see any camel hair here today. What about his food? How many of you spend more than about two minutes thinking about what you're going to eat in a day, right? Me, Right here. You can tell I spend a lot of time thinking about what I'm going to eat in a day.

John's favorite meal. Locusts and honey. John, You got to get out more, buddy. Have you had a taco? Man, you got to try one. All right. John wasn't concerned so much about what other people thought or what they felt about him. He was so committed to the vision, to the purpose that God had given him in his life that even in the midst of his ministry thriving and growing, that all of a sudden Jesus shows up one day with some of his disciples. And this is what we're told, that John was also baptizing at Aeon, near Salem, because there was plenty of water and people were coming and being baptized. And this was before he was in prison. But an argument begins to develop between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. They came to John and said to him, Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the one you testified about, look, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him. John, aren't you going to do something about this man? This is our spot. This is our turf. People are coming to see you. What is this guy doing over here? I remember you said something about him. I don't quite remember what you said about him, but I remember he was out there and now people are going to him. In fact, some of the folks that have come to us are now turning and following him.

Don't you have anything to say about this? No doubt John's disciples were wondering what is going on. Concerned. About their ministry unraveling right before them. But John doesn't respond in the way that that they imagined he would. Nor does he respond in the way that I imagined he would. He doesn't join them in their anger and their frustration. Instead, he responds out of what Escudero calls a theology of limits. Listen again to John's response. A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said I am not the Messiah. But I am sent ahead of him. The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. Friends. That joy is mine. And it's now complete. He must become greater. I must become less. And John says, guys. I set my limits. You've heard with your own ears. Me? Recognize and name those limits out before you. I am not the Messiah. I'm only sent before him. He must become greater. I must become less. And I'm okay with that. That's all right with me. You see, a person can only receive what the Lord gives to them. John understood, at least in this moment, the role of the limits that were in his life. He had limits. Not because he wasn't important. But because his mission was. And so John learned to embrace the limits that he had in his own life.

His willingness to accept and surrender to these limits has impacted the world now for centuries. Now make no mistakes. There were times where I know, he wondered, did I make the right decision? Was I right? You may remember the story in Matthew 11 when John is in prison and he's hearing about all the ministry that's happening, that that ministry that Jesus is doing is continuing on. And so he sends some of his disciples over to talk to Jesus, to ask him a question. He asked him, Are you the one who is to come? Am I seeing this? Right? Am I getting this right? And Jesus answer tells John all he needs to know. Go back and report. He says. Tell them what you hear. Tell them what you see. The blind receive sight, the lame walk. Those who have leprosy are cleansed. The deaf hear, the dead are raised and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble. On account of me. You see, John learned to understand his limits, even to his very freedom, even to the very end. And he was willing to accept them and embrace them and surrender to them. And because of that, God poured his kingdom power out in and through him in so many powerful and amazing ways. We are here today as a living testimony to that type of life. In fact, Jesus would later say in Luke chapter seven about John, a couple of things.

He said, I tell you, among those born of women. There's no one greater. Then, John. See, Jesus said John understood his limits. He understood his role, the things that he had to face, his physical, his emotional, his spiritual limitations. And he operated with him. He embraced them. And learned how to live with God's power in them. That's not all Jesus said. If you look at the second half of verse 28, chapter seven of Luke. Says. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than He. Meaning that greatness that John has tapped into. It's not for John alone. That it's available to you and me. It. John says that kind of greatness doesn't come with status and power and influence and wealth. Instead, it comes with a humble heart. A servant. Jesus said, If you want to be the greatest in the kingdom, you must become a servant. And so if we're going to be imperfect disciples, this side of heaven, if we're going to learn to live into that, we've got to learn how to deal with our limits. I wish we had time to go into all that. Cicero writes about learning how to how to hear and receive, and so I invite you to get his book If you want to read more about it. I'd love to talk with you more about it. But a couple of things that he invites us to consider thinking about.

As we consider what are the limits that we have in our own lives. He gives us a couple of questions. The first one is this What limits do I need to receive and submit to joyfully as God's invitation to trust Him? Church. Let me just ask you to wrestle with that one this week. What are some of the limits that you have in your life that you need to learn to receive joyfully? As reminders that a goddess in control. See, one of the things that limits do for us is they remind us we're not in control. Now, if you're like me and a recovering control aholic, that's a tough pill to swallow because I like being in control. I like things the way I like them. I like having things in the way that I want them. But there are times in my life where I've had to start to embrace some of my limits, and it's been really hard. It's been really challenging. For the last probably 20 years. 15 years running has been an important part of my life. It's been part of my exercise routine, but it's also been just a part of how I get away from the world and get a chance to kind of zone out and just kind of be. And the last six months I've had Achilles tendinitis in my right heel and I can't run very well. In fact, if you look at me, I look like I'm about to fall over every time I'm running.

You know, like, should we stop and help him, sir? Do you need a ride? You know, like, yes, but no. Actually, I need more. What are some of the limits that you've experienced in your life? Now, for some of us, there are relational limits. We're not sure why it's happening, but man. Those relationships just aren't aren't aren't there right now. We've been searching and longing for, and it's just not happening. There was a period of time in our lives. Kaylee and I were in a small group with some of our best friends in the world for about 2 or 3 years. We got to to have a small group and it was literally five couples and we were like, it was amazing. And then one by one life happened and they moved away. They got a job here, they got an opportunity there. They had to take a school opportunity here. And so then we were down to two, just us again. And we're going, huh? We had the the first time in a long time that I can remember. I had to go to someone and say, Would you be my friend? I know this just sounds so weird. Would you be my friend? And didn't have many friends. I was limited in my ability to go and make new friends. What are some of the limits that God has in your life right now? Some of us, it's a health deal, right? You're battling a health problem and this is not something that you can manage your way out of.

Can we learn to embrace that? God, How might you work in power? Through me. Through my life. Through my willingness to surrender. What are the limits that God's challenging you to to embrace? Where he must become greater and you must become less. You see that so diametrically opposed to our culture these days, isn't it? You must become greater. They must become less. That's not the only question Sakaziro gives to us to think about limits, because sometimes we have limits and we're intended to break through them. Right. We experience a limit, and God's desire for us is to break through them. What limit is God asking me to break through by faith so that others might know Him, or so that I might become the person he intends? Sometimes we experience limits in relationships because we're kind of nervous or we have anxiety, and God's desire is for us to learn how to break through that limit. That we might reach out and say that kind word, that we might open up a conversation, It might turn spiritual. Would we be willing to break through that limit? In a couple of weeks ago, we looked at the story of Daniel chapter six, where Daniel is thrown into a lion's den. You remember how old Daniel was. 80 some. That's when he got into the lion's den. Some of us see our age as a limiting factor.

God, I'm just you know, I do it, but I'm kind of old. Young people don't want to. I'm kind of young, right? Timothy had that mindset. I'm kind of young. How are they going to listen to me? And Paul said, Don't let your age be the limit that you can't break through. Because God has something for you to do. Would you be willing to break through that limit? Don't let age be something that we would limit us and say, How could I be useful anymore to the kingdom? I'm so old. How can I be useful to the kingdom? I'm so young. You see some of these limits that we have in our life. They're intended for God to break through us, to break through with God's help. Church. Where is God inviting you to embrace a limit and see how God might work in and through you? Father. We pray this week for our church as we face so many different challenges. God, many of us are facing challenges at work that we had not imagined before. Some of us in relationships with people. Got. Some of us are facing health limits. Some of us financial just things. You're not going the way we thought they were. Or maybe they're going so well, we don't quite know what to do. Oh, God. Would you help us to surrender once again to your will? Would you help us to learn from the example of Jesus who understood and embraced and surrendered to the limits that he faced as a human man on Earth? And God, we're so thankful.

As Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippian Church. And his humility changed the world. Oh, God. Would you help our humility this week to change a little something in us? Maybe a little something in our corner of the world? And for some of us, we've been using a limit as a way to keep us from really risking for you of taking a step out in faith. We've allowed that limit to to keep us boxed in. When, Lord, you are you're calling us out. Oh, God. Would you give us the courage? To step out. To break through that limit. Lord, thank you for the amazing example of Jesus and the ways that He lived and loved. The ways that he was willing to submit to the mission and the work that you had given to him and the courage to follow through it, even when others didn't understand. God. Thank you for also helping to him to break through the limits that others tried to place on him. And he would not allow him to be held to those. Oh, God. Would you open our eyes and our ears today to what it is that you have for us? Those limits. You want us to break through, those limits you want us to surrender to? Yeah. Whatever it may be. Would you give us courage? Would you give us courage to follow? Thank you, Lord. Thank you. We pray all this in Christ's name. Amen.