YOU WANT ME TO DO WHAT?
- Key Verse
Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. (Mathew 4:21-22)
READ THE CHAPTER
Central Truth
Leaving behind the distraction of earthly possessions is difficult, but seeking anything but Christ as a source of joy, peace, or lasting fulfillment is futile.
Reflections
Where I come from, if you tell a Cajun to leave his fishing gear, boat, and dad behind to go with you to places unknown, firearms will be drawn! To me, boat ownership, maintenance, repair, fishing, and cruising were idols -- a religion -- and I spent lots of time, money, and effort over the course of my life worshiping the fiberglass. In the nautical world, a "cathedral" is even a type of boat hull. And burning 2-stroke oil was my incense.Just as Jesus called James and John to follow Him, He calls all of us to do the same. This passage reminds me that the coming Kingdom needs to be proclaimed by me with more passion than I would pursue any hobby. But the calling carries a heavy cost, just as it did for the disciples, because it involves leaving behind prized possessions (like boats), family members (who may think you are crazy), and possibly even a lucrative profession.
A few months ago, current economic conditions forced this rich young ruler to put his 25-foot Grady White Seafarer (arguably one of the toughest and finest offshore fishing machines ever designed/constructed) up for sale. I put my "Isaac" on the Craig's List "altar," and two men from Alabama came and took him away.
Famed missionary Jim Elliot summed it up well: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Over time, fiberglass hulls crack, transoms rot, engines wear out, moths eat interior cloth, and even the finest marine stainless steel ultimately rusts. But heavenly treasure -- in the form of being an obedient disciple and discipling others -- lasts forever.
Several years ago, the culmination of 28 months of divorce proceedings stripped me of most of the worldly possessions and assets that I had accumulated over a lifetime -- except for a boat -- and even that is now gone. But as I look back over the past few years, I can honestly say that the moments of pure joy that I have experienced while being obedient as a disciple of Christ and discipling others has overwhelmingly eclipsed any day on the water!
Discussion Questions
1. What idols in your life are you worshiping or spending more time thinking about than Christ? Sex, relationships, fashion, kid's activities, sports, workouts, cars, houses, boats, wealth, or work?2. What would your spouse, family, kids, friends, and community group members say that your idols are?
3. What do you think you have to lose by giving up those idols?
4. Do you think that you can find peace and fulfillment in those things apart from Christ? How has this worked for you in the past?
5. What can you do TODAY to leave behind your idols and obediently follow Christ?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
MATTHEW 1-5 (JANUARY 2-6)
Read Matthew 5:13-16.
What is salt used for? (seasoning, preserving & healing)
What is light used for?
How can you be like salt and light?
Activity: Pour a small amount of oil in a saucepan and heat it up. Then pour in popcorn kernels. Be sure to keep the pan moving so as not to burn the popcorn. Once all kernels have popped, split the popcorn between the paper sacks. Put salt into only bag and shake it up. Then have a taste test of the two bags.
Can you distinctly tell which one has salt on it? How? This is just how God wants us to be. Our lives should clearly reflect that we love and serve Him.
Next, get a flashlight and a dark towel and go into a room without windows (i.e. bathroom or closet). Turn off the light. Talk about the darkness and how it feels. Then turn on the flashlight. Talk about what the flashlight did to the room. Then cover it with the towel and refer back to verse 15. What does God want us to do with the truth of Jesus in our lives?
To shine your light, take some salted popcorn to your neighbors and invite them to church!
Comments
The views expressed under “Comments” are solely
those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Watermark Community Church.
Daniel Garrison
January 5, 2012 06:22 AM
Love your passion and guts to go after Jesus and leave behind the things of this world! Thanks for your example of obedience and generosity to many and grateful to be on the journey across the waters of life along side you and looking to the Ultimate Captain to chart the course towards home. May He use us mightily to haul whole bunches of others into the boat to hang out together forever with Him!
Janna Lewis
January 5, 2012 06:53 AM
Visual word pictures speak to me and I am so thankful for your word picture of fiberglass dependency. I get it!!! I also read "My Utmost for His Highest" and the message today was a beautiful compliment to your message. You, like Peter, understand an "internal sacrifice and yielding" to follow Jesus. Your reflections have helped me to better understand how I need to lay my Isaac's down to follow Jesus in sacrifical yielding ways. Thank you!
Truby McDougal
January 5, 2012 07:23 AM
Great devo Riis. Very personal which is what our idols are. Each persons idol is their own, but to many times it seems we compare ours to someone else's and think at least I don't have THAT idol. But we are all called to examine our own idols and lay them down before Jesus. great reminder today.
Robert white
January 5, 2012 08:37 AM
Fellow boater, souls/fish; no contest! Sorry for the testimony, but glad you are on board!
Sue Bohlin
January 5, 2012 09:03 AM
I love that a boat-lover got today's passage with disciples walking away from their boats, Riis! What a great way to get to the heart of the matter about idols. Which are especially easy to cherish when we don't think biblically about the reality of Jesus' offer of HIS kingdom compared to Satan's offer of earthly kingdoms. The first part of today's chapter gives us the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness, which takes on a new meaning for us at Probe Ministries since we had the Barna Group survey born-again 18- to 40-year-olds, and we learned that 2/3 of them don't believe that Satan is a real, actual being! :::shudder::: If you don't believe your enemy is real, you'll lose every time! I pray that the Holy Spirit will impress on every one of us Journeyers, as we read today's passage, that Satan is REAL! But Jesus has overpowered and disarmed him, and we can trust in His ability to help us handle temptations in His strength and with His Word.
January 5, 2012 09:03 AM
Wow, what a great reflection on your experiences from a kid growing up in the bayou (I know what you mean) to the challenges we all face through divorce and navigating the landscape of life. As a follower and believer in Christ we all are reminded that with him, through him and having a relationship with him is the only way to eternal happiness. You will have fiberglass again my friend. Probably sooner than you can imagine.....All the best, Dale~
Lee Danis
January 5, 2012 09:10 AM
Riis having owned and loved two sailboats, I was able to easily click in to your analogies. Sound devotional. Truby is right - we all have idols to examine and to make sure they don't take the place of Christ in our daily lives.
Kyle Kaigler
January 5, 2012 09:27 AM
Riis, had forgotten we share the same idol..Boats/Fishing....Lets just call it a "fetish" or "hobby" so we don't have to deal with the "idol" word!! Deeply encouraged and convicted today by your "all in" with Jesus... Kyle
Jordan Ackerman
January 5, 2012 10:21 AM
What do you believe stirred the disciples to follow Jesus? I'm trying to picture myself in their position, and Jesus was a stranger, wandering with little to nothing except the clothes on his back- not someone you would typically want to follow! The Holy Spirit had not descended upon them yet, but was the Holy Spirit still able to move their hearts to follow Jesus? And I can't recall if it's this gospel or another where the disciples have a very difficult time realizing that Jesus is the son of God. Do you believe they initially knew He was, but later doubted, causing them to question Jesus' identity?
karen brosseau
January 5, 2012 10:21 AM
love your analogy and honesty! great job!
Stephanie Reeh
January 5, 2012 10:22 AM
Riis, Thanks so much for the encouragement this morning! Sometimes we all need someone to "look us square in the eye" so to speak, and ask us what's keeping us from receiving full and total peace, joy, love etc. from the one and only person that can give it to us! More often than not it is a lack of relationship with him due to focus that is directed elsewhere! You may not have all of your wordly possessions but you do have the one thing that is important in life, a relationship with Christ and a desire to serve him and further his kingdom. You are doing just that! Thanks for being obedient to him! ~Stephanie
Leonard
January 5, 2012 11:50 AM
Riis - thanks for the reminder of what matters most - things eternal!
January 5, 2012 01:14 PM
thank you for being so genuine and straight forward..God bless you
Julie Hildebrand
January 5, 2012 02:31 PM
Riis, what a clear picture you painted for us. It really is that simple, yet difficult, isn't it? Thanks for being so honest with your story. God is using you!
Todd Wagner
January 5, 2012 10:26 PM
Well done Riis...and i don't just mean the devo, I mean the increasingly devoted life. Praying now that you have great joy in all your surrender and specifically that the Lord restores to your "nets" everything that will be for His glory. Proud of you.
Jody Curran
January 5, 2012 10:52 PM
Nice job Hope we can meet sometime - I've spent a lot of weekends in the Louisiana marshes in my pirogue fishing and hunting and I've sent your blog to both my brothers (one who does have that kind of idolatry - hope he takes it well!) If we are blessed, God continues to strip away the idols and conform us to his image and if we are smart, we thank Him...