Be Different October 13, 2019
2 Timothy 2: 8-19
Well friends, I’m so glad you’ve chosen to worship with us this morning. Every week we come together to take the next step on the greatest adventure of our lives- the adventure of following Jesus. And really, there is no greater adventure than the one Jesus calls us to. In this adventure, we see God take the broken and make it beautiful again; we see God lovingly search for what is lost until it is found; we watch Jesus bring hope to a hopeless world. No, I can’t think of a better adventure than this, but it IS an adventure we must choose to embrace every day. That’s what this next sermon series is all about- daily embracing this holy life to which Jesus calls us. We'll be looking at Paul's advice to his young friend, Timothy.
I’m often asked to name my favorite move, and I have to admit, I struggle with that question. I don’t spend a whole lot of time watching movies, but I will tell you that I’m a fan of The Lord of the Rings series. I appreciate stories with an element of good versus evil, especially when the good triumphs in the end. And this story is all about good triumphing over evil. But like any good over evil story, somebody has to rise to the occasion; somebody has to step up and step out into an unknown future, believing that things can be different. And in this story, that person goes by the name of Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit who lives in a comfortable and quiet village, where is everything is predictable and routine. Nothing really happens out of the ordinary, and that’s the way respectable hobbits, such as Bilbo, liked it. But one day Bilbo is visited by his old friend, Gandalf, who tells him that he’s arranging a new adventure, but he can’t seem to find anyone who wishes to share the journey with him. And Bilbo’s reaction is priceless: “I should think not. We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!”
Well, I don’t know if adventures will make you late for dinner or not, but I do know that adventures have a way of changing us. The moment you said “yes” to the great adventure of marriage, the trajectory of your life changed. Or when you had a baby, your probably gave up some sleep. Or when you made the decision to find a new job or signed up for that latest class. Something about your life changed. That’s just the natural reality about adventures--They invites us to leave behind the old and familiar (even if we like them!), so that we can embrace the new, the unexpected and the different, and this it is especially true of the decision to follow Jesus.
We’ve had the awesome privilege this month of walking with people as they make those decisions. And what a powerful witness as we watch people take important steps into this holy adventure we call discipleship. Over the past few weeks I’ve had the opportunity to meet with them and discuss this new life to which Jesus calls us. We’ve talked about the reality of evil and wickedness in our world, and how Christ calls us to resist. We’ve talked about injustice and oppression in the world, and how God equips us to stand with those who suffer and work with those on the margins of society. And we’ve talked about proclaiming Jesus as Savior and Lord, and what it means to place the entirety of our lives in God’s hands. And along the way, I’ve been personally reminded of just how different this holy adventure truly is.
I remember one of the first times I felt the weight of my “yes’ to Jesus, and how counter-cultural that decision was, how different this life of faith was. Because when we say “yes” to Jesus, we also say “no” to a lot of ways in which we could live. And that’s not easy. It was one of my first weekends in college and I was finally out from my parents’ home. I had said, “yes” to Jesus about two years earlier, but I was determined to experience the “college life,” so I attended my first frat party. Now, for those of who enjoyed that scene, please hear me out. I’m throwing no judgment. This was something God was doing on my heart. So let me tell you, that night was absolutely terrifying. Before I knew what was happening, I was dancing with people I didn’t know, holding a beer in my hand and wondering how in the world I could safely get back home. But the hard part came the next week, when my friends begged me to go again, and I adamantly told them “no.” And so I watched my friends leave for their next party while I spent the rest of that night, trying to make sense of a Gospel that seemed to fly in the face of everything around me.
It’s pretty clear that when Jesus shows up on the scene and begins to collect followers, he proclaims a different approach to life, and in some cases, his approach can seem a bit head scratching. Forgiving those who hurt you, instead of holding grudges, is a different way of life. Loving your enemy, when you’d rather ensure they get their just desserts? That’s a different way of life. Blessed are those who mourn? That doesn’t sound right! And nobody in America advertises the saying, “If you want to find your life, take up your cross and deny yourself.” This is just a different kind of adventure that Jesus inspires, and because of that, we need some encouragement.
I don’t know what prompted this letter that Paul wrote to his young friend Timothy, but it’s obvious Paul sensed the need to encourage him. My guess is that Timothy probably had a few let-downs when it came to faith and was struggling. Maybe he was beginning to question if all this “living for Jesus” stuff was worth it. He had watched his mentor, Paul, suffer trial after trial, and to top it off, some of Paul’s most trusted companions had deserted him. Maybe Timothy was beginning to realize that betrayal and hardship were real possibilities, even for faithful followers, and now needed a steady hand to remind him that life with Christ, is still the best type of life one could choose. And so that’s what Paul sets out to do in this letter.
He first reminds Timothy to remember Jesus and all that Jesus has done. You wouldn’t think that a young pastor would need this reminder, but sometimes, we ALL need it! It’s entirely possible that Timothy was so bogged down in discouragement that he had forgotten to cultivate his awareness of Jesus. When we work so hard for something and don’t see immediate fruit or when our hopes fall short of our expectations…that can deplete our passion. When I watched my friends walk away that night in college, the loneliness I experienced was real. It caused me to wrestle with the type of life I wanted, and whether I was passionate enough about that faith to keep pursuing it. Paul’s advice for those questioning moments is to remember Jesus. Remember his salvation. Remember his faithfulness. Remember his victory, a victory that came not by avoiding suffering and challenges, but a victory that endured through them. And mostly, remember his love. It was love the inspired Jesus to endure the cross, and it is love that will always provide a compelling reason to unswervingly uphold this sacred adventure of being different. So when you feel like your faith has put you on an island, remember Jesus, and as you remember Jesus, live for him.
That’s the second piece of advice Paul has for his young friend, Timothy-- living for Jesus. In some circles, this has been called an “audience of one,” which suggests that the only person we need to please is Jesus. And I think that’s an important word for today. In our frenzied social media world, it’s easy to play unhealthy comparison games and become addicted to the perceived success of others. But if our eyes are on Christ, we’ll find a firm foundation to steady our stormy lives.
A few years ago during a wedding rehearsal, I could sense a growing fear among the wedding party that the little boy chosen to serve as ring bearer would not be able to fulfill his role. He was just so nervous. The thought of walking down the aisle, all alone with every eye in the church looking at him, was just too much. And nothing seemed to help. Finally, when we were about ready to change the game plan, I was struck by a thought—maybe this little boy just needed to know where to focus his attention. And so I called him and said, “Let’s try this one more time, but this time, when you walk, I want you to look at me. I’m the only person you have to look at it, and I’ll be right here waiting for you.” As the little boy began to walk, I got down on my knee and encouraged him every step of the way. And the next day? He made it! Nothing changed from the night before. In fact, there was more at stake on the wedding day. More people, more pressure, more nerves. And every eye in that moment was on him, but his eyes were on me, which made all the difference.
Saying “yes” to Jesus is the greatest adventure we’ll ever start, but once we start, we have to keep going. We keep going, friends, by focusing the attention of our lives on Jesus. Corrie ten Boom, the great Dutch watchmaker who helped to hide numerous Jews from Nazi Germany, puts it this way: If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed. If you look within, you’ll be depressed. But if you look at Christ, you’ll be at rest. That’s how we find the courage to be different- by looking to Jesus. It Jesus who helps us rediscover the possibility of hope when evil prevails. It is Jesus who provides strength to navigate a weary-laden life. It is Jesus who beckons us to keep moving forward, even when it feels like we’re all alone. So stay different friends, even if no one else is, and embrace the life to which you have been called. It is not easy, but it IS good. It is not burden-free, but it IS blessed. And in the end, that type of life brings glory to God! In the name of the One who goes before us and stands with us, Amen.
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