Don't quote me on this:

If i rant here i dont need to burn someone's ears off!

My Photo
Name:
Location: Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Became a Christian on the 10/03/00 and my life hasn't been the same since... I went to Uganda, China and South Africa on short term mission, spent 4 years at Bristol University, and five working in Kent & London. I'm now enjoying working as a student pastor in Leeds, being married and learning to be a dad!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Jesus is my Hero - a talk at PBC

What makes a hero?

We have two sorts of hero in our lives. The first type of hero has done something, experienced something or taught something which we aspire to.

I can truly say: I want to be able to kick a football like David Beckham; I want to experience the power of God changing communities like Desmond Tutu in South Africa; I want to understand the world of science and philosophy we live in as clearly as Isaac Newton.

These people are my heroes because they have abilities, experiences and knowledge that I aspire to.

I do not want to BE them.

The second type of hero some of us have is someone we want to BE like.

Imagine if I was to say: When David Beckham changes his hair – I change my hair to match; when he gets a tattoo – I get a tattoo; I read the same books he reads (does he do reading?); I read every book he’s written to understand him; I want to BE David Beckham.

I don’t just want the ability/experience or knowledge he has. I want to BE him – in every way.

That would be a very weird relationship. You might even say I was worshiping David Beckham.


When I say ‘Jesus is my hero’ - what am I saying?

Am I saying that I respect what Jesus did? How he treated the poor and downcast? How he was obedient to God?

Yes – of course. And I want to do that stuff too. But there’s more.

Am I saying that I love what Jesus experienced in his ministry? How he saw amazing miracles and saw his disciples find God for themselves? How he met with God intimately and personally every day?

Yes – of course. And I want to experience that stuff too. But there’s more.

When I say: ‘Jesus – you are my hero’ am I saying that I think his teaching was wise? How he explained the human condition; how he debated with religious leaders.

Yes – of course. And I want to have a piece of that wisdom too. But there’s far more.

Jesus is my Hero because of who he IS not what he did, what he felt or what he thought.
Technically you can say that Christianity is not founded pragmatically (what do) or existentially (what we feel) and it is not founded on epistemology (what we know). Christianity is founded ontologically.

Don't worry – I’m not allowed the time to unpack all of that. But I do want to ask: what does all that mean to us? What are the consequences of thinking that the reason Jesus is my Hero is because of who he is – not some attribute I aspire to?

It means I strive to be more like Jesus. Deep down. In every way. Everything about who he is.

It means I long to have the same heart that Jesus had more than I long to copy what he did. It means I long for the same purity Jesus had more than I long for the experiences he had. It means I long to have the same attitude as Jesus more than I long for the same knowledge he had.

Over the summer we were challenged to memorise a passage from Phillipians 2. It says “your attitude...”

To have Jesus as my Hero means that I choose to love always, unreservedly and without borders even when it hurts. He did!

To have Jesus as my Hero means that I choose to be pure always, unreservedly and without exception even when I get alienated. He did!

To have Jesus as my Hero means that I choose to be humble and to give up my rights always, unreservedly and with gladness. He did!

Listen to this from Paul in the Bible:

I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that is from God and is by faith.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or to have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus.

1 Comments:

Blogger Lula Burns said...

Well, the painful thing about changing communities is that very often, this is not recognized until the end result is produced and easily measured. Then the long and arduous processes in achieving this are just... painful where there is super-under-assistance, and often people are dismissive saying you will never succeed.

Anyway I do have a request to make to God, if I pray 4 times a day with a heart that fully knows what this is all for I suppose God will look into delivering! If I truly ask for something in His Name. A massive request that is, I know a Christian may say I needn't pray that many times, but given the circumstances it seems to be appropriate.

5:39 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home