Buddy & Carol Smith
Things That Matter
126 CR 1063
Plantersville, MS 38862
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Faith Matters
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Why I'm a Follower of Jesus Christ For the most part, church for me in the early years was a place where I went on Sunday. I recall being stirred by God's presence on several occasions when the pastor would call the congregation to kneel in a time of prayer around the altar of the church. I remember feeling a need to be closer to God but with no real comprehension of the Gospel. I'm sure there were many times that God was preparing me to hear the Gospel through my involvement in Sunday School, MYF (church youth group), Church Choir and my annual participation in South Union Campmeeting. It was not until my college years at Holmes Junior College that I would come face to face with my need for personal salvation. Up to this point in my life, God was a loving but distanced Creator and church for me was a place where I went on Sunday. Through God's prevenient grace, He allowed my struggle to find meaning and purpose in life to intersect with Truth. The Wesley Foundation and Baptist Student Union at Holmes sponsored a Spiritual Emphasis Week where the Rev. Cecil Williamson, a local United Methodist pastor, preached at nightly services held in the auditorium. Through the invitation of friends, I attended a service where the Gospel was proclaimed in great power. Although I had heard the Gospel many times, I was now at a point in my life that I understood that Christianity is simple: We can be made right with a holy God through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Our sins can be forgiven forever (see Romans 3:24,28; 10:9-10). That night at Holmes, I took God at His Word and received the Jesus Christ into my heart as God’s gift of salvation. Check it out. You’ll discover why I love Jesus, and you’ll learn to love Him too. Sometimes I think “Christian” is one of the most misused words in the English language, and people who call themselves Christians misuse it as badly as anyone else does. Here in the South, nine out of 10 people you ask “Are you a Christian?” almost instantly say yes. I did: I was a teenager, had a Christian family, went to church, had a Bible, ate apple pie, believed in God and was even president of my youth group at church. But was I a real follower of Jesus Christ? No way. I didn’t know a personal relationship with Jesus — the God of the Universe — was even possible. Let me tell you about a fellow by the name of Larry who shares his faith with strangers. Whether out of honest curiosity or defensive insecurity, the person will almost always come back with the question: “What religion are you?” Larry, of course, knows the person is really asking him what church or denomination he's part of. But Larry loves to string them along by telling them his religion is...bass fishing. Then he just waits for the confused look to spread across the person’s face. At that moment Larry adds, “Oh, you may have been asking me about my relationship. My religion is bass fishing, but my relationship is with Jesus.” He believes the Christian faith is not a religion at all, but a personal relationship with the living God; not just some structured ceremonial hoops to jump through each Sunday morning, but a moment-by-moment dynamic intimacy with the Savior of our soul. We need to help all people — even true believers — understand that being a Christian is not just a title or label. It is something you are, and something you do. You believe in Jesus, so you follow Jesus - wherever He leads. This implies lordship. A.W. Tozer, the famed pastor and author from Chicago, stated it well when he said, “If Jesus is not Lord of all…He is not Lord at all!” So maybe a re-definition is in order. Could it be that a real Christian is someone who is truly following Jesus? Not in sinless perfection, of course (we’re all far from that), but overall living out of love for Him Who first loved us? Yes, I’m a United Methodist minister, involved with my local church at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church as well as a para-church ministry called American Family Association…. but what am I most involved in? One word - Jesus. I am into Jesus. No other tag, title, or license comes close to competing. So, don’t let the “extra stuff” that the American culture of spirituality promotes dominate you — the stuff many of us do (if truth be told) at least partly to show others or ourselves how pious we are. God in the flesh never tried to impress anyone by playing their religious games. Why should we? Give me the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ. No more. No less. Jesus meant to make the complicated simple. He wanted to cut through all the rules and regulations to get to the relationship, purposely putting all the goodies down on the bottom shelf where anyone (whether they be fisherman or Pharisee, freshman or physics prof) could have the chance to understand and embrace Him. And, His message was and is? Two words: Follow Me! After the resurrection, on a lonely beach one morning, Jesus described to Peter the kind of martyrdom he was to endure. When He finished, Jesus fixed His eyes on the disciple and simply said, “Follow Me!”(John 21:19). But instead of saying “Yes, Lord” and accepting his destiny, Peter threw his own private pity party, wondering aloud why he would have to suffer such a cruel death, while the other disciple, John, would not. But there was to be no debate that day. The Master’s final words recorded in John’s gospel were to Peter when He once again (with emphasis) commanded: “You follow Me!” (John 21:22). Some may say that feels like being drafted into God’s army against your will, but in reality, it is an invitation to be a close friend and companion with the creator of the cosmos. Many so-called Christians strive to live religious lives out of the “ought to” rather than experiencing the freedom of following Christ out of the “want to.” You’ll want to go through this exercise of getting in touch with your own personal motivations, but besides the fact that God chose me (read Ephesians 1) here are six reasons (there are certainly more) why I choose to be a Christian (sorry….I meant “follower of Jesus”). 1. I’m addicted to the love of God. I’ve never done drugs, but I can tell you that the unconditional love of God is the greatest high there could ever be. Once you’ve had it you can’t get enough of it — and best of all (unlike drugs), it's 100 percent real. To be able to truly say: “I like being with you — in your presence; it brings me pleasure.” is just about the biggest compliment you can pay anyone. Being in a relationship with Jesus is a two-way street. He enjoys you and He wants you to enjoy Him. Be still and drink deep from the delightful well of His endless love. There are some good addictions and this is one of them. 2. He has changed my life. I remember all too well what my life was like before Christ and I don’t want to go back to the emptiness I saw in my own soul and others. Helping people see their desperate need for Christ is no easy task. In my ministry, we work hard at engaging a post modern culture with Truth. It’s not easy to talk about right and wrong in a day when truth is perceived as relevant. And if all religions lead to the only true God, then any talk about sin, Jesus Christ and salvation is meaningless anyway. I believe some of the outwardly rebellious in our society can be a lot closer to the kingdom than the good moral person who deep down thinks they are good enough to get into heaven. Me? I became desperate about my sin problem and took desperate measures. The payoff? Jesus Christ transformed my life — forever. 3. I don’t want to go to hell. I want to go to heaven to be with Jesus and my family forever. It’s obvious from the gospels that Jesus knew there is a literal heaven and hell. I’ll never forget the liberal philosophy professor who assured all the students that there was no hell and that everyone makes it to heaven. My “narrow-minded” pastor (i.e. believing in heaven and hell) quizzed him one day in a debate saying, “Prof, if you’re right and I’m wrong, then we’re all in good shape. But, if I’m right and you’re wrong — you’re in a heap of trouble!” Ultimately God gives us what we choose. If we choose to live a life separate from Christ on earth, that is what He will give us for all eternity. 4. I have a reason to wake up every morning. As a freshman in college, I remember waking up one morning thinking I must be the loneliest young man in all of America. Oh, I had the nice car, the girlfriend, and the party life-style with state-of-the-art 8-track player and all my “groovy” friends. But all the time, money, and energies I was pouring into those pursuits did not give me the meaning and direction I was looking for out of life. It wasn’t until I humbled myself, said no to the world, and yes to Christ, that I found a real, lasting reason to wake up each morning. My life is not a bed of roses all the time, but at least I know what my mission is each day: To know Christ and to make Him known. 5. I don’t have to be a slave to sin any longer. I had no way of conquering the sin in my life. I tried and tried, but to no avail. I turned over so many leaves in my life I looked like Sherwood Forest! I realized I can’t change in my own power. A Christian hero of mine, Major Ian Thomas, used to pray, “Lord, I can’t — but then You never said I could. Lord, You can — but then You always said You would.” Give up. Surrender. Become a slave to Jesus and He will set you free. Oh, I still struggle with sin, but the Holy Spirit inside me is now my helper to break the chains. 6. Truth is very difficult to run from. I have studied the other religions of the world. None have a Jesus. None have a perfect God-man who died for our sins and rose from the dead. None have a salvation by grace through faith alone way to heaven. It is all by works. But how much is good enough? What about when you slip — do you lose your salvation? Other religions, cults, and works-oriented “Christian” groups have taken the truth and twisted it. I don’t want to look back on my life and realized I based it on a lie. I ran from God and His truth long enough. Now, I’m running toward Him. In the final analysis,
the Christian life is not about me. It’s about God and bringing
glory to Him. His job is not follow me around to fulfill my every
wish. His desire is for me to set aside my own agenda for His. In
fact, Jesus boils down our existence on this planet to two words:
Follow Me.Fuddy" Smith,
Jr.
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