Who Will You Be? (Part Two)

Remember that Switchfoot song, "This is your life. Are you who you want to be?" Well, are you? Even more importantly, are you who God wants you to be? The answer to this question is determined by key choices you make in your life. And as Elijah reminded us in 1 Kings 18:21, sitting on the fence is never an option. So what will you choose?

Will you be in fellowship or will you miss out?

In Fellowship:

Fellowship may be another one of those words of which Christian culture has watered down the meaning. Crank out a lasagna and some dominoes, and you've got a fellowship right? Not exactly. While group activities and eating together can be a part of fellowship I think the Bible ascribes a much deeper meaning to the word.

Look at the driving desire behind the apostle's words in 1 John chapter 1 verse 3, "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." The fellowship John is describing here is a deep intimate relationship shared with other believers and with God.

Consider one of the dictionary definitions of "fellowship": a close company of friends. Notice that it does NOT describe a superficial group of acquaintances that come together weekly and then have nothing to do with one another. Quite the opposite. Remember the first movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring. The movie centered around a group of characters that were very different, yet they banded together to fight side by side because they shared a common bond. Sound familiar? This is supposed to be what the church does, with our common bond being Jesus Christ.

Missing Out:

On the other hand, all too often, we retreat from this fellowship. Like the prodigal son, we pursue our own course and our own interests and forget about the greater body that we are a part of. And as Christians, we ARE a part of it; just look at 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verses 13 and 27 if there's any doubt. Christ has invited us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to share in an intimate relationship with our Creator and with the other members of the body. Why would we ever want to miss out on that?

And yet it happens. Whether it's someone convincing themselves that "church" is not an essential part of their spiritual journey or the average attendee that is perfectly content with nothing more than surface level relationships with other believers, sometimes we try to go against God's design for His church and be lone rangers. And that's when we miss out on an important component of our purpose in Christ.

So will you choose to resist the fellowship God has created you for? Paul warns us in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 of "division in the body" and reminds us in verse 26 "if one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together." That is how connected the church is supposed to be. Or as it is depicted in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 16: "...the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Will you choose to be an active part of that body? Or will you miss out?

Who Will You Be?

A choice stands before you. You get to choose who you will be. In fact, every day you make that choice. Just like the choice posed in Joshua 24:15. Each week for the next few weeks, we'll look at two options that we face as individuals and the decision we must make to choose one or the other. So which will you choose?

Will you be a disciple or a prodigal?

A Disciple:

A disciple literally means one who learns. A disciple of Christ is not just a pupil, but an adherent to His instruction and an imitator of the Master. I realize it's a culture shift for us to imagine sitting under a Rabbi and totally submitting to His authority in order to learn and grow. But that's exactly what Jesus is talking about.

So what does it take to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? In John chapter 8 verses 31-32, Jesus explained, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." We must "abide" or dwell in God's word. Live in it and by it. This is the mark of a true disciple.

Jesus also said this in John chapter 13 verse 35, "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." The first thing we need to learn and understand to be a disciple of Christ is how to love others. Jesus said this is how the world will identify His disciples, that they (like their Master) show love for people.

Finally Jesus assured his followers in John chapter 15 verses 7-8, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." Here's the bottom line: disciples of Christ bear fruit. When you follow the Master and submit to His instruction, your life displays the evidence. The more you follow the Master, the more you become like Him, and the more you point others to God's glory.

A Prodigal:

The word prodigal refers to a wasteful lifestyle. The term is often used to describe the son from Luke chapter 15 who took from his father his share of the inheritance money and wasted it on indulgent living. He chose to trade his relationship with his father for money, leave his family behind, and waste what he had been given on temporary worldly pleasures. You see selfishness fuels the prodigal lifestyle.

If you are not moving forward as a disciple of Christ, then you are living as a prodigal. There is no middle ground. While disciples learn, follow instruction, and love others, prodigals do the opposite: they refuse to listen, follow their own lust, and love themselves.

God has entrusted us with many wonderful gifts. But the Bible reveals a pattern with how we should respond to the gifts of God. God loves us so that we may love Him and love others. We are forgiven; therefore, we forgive others. Christ showed us love, grace, and mercy by dying for us; therefore, we choose to live a worshipful life for Him. If we become selfish and think only of ourselves, we miss our true purpose. And our life (our greatest gift) gets wasted.