faith – Page 14 – John Markum

The Pain of Obedience

Posted on June 15, 2011 by johnmarkum

“If anyone will be my disciple, let them deny themself, take up their cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23

I think that the reason there are so many fair-weather church goers is largely because of unmet expectations. Whether the expectations are set by a pastor, friend, or their own assumptions, many people are falsely under the impression that once they “give their life to Jesus” everything gets easier. Nothing could be farther from the truth…

It is painful to follow Jesus.

I suspect this is not the word of encouragement you may have been hoping for. But the fact remains the same. While the gift of God is free, the cost of receiving it is high. In fact it’ll really only cost you one thing: everything. As a follower of Jesus, God will call you to do things that are outside your comfort zone. From trusting Him with your tithe, to sharing your faith, changing your major, breaking up with a boyfriend, inviting a total stranger to church, or relocating your family. It is painful to obey God.

But pain doesn’t have to just hurt. Pain has the ability to push us to do something different; to step out in faith and trust God as we boldly follow His leadership into the unknown and uncomfortable. When we do this we get to see not just what we are capable of, but what God is willing and longing to do through us. I don’t know anyone who God called to do ordinary, mundane things:

Abraham: “Leave everything familiar to you and go to a place that I will show you after you leave.”
Moses: “Demand my people’s freedom from the most powerful man on earth.”
Joshua: “Lead your army into battle against overwhelming odds.”
Jonah: “Go to a city you hate and preach to them.”
Mary: “Endure criticism and ridicule for being unwed and pregnant.”
Joseph: “Marry the woman who appears to have been unfaithful.”
Peter: “Step onto the water during a raging storm, in the dead of night, and walk to me.”

And on we could go. Obedience is painful. But the pain of obedience is far less than the pain of disobedience. God’s way is always better than my way. This is when faith gets difficult, but this is where faith counts. When we are at the brink of leaping into the uncomfortable or turning back into complacent disobedience God summons us, “jump!” Whatever we stand to lose pales in comparison of what we stand to gain when we get to see God move!

Don’t hold back! Be reckless! It might hurt. It will definitely cost you. But it’s so worth it! Endure the pain of obedience.

Blessings,

John

The Awakening turns 2!

Posted on May 31, 2011 by johnmarkum

This week, two years ago, Edgewood launched it’s first ever Saturday night worship service, “The Awakening.” We had a ton of ideas and dreams, and the opportunity to add a new worship experience to one of the most exciting churches in the Quad Cities. The leadership of Edgewood stood beside us and gave us the chance to begin something that few other churches are willing to take the risk on.

As a result, we have seen God move in incredible ways. We’ve experienced growth in numbers of people coming to Christ, getting baptized, families joining us, and we’re just getting started. The vision to see people far from God awakened with life in Christ beats strong in our hearts and we commit ourselves again to reaching people in the Quad Cities with the Gospel.

Two years have been amazing! Year three… you’ll just have to stick around and see what God does (although I suspect there are some soon-to-be-released posts that will give some hints)!

Join us at Edgewood this Saturday night, 6 pm, for our two year celebration.

To find out more about our Saturday night service, visit our website at www.qcawakening.com

Blessings,

John

Don’t be spiritually delusional

Posted on May 29, 2011 by johnmarkum

James 1:22, “But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.”

I love when the Bible just comes out and tells it like it is. James is one of the most dense books in the Bible because nearly every single verse is so packed with powerful thoughts, encouragement, doctrine, etc. But one of the dangers that James warns against in the very first chapter of his letter is with the subject of what real discipleship is.

He warns that being a true follower of Jesus is not about how much you know. Don’t misunderstand me: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” But true faith – saving faith, changing faith – does not end there, and James goes on to deal with that in more detail.

But James specifically warns against misunderstanding discipleship for knowledge. Knowledge can lead to discipleship, but it is not discipleship in and of itself. Because discipleship is not knowledge; discipleship is obedience to what God says. And at the point that you and I begin doing what God says, we’re becoming more like Jesus. We’re not like Jesus just because we can quote the Bible. Or because we know theology and doctrine. Or because we’ve sat through hundreds of sermons.

And James tells us that if we think we are disciples because we have heard the Word but not obeyed the Word, we are “deceiving ourselves.” In other words, a person who knows God’s Word, without doing God’s Word, and thinks God is ok with it, is spiritually delusional.

If I’m honest, I’m guilty. I’ve been there. More than I’m comfortable admitting. And the excuses I make are the same as yours. And I’m a pastor. So I know this is something that we all struggle with on some level. Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. Listen to God, and do what He says. Don’t be a Christian who marks his Bible but his Bible never marks him. Don’t be settle for being a Bible scholar over being a follower of Jesus. Don’t fool yourself. Don’t be delusional!

What are the areas that you struggle with being completely obedient to God? In what ways have you paid lip service to God, but your actions dictate otherwise? How will you correct that behavior and submit it to Christ? Have a great week!

Blessings,

John