We had a fascinating discussion last night in our community group. Consider Paul's boldness in saying, "Follow me, as I follow Christ." Consider yourself saying to another brother or sister the same. Could you say it without feeling awkward?...sinful?...prideful? Paul did...and apparently God approved as it's recorded in the Sacred Writings.
The discussion flowed out of a weariness in hearing 'celebrity' pastors praised. Some get tired of hearing about Piper, Driscoll, Dever...or whoever is in their camp. And it has the potential to turn you off to that person, just from getting tired of their being lauded. Some pastors certainly do feed off of this praise, and there is great danger in allowing yourself to be puffed up with others' tickling of your ego, but I think that the greater issue is this: when people praise these people, what they are really saying is, "I love John Piper, because John Piper loves and points me to Jesus." For this is what John Piper would say to the person who would say, "John Piper, I love your ministry."
Piper: "Follow me, as I follow Christ."
A couple questions arise for me:
1. Can I say without shame, pride, or duplicity, "Follow me, as I follow Christ"?
2. Is there someone in my immediate life (not a 'celebrity' kind of person) whom I follow as they follow Christ?
Do you have someone you are following...watching them relate to the opposite sex, watching them respond to conflict, watching them fail well, watching them have a godly sense of humor, watching them love their family...
Too bad that most of us would have to say, "Follow me as I dink around life foolishly."
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Discipleship is an amazing component of Christianity. Your thoughts strengthen the idea that Christianity cannot be "me and Jesus", we need to have stronger Christians that we follow and weaker Christians that follow us. Not to say that we are to be leveling everyone though, because we should be able to tell others to follow us in our following of other Christians and ultimately, Christ, but we will mess up sometimes too, so somehow there is a balance between saying, follow me as I follow Christ, and I am the worst of sinners. I think Paul's attitude points others even more to Christ instead of himself, in all things, Christ is the goal.
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