Saturday, Dec. 30 pm
Call to Commitment:
A Passion to Imitate Jesus Christ
Paul Borthwick
Paul
Borthwick stood upon the Urbana stage, sporting a tie
patterned with flags of the world, to remind us of God's love for the
nations. Characterizing
Jesus' life with the words "passion," "servanthood," and "sacrifice," Paul
called Urbana worshippers to a commitment to live as
Christ did and spread his love around the globe.
After Paul opened with a prayer asking God to help "make sense of the hardship of suffering with Christ," he painted for us the "big picture" of Jesus' call. Sending us out in the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus directs us to be His witnesses and invites others to worship him. Each of us is called in Jesus' name to be "agents of hope in a broken world" and to proclaim his hope in life and deed. Paul did note that while "the mission of God includes you, uniquely you, specifically you," God gives us freedom to choose how we respond to his great love. He urged us to consider how our story fits with God's greater story of bringing the gospel to the nations. To emphasize his point, Paul quoted Elisabeth Elliot: "Next to the incarnation, I know of no more staggering and humbling truth than that a sovereign God has ordained my participation. "
Having issued the challenge to consider our place in God's mission, Paul next presented Jesus' life of passion, servanthood, and sacrifice as a guiding model for us. Using Philippians 2:5 -11 as the basis for his message, he first explored the idea of passion. While the dictionary defines passion as fervor, enthusiasm, or zeal, Paul offered a deeper meaning: absolute dedication to a task, goal, or purpose. He recalled the Greek meaning of passion, "to suffer." The fact that the week between Palm Sunday and Easter is labeled "Passion Week" reminds us that Jesus' life embodied passion; he "emptied himself…humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death - even death on a cross" (Philippians 2: 7-8). In light of the prospect of suffering, Paul warned that there cannot be half-hearted passion. There is no "pain-free passion," "passion lite," or "reduced calorie passion." We must be so passionate that suffering will not deter us.
Paul warned us of the danger of getting caught up in a "cause" such as reaching lost people or achieving a holy lifestyle. While these may be worthy causes, we must center our lives on knowing Christ. Paul related Apostle Paul's desire to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in His death" (Philippians 3: 10). Apostle Paul recognized that mission flows from relationship with Jesus; our first passion must be to know Christ and then Christ will fuel our passion for lost people or a holy lifestyle. While passion is tough because it is connected with pain, Paul prayed that Jesus would use our brokenness to intensify our passion for him and his mission in the world.
In addition to passion, Jesus' life exemplified servanthood. Not only did he empty himself, he took the form of a slave (Philippians 2:7). Paul challenged us to consider what it means for us to be slaves or servants. Paul presented diverse examples of servanthood in the modern world: pursuing a career in legal work to advocate human rights, living simply in order to give more generously, or empowering the economically underserved by teaching them needed skills. On a campus, servanthood might mean leaving our comfort zone to befriend an international student or a fraternity member. Paul brought home this point by relating the story of Seth, a college junior, who served street children in Calcutta, India, last summer. Seth writes of that experience:
In the middle of one of the worst prostitution districts in Calcutta, I sat in a shack packed wall to wall with children. I looked into the eyes of these kids who were enslaved in prostitution or soon would be, and I listened to them sing of God's goodness and protection. I felt like I heard the voice of God whisper, "How much louder must I cry before you see these children are worthy of investing your life in? How much louder must I cry than the shouts of their singing?" Tears fell from my cheeks as it became clear I could think of nothing better to invest my life in. Seeing the faces of these children has changed my life.
Finally, Paul addressed the idea of sacrifice. First, he underscored the contrast between our culture and Jesus' culture. Our culture dictates that "true life" is found in self-preservation and material acquisition. Jesus, on the other hand, reveals that "true life" is found in risks associated with faith and in giving as much as we can. Following Jesus' model, we are compelled to accept a life of suffering and sacrifice. Admittedly, suffering is a fearful prospect. Paul recounted the story of a personal visit to Angola, a country devastated by civil war. He, his wife, and a Youth for Christ missions director set out to visit Christians in Angola. Two days prior to their departure, four British tourists were gunned down on the same road that they would travel. The Youth for Christ director urged them to follow through with their plans, imagining that the worst that could happen is that they would be killed for Christ and go to Glory. Paul, drawing laughter from the audience, envisioned that the worst might be capture, endless torture, death, and only then, eternal life in Heaven. Despite his reservations, the group made the trip to Angola in safety. They put their lives at risk, but they deepened their faith as a result. While sacrifice is daunting, but Paul declared that the passion to imitate Jesus will involve dying - to our selves, selfish purposes, and securities.
With Christ's model of passion, servanthood, and suffering laid out before us, Paul challenged us to respond out of obedience. Paul emphasized the fact that this is not an issue of calling but an issue of obedience. Our question should not be "if" but "how" we can be part of God's mission. In closing, he issued a challenge to those sensing a call to cross-cultural mission, asking individuals to stand as an expression of obedience. As Paul exited the stage, more than half of the convention delegates rose to accept the call.
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