Tuesday, August 8, 2006
The daughter of our friends was kind enough in her last semester of college to buy a dog. You know what that means? She's out of college now and the dog has moved in with our friends. They inherited Starbuck. It's not coffee - that's a black Labrador retriever, and our friends are learning some very interesting things about this dog. In fact, this dog is stuck like glue to them. My friend told me just the other day that everywhere he goes Starbuck goes, whether you want him to or not. And they'll go in the living room, Starbuck goes there. They'll go into the kitchen, Starbuck goes there. Starbuck doesn't much care where he goes, he just follows his master around, and my friend said sometimes you finally want to say to him, "Hey, listen leave me alone. Don't you have something to do?" He told me, then you look at those big ole eyes looking up at you and it's irresistible. When we got a dog I had the same experience. See, we understand the dog's value system now. The dog doesn't care where he is, he just wants to be where his master is.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Dog and a Disciple."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 12:26. Jesus says, "Whoever serves Me must follow Me; and where I am My servant also will be." He's talking here about the central response of a follower of Jesus Christ. Find out where my master is going and be there. Find out where my master is going and I'm going to go there, too. Now this kind of allegiance to the Master's direction is what being a disciple is all about. It's not just about having the right beliefs and going to the right meetings. You want to be where your master is as he wants to move deeper into your life.
That's why every morning he is supposed to be your starting point. Luke 9:23 says, "Take up your cross daily and follow me." Each day as you get into His Word, you hold that book in your lap and say, "Lord, show me what new ground you want to touch today," and then you want to be where Jesus is as he's moving in the lives of those you love. You begin to look around at your mate, and what's He's trying to do in his or her life. You don't try to shape them in the way you want them to go. You follow where your Master's going and contribute to what He's trying to do.
How about your parent or your child? Nurture what Jesus seems to be doing in their life. Find out where He's going and follow it. And also as He moves in that place where you serve, follow His lead there as well. See, the key question a leader needs to be asking is, "Where does Jesus seem to be going?" When the Board meets, when the committee meets, when a leader is on his knees praying, you ask, "Lord, where are You going in this ministry?" Not, where would I like to take you in this ministry. You seek out God's agenda. You go with His flow and it becomes an exciting, dynamic process. You have to stay flexible because you never know where the Master's going to go next. But then that's how that dog follows its master isn't it; that wherever my master is, I will be there wherever that takes me.
In John 12:24 just before this, Jesus said that He would be lifted up to die for lost people. And I'll tell you that if you're going to go where Jesus is going, pretty soon you'll be in the middle of reaching lost people, because that's where Jesus is always going. I've learned a lot about being a disciple from watching our dog; from watching what happened at my friend's house. See, a dog's big issue is basic; where is my master right now? The dog made his decision where he'll be - wherever my master is, and so it is with a disciple of Jesus. Where is my Master on this issue? I don't care where it takes me. I don't care what it costs me. I just want to be where my Master is.