So far in this teaching series, we have been challenged to consider the implications of Jesus’ invitation to follow Him. As we have seen in some of the gospel accounts, many people who were confronted with Jesus’ offer to follow Him – turned away because the cost was too great. They wanted to maintain control of their lives; they did not want to submit or surrender to Him; they wanted to be masters of their own destiny, rather than trust everything to Him.
However, we have also seen that those who did respond positively to Jesus’ invitation, went all the way. Many of them literally left everything that was important to them in this world and followed Him without hesitation. This total, unreserved submission and commitment to Jesus was, and still is, the hallmark of true discipleship.
Once we have said ‘yes’ to Jesus, the discipleship road is winding and at times very narrow. It can have some major potholes and obstacles, but all the time we are assured of our Master’s presence – leading us, guiding us, supporting us and at times even carrying us.
Along that discipleship road there are many tests. From the New Testament and Church history, we learn that every person who followed Jesus with conviction and commitment, went through a period of training and refining. In many ways that process continues throughout our whole life, but in our early days as a disciple, God’s Spirit will lead us through many battles and tests. Not just to prove our loyalty, devotion and commitment to Him, but to also rid us of any self-reliance and idolatry.
As we look at some of these discipleship tests in the remaining sermons in this series, we will invariably be reminded of experiences we have had in our own Christian journey which we may not have seen as tests. In fact, we may not have seen the hand of God in any of those circumstances. It is my prayer that we will look at all that happens in our life – the joys and the pain – as tools in the hand of God as He refines us, purifies us and removes our self-focus and self-reliance more and more so that the true character of Jesus that lies within each of us as believers can emerge.
The first test on the discipleship road is one that will never leave us in this life. It will always be there. This is a test that we must continually face if we are to push on to the ‘meat’ and embrace God’s abundant life for us. This is the submission test – one of the hardest tests of all at times – but one we must embrace to grow and mature. The writer of Hebrews gives us an amazing insight into the life of Jesus of Nazareth:
Hebrews 5:7-9 “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.”
He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. This is Jesus we are talking about – the Son of God – the King of Kings – the Lord of Lords, and yet as a human being; a man with the same limitations as you and me; He learned obedience from what He suffered. He was heard because of His reverent submission to the Father.
Even Jesus knew the potholes and the dangers on that road. In fact, He showed us the way. He came and took upon our flesh and walked that road before the Father. He not only secured our salvation because of His atoning death and glorious resurrection; He showed us the way. He felt our pain; He experienced our frustrations; He confronted our temptations; He lived in our world and related to the Father the way we have to. He walked our discipleship road, paving the way for each of us. More than any other human being, Jesus Christ passed the submission test.
Philippians 2:5-8 “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross!”
The example of submission that Jesus has given us is incredibly powerful. We are talking here about God incarnate; the Creator and Sustainer of the universe in human flesh; the greatest authority in all of creation; yet look at His incredible submission in the first thirty years of His life. He grew up as a little boy, submitting to human parents. He submitted to their authority, even though He held all authority. He submitted to human teachers and trainers, even though He was the source of all knowledge and wisdom. The Creator, sitting under the tutoring of His creatures! How incredible is that?
He learned a trade; worked with His hands and made things out of wood – things which, to the humans around Him must have seemed beautifully and skilfully made. But these same hands made the very trees from which the wood came; these hands flung the stars and galaxies into space; and yet these hands also submitted to the primitive ways of man.
What an example of submission we have in Jesus. He did not exert His authority. He did not over-step the mark. He did not even commence His ministry until the Father said the time was right, which was the day of His baptism when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove and anointed Him for the unique ministry for which He came.
We have so much teaching about those last three years of His life; we focus so much on those years and understandably so, but what about the first thirty years? I believe Jesus’ life speaks to us just as powerfully in those early years as it does in the final three years. He lived a life of humble, obedient submission to God and to others.
That submission continued right through His ministry years. Day and night, He continued being in submission to the Father – withdrawing sometimes for whole nights of prayer. This is the Son of the living God, but He set aside His divine privileges and became subject to the same limitations as you and me. He spent hours and hours crying out to the Father and He was heard because of His reverent submission.
There were so many times in His life and ministry where He could have called the shots. He was the man on the scene; He could have made all the decisions; those around Him thought He did; but the Bible tells us that this was not the case.
John 5:19 “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”
Jesus was in constant submission to the Father. Another time in Luke 5 we find Jesus teaching and the Father appeared to interrupt the proceedings so that someone could be healed. The text says that Jesus was teaching, and “the power of God was present to heal” – so Jesus stopped teaching in order to participate in what the Father was doing.
Let’s not miss this powerful truth: Jesus; the Son of God; our ultimate example; the author and finisher of our faith; Jesus, stopped what He was doing so He could participate in what the Father was doing. Jesus was constantly in submission to the will of the Father. There is no doubt that Jesus is the ultimate example of someone who passed this submission test. But we have a Bible full of examples. Abraham,
Noah, Moses, Job, David, the first disciples and Mary, the mother of Jesus … to mention just a few. There are many examples of those who faced this test of submission and passed. There are many others who, like King Saul, and many of the kings of Israel, faced the same test and failed miserably.
So, what about you and me? Each one of us has to face this same submission test every day if we are to travel the discipleship road. We have a daily choice to submit to God and trust Him and obey Him regardless of our own whims, desires and convictions; regardless of the opinions of those around us in the church and in the world. Will we submit to the God of Abraham, Moses and David? Will we submit to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the way Jesus did? Will we submit to each other? Ephesians 5:21 says “Submit to each other out of reference for Christ.” We are also called to submit to authorities in the church and the God-ordained authorities in our land.
This theme of submission permeates the whole New Testament, but how does this manifest itself in our lives each day? There are many examples. Mutual submission in a marriage; submission in our workplaces to authorities that may make decisions we don’t agree with or understand – decisions which don’t cause us to compromise our Christian convictions, but decisions which nonetheless we don’t like and don’t want to submit to. How do we face the submission test then? Do we submit to those authorities, as unto Christ? Do we trust God more than we trust our employers?
What about our submission to the laws of the land? You may be thinking you are not a criminal … why even ask such a question? Well, let me ask a different question: when was the last time you broke the speed limit wilfully and with little concern? What about the details on your tax return that could have been a little more accurate?
How are we going with our submission in the church? How do we submit to leadership we don’t agree with? The Bible tells us how … we simply make the choice to submit. If the issue is that important to us – then we can confront the leadership and talk it through or we can place ourselves under a different leadership … but remaining part of a body and choosing to not be in submission to the leaders of that body is sin and rebellion and it gives Satan a wonderful foothold to wreak havoc in the lives of many.
I don’t believe we have really understood submission in many parts of the church for a very long time. Because of wrong teaching and a concept of leadership that does not come from the Bible, we have inadvertently led thousands of Christians down a path that will bring them face to face with this test of submission – rather abruptly at times. This problem has been exacerbated because of a growing number of abusive leaders in the Church which can cause people to run the other way and never trust or submit to any leaders.
As we are reminded in life of David, submission to a leader that we believe is doing the wrong thing is hard and trusting God to deal with that leader and raise up someone else in His time and His way is even harder – but that is the choice we must make if we are to pass this test of submission in the Church.
It is really hard to serve under another person’s vision … it is really hard to submit to a course of action or a direction that you are not in favour of personally … it isn’t sinful … it’s just not what you think should happen. But I have found that those who struggle with such submission will be tested over and over again. I have seen this reality in the church for years. God continues to place people who can’t submit in churches with leaders who get up their nose and do it all wrong, in their humble opinion.
Some people refuse to confront their own sin of rebellion and pride so they run to another church fellowship, only to find that they can’t submit to those leaders either, for different reasons perhaps! They are avoiding the submission test … not facing it with courage and determination.
There are people in the body of Christ who have never submitted to any leadership for any length of time and yet when you talk to them, they make it sound like they are the spiritual ones; the ones with discernment; the ones who can sniff out a bad leader from a hundred metres. Well, given the criteria they use to determine what a bad leader is, they don’t need any skill or discernment, because we are all bad leaders according to their list of requirements! That’s why people like this usually end up running their own church or not being involved at all.
Now let me jump on the other side and say I know how hard it is to be in a church where your gifts and abilities or opinions don’t seem to matter to the leadership. There are thousands of Christians in church all over the world who are not treated well by leaders and who are ignored and not appreciated. That can be really tough. There are even those who, like David, are abused and criticised and hunted and attacked in some way by the existing leadership.
That is sad, and I wish it wasn’t that way. I wish all leaders were perfect and could read the minds of all the people they lead. I wish God had set it up so that there could be no more crazy King Sauls. It would be so good if leaders always got it right and always heard from God at the right time. I wish a lot of things were different, but the fact remains that what we have is what God has given us and He calls each of us to trust Him more than any human authority and allow Him to do as He wishes with the leaders He chooses – whether we like them or not, whether we agree with them or not.
Of course, our ultimate test of submission lies within our relationship with God. If we truly trust Jesus to build His Church; if we let go the death grip we have on our ministries and our lives; if we humble ourselves before God; He will vindicate us in time. Abusive leaders will be dealt with in God’s way, in His time. Perhaps it will be the attitude of our heart towards the leaders that will be dealt with. Either way, the church belongs to Jesus, not us. He was running it without our help or opinion long before we were born and He will continue to do so long after we have gone.
If you ever find yourself in such a situation; if you feel that who you are and what you have to offer is being overlooked by the leadership; then understand the test that God is placing before you – the submission test. Anyone can submit to someone they like and agree with and who recognises them for who they are. The real test of submission comes when you find yourself at odds with those to whom we are called to submit.
If your gift or conviction about a course of action or your desire to minister in a certain area is from God; if it is truly God Who has placed that in your heart; if your desire to exercise that gift and fulfil that ministry to glorify and serve God is greater than your desire to be recognised or noticed or appreciated by others, then be patient – your day will come and God will open the door for you.
If you just want to feel important, be noticed or appreciated more, or do something that is more up-front, then that is just pride, it’s ugly and evil, but very common. Just call it what it is, confess it and get over it. Be patient, be humble, and trust God to open the doors for you if and when He chooses. Until then, join with Jesus in His life of reverent submission. You may have to serve under someone else’s vision; you may have to submit to someone you don’t agree with for years before God raises you up. But God’s call to submission will never go away.
Now you can complain to Him about that; you can kick and scream and cry ‘unfair’; you can refuse to submit; it’s your choice. Just don’t expect to travel much further down the discipleship road until you have embraced the submission test. Ultimately our submission is to God, but often He will test our trust and faith and submission to Him by calling us to submit to others.