Core Christian Value
Jesus, sinless from birth, God’s innocent child, lived without sin. It is His perfection we seek; it is Jesus we seek to emulate. He called us friends. Be His friend.
Do you remember who your first hero was? Probably the trash man (Just love that big noisy truck), a fireman, policeman et. al. When did you switch over to a famous athlete, “Idol” star, or NASCAR driver? Do you know if your heroes love God with all their heart, mind and soul? It would be great if you knew the answer to that question. Those successful people that give God the credit for the wonderful talent and skill they possess are usually worth looking up to.
There are some really important people in the Bible that are “eternal” heroes, that is, they were counted by God, as faithful. Their place in heaven is assured. Therefore, let’s look at some things they had to say about their relationship with the Lord. First, James and Jude, two half-brothers of Jesus said almost identical sentences in the opening verse of the books they wrote. “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” and then “Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James”. They called themselves, bondservants. That meant that they volunteered to dedicate themselves to serving the Lord for the rest of their lives.
When we talk about being servants of our Lord, we may think of that as “not such a great thing, to be a servant.” First, service to the Lord is as worship. When you worship, respect and love someone (even your heroes of the past), it is a natural thing to want to be with those that you worship and to attend to their needs and to be a world class fan. Listen to the words of Jesus:
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. JOHN 15:14-15 NKJV
Then Jesus made a commitment to His friends: And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God…” LUKE 8:10 NKJV
Daniel was a man who Jesus commends to us several times because of his faith. “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers; You have given me wisdom and might,…” DANIEL 2:23 NKJV
These verses make it clear that Jesus reveals mysteries and gives wisdom and strength to His friends. JAMES 2:23 says “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
Do you feel Jesus is your personal friend? Discuss the things that would indicate that He is your friend. If you have to have a hero in this life, think of one person that you count worthy. What is there about that friend that is unique? Who is the one true friend that will never leave you or forsake you, One that was sinless and the perfect role model? Remember the WWJD motto? Of course it stood for What Would Jesus Do and that motto works. You can ask Jesus for advice and leadership in your life, constantly.