ONE-THING DISCIPLES...
By Jimmy Meeks

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I’ve been a Christian since I was 15. I am now 53. I have heard thousands of sermons, read a ton of books, been to church more times that I can remember. I’ve attended Bible seminars, conferences, conventions, so forth and so on. I guess I’ve just about heard it all when it comes to how the Christian life should be lived.

“Do this, don’t do that, go here, don’t go there...Be this way, don’t be that way.” Blah, blah, blah...

But just what is it that our Lord wants from us?

I have come to see with more clarity than ever before, that in these difficult, stressful, schedule-packed days, it is more important than ever that we be “one-thing” disciples. And no one understood that better than Paul the Apostle: Paul knew the secret! Go with me on a quick journey through some of the scenes of Paul’s life and you will see what I mean...

SCENE 1 - Acts 21
Paul visits his friend Philip, who has four unmarried daughters who are all prophetesses. While with him, a prophet named Agabus stops by to speak with Paul. Agabus tells Paul that if he goes to Jerusalem he will meet with nothing but trouble. “Paul,” he says, “if you go to Jerusalem, they will tie you up, beat you, mistreat you, maybe even kill you.”

Everyone in the room is disturbed by Agabus’ words. They plead with Paul to not go, advising him instead to heed good advice and spare himself a lot of trouble. They even start weeping as they beg him to not go to Jerusalem.

Paul, too, is disturbed. He is bothered that they do not understand his frame of mind. He is troubled that they do not understand the “love-addiction” he has - so he puts it to them bluntly:

“Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

Did you read that carefully and slowly? If not, you might want to do so. Paul is being warned that if he goes to Jerusalem “all hell will break loose.” But that doesn’t seem to concern him. What bothers him is that his spiritual kinfolk do not understand his “addiction.”

Paul is a man passionately and madly in love with Jesus. And because he is, it does not overly concern him that a trip to Jerusalem could turn deadly. His love for Christ is so hot, so steamy, so passionate, that he even declares he is “READY” to be jailed: “READY” to die “for the sake of the Lord Jesus.”

There, dear reader, you have the “secret” to Paul’s life: his “one-thing” theory - He is in love! Paul has an obsession - Jesus. His obsession is not obedience, discipling, soul-winning, going to church, Sunday School, or Wednesday night prayer meting - his obsession is Jesus.

He is so passionate about Christ Himself that he is willing to suffer, be mistreated, even killed - and all because his heart has been captured by Jesus. Ready to suffer - Ready to die.

SCENE 2 - Acts 20
Let me back up one chapter and show you something else about Paul. He “suffered” from what we today call “A Lack Of Self-Esteem” (poor Paul!).

This “problem” of his stemmed from his obsession with Jesus. The more Jesus meant to him, the less his self meant to him! Speaking to the church at Ephesus he tells them -

“I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself,
if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus...”

He did not count his life as valuable? He did not see himself as precious? What in heaven’s name could he mean? Surely Paul needed some counseling for his “poor self-image.” How could he think that way? He thought that way because his love for Jesus was so potent that it overrode all the other “stuff” in life.

CONTINUED IN COLUMN TO THE RIGHT

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SCENE 3 - Philippians 1

Ok, jump over to the first chapter of Philippians. Paul is, again, in jail for the Lord Jesus and His cause. Now, I have been a cop since 1980, and during that time I have taken hundreds, if not thousands, of people to jail. And they all have “one-thing” in common: they want to know how and when they can get out. Nobody in his or her right mind wants to stay in jail. But here’s Paul in jail and getting out is NOT his primary objective. Read it for yourself...

“I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.”

Paul is actually telling us that his primary objective is not his release from prison: his biggest concern is that Jesus Christ be exalted. The word “exalted” in the Greek means “to make big.” What Paul is saying is that he wants Jesus to “be made big” in his situation. And if Jesus is magnified by Paul's death, so be it!

This is precisely why he utters those famous words in verse 21 of Philippians chapter 1: “For me to live is Christ.” How would you fill in that statement? “For me to live is ______?” What goes in the blank if you spoke from the heart? “For me to live is...a new car...a new house...more obedient children...a pay raise...” What would you put there? There’s nothing wrong with these things, of course. And God certainly blesses us with nice stuff. But is that all we want?

One of the great tragedies of today’s state of Christendom is its emphasis on “stuff and things.” Many of us are content to just be blessed with more material goods. But the presence of a lot of “toys” is no sign of Christian growth. There are people with billions of dollars who are “blessed,” but the Presence of Jesus is not a reality to them.

SCENE 4 - Philippians 3

“I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung, that I may win Christ...”

Wow! What in the world did he mean? The answer is quite simple. Paul was saying that his achievements in his pre-Christian days were as dung to him - refuse - in comparison with the privilege of knowing Jesus Christ.

Has it ever dawned on you, fellow believer, that God is not primarily trying to get you to do the right thing, to live by a set of rules, do’s and dont’s? No! God is wanting you to become carried away with knowing Jesus. God knows that the more Jesus means to you, the more you will naturally do what should be done.

This is nothing less than the power of love! When our love for Jesus increases, doing what is right and good just flows. As I read in a book once: “We walk in the Spirit intentionally, we fulfill the law accidentally.”

And just how is that going to happen? In many ways, but one sure way is the “Mary Method.” Do you remember her? Her and her sister, Martha, had Jesus over for dinner one day. Martha was in the kitchen, busy with making dinner, while Mary was in another room with Jesus - sitting at His feet, listening to His word.

Martha rushed into the room and complained to Jesus: I’m in here making dinner, while Mary just sits in here. Jesus, tell her to come help me!

Jesus smiled at Martha and said something to her that applies to us all: Martha, Martha. You’re always so busy, doing this and doing that: running here, running there. Mary has made the right choice to sit here at My feet and listen to what I have to say. And that will not be taken from her!

Wo! If we would come to a place where Jesus means more to us than anything, it will NOT happen by accident. We will have to be like Mary: make the choice to spend more time at His feet - listening to what He has to say. It is then that we will treasure Jesus more than anything.

There are two books that highlight the theme of being a “ONE THING” disciple. The first one is The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. He was a dishwasher in a monastery who learned how to live in a continual state of prayer. This book is in a category all by itself. I started reading this when I was 18. I believe it defines the way the Christian life was meant to be lived. You may also CLICK HERE and read it online!

The second book is Frank Laubach’s Game With Minutes, an incredible book designed to show you how to live the Christian life in the course of the everyday details of your life. These 2 books will revolutionize the way you approach Christian  living!