Jesus of Suburbia....

The class I am helping "lead" this semester is reading a book called "The Jesus of Suburbia" by Mike Erre. The question under the title of the book is this: "Have we tamed the SON OF GOD to fit our lifestyle?" 

Ouch.... That hurts.... But sadly, I think we have done just that...


He talks about how we are like his young son, while on a trip to the zoo, he didn't want to leave the gift shop. He was just fine staying there and looking at the stuffed version of all the animals, even thought the real things were just outside the door...


We too get comfortable and pursue the Jesus of Suburbia instead of the Jesus of Nazareth... We see Christ as the "Sunday School" Jesus with that angelic face, blue eyes, and long hair. But that is not a true picture of Christ. We don't see him as he really is. A revolutionary... We tame him into a "safe" person to follow, when really, it's not safe. 


Jesus changed the world. He came here to bring hope, love, salvation, life to us. He gave up EVERYTHING for us. Are you ready and willing to do the same? We here in the United States have it pretty good. We don't usually risk our lives to go to church on Sundays. We can openly talk about our faith (for the most part) and not worry that someone will turn us in and we would be taken to jail.


And then there is the belief that when we become a Christian, that life will be a okay and NOTHING will ever go wrong. Sorry but that is just not true. Bad things happen to Christians all the time. Most of my life is not spent on the mountain top... it's in the valley... and I have learned to be okay with it... somewhat... Still working on that fully... 


When we are sharing the Gospel with someone we MUST remember that while God brings us salvation and hope, life still happens. Cancer still attacks bodies... Death still happens, and sometimes in tragic ways... But as a Christ follower we have a Hope BEYOND this world...


Paul talks about this in 2 Corinthians 11:21-28...
21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food,t in cold and exposure.28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 


You see, Paul gave up ALL that he knew. He was a Jew of Jews. He knew it all, did it all, but then Christ got a hold of him on that road and his whole life changed. Did he try and make Jesus fit into his lifestyle? No. He allowed Christ to USE him to spread the Gospel. He took risk after risk after risk. 


Are you willing to do the same? Are you ready to live the life Jesus of Nazareth has for you? 


Just some things to think on... 


Jen
Lamentations 3:25