The 'Go' of Relationship
Jesus demands an impossible relationship, but one that is made possible through a supernatural work of God.
Oswald Chambers emphasizes that the relationship Jesus Christ demands from us is impossible without His supernatural work in us. Disciples are called to have no resentment in their hearts, even in the face of tyranny and injustice, and to maintain a personal, purified relationship with Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount is not an unattainable goal but a reflection of the transformation that occurs when Jesus changes our nature. Being a disciple of Jesus is a supernatural process initiated by God's grace, not by our own efforts or choices.
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Our Lord's teaching can be summed up in this: the relationship that He demands for us is an impossible one unless He has done a supernatural work in us. Jesus Christ demands that His disciple does not allow even the slightest trace of resentment in his heart when faced with tyranny and injustice. No amount of enthusiasm will ever stand up to the strain that Jesus Christ will put upon His servant. Only one thing will bear the strain, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Himself-- a relationship that has been examined, purified, and tested until only one purpose remains and I can truly say, "I am here for God to send me where He will." Everything else may become blurred, but this relationship with Jesus Christ must never be.
The Sermon on the Mount is not some unattainable goal; it is a statement of what will happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my nature by putting His own nature in me. Jesus Christ is the only One who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount.
If we are to be disciples of Jesus, we must be made disciples supernaturally. And as long as we consciously maintain the determined purpose to be His disciples, we can be sure that we are not disciples. Jesus says, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you..." (John 15:16). That is the way the grace of God begins. It is a constraint we can never escape; we can disobey it, but we can never start it or produce it ourselves. We are drawn to God by a work of His supernatural grace, and we can never trace back to find where the work began. Our Lord's making of a disciple is supernatural. He does not build on any natural capacity of ours at all. God does not ask us to do the things that are naturally easy for us-- He only asks us to do the things that we are perfectly fit to do through His grace, and that is where the cross we must bear will always come.
Sermon Outline
- The Relationship Demanded by Jesus
- The Supernatural Work of God
- The Nature of a Disciple
- The Cross of Discipleship
- Doing things that are naturally impossible
- Through the power of God's grace
- A relationship that remains constant
Key Quotes
“Only one thing will bear the strain, and that is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Himself-- a relationship that has been examined, purified, and tested until only one purpose remains and I can truly say, 'I am here for God to send me where He will.'” — Oswald Chambers
“Jesus Christ is the only One who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount.” — Oswald Chambers
“Our Lord's making of a disciple is supernatural. He does not build on any natural capacity of ours at all.” — Oswald Chambers
Application Points
- Develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through a supernatural work of God.
- Recognize that being a disciple is a supernatural work of God, and not something that can be chosen or produced by ourselves.
- Be willing to take on the cross of discipleship, doing things that are naturally impossible, but made possible through the power of God's grace.