WARM-UP
“‘Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me’” —John 15:20-21
The NCAA transfer portal has changed the landscape of collegiate sports. Commitments are made and then reneged. Even in everyday aspects of sports, commitment seems to be waning. Off season workouts are poorly attended. Effort during practice is minimal. Athletes seem to lack commitment.
Q: How do you teach long-term commitment to your players and coaches?
Q: What role does perseverance play in commitment?
WORKOUT
Responding to Opposition
Jesus gives a stark warning that just as He was persecuted, His followers will be persecuted. The word Jesus uses here means “to mistreat or oppress”. Jesus and many of His first followers were persecuted to the point of death, and while that certainly exists in our time, there are many other forms of persecution that we should expect as followers of Jesus. The loss of core relationships, the loss of wealth or property or the loss of opportunities for advancement or leadership are a few examples of the ways Jesus followers may face opposition at the hands of the worldly kingdom in which we live. Commitment to Jesus is a commitment to face persecution, but it is also a commitment to follow Jesus in His response to persecution.
In the Sermon on The Mount, Jesus taught, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous’” (Matthew 5:43–45). Jesus took His teaching to its ultimate conclusion when He prayed, “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 24:23) as He was dying a gruesome death at the hands of His persecutors. Our commitment to Jesus is a commitment to follow Him into spaces and places that lead to opposition; however, He has given us the power to love even our enemies.
Commitment to Perseverance
The late pastor and theological Eugene Peterson described persevering in discipleship to Jesus as “a long obedience in the same direction.”1 The call to persevere, to get after it and stay after it, is a common theme in the New Testament. Common because of how difficult denying ourselves and following Jesus can be. However, in the midst of the difficulty and opposition, Jesus promises to be with us and provide an abundant life of love and joy in this age and an eternal existence in God’s very presence in the age to come. The hope of His presence now and of future glory should encourage us to commit for the long haul.
We commit by getting connected to Jesus, remaining connected to Him and living a life of cultivating our relationship with Jesus and His people. Ours should be a life marked by love for God and for people. This Gospel-centered, Kingdom-oriented life is one that proves we are truly disciples of King Jesus.
WRAP-UP
We are proven as disciples when we respond to opposition as Jesus did and when we persevere in the faith.
We need to be prepared to lose things because of our faith in Jesus.
If we are committed to following Jesus, we also commit to love our enemies
The commitment to persevering it the faith proves we are truly disciples of Jesus.
Key Action
Read Romans 12:9-21, then reflect on the following:
How does Paul instruct us to love one another? Give two examples how you can live this out practically in your life.
How does he instruct us to love our enemies? Give two examples how you can treat your enemies the way Paul commands.
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