from Ron Rose
August 18, 2008

Preparation

Jesus is more than an historical figure, more than a religious icon, more than a moral teacher and more than a great philosopher. He is a holy invasion--a “life-lifter.” He came to invest his life in our lives, to lift us up and show us the way home.

Between the Bethlehem manger and the Golgotha cross, he purposefully inhabited the human form and provided a life of revelation for all of us. He showed us how to live beyond ourselves and into others.

This was the original “word of mouth marketing campaign.” One by one, Jesus chose regular, ordinary men, to be his followers, not his leaders, his followers. To fishermen he said, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” Let me put it this way, “Follow me and I will transform your vocation. You will become fishermen who lift people, not fish.”

Jesus showed them how to heal and teach and coach. He surprised them insight and secrets, he invested in them, brought out the best in them and taught them how to point others to HIM. They weren’t recruited to the leaders; they were invited to be followers.

These 12 Israeli misfits were invited to play a transformational game of “Follow the Leader.” Jesus was and is the leader and they were the followers. There is nothing to indicate this follower role was ever changed. In other words, there was no plan for them to replace Jesus after he ascended. Until the day they died, they were still followers of Jesus. They were still in the game.

Now, did you get an invitation?

Jesus isn’t in the market for great post-modern spiritual leaders; HE is the leader. But, he is still recruiting ordinary everyday people to be followers. He is still lifting the brokenhearted, healing the hurting, and giving grace to the undeserving and recruiting all of us for him team.

Being a follower on Jesus’ team is more than a membership in a hot spiritual club; it’s more than knowing the right answers and holding firm on doctrinal issues. It’s not about being perfect and prudish. It is about Jesus as the life-lifter. It’s learning to see into people, to sense despair and loneliness and brokenness. It’s investing in people; pointing them to the one with the power.

Followers look to Jesus and say, “I want to be just like you.”

Inspiration

I watched him carry the flag for America’s team during the Beijing Olympics. There was a look of awe and wonder on his face and in his eyes. His story tells us why.

Lomong grew up in a refugee camp in Kenya. His family was poor and everyday life was difficult. Some days there was no food; and work was scarce.

“One day a man came and offered me 5 shillings to help him with this job and I worked hard and he paid me 5 shillings, that’s about 2 cents,” Lomong told the interviewer.

Then some strangers came through the camp on their way to the city to watch the Olympics and Lomong joined them. He walked five miles and paid his five shillings to watch one event on a small black and white TV.

“I remember watching the race, I had never seen anything like that before,” he said. “Michael Johnson ran like the wind.”

Lomong was inspired. “I remember thinking, I want to run like him. I want to do just like him.”

That was it. Five shillings only allowed him to see one event. But Lomong didn’t leave downhearted, he had been lifted by a vision, an inspiration.

Now just a few years after that 5-shilling moment, this young refuge from Kenya is carrying the flag for America’s team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Motivation

How did you learn to be a follower?

It might do us good to reinvent what we call ourselves. Perhaps our labels keep us focused on our experience, our training, our personalities, and our positions.

Simply put why not call yourself a “Follower of Jesus.” After all, he is still the leader. He is still the healer, the teacher, the counselor, and the redeemer. All the titles have baggage in today’s world: Christian, Evangelical, Born-again, Conservative, Progressive, etc. Followers have no power, so there is no baggage. What do you think?

By vocation you may be in construction, manufacturing, education, medicine, finances, sales, creative design, human resources, journalism, guest services, HR, maintenance, project management, law, logistics, or computers, but Jesus has invited you to be a follower. Accept his invite and your perspective changes.

Now you may work with numbers, but your job is really about people. You will begin to see people the way Jesus sees people. You will become a life-lifter like him. And, on occasion you will find yourself putting in a good word for HIM.