Speaker 1: 0:00

Happy New Year to our online audience. My name is Stephen Fieth and I am the pastor at Madison Church, and I'm praying for all of you our online audience, but you guys as well that 2025 is a year marked by peace, protection and provision. All from God. I believe it can happen. We are five days into 2025, and I feel like it's my annual job to stand at the front of the room to look at you and ask how are your New Year's resolutions going? New Year's resolutions Okay. So if you're listening online, it's not good. It's not good. You can let us know in the comments on whether you're watching this on YouTube or how yours are going. How many of you made resolutions this year? Did anyone? Okay? So let's call it a third of the room made resolutions. The real question how many of you have already broken your resolutions? How many of you Okay? So, maybe a third of the third, and it's okay. No judgment here at all. You're in good company.

Speaker 1: 1:03

Statistically speaking, most resolutions won't make it out of January anyway. Some of us, as we see, don't even make it out the very first week. I think about the popular resolutions every year, because I usually take a good chunk of December off, and I'm thinking about next year. Who do I want to be? What steps do I want to personally take? And some of the popular resolutions hitting the gym Any gym goers in here?

Speaker 1: 1:28

Regular gym goers I'm going to talk about once a week. Yeah, so we've got some regular gym Spending more time with family Was that anyone's resolution? Hey, I want to spend more time with family. That was one of mine. I want to eat better. Any healthy eaters in here? We've got some healthy eaters Advancing your career.

Speaker 1: 1:44

Some of you are like, hey, this is the year I'm going to really buckle down and advance my career. Other people's financial goals I need to actually save money. I need more than 20 bucks in my savings accounts Would be great, right, and nobody laughed because it's like that's real, that's real. You're like, yes, amen, these are great goals, are they not Like all of these, eating healthier, going to the gym, saving money they're all great goals. So why, then, do we fail so often? I mean, they're great goals. Why do they fail? Adam, I would suggest we don't have a strong enough, why? Okay, so it's a rhetorical question. Obviously, I came prepared with a manuscript to answer this question. It's a rhetorical question. Obviously, I came prepared with a manuscript to answer this question, but I would suggest the why behind our reason to change isn't great.

Speaker 1: 2:31

I can give a personal example for you. Many times in my life I'm 36 years old, probably one-third of my life I've resolved to go to the gym. This will be the year I get strong, I get in shape, I do cardio. I show up to the gym one time. For the gym that I'm paying for every month, I will show up one time this year. Make it worth it Now. I never do. I never do. I always fail every year. So much so I didn't even make it a goal this year to go to the gym. I put it on my calendar. I'm like, hey, let's just see what happens, fingers crossed, go to the gym. I put it on my calendar. I'm like, hey, let's just see what happens, fingers crossed why?

Speaker 1: 3:11

Because my why is I feel like I should? My why is that? I've been told it's really good for me. My why is that? I see other people go to the gym and they seem to really like it? My why is all of these external factors of shame and guilt and maybe I want to live a really long time, but the way things are going? Maybe I don't, and let me be honest. That why doesn't feel as compelling as a warm bed when it's cold outside? That why isn't very compelling when it's 5 am and I've been up all night because of kids or I drank caffeine too late. All of a sudden, the why for going to the gym. I might be guilty, I might be out of shape, but at least I'm warm and comfortable, and I think that that happens to a lot of us.

Speaker 1: 3:56

The truth about resolutions is this If your why to change isn't bigger than the pull to stay the same, you will not make the changes you want to make, and this doesn't just apply to fitness or finances, but it absolutely applies to our faith. So a hard question, and don't answer out loud. But why are you here today? You're watching or listening. Why? How come you've decided to be engaged in this space? That's the question I want to ask for the next 12 weeks. Every week, I want to ask why are you even here? I'm not trying to talk you out of being here. I'd like you to be here. I'm glad you are here, but why have you thought about the motivation for being here? So, as we start a new year.

Speaker 1: 4:49

We're doing this series, a Life that Matters, stepping into a life of impact through discipleship. And that's the question why, why, why, why faith, why faith in Jesus. And so we're going to be going through more of the gospel of Luke. We've been going through Luke for the last year or so. So if you want to follow along, we're going to Luke, chapter 9, today. But this is at the point when Jesus transitions.

Speaker 1: 5:12

If you were a part of our last series, you know Jesus was kind of going around the Sea of Galilee doing ministry. He had been chased out of Nazareth, but now he's making his way to Jerusalem. He is traveling, and along this journey over the next several weeks, jesus is going to show us that a life that truly matters is not found in chasing comfort. A life that truly matters is not found in chasing success or even self-improvement. And perhaps that's your why today, because I know for me sometimes that's my why I'm doing this, for self-improvement, I read my Bible, I pray, why? Because I want to be a better person. But that's you know, that's not a great why Jesus shows us what truly matters is found in following him fully and wholeheartedly. Jesus calls us to follow him and he doesn't say you should do this, you should follow me, but he says that I can transform your life. There's your why I can transform your life, and when Jesus is our why, that why to change is greater than the pull to stay the same. In Jesus we find purpose, we find clarity and we can find joy that outlasts any challenge or distraction.

Speaker 1: 6:30

And another question I want you to ask I don't want this just to be like a time of thinking, but a time of action. I want you to consider what could you add to your life this year? What could you add to your life this year to follow Jesus more closely? Now, I get you're busy. I get you're already doing a million things. It's also really popular in our society to talk about quitting and saying no, and those are good things. I'm not saying anything bad about that. But I do want you to consider what is an investment in your faith, what is something you should begin to do that will help your why get stronger as you get more rooted in faith in Jesus and as you do this, you will find and discover a life that truly matters. Now I want to let you know that we're starting a new year now and here. In a month or so we'll be in a season of Lent and it's at that point we'll be talking about what do you need to say, say no to and what do you need to quit.

Speaker 1: 7:25

But before we talk about that, I want to examine the table as it is currently set and what is missing from the layout. So we're in Luke 9. Let's start with verse 51, which Luke writes as the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven. Interesting detail, if you're someone who takes notes and underlines things underline that Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. The phrase resolutely set out spoke of intentionality, determination. Jesus was going come hell or high water. He was getting to Jerusalem. And why? Well, his why is the mission? I mean, we live on the other side of the cross, so we know what happens in Jerusalem. We know about the death of Jesus, the resurrection and the ascension, but the disciples didn't. They weren't sure what they knew.

Speaker 1: 8:20

Jerusalem as was a couple things. They knew one it was like a center of worship. You go to Jerusalem and this is where they knew one. It was like a center of worship. You go to Jerusalem and this is where the temple is, and the temple is where God's presence is. They didn't have a theology like you and I have today, where you can come to Trinity in the basement or Trinity upstairs, or go to the coffee shop on a Monday or go to the tavern on Friday night, and God's just there. They didn't have that theology, god's just there. They didn't have that theology. So you had to go to Jerusalem, go to the temple, to experience God's presence. But it wasn't just like this nice peaceful presence of God.

Speaker 1: 8:51

Jerusalem also stood for conflict. Prophets for hundreds of years were rejected. Jesus is going to be killed there. They don't realize it yet. But conflict is also what Jerusalem is about and the reason I had you for those of you taking notes or highlighting, I said ascending to heaven. Luke is letting you know. Pretend for a moment you don't know how the story ends, because in the first century you wouldn't have known necessarily how the story ended. You get this gospel. You've heard these things about Jesus, remember.

Speaker 1: 9:29

Luke sets off to say you can trust me and here's how you can trust me and here's all about Jesus's life. Luke kind of shows a card and he says it. He goes before ascending to heaven. Now you might just read over it because you know how the story ends. But for someone reading this for the first time, they said wait a second before he ascends to heaven, which means he's going to die. But that's what he's been talking about this whole time we've been reading Luke. Is that it's leading up to this point? And Luke is saying, yes, see, he's been talking about it and it's about to happen. He doesn't want you to forget that and, like I said, I know we have the benefit, living on this side of the cross, of knowing what happens. But yet, like them, I think that you and I still face challenges in following Jesus with the same resolve he had in his mission.

Speaker 1: 10:11

Jesus had a resolve to go to Jerusalem. He knew what was going to happen and yet nothing stopped him from doing that. And I wonder how that compares to our own resolve. Do we ourselves have an unwavering obedience to God's will? This passage reminds us that a life of purpose it's going to require a couple things that don't come naturally Commitment and courage. Commitment and courage, even in the face of great cost. It's a call to reflect on what Jerusalem represents in your life. What is your Jerusalem? What is God calling you to that you should relentlessly pursue Come hell or high water, come death on a cross. Now, for most of us today, that's not what we're walking into, but we are walking into something, and a lot of times it's uncomfortable. And yet what Jesus shows us by his own example not standing at the front of a room like I am, and Jesus saying, hey, you know what, you should have this resolve he shows us by his example of what he does. Now.

Speaker 1: 11:18

The story continues down in verse 57. They're going to Jerusalem. As they were walking along, Someone said to Jesus I will follow you wherever you go. That sounds like the right answer, but Jesus replied foxes have dens to live in, birds have nests, but the Son of man has no place to even lay his head. What's likely going on here is somebody has heard of Jesus. Jesus has this reputation all kind of over the region. He's coming back, so now people have kind of heard about him.

Speaker 1: 11:51

In all likelihood, the person who said this to Jesus had a traditional view of what Jesus was. He's a rabbi, so I will follow behind him during the day and at night I'll go home. It's kind of like a job following the rabbi and what Jesus is saying is not quite Okay, boxes and birds, and I don't have a place to lay my head. If you follow me, there is no going home at night. We're going to go all out and crazy. We're going to all of these places. So he's clarifying to this person. He said to another person come follow me.

Speaker 1: 12:22

This time the invitation made by Jesus. The man agreed and he said Lord, first let me return home and bury my father, seems like a pretty reasonable request To which Jesus, our loving, kind, compassionate Jesus, says let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. Your duty is to go and preach about the kingdom of God. A lot we could unpack here, okay, but just we're going to keep reading. Another said yes, lord, I will follow you, but first let me say goodbye to my family. I mean, like I appreciate the guy shooting a shot, but if Jesus just said no to burying your dad, what do you think the odds are that going home and saying see you later is going to be like oh yeah, you could do that, it ain't happening.

Speaker 1: 13:02

Jesus says anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the kingdom of God. If you feel offended, you have that in common with the first audience, they were actually probably more offended than you are right now, because in their society the family value is higher than our family value in our society, so they valued family above everything else. This was a matter of survival for a lot of them. If you abandon your family, what happened when you needed money or food or shelter later on in life? Are you ready to make like a 20, 30 year decision based on something today and so we can say you know, jesus comes and he says follow me. And then Jesus says these things. What is he trying to communicate? And what he's trying to say is following me is literal, it's physical and it's displacing. Following Jesus takes us somewhere else, leaving homes, families and jobs to walk alongside him.

Speaker 1: 14:10

Now, today, following Jesus is less about physically following Jesus. We didn't follow behind him to Madison, wisconsin, physically speaking, but following Jesus and walking with him. We ask questions about our priorities, our decisions and how we live our life on mission. So you may not have followed Jesus physically here, but maybe you came because of a job, maybe you came because of school, but God opened doors and, by his spirit, many of you are here for a reason, but the tension still remains. You might be here now and you're doing the things that you know Jesus wants you to do, and yet we still wrestle with putting Jesus above our own comforts, ambitions and relationships, and the challenge of prioritizing discipleship over competing loyalties is timeless. There are so many things that we always put in front of Jesus. Sometimes it's on accident, sometimes it's on purpose, but it's kind of like me going to the gym or not going. I know I should do this, I know it's good, but my bed is so warm and I just checked the weather on my phone and it's nine degrees out there and I'm waking Megan up and saying can you turn the thermostat up? I don't even want to get out of bed to turn the thermostat up.

Speaker 1: 15:26

This passage highlights the total commitment required to following Jesus. Discipleship isn't done on a part-time basis. It encapsulates our entire lives, everything between Sundays. Discipleship isn't showing up here every week, every other week, once a year Easter, christmas. Discipleship is a radical reordering of our priorities in our lives, where allegiance to Jesus surpasses everything else, where we follow Jesus and everything else kind of follows him after that. I wonder how many in our lives we have a lot of good things Physical health, mental health, priorities. Boundaries we have all of these good things in our lives, but where does Jesus in our lives stack up? Boundaries we have all of these good things in our lives, but where does Jesus in our lives stack up? If we were to make a list and say I make decisions based on X, y, z, does Jesus somewhere fall under the umbrella or do these things follow under Jesus? That is the call for us today is to consider. This text reminds us. Following Jesus means letting go of whatever it is holding us back and moving forward with a single-minded devotion.

Speaker 1: 16:35

He now sends his disciples out. The Lord now chose 72 other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit. These were his instructions to them. The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest. Ask him to send more workers into the fields. Now go and remember that I'm sending you out as lambs among wolves.

Speaker 1: 17:00

This commissioning was obviously a privilege. Jesus chose 72 people. People are following him and he says you, you, you, you, you, maybe next time, you, you. And so it's a privilege and you have to imagine they were pretty excited, but it was also a challenge, because what he is asked to do, what they are asked to do, they're asked to go ahead and represent Jesus. They're asked to go ahead and represent him and what they said and what they did would be held against Jesus. They are representatives of him. And that's true of us today. Wherever you go to work, when you go home, the kind of dad, mom, you are, the kind of parent you are, who you are at work, the kind of boss you are, the kind of employee you are, you are a representative of Christ Because, unlike this scene where he picks 72, everything's been opened up and he says I want you all to follow me and so if you're here today and you said I've made that decision to follow Jesus, he is sending you forward to Jerusalem to represent him. Where you work, where you live, where you play I love the image of the harvest, I mean, obviously we can imagine that and Jesus says pray for workers.

Speaker 1: 18:14

And the thing that sticks out the most to me is as somebody who started a church. What sticks out to me is like he doesn't say come up with a really cool marketing plan. He doesn't say this is the ABCs of evangelism and here's how you do that. Rather, he says the people are already ready. They're already ready. What do we need to do? He says pray. Pray for more, because that's all you need. If Jesus is telling the truth, what Madison Church doesn't need is more money invested in Google advertising or Facebook advertising. We don't need a better strategy of outreach and marketing. Jesus says if you really want to reach Madison I mean, if we're taking him seriously if you really want to reach Madison, what you guys should do is pray for more people, more workers. You're here, we've been praying for you. Join us in praying and let's get on mission together.

Speaker 1: 19:17

For the 72,. Their mission involved physically traveling to specific towns to proclaim Jesus and today, as I said, we are called to the spiritual and relational mission bringing the message of Jesus to our workplace, communities and relationships. The disciples go out, they come back and they're amped. We read in verse 17, adam, chapter 10,. When the 72 disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name. Yes, he told them. I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you. But don't rejoice, because evil spirits obey you.

Speaker 1: 20:09

I have this conversation with people a lot where they'll tell me like we were praying for something and they'll be like you won't believe what happened. And I'll say what happened. They're like God did it, like what we were praying for. I'm not terribly surprised by that. It's not just because I'm a pastor Okay, that's not part of the job. I deal with doubts myself but like this is what's happening. These people are like we actually did what he said and it freaking worked out.

Speaker 1: 20:38

And I think that for many of us we're so scared to follow where Jesus is calling us, wherever our Jerusalem is. We are terrified to do the things he's talking about, and everything we're talking about is difficult. But we get a preview at the end of this. If you just do this, if you just follow Jesus enthusiastically and as you're supposed to, you come back with that. Oh my gosh, I can't believe it worked. Except Jesus says yeah, but he ties it into a bigger picture, a couple bigger pictures actually. The first thing he says is it wasn't just you guys. You guys were doing all these things over here, but I saw Satan falling. What you do in Madison affects Wisconsin and the United States and the spiritual atmosphere everywhere. You might be fighting demons here, but Satan is falling there. We are a part of a bigger body of Christ. It's not just Madison Church, but churches all over the world, christians all over the world. We are tied into a bigger story. But then he says but I know it's cool and you're doing some amazing things, but what you should really celebrate is that you know God.

Speaker 1: 21:41

He prioritizes the person over the achievement. It's really hard for me to understand. I'm a person very driven by achievement. I find a lot of worth in what I'm able to achieve, what I'm able to do, the titles I have, the degrees I hold, the things that I'm a part of. Very driven by this. And in this Jesus says ah, it's cool, man, you got your master's degree from Wheaton, you started a church. You even wrote a book on my crazy brother Jude.

Speaker 1: 22:08

And Jesus said but you know what's most exciting about your life, stephen, that we know each other and don't lose sight of that. And for us today, that's a reminder, for all of us today, that you are equipped, you are empowered to do great and amazing things and Jesus wants you to do it. He is sending you. It's challenging, it's difficult, but he doesn't want you to ever lose sight of the fact that the best part about all of this is that you know God. While we may not see today dramatic manifestations like casting out demons, we still witness God's power and changed lives, healed relationships and spiritual breakthroughs. That's the mission that we have been called to, and so, as we reflect on this journey to Jesus and we'll wrap up the story now what does this mean, I mean really practically, for us today? What do we need to do as we're thinking about our why and following Jesus in the next 12 weeks, and what should we do? Well, we know that following Jesus is something we have to actively pursue. It's not something that'll passively happen.

Speaker 1: 23:14

So I want to suggest three shifts that we should take. The first one is moving from comfort to commitment. It's about getting out of the warm bed on a Monday morning at 5 am, leaving what's comfortable for a commitment that I have. We're wired to seek comfort. I get that A lot of us avoid difficulties, whatever's inconvenient, whatever's uncomfortable, but following Jesus isn't about staying safe. It's not about the familiar spaces. It's about asking this question what will help me grow closer to Jesus, even if it stretches me to a painful point, even if it brings me to a destination I really don't care to go to. It brings me to a destination I really don't care to go to.

Speaker 1: 24:03

Maybe for you, that means prioritizing daily time and prayer and less Instagram scrolling. Maybe it means joining a small group and temporarily leaving a club or something else that you are a part of. Or maybe it means that, like on a Wednesday night, instead of sitting at home and making the cocktail and binge watching the new Apple show, that you put real pants on and you go to the small group. What is it, you know? We add. Maybe it's serving in ministry. We're reminded in this passage. God says it's not about more advertising, it's about workers, and we're reminded that serving within a faith community is a spiritual discipline. So perhaps for you today, the question is how do I step up and serve in ministry and make that commitment? Is it always going to be comfortable? Hardly ever. But is that what it means to follow Jesus? I believe so.

Speaker 1: 24:49

The second challenge for us is to move from a consumer to a contributor. We live in such a consumeristic society. Everybody's trying to sell you something you don't have enough or you're not enough, whatever it may be. Everybody's trying to sell you something you don't have enough or you're not enough, whatever it may be. And as such, we approach our spirituality and we approach our faith through the mindset of what can I get out of this? As a matter of fact, one of the things we'll say when we move to a new town if some of you have moved to a new town.

Speaker 1: 25:12

And what do you do when you're looking for a church? You church shop Consumerism. It's in the building, we figured it out. It's here. We are consumers. And what do we do when we're church shopping? My guess is many of us. We're like do I like the music? I like the music. Do I like the community? I like the community. Is the preaching good? I like the preaching. Is it at a good time? Is it a good location?

Speaker 1: 25:40

We're asking all the consumer questions and I'm not saying those are inherently bad or evil, but what if we started asking, when we were church shopping, other questions what is the vision of this church? What is the mission of this church? Will this church help me follow Jesus, even if it's uncomfortable? Will this church help me grow in my faith, even if they got to push me. Will this church help me participate? Even if I'm not the most charismatic or I'm not the best piano player in the world, or I'm not the most patient kids worker out there, whatever it might be, am I willing to step up and is there an opportunity for me to do that?

Speaker 1: 26:14

The shift here is how can I serve and contribute to God's kingdom, not just my life, not just my family. Serve and contribute to God's kingdom, not just my life, not just my family, but God's kingdom. You're a part of that. We're reminded in the story. We're part of something bigger and something greater. It's time to get involved and maybe for you it's setting aside time. You're a mature Christian, you've been a Christian for a long time. Maybe it's time that you start mentoring a younger Christian who is just getting started. You've been around. You know there are going to be seasons in which things are challenging and difficult. You probably have wisdom. For someone like that, it might be offering your time to meet a need.

Speaker 1: 26:50

None of us likes helping anyone move, for example, but you know what? Sometimes following Jesus is showing up on a Saturday morning because they offered you some lousy beer and lousy pizza to help them move. And it's sort of lost on them that I'm a grown adult with a real salary. I can buy my own cheap beer and pizza whenever I want, but I'm here for Jesus to help you. For some of us, it's about practicing radical generosity. For some of us, it might just be practicing generosity period, but for those of us who practice generosity already, is our generosity labeled radical? Would you label it radical? Like, if everyone knew everything about your finances, would they say, yeah, that's radical, or is it not? The call that Jesus calls us to, the direction he calls us to, is from a consumer to a contributor, and a contributor is marked by radical generosity.

Speaker 1: 27:44

And the third shift all of this comes down really to this Are we going to be self-focused or are we going to be kingdom-focused? I mean, we live in a culture that tells you to chase personal achievement and self-improvement a lot of self-improvement. But Jesus invites us to ask what does God want me to pursue for his kingdom? And that's a shift away from building your brand, your platform, your legacy, in order to seek God's purposes in your life. And when we live for his mission, we discover a life of significance that outweighs, far outweighs anything we could accomplish on our own, far outweighs it. These shifts, embracing discomfort, contributing instead of consuming, and focusing on God's kingdom, can change not just your life but the lives of those around you. I mean, really. I believe that I'm deeply convicted about that.

Speaker 1: 28:40

And so go back to that first question why are you here? Is it out of commitment? Is it to contribute? Is it because you're focused on God's kingdom? See, these are the whys that matter. These are the whys that are greater. And can you imagine? These are the whys that are greater. And can you imagine? Envision, and if you have to, you can close your eyes but imagine the impact in Madison If each of us, every single person in the room, watching, listening online, those who aren't here today but will be here next week imagine if all of us embraced the challenge to follow Jesus with authenticity, with courage, with love.

Speaker 1: 29:24

Picture a church where every person is focused on living out their faith, not just in belief, not just they check the box yeah, I'm a Christian but in action we represented Jesus not just in word, but in deed. Together, we'd be a living, breathing example of God's kingdom. Here in Madison, we'd be just a little picture of what heaven will be like someday. What would it look like? Deeper relationships within our church with your neighbors, built on love and genuine care, revitalized neighborhoods where hope shines brightly in places once marked by despair. We become a city where acts of kindness, compassion and justice reveal a glimpse of God's kingdom and that phrase on earth as it is in heaven. And you might be wondering, you're like that sounds great, but what's in it for me? Let's meet you where you're at.

Speaker 1: 30:19

When you step into this challenge, you will find greater clarity and purpose in your everyday life. You'll cultivate meaningful, life-giving relationships with God and other people. You'll feel joy and fulfillment that comes from knowing you're living for something real and eternal. You'll develop the strength and courage to navigate challenges, knowing that you're walking in step with Jesus. So figure out one of those three areas that you're like. You know what I could grow more in this. I need to say less comfort, more commitment. This week, ask God what do you want me to add to my life? To grow closer to you? Continue to imagine and envision what would happen if we all took this step together, each of us walking toward a life that truly matters, as part of a church that transforms the city around us. Let's begin that journey today.