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18 June 2007
Part of a special themed week of Reflections based on The True Apprentice" (Matthew 10:38-42) written by Terry Eckersley
Matthew 10 v 38-42
"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.
"We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
The internationally successful TV show The Apprentice follows a group of sharp-suited young hopefuls eager to impress a top businessman, who sets them tests, evaluates their skills, and tells them if they're hired. Of course, he's more likely to tell them: You're fired!
But this week I'm going to tell you about another big boss who's looking for apprentices. Jesus tells us he's looking for each of his followers to be a True Apprentice. And he sets out the job description in this passage in Matthew.
Jesus tells us to qualify for this position you must go all the way - carry on through thick and thin. Otherwise you don't deserve it. He also says if all you're concerned about is looking after yourself, you'll never find yourself. Instead Jesus says you must forget about yourself! He says that if you deny yourself, you will find both yourself and him.
And remember this is not a temporary position, it's job for life. Are you prepared to sign up for a long-term contract? If you want to stick at the job with Jesus, don't focus on your needs, but focus on Jesus and the needs of others.
Lord, I want you to be the boss of my life. You can be my line manager, set my goals and run my appraisals. I want to be open and intimate with you every day so that you can train me and shape me to be a True Apprentice. Amen.
Written by Terry Eckersley The True Apprentice
Part of a special themed week of Reflections based on The True Apprentice" (Matthew 10:38-42) written by Terry Eckersley
Matthew 10 v 38-42
"If you don't go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don't deserve me. If your first concern is to look after yourself, you'll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you'll find both yourself and me.
"We are intimately linked in this harvest work. Anyone who accepts what you do, accepts me, the One who sent you. Anyone who accepts what I do accepts my Father, who sent me. Accepting a messenger of God is as good as being God's messenger. Accepting someone's help is as good as giving someone help. This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing."
The internationally successful TV show The Apprentice follows a group of sharp-suited young hopefuls eager to impress a top businessman, who sets them tests, evaluates their skills, and tells them if they're hired. Of course, he's more likely to tell them: You're fired!
But this week I'm going to tell you about another big boss who's looking for apprentices. Jesus tells us he's looking for each of his followers to be a True Apprentice. And he sets out the job description in this passage in Matthew.
Jesus tells us to qualify for this position you must go all the way - carry on through thick and thin. Otherwise you don't deserve it. He also says if all you're concerned about is looking after yourself, you'll never find yourself. Instead Jesus says you must forget about yourself! He says that if you deny yourself, you will find both yourself and him.
And remember this is not a temporary position, it's job for life. Are you prepared to sign up for a long-term contract? If you want to stick at the job with Jesus, don't focus on your needs, but focus on Jesus and the needs of others.
Lord, I want you to be the boss of my life. You can be my line manager, set my goals and run my appraisals. I want to be open and intimate with you every day so that you can train me and shape me to be a True Apprentice. Amen.
Written by Terry Eckersley The True Apprentice
