3. Dietrich Bonhoeffer “ When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Matt. 16: 24-26 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever losses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
12. A People Apart "Therefore, this is what the LORD God Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Listen! I am going to bring on Judah and on everyone living in Jerusalem every disaster I pronounced against them. I spoke to them, but they did not listen; I called to them, but they did not answer.' " JER 35:18 Then Jeremiah said to the family of the Recabites, "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `You have obeyed the command of your forefather Jonadab and have followed all his instructions and have done everything he ordered.' 19 Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: `Jonadab son of Recab will never fail to have a man to serve me.' " Jeremiah 35: 17-19
13. A People Apart I. The test of the Recabites (vv 1–11) A. The Lord’s command (vv 1–2) B. Jeremiah’s obedient response (vv 3–4) C. The test (v 5) D. The testimony of the Recabite lifestyle (vv 6–10) E. The reason for the Recabite presence in Jerusalem (v 11) II. Prose oracle against the Israelites (vv 12–17) A. Contrast between the Recabites and faithless Judah (vv 12–16) B. The word of judgment (v 17) III. An oracle of promise for the Recabites (vv 18–19) An object lesson
15. Eugene Peterson The essence of Jeremiah’s message is this; “You also have a father who has commanded you to live in total relationship to him. You know that he has set you apart to a life of love. Why don’t you live in response to it? If you think it is because ordinary, mortal human beings can’t do it, think again. The Recabites are ordinary, mortal human beings and they have been doing it for 250 years Lights of the World
16. Eugene Peterson You also have a way of life that requires a certain disciplines to maintain its character. The disciplines involve you in making specific decisions about the way you live: regular worship, faithful prayer, tithing and caring for the poor, moral conduct and the pursuit of righteousness. Now, why don’t you do it? If you think that it is too rigorous a life for ordinary mortal human beings, think again. The Recabites are ordinary mortal humans, and they have been doing it for 250 years. Lights of the World
20. Unless the eye catches fire The God will not be seen. Unless the ear catches fire The God will not be heard. Unless the tongue catches fire The God will not be named. Unless the heart catches fire The God will not be loved. Unless the mind catches fire The God will not be known. Passion
26. Dietrich Bonhoeffer “ Cheap grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves. Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession…Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living incarnate” The Cost of Discipleship