WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

You’ve heard of Y2K, TGIF, SPEBSQUA, BBA, now the acronym WWJD - do you DARE wear WWJD - do you KNOW what it means? Do you KNOW where it CAME FROM?

The youth group at Calvary Reformed Church in Holland, MI pondered how to effect their generation, their culture, they studied the Charles Sheldon book, written in 1896, called "In His Steps." The novel presents an unlikely protagonist, a tramp dressed in rags, who disrupts the status quo in a mid-western church Sunday service by posing a shocking statement. His repeated pleas for help were disregarded by the towns people, so when they arrived for church, well dressed and reverent, the tramp rocks their world. "It seems to me," he says, "there’s an awful lot of trouble in the world that somehow wouldn’t exist if all the people who sing such songs went and lived them out." With that, he died. The congregation was stunned, and pledged to live their lives for one year asking themselves one question - "What Would Jesus Do?"

Here is an excerpt from the book, “In His steps:, by Charles Sheldon:

"What I am going to propose now is something which ought not to appear unusual or at all impossible of execution. Yet I am aware that it will be so regarded by a large number, perhaps, of the members of this church. But in order that we may have a thorough understanding of what we are considering, I will put my proposition very plainly, perhaps bluntly. I want volunteers from the First Church who will pledge themselves, earnestly and honestly for an entire year, not to do anything without first asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?' AND AFTER ASKING THAT QUESTION, EACH ONE WILL FOLLOW JESUS AS EXACTLY AS HE KNOWS HOW, NO MATTER WHAT THE RESULT MAY BE. I will of course include myself in this company of volunteers, and shall take for granted that my church here will not be surprised at my future conduct, as based upon this standard of action, and will not oppose whatever is done if they think Christ would do it. Have I made my meaning clear? At the close of the service I want all those members who are willing to join such a company to remain and we will talk over the details of the plan. Our motto will be, 'What Would Jesus do?' Our aim will be to act just as He would if He was in our places, regardless of immediate results. In other words, we propose to follow Jesus' steps as closely and as literally as we believe He taught His disciples to do. And those who volunteer to do this will pledge themselves for an entire year, beginning with today, so to act."

Henry Maxwell paused again and looked out over his people. It is not easy to describe the sensation that such a simple proposition apparently made. Men glanced at one another in astonishment. It was not like Henry Maxwell to define Christian discipleship in this way. There was evident confusion of thought over his proposition. It was understood well enough, but there was, apparently, a great difference of opinion as to the application of Jesus' teaching and example.

He calmly closed the service with a brief prayer. The organist began his postlude immediately after the benediction and the people began to go out. There was a great deal of conversation. Animated groups stood all over the church discussing the minister's proposition. It was evidently provoking great discussion. After several minutes he asked all who expected to remain to pass into the lecture-room which joined the large room on the side. He was himself detained at the front of the church talking with several persons there, and when he finally turned around, the church was empty. He walked over to the lecture-room entrance and went in. He was almost startled to see the people who were there. He had not made up his mind about any of his members, but he had hardly expected that so many were ready to enter into such a literal testing of their Christian discipleship as now awaited him. There were perhaps fifty present, among them Rachel Winslow and Virginia Page, Mr. Norman, President Marsh, Alexander Powers the railroad superintendent, Milton Wright, Dr. West and Jasper Chase.

He closed the door of the lecture-room and went and stood before the little group. His face was pale and his lips trembled with genuine emotion. It was to him a genuine crisis in his own life and that of his parish. No man can tell until he is moved by the Divine Spirit what he may do, or how he may change the current of a lifetime of fixed habits of thought and speech and action. Henry Maxwell did not, as we have said, yet know himself all that he was passing through, but he was conscious of a great upheaval in his definition of Christian discipleship, and he was moved with a depth of feeling he could not measure as he looked into the faces of those men and women on this occasion.

It seemed to him that the most fitting word to be spoken first was that of prayer. He asked them all to pray with him. And almost with the first syllable he uttered there was a distinct presence of the Spirit felt by them all. As the prayer went on, this presence grew in power. They all felt it. The room was filled with it as plainly as if it had been visible. When the prayer closed there was a silence that lasted several moments. All the heads were bowed. Henry Maxwell's face was wet with tears. If an audible voice from heaven had sanctioned their pledge to follow the Master's steps, not one person present could have felt more certain of the divine blessing. And so the most serious movement ever started in the First Church of Raymond was begun.

"We all understand," said he, speaking very quietly, "what we have undertaken to do. We pledge ourselves to do everything in our daily lives after asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?' regardless of what may be the result to us. Some time I shall be able to tell you what a marvelous change has come over my life within a week's time. I cannot now. But the experience I have been through since last Sunday has left me so dissatisfied with my previous definition of Christian discipleship that I have been compelled to take this action. I did not dare begin it alone. I know that the hand of divine love in all this is leading me. The same divine impulse must have led you also.

"

I CHALLENGE HEART OF THE HILLS CHURCH to take SERIOUSLY what these wristbands say and ACT ONLY as we believe Jesus would act ! !

Let me bring a few examples to help us commit to Christian discipleship (which is what this TRULY is):

When confronted by the CHOICE of SINNING - What Would Jesus Do? (What Will You Do?)

Heb 4:15 (NIV)

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin.

When confronted by the choice of speaking badly about our brothers/sisters in Christ - What Would Jesus Do? (What Will You Do?)

Prov 6:16-19 (NIV)

16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies and A MAN WHO STIRS UP DISSENSION AMONG BROTHERS.

When confronted with the choice of tithing or not - What Would Jesus Do? (What Will You Do?)

Luke 11:42 (NIV)

42 "Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without leaving the former undone.

When confronted by the choice of forgiving or not - What Would Jesus Do? (What Will You Do?)

Luke 23:33-34 (NIV)

33 When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him, along with the criminals-- one on his right, the other on his left.

34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

I could bring MANY more examples, but I am asking you to follow your HEART and the BIBLE and DO what Jesus would do .. don’t turn people away .. love them .. help them .. heal them .. lead them to salvation