A Story of God at Work in Lordship at Fort Collins
By Deacon Tuttle
As believers, God continually asks us to surrender and trust Him in all aspects of our lives. Whether it be our relationships, finances, vocations, or more. We are called to live in submission to our Lord, Jesus. It remains a process of the Spirit convicting us in ways where we fall short of that call, and God, in His mercy, guides us to lay it beneath His feet for His glory and our good.
It all started in a climbing gym where Tim, a staff multiplier on campus, complimented Connor's shoes. If you’re not inundated with climbing culture, Tim describes it as “surface-level friendly, but people don’t want to get deep.” To Tim’s welcome surprise, this brief comment broke the ice and immediately allowed for a closer connection between the two of them. When they began to learn more about each other, Tim shared that he was on staff at a church to which Connor quickly replied, “What church?” This was a different encounter than normal. Often, when Tim shares with others that he is a Christian, people are quick to run off, but not Connor. Tim took this opportunity to ask more questions about Connor’s faith background.
Often, when Tim shares with others that he is a Christian, people are quick to run off, but not Connor.
Connor told Tim that he had recently started attending church back home and was interested in reading the Bible with his girlfriend. Tim was ecstatic to hear about Connor’s spiritual openness and dove in to see if he could grab his phone number and teach him how to read the Bible using the Key.
Although the start of this new discipleship relationship with Connor in October was encouraging and fruitful, as the snow fell and the slopes opened, Tim and Connor’s connection waned for a while. When thinking back to this time, Tim said, “This brother’s a snowboard junkie.” From Friday night to Sunday evening, you would find Connor on the mountain. This was a clear barrier to their deepening friendship and the opportunities for discipleship.
“I felt this conviction, this guy said he's a believer. If this is a non-believer, that's fine. So I was like, I need to actually sit him down and help him understand the importance of following Jesus.”
As the months continued, and the Bible studies together and just seeing one another lessened, Tim was at a crossroads. He typically had texted three times with no response.. If people continue to ghost or are generally unresponsive, Tim decides to move on and see if other people are interested in a deeper community. This is when God intervened and transformed Tim’s view of pursuing others for the sake of the kingdom. Tim texted a fourth time because “I felt this conviction, this guy said he's a believer. If this is a non-believer, that's fine. So I was like, I need to actually sit him down and help him understand the importance of following Jesus.”
Tim was able to contact Connor and set up a time for them to have this monumental conversation. He simply said, “Help me understand where you’re at with the Lord.” Connor got candid and explained that his faith was a part of his life, but it wasn’t entirely in Jesus’ lordship. This gave Tim a bridge to explain the story of the rich young ruler in scripture. Similarly to Connor, the rich young ruler had expressed an interest in following Jesus personally, but his money and possessions were in the way of that commitment (Luke 18:18-23). Tim asked, “If Jesus were here right now, and looking at your heart, would He see that snowboarding every weekend has more of your heart than He does?” Connor replied, “Yeah, probably.” Following this, and in light of the rich young ruler, Tim invited Connor to declare that Jesus is Lord and to walk alongside him, teaching what that means to live that out. Connor thought and sincerely considered, and he said yes to confessing that truth.
“...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Connor started to prioritize village and Sunday gatherings, following his decision to make Jesus his Lord. No one had ever taught Connor the importance of the body of believers, and even Tim had assumed he knew why that was crucial for him to grow as a Christian.
God has commanded us for thousands of years to gather together to worship Him, enjoy Him, and walk together with fellow believers. The author of Hebrews wrote this, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25).
Connor had always viewed the church as a middleman, not a necessity, but now God has shown him what it means to worship alongside the saints each week.
Though Connor had previously idolized and supplanted time with God and community, that didn’t make snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors sinful. Quite the opposite, actually. When we properly take into account God’s giftings towards us and our interests with Him at the center, we are able to increase our enjoyment and worship Him in that.
The Christian perspective on that is unique from all other worldviews. When one comes to genuine repentance and faith in Jesus, with trust that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9), He is the one who will lead. He is not a one-time savior; our relationship doesn’t end in a proclamation, but instead begins with one and flows from that confession. He continues to grow us as we abide in Him.
To emphasize, obedience to God’s commandments is not what justifies us as Christians, but rather it is the fruit of a belief in Jesus’ Lordship, which produces faithfulness to God’s law. Salvation is not from the law, but by faith (Galatians 2:16).
Our lives are no longer our own when we receive Jesus as Lord, and that is a beautiful thing. In submission to His lordship, we are entirely free for the first time in our lives, and God continues to sanctify us for His glory and our good.
A life of obedience is based on what Jesus has done, not on what we can do. No amount of work can put us in the right standing or give us satisfaction in this life. Jesus’ invitation to follow Him, and a reception of that will lead to a whole transformation under His rule.
““For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
God has been teaching Connor about His Lordship and supremacy over all, as well as in his own life. We should praise our Lord for the way that He demonstrated this so tangibly in Connor’s walk. It’s an incredible yet humbling realization when we admit that what we bring to the table is not enough, a half-hearted response to God is unworthy, and that our interests alone are insufficient for a full life. Jesus is the one who came to give life, and He gives it abundantly (John 10:10). In His Lordship, He shepherds us to experience all that He offers.
