Following Jesus, No Reservations

Football season is in full swing. Players and fans of all ages are counting on exciting plays and victories. I am not much of a football fan, but I am a fan of both history and good stories. When these coalesce against the backdrop of football, I can be a fan. Take, for example, the story of Carlton “Cookie” Gilchrist. A football player so talented, the Cleveland Browns tried to sign him while he was only a junior in high school.

He ended up starting his professional career in Canada, but he eventually came south of the border to play with the Buffalo Bills and then the Broncos and Dolphins. Despite his relatively short career of just six seasons, Cookie was one of the greats. Some have even called him one of the best all-around football players ever to play. At 6-foot-2 and 251 pounds, this fullback could block, catch, tackle, and kick field goals. He even set the pro football record for rushing yards in a single game.

It is too bad his high school recruitment didn’t pan out. What teenager wouldn’t just love to tell all their friends about how they just signed a contract to play professional football? We’ll come back to Cookie a little later, but now consider someone else who was recruited—another young man who was offered a much better deal.

Matthew 19 tells us that a young man once came to Jesus with a question. He was an important guy with an important job, lots of money, and just a good guy all around. With all this going for him, he’s still missing something, and he knows it. He comes to Jesus and asks, “What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” (Matt 19:16b). This young man wants to know how He can have the right relationship with God that we all need. He’s talking about what the Bible calls getting “saved” or being “born again.” He knows he’s spiritually dead. He knows that there is a barrier between him and God. That isn’t good.

Now this young man wants to know what he can do to make things right between himself and God. do you remember what Jesus tells him? Jesus says to this man, “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me” (Matt 19:21). By “perfect,” Jesus doesn’t mean sinless or infallible. He means complete. Something is missing from this man’s life. There’s something this young man loves more than he loves God; and it’s his possessions. He loves his stuff more than he loves God. He’s not ready to trust God and to follow Him because his stuff means more to him. Jesus tells him to give it all away. Go get rid of it all. Sell everything and give to the poor. Now, Jesus isn’t giving this man just another good deed he has to do to get saved. What Jesus is doing is putting his finger right on the outward act that would show that there’s been an inward change in this man. This man has a sin problem he hasn’t yet turned from to follow God. He loves his possessions more than he loves God. That’s called idolatry. The Bible tells us that getting saved means turning from idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thess 1:9). The Lord Jesus tells this young man to do that and follow Him.

Essentially, Jesus is recruiting him. He says, “Follow me.” However, just like Cookie Gilchrist, this man needs to be eligible for recruitment. Cookie wasn’t eligible to play pro ball because he was still in high school. This young man isn’t eligible yet because he has a divided heart. If he makes the right choice, he will be eligible. This is a choice confronting everyone. That is, not the choice to sell everything, but to choose if you will follow Christ. Even when a person makes that choice to become a Christian, there is still the recurring temptation to aim your following towards someone or something else.

I said I would tell you some more about Cookie. There’s a famous story about Cookie Gilchrist when he played for the Bills. They were playing against the Patriots and Cookie began the game like a savage. He was sending his opponents tumbling left and right, but he kept waiting the whole first quarter, hoping to run with the ball. Instead, the quarterback kept throwing it, almost every play. By the middle of the second quarter, it was becoming apparent the quarterback was going to throw the ball, no running plays. Cookie took matters in his own hands. He just stopped blocking. If this wasn’t going to be a Cookie Gilchrist game, then Cookie was going to let the other team tackle the quarterback. When he did this, the quarterback got pounded. Still, there was more to the story. Cookie really crossed the line when he gave up in frustration and sent a friend in to sub for him without asking his coach. Boston won, Buffalo lost. The next day, the coach for the Bills put Cookie’s contract up for grabs.

The team’s owner wisely said, “No one man is more important than the team.” It didn’t matter how well Cookie could play football. The Bills said that any team that wanted to claim Cookie could have him for a measly $100. Now that got Cookie’s attention. He didn’t want to be cut from the team as a loser, so he apologized. He apologized to his team and his coach. You see, at first, Cookie wanted to do things his way. He was divided in his choice to follow. So was the young man who didn’t want to give up his possessions to follow Christ. Cookie Gilchrist saw the errors of his ways, admitted he was wrong, and asked for forgiveness. He had been putting himself before the team, and that had to change.

What about you? Since accepting Christ’s recruitment offer to follow Him, have you shifted your loyalties? Have you found other things to follow instead of the Lord? If you’re a Christian, remember your contract. You’re a follower of the Lord Jesus, so repent and follow your Savior with vigor and tenacity.

Brent Niedergall is youth pastor at Catawba Springs Christian Church in Apex, North Carolina. He holds an MDiv from Shepherds Theological Seminary and is pursuing a DMin from Maranatha Baptist Seminary.