Keeping Up With the Roberts Family
Each month Cliff and Denise Roberts write home to their high desert family at New Life Fellowship to share all the happenings in their lives and their new church community. We look forward to posting their spiritual insights as they continue walking with the Lord in Lakeland, Tennessee.
may: cost of the cross
I’ve been challenged by the Lord recently to embrace something a bit different in our family’s monthly update. When He sent us to Tennessee and told us to “Go and make disciples”, I knew it meant specific people here, and we’ve been so blessed to be a part of that work. Our lives connect regularly with friends and we rub off on each other all sorts of iron-sharpening-iron refining works as we follow the Lord together. What I didn’t realize at the time, but enjoy immensely now, is the opportunity through numerous relationships to continue making disciples even multiple timezones away. So, these updates will still include family stuff, but more of what God’s doing IN me rather than THROUGH me (well, until He decides to change things up again).
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38)
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
Yes, I’m still SOAPing through the red letters in my daily devotions. As I read Matthew 10:38, I remembered all the t-shirts we had made for the youth group many years ago with “MK834” printed on the front and a HUGE cross on the back. The guy who did the shirts for us took the logo and actually used two screens combined together in order to print the cross as large as I wanted it. It was pretty awesome looking, and those shirt designs are still some of my favorite memories of youth ministry from our years in Barstow. Lots of summer camps, lots of group activities, lots of bright shirts with bold crosses on them.
But I was challenged again as I read Jesus’ words here to His disciples. I have such a sanitized view of following Him in the safety of American Christian life. We’re free to wear crosses around our necks, display them on our t-shirts, include them in our church buildings and even make the gestures of the cross as a reminder. But does any of that carry the same weight that the Lord’s words would have had for His disciples when He first uttered them?
Jesus described true discipleship as something extreme, something not just inwardly transformational, but outwardly radical. Disciples should be MARKED by their devotion, publicly displayed as radically different. Anyone carrying a cross through the street headed outside of town would certainly stand out, and not in a good way. But those who don’t live that way in following Christ don’t really understand what it means to be a disciple, and should question exactly who it is they’re following.
If what we’re doing has no cost, no price paid or sacrifice given, then it really has no worth. If I’m given a new pair of shoes and they don’t fit me, it’s easy to simply pass them on to someone else or sell them on Facebook Marketplace for $20. But if I coughed up $200 for some new kicks and end up not wanting them after all, am I going to sell them for $20 or just give them away casually? Probably not. I paid a price for them, and so there’s value attached that isn’t there when they don’t cost me anything.
The cross cost Jesus everything, but there was something of far greater worth to the Father than just the life of His Son. He was providing humanity with a way back into fellowship with Himself. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Those were also Jesus’ words, explaining to Nicodemus the magnitude of the Father’s love and what He was offering to the world through His Son. That’s pretty costly, more costly than anything else in all of history, and it’s why Jesus is so worthy.
And the challenge I received from that was this: Does my pursuit of Him reflect that? Does it reflect cost, sacrifice, the cross, surrender and obedience? The answer to that is best revealed in crisis. When I’m faced with persecution, or difficulty or trial, those moments bring clarity and definition to “discipleship” in ways that nothing else can. It ceases to be a label and becomes a revealed identity…or not. Sure, Jesus gave plenty of instructions and principles in His teachings, but His ultimate example and His clearest descriptions of genuine discipleship were radical cross-bearing sacrifice. If that’s the model He gave me, do I live like that?
It almost feels like I’m beating a dead horse by referring back to COVID, but the Church’s response and our behavior revealed so much about our understanding of discipleship. Rather than the cross-bearing, outwardly radical and visibly distinct requirement Jesus requires, our version largely avoided risk, prioritized personal safety, and mistook sacrificing our witness for sacrificing our comfort. The discipleship that we displayed was not very costly. In fact, it looked little different than any other social commitment, and was easily contained and controlled by ungodly authorities.
Perhaps even more revelatory has been the fact that we’ve yet to repent. We just picked up where we left off, oblivious to the damage done, unaware of how our witness wasn’t just rendered ineffective, but irrelevant. I’ve had to repent of my own shameful behavior, confessed to my family and asked friends to forgive me. Shoot, I even wrote a book in response to the whole thing!
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kv42pt4780szscl572oph/Our-COVID-Repentance.epub?rlkey=gdckjuq76ookjhw46te0gd5ow&st=1n6nobjx&dl=0
But my ultimate application is this: I am determined to follow Jesus in a manner that COSTS me. I must learn to embrace difficulty and welcome struggle. I must choose to wrestle through my issues and not ignore them. I refuse to bow to fear and will not be silent about the truth. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16, I will not be ashamed of the gospel. I need to open my eyes to see where I’m too comfortable, so that cost and sacrifice become commonplace for me—not as some badge of honor, but as a humble admission that I’m not the one who sets the standards of my own discipleship—Jesus does, and His standard is the cross.
So yeah, humility seems to be a recurring theme in my devotions recently. And by “recently”, I pretty much mean this entire year. But I am so thankful for His reminders, whenever and however they come.
Okay, family stuff. We snuck through Easter last month without a traditional “fancy clothes” picture. Honestly, it wasn’t intentional, but the day was already busy enough and we opted NOT to rearrange all of our schedules for a photo. But we did get to celebrate Life’s 10th birthday last week! We spent a Saturday visiting the Nashville Zoo and eating In-n-Out! Praise the Lord for In-n-Out! He opened lots of board games on his birthday and guess what he and dad spent the day doing? Yep, watching him beat me mercilessly. Ahh yes, I’m so proud of him. Oh, and Wisdom now has a car! Totally a “God thing” and His peace and assurance were present throughout the entire surprising process. Yeah, one of those “suddenly” moments that I’m trying to get better at. May is our month for anniversaries, birthdays, graduations (Purity from LIFE with her A.A. and Truth from high school) and all sorts of fun activities. As I’m writing this, I’m actually reminded of Wisdom’s sponsored internship with the Memphis Morning Center and wanted to communicate more about that as well. Hmm, maybe next month. Oh, and the Steps for Redemption 5K we’re doing as a family (wanna join Team Roberts? https://secure.qgiv.com/event/steps4redemption/team/1031467/). Oh, and I broke my lawn mower handle this morning—SQUIRREL! . . . What was I saying?
Alright, time to wrap this up. I’d hoped to include an update about Denise’s blog site, but maybe that’ll be next month as well. Man, there sure is lots to update, but for now, know that you are loved and deeply appreciated. Our friends across the country are such treasures in our lives. We are grateful for your prayers as well as the communication and investment in our family. For those who support us financially, you can still give through newlifebarstow.com/give. What a joy it has been to witness seeds planted years ago in the California desert sprouting and growing and producing such amazing fruit. Y’all are awesome, and we love you lots. And to everyone else reading this:
Tons and tons and tons of love from all of us,
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)
“And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:38)
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” (Mark 8:34)
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
Yes, I’m still SOAPing through the red letters in my daily devotions. As I read Matthew 10:38, I remembered all the t-shirts we had made for the youth group many years ago with “MK834” printed on the front and a HUGE cross on the back. The guy who did the shirts for us took the logo and actually used two screens combined together in order to print the cross as large as I wanted it. It was pretty awesome looking, and those shirt designs are still some of my favorite memories of youth ministry from our years in Barstow. Lots of summer camps, lots of group activities, lots of bright shirts with bold crosses on them.
But I was challenged again as I read Jesus’ words here to His disciples. I have such a sanitized view of following Him in the safety of American Christian life. We’re free to wear crosses around our necks, display them on our t-shirts, include them in our church buildings and even make the gestures of the cross as a reminder. But does any of that carry the same weight that the Lord’s words would have had for His disciples when He first uttered them?
Jesus described true discipleship as something extreme, something not just inwardly transformational, but outwardly radical. Disciples should be MARKED by their devotion, publicly displayed as radically different. Anyone carrying a cross through the street headed outside of town would certainly stand out, and not in a good way. But those who don’t live that way in following Christ don’t really understand what it means to be a disciple, and should question exactly who it is they’re following.
If what we’re doing has no cost, no price paid or sacrifice given, then it really has no worth. If I’m given a new pair of shoes and they don’t fit me, it’s easy to simply pass them on to someone else or sell them on Facebook Marketplace for $20. But if I coughed up $200 for some new kicks and end up not wanting them after all, am I going to sell them for $20 or just give them away casually? Probably not. I paid a price for them, and so there’s value attached that isn’t there when they don’t cost me anything.
The cross cost Jesus everything, but there was something of far greater worth to the Father than just the life of His Son. He was providing humanity with a way back into fellowship with Himself. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Those were also Jesus’ words, explaining to Nicodemus the magnitude of the Father’s love and what He was offering to the world through His Son. That’s pretty costly, more costly than anything else in all of history, and it’s why Jesus is so worthy.
And the challenge I received from that was this: Does my pursuit of Him reflect that? Does it reflect cost, sacrifice, the cross, surrender and obedience? The answer to that is best revealed in crisis. When I’m faced with persecution, or difficulty or trial, those moments bring clarity and definition to “discipleship” in ways that nothing else can. It ceases to be a label and becomes a revealed identity…or not. Sure, Jesus gave plenty of instructions and principles in His teachings, but His ultimate example and His clearest descriptions of genuine discipleship were radical cross-bearing sacrifice. If that’s the model He gave me, do I live like that?
It almost feels like I’m beating a dead horse by referring back to COVID, but the Church’s response and our behavior revealed so much about our understanding of discipleship. Rather than the cross-bearing, outwardly radical and visibly distinct requirement Jesus requires, our version largely avoided risk, prioritized personal safety, and mistook sacrificing our witness for sacrificing our comfort. The discipleship that we displayed was not very costly. In fact, it looked little different than any other social commitment, and was easily contained and controlled by ungodly authorities.
Perhaps even more revelatory has been the fact that we’ve yet to repent. We just picked up where we left off, oblivious to the damage done, unaware of how our witness wasn’t just rendered ineffective, but irrelevant. I’ve had to repent of my own shameful behavior, confessed to my family and asked friends to forgive me. Shoot, I even wrote a book in response to the whole thing!
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/kv42pt4780szscl572oph/Our-COVID-Repentance.epub?rlkey=gdckjuq76ookjhw46te0gd5ow&st=1n6nobjx&dl=0
But my ultimate application is this: I am determined to follow Jesus in a manner that COSTS me. I must learn to embrace difficulty and welcome struggle. I must choose to wrestle through my issues and not ignore them. I refuse to bow to fear and will not be silent about the truth. As Paul writes in Romans 1:16, I will not be ashamed of the gospel. I need to open my eyes to see where I’m too comfortable, so that cost and sacrifice become commonplace for me—not as some badge of honor, but as a humble admission that I’m not the one who sets the standards of my own discipleship—Jesus does, and His standard is the cross.
So yeah, humility seems to be a recurring theme in my devotions recently. And by “recently”, I pretty much mean this entire year. But I am so thankful for His reminders, whenever and however they come.
Okay, family stuff. We snuck through Easter last month without a traditional “fancy clothes” picture. Honestly, it wasn’t intentional, but the day was already busy enough and we opted NOT to rearrange all of our schedules for a photo. But we did get to celebrate Life’s 10th birthday last week! We spent a Saturday visiting the Nashville Zoo and eating In-n-Out! Praise the Lord for In-n-Out! He opened lots of board games on his birthday and guess what he and dad spent the day doing? Yep, watching him beat me mercilessly. Ahh yes, I’m so proud of him. Oh, and Wisdom now has a car! Totally a “God thing” and His peace and assurance were present throughout the entire surprising process. Yeah, one of those “suddenly” moments that I’m trying to get better at. May is our month for anniversaries, birthdays, graduations (Purity from LIFE with her A.A. and Truth from high school) and all sorts of fun activities. As I’m writing this, I’m actually reminded of Wisdom’s sponsored internship with the Memphis Morning Center and wanted to communicate more about that as well. Hmm, maybe next month. Oh, and the Steps for Redemption 5K we’re doing as a family (wanna join Team Roberts? https://secure.qgiv.com/event/steps4redemption/team/1031467/). Oh, and I broke my lawn mower handle this morning—SQUIRREL! . . . What was I saying?
Alright, time to wrap this up. I’d hoped to include an update about Denise’s blog site, but maybe that’ll be next month as well. Man, there sure is lots to update, but for now, know that you are loved and deeply appreciated. Our friends across the country are such treasures in our lives. We are grateful for your prayers as well as the communication and investment in our family. For those who support us financially, you can still give through newlifebarstow.com/give. What a joy it has been to witness seeds planted years ago in the California desert sprouting and growing and producing such amazing fruit. Y’all are awesome, and we love you lots. And to everyone else reading this:
Tons and tons and tons of love from all of us,
The Roberts Family
(Cliff, Denise, Purity, Wisdom, Truth, Justice, Honor and Life)
Hey, I actually took this picture myself! Why did Life choose the turtle out of all the animals on the carousel? Because it’s a turtle! Who’s ever ridden a turtle on a carousel? Why WOULDN’T he choose the turtle?
I got stuck on a boring old zebra.
I got stuck on a boring old zebra.
Truth doesn’t want us to fuss about him graduating, so I’ll just post this AMAZING picture of a DASHINGLY HANDSOME YOUNG MAN whom we are IMMENSELY PROUD OF in SO MANY INCREDIBLE THINGS HE DOES and are SO EXCITED for the things GOD has in store for his FUTURE! There, that should be fine with him, right?
Wisdom LOVES her car (imagine that!). Unfortunately, it now takes about 20 minutes to get out of the driveway because of the multi-car parade required to make room for whoever is leaving next. And if yours is the last one in, it’s probably getting borrowed first whenever a quick errand needs to be run.
When she was little, Purity would catch lizards, tarantulas, grasshoppers, pretty much any crawling little thing and come show us what she’d found. But now that she’s all grown up, a beautiful, mature 20-year-old… she catches all of those things for little boys who think it’s the absolute coolest thing in the world.