So, What Is That To You?

Following taken from the sermon preached by Jim McClarty titled Introduction to the Gospel of John. http://www.gcaarchive.com/john.shtml


“Burn this into your consciousness and your thinking. Jesus said, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me.”

So much of our Christian life is spent looking horizontal, looking at other people. What about them, Lord? What about them? I’m working hard here Lord. I’m serving you. I’m doing all the right stuff and him, he gets a new car. I can’t afford a new car and he’s got a new car. He’s no better than me. Why, Lord?

Or…

“You know I’m serving you, I’m doing fine, Lord and I’m stricken again with some disease, I’m stricken again with some discomfort. I’ve got to suffer again, Lord. Why? Why? He’s not suffering. He’s doing fine, look at him. And he’s just barely nominally Christian and I’m serving you and look at me.”

The answer is always going to be, every time you try to look at somebody else and try to draw a comparison between your Christianity and their Christianity, the answer is always: “What is that to you?” When did you become the central point here between what God is doing with Ron? God is working on Ron individually, specifically, personally. So whatever he’s doing with Ron is what He’s doing with Ron. But, what He’s doing with Kate, might be something else.

So it’s not fair for Kate to look at Ron and say, “Well, my Christianity is not going the way Ron’s is going.” The answer is… “So. What is that to you?” God will deal with you. God will deal with Ron.

As soon as you start that horizontal comparing thing, as soon as you start getting concerned about what everybody else is doing or somebody else is doing, you have moved Christ away from that central point He must have in every aspect of your life.

And so Jesus said to Peter, “What is it to you if I decide he’s going to live until I come back. What is that to you? You follow me.”

See, your Christian relationship is a completely one-on-one relationship. Your relationship with Christ isn’t supposed to look like somebody else’s relationship with Christ. It’s two different relationships…

…God deals with individuals. Whenever you get frustrated by what God is doing with somebody else, pull that phrase out again… “What is that to you? Follow me.””