Whom Seekest Thou? - July 2023
Talk given to the Mountain Point 4th Ward in Draper, UT on Sunday, July 16, 2023
Assignment
To help introduce the new Ward Theme as proposed by Bishop Boyle: Whom Seekest Thou?
My main points to focus on are the following:
- If not the prophet, who are you following?
- With whom do you stand?
- What are you currently pursuing in your path of discipleship?
- To what or to whom are you converted?
Outline 2
- Opening - Introduction to the Ward Theme
- Background Scripture story on “Whom Seekest Thou?”
- What does this mean?
- For whom or for what are you a disciple?
- Discipleship & Devotion
- What does it mean to be a disciple to someone or something?
- Do disciples seek after that which they worship?
- Can you be a disciple to non-religious things?
- Secular people?
- Technology?
- Ideas?
- Behaviors?
- Sins?
- For whom do you want to be a disciple?
- Why?
- How can we be a better disciple of Jesus?
- Scriptural examples of disciples of Jesus
- Modern-day examples of disciples of Jesus
- Conclusion
- “Whom seekest thou” is, IMO, a question of “to whom are you devoted”, or, “for whom are you a disciple?”
- Questions to ponder:
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to follow the prophet?
- Even when the prophet asks you to do abstain from things that you want to do?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to follow their local leaders?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to accept and magnify callings?
- Even when you’re called to do something that you don’t want to do?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to serve others?
- Even when you’re busy? Or even when you’re tired? Or even when you have other plans?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to follow the prophet?
Opening - Introduction to the Ward Theme - 4mins
- Grateful to be here, and to be able to talk more about Jesus today
- Our theme, as presented by Bishop Boyle is the phrase: “Whom Seekest Thou”
- Can be found a couple of places in the Scriptures, but the primary location is in John, chapter 20:
- In this passage, Mary had come to the tomb where Jesus was buried, and did not find Him there
11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. 14 And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. 16 Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
- Mary was seeking Jesus Christ. But what constitutes “seeking”? Let’s dissect a bit what she did, taking potentially a couple of very small liberties in some assumptions:
- She arose early in the morning and sacrificed her sleep, her time, and potentially money for the items with which they would dress Jesus’ body, all to go to a place where a dead body supposedly had been sitting for 3 days.
- She put her own comfort and self aside in order to serve
- When she didn’t find Him, she was distraught, beside herself, searching for her Savior
- One thing occupied her mind totally: Finding Him
- So, how can we summarize or distill Mary’s example as she sought Jesus?
- Sacrifice
- Devotion
- Discipleship
- In our exploration of how the ward’s new theme, “Whom Seekest Thou,” can be applied to each of us, I’d like to dive a bit deeper into the ideas of devotion and discipleship. As I do so, I pray that you all will ponder the following questions:
- Word of warning: Lots of “whoms” coming at you, and I feel like I’ll use them about 50% right
- With whom do you stand?
- To whom are you converted?
- Everyone is a disciple for someone or something. To whom or to what are you a disciple today?
Devotion & Discipleship - 4.5 mins
- What does it mean to be devoted to something?
- What does it mean to be a disciple for a cause?
- Taking those feelings and turning them into action, brings a sense of identity to the devotion
- Disciple sounds a lot like discipline
- In 2006 Pres. James E Faust spoke on this relationship:
The word for disciple and the word for discipline both come from the same Latin root—discipulus, which means pupil. It emphasizes practice or exercise. Self-discipline and self-control are consistent and permanent characteristics of the followers of Jesus, as exemplified by Peter, James, and John, who indeed “forsook all, and followed him.”
- Can you be a disciple to non-religious things?
- Corporations? Governments? Political ideologies? Sports?
- We are all following someone or something today (often several things at once)
- Technology and society today provide a plethora of options for people or things to follow
- Consider “followers” and “influencers”
- Influencers: the most popular answer to the “when I grow up” question in 2022
- Literally means someone that can encourage you to do what they do, talk like they talk, think like they think, often for commercial reasons
- This isn’t meant to bash social media, it can be a force for good, nor is this a talk about the “good ole days” before social media and technology. Frankly, things were hard and people did bad things 70yrs ago like they do today.
- This is simply pointing out that we are being “influenced” by more forces than you might imagine
- To summarize: Devotion and discipleship both have an underlying assumption:
- That to which you’re devoted occupies your mind
- You actively follow that for which you’re a disciple
- In other words, you spend your time thinking about, and participating in the things to which you’re devoted
- Potentially this is a good definition of seeking after something
- So, to whom should you be devoted? To what cause?
- I’m sure, given this setting, most of you are thinking, “Jesus of course”
- But why?
Why be a Disciple of Jesus? - 5.5mins
- Why pursue true discipleship of Jesus Christ?
- The Scriptures are replete with examples of how and why you should
- Almost literally this is the purpose of the Scriptures: to testify of the importance of devoting yourself to Jesus, and the blessings that come from doing so
- For time, I’ll choose one timely story outlined in the New Testament that we studied this week: The Story of Paul
- The Scriptures are replete with examples of how and why you should
- What did Paul do to devote himself to Jesus?
- He gave up almost everything in his life to start his path in following Christ
- He was beaten, stoned, whipped, involved in multiple shipwrecks, abandoned by his previous friends and family
- In short, he suffered and sacrificed more than you or I
- What did Paul gain in devoting himself to Jesus?
- A knowledge of real truth
- A comfort in understanding his eternal reward
- In Paul’s own words:
- Philippians 3:4-9
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
- Paul expressed that he considered all his previous accomplishments and religious credentials as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He acknowledges the surpassing value of having a personal relationship with Jesus and the righteousness that comes through faith in Him.
- Here’s the not-so-secret secret that many have a hard time believing: True peace and lasting happiness is not offered anywhere else but in dedicated devotion and discipleship to Jesus Christ.
- True, lasting happiness doesn’t come from money
- True, lasting happiness doesn’t come from career success
- True, lasting happiness doesn’t come from sports (just ask any fan of any Utah-based sports team)
- True, lasting happiness doesn’t come from video games or technology
- True, lasting happiness doesn’t come from popularity or prestige
- Most importantly to understand: true, lasting happiness doesn’t come easily, it requires dedication and hard work
- James E Faust:
The blessings of discipleship are readily available to all who are willing to pay the price. Discipleship brings purpose to our lives so that rather than wandering aimlessly, we walk steadily on that strait and narrow way that leads us back to our Heavenly Father. Discipleship brings us comfort in times of sorrow, peace of conscience, and joy in service—all of which help us to be more like Jesus.
- To summarize quickly for time: Choosing to put in the work to seek Jesus, to be a disciple of Jesus will ultimately make you a happier human, more pleased with your life regardless of your circumstances
Conclusion - 2.75mins
- It’s my personal belief that, with very few exceptions, every action you take, every word you speak, and every thought you have are a reflection of the ideals or people that you follow, and the person that you’re becoming at any given time
- In other words, your thoughts, words, and actions speak to whom you are seeking.
- It’s also my belief that the more time, thought, attention, and action that we devote to Jesus and His cause, the more that we will be blessed
- I have some questions that I’d like to leave you with to ponder. Some of these might seem a bit out of left field, but I promise that they are related to this notion of devotion, discipleship, and seeking after Jesus Christ:
- Do you want to be a better disciple of Jesus?
- What is keeping you from doing this?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to follow his prophet and other general and local leaders?
- Even when the prophet asks you to abstain from things that you want to do? Or do things that you don’t want to?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to accept and magnify callings?
- Even when you’re called to do something that you don’t want to do?
- Do you believe that Jesus expects His disciples to serve others?
- Even when you’re busy? Or even when you’re tired? Or even when you have other plans?
- Youth, especially those from 12-18yrs old: Do you believe that discipleship is just for adults?
- Older youth: Do you believe that discipleship is just for the young bucks with more energy?
- Do you want to be a better disciple of Jesus?
- I bear testimony of the following absolute truths regarding seeking after Jesus Christ, because I have experienced them in my life without a doubt:
- We are kept spiritually safe, and are happier in this life, when we sustain and follow Jesus through sustaining and following His prophets and leaders
- We are kept spiritually safe, and are happier in this life, when we do all that we can to become like Jesus in thought, word, and deed
- We are kept spiritually safe, and are happier in this life, when we are devoted to and disciples for Jesus