05 Apr The Cost of Discipleship: Beirut, Lebanon
In February I met up with some missionaries in Beirut, Lebanon who are beginning to plant churches all over the country. For many of you reading this, hearing Beirut probably conjures up images of civil war and concrete buildings being turned into rubble. Thirty years later, however, and you see a thriving country known as the Paris of the Middle East.
I have to admit, though, driving through the streets it quickly becomes eerie as you see many newly built glass sky scrapers that give the ancient city a modern face next to bombed out concrete buildings with bullet holes around the windows sprinkled throughout as a reminder of the past. This city’s fresh new face shows us the importance of this country throughout this region.
When people hear about church planting and evangelism in the Middle East they quickly think of persecution and martyrdom. This is the typical reality for many across this region. What is unique about Lebanon though is that it is both legal to share the gospel and convert to Christianity. It is the only country in the Middle East where this is the reality. Not only does it make this a strategic country for church planting, but also a spring board for the rest of the country.
This brings us to the churches that are currently being planted there. I had the opportunity to be apart of two different outreach events that were being used to gather interest in the new church plant and engage with people far from God. The first of these events was a professional production about a brother and sister who got involved with drugs and alcohol which eventually led to one of them dying. Hundreds of flyers were passed out on the streets for this event.
A Man Showed Up and Sat at the Back Row
There are two unique stories from this trip that begin at this production. The purpose of the event was to use it as a conversation starter to hear people’s personal stories and open the door to telling them my personal story and the role that Christ has played. Two hours before the start of the play, a man showed up and sat at the back row. One of the pastors that was traveling with me went to go start a conversation with him. He quickly realized that he was Muslim and spoke very little English, but was in fact there for the production. His name was Ahmed. After the play Ahmed said he couldn’t stay and talk, but would love to come to our meeting the next night at Starbucks for more conversations.
That same night I met two guys in their mid twenties who were attending the university in Beirut. I ended up watching the play next to them and had the opportunity to get to know them. Their names were Hassan and Joseph. After the play, I had probably the easiest Segway into the Gospel I have ever had. They both asked me to tell them about my life and that they wanted to hear my story. We went outside and I begin to not only tell them my story, but the story of Christ and what He has done for them. They were both Muslim, but seemed very interested in what I was talking about. We ended up talking for about thirty minutes, but neither of them wanted to deny their faith in front of the other. At certain points in the conversation, Hassan had tears in his eyes when I spoke of the sacrifice Jesus gave to forgive our sins. I was certain that the Holy Spirit was doing something in that moment and that they were sure to begin a relationship with Christ. They told me however that they would think about it, but they were Muslim and that was OK.
Lebanese students dance during “The Big Dance” event in downtown Beirut, near the parliament May 9, 2015. Around 900 students took part in the annual event organised by British Council’s global project, which aims to develop connections between schools in Britain and Lebanon. REUTERS/Aziz Taher
The following night I looked for my three new friends, but only Ahmed showed up. Ahmed was eager to talk. So, we did just that! We talked for several hours. I began to lay out the picture of the Gospel and why it was necessary for Jesus to give His life for our sins. As you can imagine this was very difficult with a translator, but somehow we were able to still communicate. What took place over this conversation was unlike anything I had ever seen. This man was literally counting the cost of following Jesus.
“If I follow Jesus, can I still be a Muslim?”
He would ask questions like, “if I follow Jesus, can I still be a Muslim?” “If I follow Jesus, what will I do about my family? They will hurt me and beat me up.” “If I am Christian, I will lose all of my friends. Will I find new friends?” Some of these questions were very difficult to answer, but nevertheless we continued. After what seemed like an eternity, Ahmed finally said that he could not become a Christian. It would cost him too much. I was heart broken. I had watched him weigh the cost of discipleship right before my eyes. One minute there seemed to be hope, but the next, it seemed as if satan were literally stealing the hope right from Ahmed.
I left Lebanon with a sense of despair and frustration. Was God not pursuing these men as I desired? It was at this moment that I was reminded that God has known and loved Ahmed, Hassan, and Joseph far before I ever had. He created them and cares if they love Him far more than I care. I continued praying for these three men and continued pleading with God to reach them where they were and that a miracle would happen.
A few days later I checked in with our ministry partner to see how things were and thanked him again for hosting us. He told me that all three of those men had come to faith very shorty after we left and got plugged into a Lebanese church to be discipled. I praise God that I will see my three friends in Heaven some day. I also praise God for opening my eyes to the realities of following Jesus.
Many of us Have Never Counted the Cost of Following Jesus
Many of us have never counted the cost of following Jesus. Listen to what Jesus says in Luke 14:28-30
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”
Are you willing to give everything in your life to follow Jesus? If you were in the position of Ahmed, what would you decide? Would you trade your family, your safety, your friends, and everything you know in life, to follow this “Jesus”? If you are currently a Christ follower, don’t assume that you have counted the cost of discipleship. Christ calls us to a higher standard, but also promises to give us His Spirit to guide us. What would it look like for you to reevaluate your life to see if everything you have and do align with the radical lifestyle Jesus calls us too. The cost of discipleship is high but the cost of ignoring this is higher.