Steve Timmis - I Wish Jesus Hadnt Said That: Finding Joy in the Inconvenience of Discipleship

I love listening to Steve Timmis teach. But I also read everything Steve writes. He has become somewhat of a Yoda for me and Imago Dei Church. In I Wish Jesus Hadnt Said That, this humble, witty, honest, and wise sage explores some of the hard sayings of Jesus and makes them clear and compelling. If you are looking for a basic discipleship book, some fresh sermon material for a study in the Gospels, or for a book that will simply make you love Jesus and his mission more, then take up and read.

Tony Merida, founding pastor, Imago Dei Church, Raleigh, NC;

Associate Professor of Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

For a Christianity that has been lulled to sleep by a pleasant, self-help Messiah, this book is the awakening course-correction. In chapter after chapter, Steve Timmis brought me back to the sayings of Jesus I thought Id made peace with and showed me afresh the tension his words were meant to create in the hearts of his hearers. I love his heart for clarity and his passion for the true Jesus to be known, regardless of how inconvenient he may be.

Matt Carter, Pastor of Preaching, Austin Stone Community Church;

coauthor, The Real Win

Steve Timmis has been used by God powerfully over the last decade to encourage us to think about the church in a way that is biblically faithful and tremendously helpful. In I Wish JesusHadntSaidThat... Timmis once again serves us well by presenting to us the parts of Jesus teachings that often get left out, but are imperative to our joy and gladness.

Matt Chandler, lead pastor, The Village Church, Dallas, Texas;

president, Acts 29 Church Planting Network

Steve Timmiss writing makes easy reading, without being shallow, as he treats some of Jesus meaty sayings. Concise, relevant, and insightful.

Simon Guillebaud, missionary and author

Steve Timmis leads us with raw honesty through the challenges of some of the most radical, life-changing statements Jesus ever made. This is to be read with a notebook and pen, shared with friends, discussed in home groups, taught in discipleship classes, and preached from the pulpit. From new converts to those who have travelled a little further on the journey, here is a book that will not only nourish and challenge you to the core, but is also a brilliant, brilliant read.

This book shines light on ten things that Jesus said; ten things that blow cobwebs off compromise, cut like a razor into the very guts of our faith in action, and dare us to build our lives on his terms.

This is a stimulating and inspiring book, and everyone will benefit from the lessons that are revealed... I dare you to read, believe, and breathe it.

Thank you, Steve Timmis, for such a refreshingly honest read; you have left me challenged and determined to change.

I wish Steve hadnt shared this stuff... but Im really glad he did.

Mitch, evangelist, cofounder of Crown Jesus Ministries

and author of Snatched from the Fire

I found this book compulsive reading I couldnt put it down!

Steve Timmis hits hard, but so truly and fairly. He kept reminding me of Jerry Bridges book RespectableSins, and I felt convicted in every chapter, but also encouraged to accept the challenge to change and be changed to become what Jesus wants me to be. Thank you, Steve!

Helen Roseveare, missionary and author

A profoundly challenging book. I was left reeling by these hard sayings of Jesus: first, when my mind acknowledged Jesus really had said what he said; secondly, when my heart began to wrestle with the implications; and thirdly, when my will cried to the Lord for help... but then there were flickers of joy.

Rico Tice, All Souls Church, London, and Christianity Explored

ZONDERVAN

I Wish Jesus Hadnt Said That

Copyright 2013 by Steve Timmis

Originally published in the UK by Inter-Varsity Press

Norton Street, Nottingham NG7 3HR, England

ePub Edition December 2013: ISBN 978-0-310-51653-8

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Timmis, Steve, 1957

I wish Jesus hadnt said that : finding joy in the inconvenience of discipleship / Steve Timmis.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-310-51652-1 (softcover) ISBN 978-0-310-51653-8 (ebook)

1. Jesus ChristWords. 2. Christian life. I. Title.

BT306.T56 2014

232.9'54dc23 2013034283

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: LUCAS Art and Design

Interior design: Ben Fetterley and Greg Johnson

Interior composition: Greg Johnson/Textbook Perfect

Printed in the United States of America

13 14 15 16 17 18 /DCI/ 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated toa stepmother who was as loving and kindas any mother could have been.

Contents

I n Mark 1:22 the evangelist says of the people who listened to Jesus teach, And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. Later, in Johns gospel, after Jesus feeds the five thousand and preaches his great Bread of Life Sermon, we find the people once again astonished at his teaching. This time their astonishment is not positive. They are not applauding what they have just heard. Instead, they give his words a grade of F and walk away. Their evaluation is short and to the point: This is a hard saying, who can listen to it? (John 6:60).

If you read the gospels you will quickly find that Jesus said many hard and difficult things. Some of his words were hard for people to understand. They didnt grasp the meaning. But after his crucifixion and resurrection, the mist cleared a bit, and the obscured meaning behind his teaching emerged for us to see. There are other sayings of Jesus that fall into a different category, however. They are not hard to understand; their meaning is clear. These sayings are hard to believe, and they are hard to obey. When we hear Jesus say these things, we are tempted to object. We think, You cant be serious, Jesus! Youre kidding, right? No one can do that!