What is Holding You Back?

In the spring of 1968, Dennis Wilson was driving through Malibu when he noticed two female hitchhikers. He picked them up and dropped them off at their destination. Not long after, Dennis noticed the same two girls hitchhiking again. This time, he took them to his home on Sunset Boulevard. Dennis then went to a recording session. When he returned at around three o’clock in the morning, he was met in his driveway by someone he did not know. And when he walked into his home, there were about a dozen people occupying the premises, most of them female.

That person he did not know was Charles Manson.

Dennis became fascinated by Manson and his followers, and the “Manson Family” then lived with Dennis for a period of time, at Dennis’s expense. Initially impressed by Manson’s songwriting talent, Dennis introduced him to a few friends in the music business, including Terry Melcher, whose home on Cielo Drive would later be rented by director Roman Polanski and his wife, actress Sharon Tate. More on that below.

In September of 1968, Dennis’s band, the Beach Boys, recorded “Never Learn Not to Love.” The original song, titled “Cease to Exist,” was written by Charles Manson.  Dennis Wilson, however, took the original, changed some of the lyrics, and re-wrote the music to the song.

Shortly after midnight, on August 9, 1969, in a mansion located on Cielo Drive within the exclusive Benedict Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles five people were murdered. Among those dead were actress Sharon Tate and coffee heiress Abigail Folger. The next night, another multiple murder shook LA. Rosemary and Leno LaBianca were stabbed to death in their home near Hollywood. Three months later, Charles Manson and members of his “Mansion Family” were arrested and charged with the Tate-LaBianca Murders.

Around 30 AD, Jesus Christ invited Simon and his brother Andrew, along with James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John to follow Him. Jesus would eventually invite eight more men and these twelve men would ignite a movement that changed the world.

SO, what is the common denominator in these two stories? OR, maybe a better question is –

What would cause ordinary people to do such bizarre things, such out-of-the-ordinary things? How about loneliness? How about vulnerability? How about a very charismatic leader? Maybe no place else to turn?

Let me start by defining discipleship. What is a disciple? The dictionary defines a disciple as a pupil or follower of any teacher or school or learning, religion, art, etc. and/or one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another. 

A disciple of Jesus is someone who is obedient to Jesus. It is someone who seeks God’s guidance, and His purposes and Plans, in everything by praying, listening, seeking wise counsel, and here is a biggie… responding even when it might not make sense.

Let’s look at one of my favorite verses in the whole of the Bible. The story goes like this – It is morning and Jesus had just finished up teaching, both from the shore and from a boat. The disciples had been out all night fishing. The men, these fishermen, had been throwing in the net all night, pulling it back in, and coming up empty. They are exhausted from having worked all night. In the morning they are standing on the shore, their necks are aching, their back is hurting, and they are washing their nets out. Jesus comes along and we pick up the story. Before continuing, click here to read.

So, do you want discipleship in one simple phrase? – Because you Jesus say so, I will.

I wouldn’t do it for anything else, anybody else. Lord, you know that I have been rowing all night, I have been trying, I keep throwing out the net, I’m coming up empty. My inclination is to row to shore, chop my boat up into firewood, throw the net on top, pour gasoline on the whole pile and burn it all … Because you Jesus say so, I will.

I’m coming up empty in my marriage, we’ve gone to counseling over and over again, I’ve had a hundred conversations with my husband or my wife. Nothing is changing. Oh God, I wouldn’t try to reconcile for anyone else … But because you say so, I will. 

I wouldn’t give up drugs or alcohol or stop having sex outside of marriage or invite my neighbor out for coffee and or reconcile my broken relationship for anyone else … But because you say so, I will.

Lord, you know I am shy, and I hate to go public with my faith and it is just so uncomfortable for me to talk about spiritual things … But because you say so, I will.

Lord, I wouldn’t quit my job, sell my lovely house with a nice yard and a swimming pool, leave behind all that is familiar, and move 450 miles away for anyone else … But because you say so, I will.

Or maybe, it is being called to take that first step and become a Jesus-follower.

What is it that you hear the Lord calling you to? What is holding you back from saying … But because you say so, I will.

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