Steve Jobs, Jesus, Sugar Water Christians and Changing the World
"Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to change the world?" These famous words were uttered by Apple Co Founder Steve Jobs to then CEO of Pepsi John Sculley. John was sitting tight in a nice job in a secure company raking in options and money that even in 1983 dollars, I will likely never see in my life. John’s claim to fame was being the brainchild of the Pepsi Challenge ad campaign.
Steve Jobs and the Woz birthed the Apple IIe. Apple was successful and tapping into a new market, but at the time, they were no PepsiCo. But that final challenge to John was what drove him to leave his safety and security and help change the world.
At the end of the day, that is what Jesus is calling us to do. We are to let the dead bury the dead, drop our fishing nets and follow him, pick up a cross and follow him, and essentially be broken and poured for other people. There is no safety or security in answering this call. There is no promise of cash, glory, safety, or security. But we get to change the world.
So I ask my fellow pastors with 80% or more of your tithes going into operating expenses, my fellow neighbors in homes of comfort and debt, my friends who value (like me) safety and security and a glimpse of tomorrow….do you wanna sell sugar water…or do you wanna change the world. Invite me to change the world with you and I will come.
I’ve been invited to Haiti, I go to Haiti. I’ve been invited to the east side of Joliet to feed people, I go. I have been invited to coffeehouse to make a difference in the lives of kids, I go. I’ve been invited to a fair trade event, I’m going. I’ve been invited to go start a community, I go. I go becuase we can change the world. I’ve invited you to do the same. This is good.
I’ll take that over a wicked cool party with lots of sugar water any day. Don’t try to sell me sugar water. Invite me to change the world.
Good words!
Comment by pastorjim — December 1, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
Actually, Jobs and Wozniak birthed the Apple I computer - the II and the IIe wouldn’t come until a few years later. Then, in 1984, they introduced the world to the computer that would be copied by Microsoft - Macintosh.
Me, I’ll go for changing the world.
Comment by David W. Shelton — December 6, 2008 @ 10:38 am