207. Rock Goes The Gospel - Eric Clapton "Forever Man"

"Forever Man" is a song from Eric Clapton's 1985 album "Behind the Sun", released as the first single of the album. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, becoming his second single to do so. This was one of the last songs added to the album. Clapton's record company wanted songs that were more upbeat, so this was included. Songwriter Jerry Williams wrote this and two other songs on the album. Clapton's marriage was in bad shape at the time. This is a positive song affirming his love, but many of the songs Clapton wrote on the album, including "Just Like A Prisoner" and "She's Waiting (For Another Lover)," express his doubts about his marriage. Clapton married his wife Pattie in 1979. She was previously married to George Harrison, which didn't stop Clapton from expressing his love for her on the album Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs in 1970. Eric and Pattie divorced in 1988. he album title comes from the song "Louisiana Blues" by Muddy Waters, which contains the line, "I'm going to New Orleans, baby, behind the sun."Clapton had a new band for this album. It included Tim Renwick, Chris Stainton, and Donald "Duck" Dunn.

How many times must I tell you babe,
How many bridges I've got to cross?
How many times must I explain myself
Before I can talk to the boss,
'Fore I can talk to the boss?

How many times must I say I love you
Before you finally understand?
Won't you be my forever woman?
I'll try to be your forever man,
Try to be your forever man.

[Repeat Second Verse]

Forever man, forever man, forever man.
Forever man, forever man, forever man.
Try to be your forever man.

Forever man, forever man, forever man.
Forever man, forever man, forever man.
Try to be your forever man.

"Forever man" is a song about commitment from one person to another. It's about A loving devotion to communal life that two people share together. this is very clear from the lyrics. Yes, it's a love song but it is more than that. What is sung about is the kind of thing you want for all your relationships to have a undying devotion. It's a song that unashamedly put devotion on the map for us. The passage this morning from the bible does the same. We find in Acts 2 a moment where Luke who is the writer of Acts is reflecting on the fledgling church and pinpoints where it strength comes from. 

Now, does this sound like your experience of Christian followship? Gladness, sincerity, unity, generosity, awe, and wonder are all words that can be used to describe the experience members of the first Christian community enjoyed. So, what words would we use to describe our own experience of Christian community? Some of us would probably have to use words like boring, shallow, and disappointing. Others might use more positive adjectives like fun, nice, positive… but what happened to the awe and wonder? Let’s take a look at some of the things we need to do if we want to experience the kind of Christian community that Acts talks about.

DEVOTION TO CHRISTIAN TEACHING

The first aspect of Christian community is also the most obvious—it needs to be Jesus centered not just Christian in name, or a social club of people who happen to be Christians, but there needs to be a commitment to studying Biblical truth about Jesus. It is in the context of Christian community that God intends for us to grow in our relationship with Him. Learning to apply Christian truth to our lives isn’t just a personal exercise; it is an act of communal worship. Without devotion to Christian teaching about Jesus,community is over before it begins.

FELLOWSHIP AND BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER 

A second commitment foundational to community is a commitment to fellowship. A devotion to fellowship requires us to be a meaningful part of other Christian’s lives.  As we see in the example from Acts, fellowship doesn’t happen accidentally. Sharing meals together, giving generously of our possessions, visiting others where they live, is the result of intentional planning. Without intentionally spending time together, and a conscious commitment to fellowship,community will never happen. It's in this context of communal life that breaking bread happens, The early church were devoted to this on a daily basis.

CONTINUING IN ONE MIND

 Just as the early Christians “continued in one  mind,” we too need to continue to be united together throughout community living.. Unity is so important that Jesus prayed to the Father saying, “I pray also for those who will believe in me.... May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me...” (John 17:20-23). Jesus actually connects unity to the effectiveness of our witness to the world around us. It should be no surprise that when the book of Acts finishes the description of the early, united, Christian community, that it concludes with, “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day…” (Acts 2:47 NASB). Clearly, a united Christian community is attractive to outsiders. Unity has been always been an elusive goal. Even in Biblical times, we are shown a whole range of problems that undermine unity. Most of these problems are still around today in some form. The Corinthians were guilty of factionalism as members claimed their primary loyalty to different teachers (1 Cor 3:1-9). Racial and economic prejudice challenged the oneness of the early church (Eph 2:11- 22, 4:1-5, and James 2:1-6). Disunity also came from overzealousness in minor issues (see Romans 14:1- 23). I’m confident you can see how these same sources of disunity are still in the church today.

 SINCERITY OF HEART

 “Being of one mind” is needed for community, but an even deeper requirement is the sincere openness of our hearts. This is a kind of vulnerability that is rarely found outside of Christianity. Insincerity is natural for all of us who live in this fallen world. It’s just easier to be insincere, to hide, and to subtly deceive by keeping people at a distance. It is easy to come and engage intellectually without ever really letting our guard down and letting others see our heart. If we are to grow in our Christian walk, it is absolutely essential that we communicate the true state of our hearts in community together. This forces us to be honest with ourselves while providing an atmosphere of loving accountability.

 PRAISING GOD

 Praising God together can be one of the most enjoyable parts of community. This is more than just singing or prayer; this is worship together. As we share what God is doing in our lives, it encourages the entire community and brings glory and honour to God. As we take time to praise God for who He is and to thank Him for all that He has done, God naturally brings the community closer together.

DEEPER COMMUNITY

 Although there are things our secular society dislikes about the church at times, community is one aspect it wishes it could replicate. It’s unusual to see people who have deep, meaningful, other-centered relationships, and we live in a society that desperately wants those kinds of relationships. The goal of  community is not just that we can enjoy the blessings of God together, but also that we can develop a place that is attractive to non-Christians. Unfortunately, rather than welcoming newcomers, many Christians develop very closed, cliquish communities. Most people who are deeply antagonistic towards Christ, base their opposition on negative experiences with Christian community (or at least what they think is Christian community). If the people we rub shoulders with experience Christian community as a place where intimate, meaningful, loving, welcoming, God-Centered relationships happen, it will help remind their hearts of all that they are missing and bring them closer to Christ. Community doesn’t happen by accident. It requires commitment, time, patience, humility, and oldfashioned hard work. But, it is one of the best uses we can make of our time. One clear trend is that Christians who are part of community tend to walk closely with God throughout their lives. Those who are isolated from community tend to make more and bigger mistakes, and are far more likely to give up on their faith. For our own sakes, for the sake of other Christians, the sake of non-Christians, and for the great purpose of bringing glory to God, let us commit ourselves to developing the Christian community as a way of deeper commitment to one another.

This is what Clapton is urginging us towards in his song. A commitment or devotion that produces something and in the case of Acts 2: It produces Christian Community and a devoted commitment.