Discipleship 201 Part 2
Notes
Transcript
Follow Me As I Follow Jesus
Our foundation Scripture is Matthew 28:18-19
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Last week we talked about getting a Battle Buddy
Or as the ladies wanted, “ride or die” or go to girl.
Why ?
We are in the battle together
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.
You go it alone because you don't trust people or because of your pride.
Men mostly because of Pride
Women mainly out of lack of trust
Are these easy to work out? No of course not but it is essential that they are
Question - Who is your Battle Buddy?
Did you get one this week? If so how was your talk?
Today I want to add a few more pieces
2. Disciples Center Around God Not Themselves
Jesus is Lord or Jesus is Nothing - Think about that for a second. What does that mean?
No Lord = No Savior
How about David
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
David new he could not go it alone. David knew there was very real evil in the world.
Contrary to popular belief - evil is real. it is not just found in a video game .
People believe that what is ok with you is your belief system . I have mine - So it is all relative to the individual. This means there is no standards for evil or for Good.
If you follow this train of thought to its conclusion - Then Hitler was not evil and Mother Teresa was not a saint.
If there is no evil then there is no need of hell. There is also no need for heaven.
Arnold Schwarzenegger said , Arnold also expressed his perspective on heaven, describing it as a “fantasy” in his own understanding. “When people talk about, ‘I will see them again in heaven,’ it sounds so good, but the reality is that we won’t see each other again after we’re gone,”
He is a Sadducee. He thinks he is smarter than God.
Josephus a first century writer , we learn that the Sadducees believed that the soul perishes with the body (Antiq. XVIII. 1.4) and, therefore, can receive neither penalties nor rewards in an afterlife (War II. 8.14).
What did Jesus says
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God:
32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
Arnold is right , he wont see his family when he breaths his last breath. He will see something quite different and terrifying.
David on the other hand, His life was wrapped up in God.
If you read the psalms - over and over you see Davids heart before God.
How about Paul
Paul - a very smart guy, well respected as a rabbi, a pharisee of pharisee,
But this is what he said and it is worth meditating on.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
We call this “Christocentric” We get to the point where we talk about him, we think about him, we pray to him, we spend much time with him.
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
Even to the point of dying like him (early church)
Why?
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
3. Disciples Give Their All
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,
26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
28 “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?
29 “Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,
30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
31 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 “Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
33 “So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
I’m not advocating, you to go sell your house today and put the money in the offering. I’m saying God wants nothing to stand in the way of a relationship with him.
You have to pray about it.
Pray over everything. God doesn’t want you stuck in situations that leave you trapped.
Its all a matter of the heart.
We count the cost and give it our all
Personal illustration- We sold everything three times - everything. Homes Savings, cars, nearness to our grandchildren, friends and family.
It is not easy.
4. Disciples Live By Faith
When you live by faith, you will do things you would not normally do and you will get things you don’t normally get.
29 Then He touched their eyes, saying, “It shall be done to you according to your faith.”
CONTEXT
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Some of your Bibles say assurance or confidence. The Greek word is Hypstasis - a support , a substance or a steadiness.
Faith has substance (essence) n. — that which something really and truly is; whatever that (logically prior) quality, aspect, or reality is that makes things what they are.
This word is a noun -it is a real thing - It has a deep meaning
It has Rhema - (a personal direct word from God) Let me explain
Peter got out of the Boat by a Rhema word.
29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
I want you to think about this miracle for a second
Jesus said you can move mountains, he also made it clear you could walk on water - Which one is harder?
You live by the word of God.
It has substance. You can obey it because it has the power to sustain you.
Many of our prayers are unanswered because there is no substance in the faith.
Think about this and try it. Go to the nearest pool and pray that God will have you walk on water to the end of the pool.
If any of you are able to walk on water to the end. I will make you my associate Pastor.
So why was Peter able to walk on water?
Because Jesus was already walking on Water. Peter Saw Jesus walking on the water and said to JEsus Command me to come to you. In other words. I know the wind and the waves will listen to the commandment of the Lord so Jesus shouts back to Peter Come
Not just come and try this cool thing but Peter come out of the Boat and join me. Scripture then says Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus. If he would of kept his eyes and ears on Jesus he would of been OK. If your further read Matthew 14 it says the wind(breath) did not stop untill the got into the boat.
Today if you want to step out in faith there is always a wind behind you that reinforces the natural elements which put fear into your hearts and minds.
Lets look at Jn 15:7
John 15:7 (ESV)
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Combine this scripture with Matthew
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
We need his word on it before we can act on it.
It is in Jesus name - Not Just saying Jesus but - Jesus has to be in it.
God will provide what is needed to accomplish a task.
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves,
6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’?
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.
9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
The effective fervent prayer of the righteous availith much
When you pray you have to pray in the Spirit. ( in other words be directed by it) or else you might not receive an answer or blessing on it.
Having the Mind of Christ and the movement of the Holy Spirit AMEN
Conclusion
Where is your life focused?
What Rhema word have you heard from Jesus?