"Becoming a Disciple" (Part 4)

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV).

The third part of the process is surrendering to the direction of the Holy Spirit. We’ve already talked about hearing from God and the importance of walking in obedience, now we see the last of the steps. Each of them is progressively more difficult. To hear from God should be as natural as breathing for the believer. He has made it so with the countless revelations in nature, life, and the Scripture. Walking in obedience is a little more difficult, although there are so many opportunities to do that in our daily lives that God has made that possible as well. Think of each of the people you contact each day; a smile or a kind word is walking in obedience to God. The last, however, is tough. The natural man is bent toward rebellion, self-centeredness, and independence. To surrender to the direction of the Holy Spirit means that we fully give ourselves to Him. I love the way Jesus puts it:

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62 NIV).

Bruce Larson, in Believe and Belong, tells how he helped people struggling to surrender their lives to Christ: “For many years I worked in New York City and counseled at my office any number of people who were wrestling with this yes-or-no decision. Often I would suggest they walk with me from my office down to the RCA Building on Fifth Avenue. In the entrance of that building is a gigantic statue of Atlas, a beautifully-proportioned man who, with all his muscles straining, is holding the world upon his shoulders. There he is, the most powerfully-built man in the world, and he can barely stand up under this burden. ‘Now that’s one way to live,’ I would point out to my companion, ‘trying to carry the world on your shoulders. But now come across the street with me.’ “On the other side of Fifth Avenue is Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and there behind the high altar is a little shrine of the boy Jesus, perhaps eight or nine years old, and with no effort he is holding the world in one hand. My point was illustrated graphically. We have a choice. We can carry the world on our shoulders, or we can say, “I give up, Lord; here’s my life. I give you my world, the whole world.”

It is more difficult, but it is more fulfilling as well. Are you carrying the world on your shoulders, straining under the load? Become a real disciple and surrender to the Holy Spirit in your life!

"Becoming a Disciple" (Part 3)

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV).

The second part of the process is walking in obedience to His direction. The first part of the process, hearing from God,” is relatively easy. Walking in obedience to His direction is a little harder walking in obedience to His direction. François Fénelon, who died in 1715, was a French Roman Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer. In one of his essay he wrote:

It is not the multitude of hard duties; it is not constraint and contention that advance us in our Christian course. On the contrary, it is the yielding of our wills without restriction and without choice, to tread cheerfully every day in the path in which Providence leads us, to seek nothing, to be discouraged by nothing, to seek out duty in the present moment, to trust all else without reserve to the will and power of God.

I have found it much easier to think and pray about what God wants me to do than actually doing it. I fear that many Christians are like that. We gain knowledge; we worship and praise; and we then turn away from what God has designed us to do as if we hadn’t known it at all. Perhaps it is that the task is daunting and overwhelms us with its enormity. Perhaps it is such a small thing that it goes forgotten or procrastinated until it no longer remains in our view. Any reason for being disobedient to walk in His direction is serious.

You may be a bit overwhelmed now. I certainly understand! However, the best advice I have ever heard comes from Oswald Chambers: One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it.

You may be thinking how do I know what God’s direction is? Well, my first response would be, have you asked? If you have, then perhaps you simply didn’t hear the answer well. Being obedient to God’s direction is clearly shown to us in the Scripture. We could spend a great deal of time going through passage in the Gospels like the Sermon on the Mount, or the last instructions of Jesus, but let me summarize it all for you… Love God with all you heart, mind, and soul; and love your neighbor as yourself. That’s God’s direction. That may mean nothing more than a bright smile for those around you. It may mean much more as God calls to you to restoration of broken relationships. God is speaking. Take the first step. The others will follow. Be obedient to His direction.

"Becoming a Disciple" (Part 2)

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV).

First a few more basics and then we’ll look at some of the means of becoming a disciple. Remember, when we talk about disciple-making, we need to recognize that it is a process that takes time. One of the reasons people don’t become disciples is because they fall out of the process. The very definition of disciple demands that it occur over time. Also, we should recognize a person becomes a believer when they believe. “If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved.” (cf. Romans 10:9). Salvation comes to those who believe by faith. Discipleship comes as you begin the process of hearing from God, walking in obedience to His direction, and surrendering to the direction of the Holy Spirit.

So let’s begin. First, hear from God. The easiest way to accomplish this part of the process is through a consistent plan of daily Scripture reading. I know some of you are already thinking you are too busy, but I have found that to be a very weal argument. There are so many tools that are available for use in a daily reading of the Bible no one can claim that as an excuse. Who doesn’t have fifteen minutes sometime during the day to read or listen to the Scripture read? God speaks through the Bible; however, God also speaks through worship. I would hope that some of your weekly worship is done collectively through your local church. However, if the only worship you have each week is that one or two hours, you will not develop as fast or fully as you could otherwise. Use Christian praise as you drive in your car. Develop an eye for seeing the hand of God in your surroundings. Pray throughout your day. Even a brief expression of gratitude toward God is vital.

I love the old story of an old farmer who frequently described his Christian experience by saying, “Well, I’m not making much progress, but I’m established!” One spring when he was hauling some logs, his wagon wheels sank down to the axles in mud. Try as he would, he couldn’t get the wagon out. Defeated, he sat atop the logs, viewing the dismal situation. Soon a neighbor who had always felt uncomfortable with the farmer’s worn out testimony came along and greeted him, “Well, Brother Jones, I see you’re not making much progress, but you must be content because you’re well-established!”

God calls us to more than an initial experience of salvation. Read the Scripture daily. Worship daily. Pray daily. Sound too easy? It gets a little more difficult… stay tuned!

"Becoming a Disciple" (Part 1)

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 NIV).

At the end of our series The Land of the Living I decided that it would be instructive to spend a little time talking about being a disciple of Christ. In our reading today Jesus said we were to "go and make disciples of all nations". Perhaps the first question we should ask is “What is a disciple?” The definition of disciple is that of a "learner". It occurs frequently in the New Testament. The meaning applies to one who professes to have learned certain principles from another and maintains them on that other's authority. It also speaks about following in the exact steps of the teacher. So, a disciple is one who has set on a path to learn the person of Jesus Christ and allow His life to be their life both from example and teaching of another who is a disciple.

I believe there is a difference in the words "disciple" and "believer". You can claim to be a believer without really being a disciple. That’s not the ideal situation, nor is it what God desires for us. However, it is certainly possible; most of the time this happens through ignorance. Some people have simply not been given the right information; or any information at all. As incredible as that sounds, it is a pattern in many churches today. There are lots of educational programs and seminars; however, they often fail to produce disciples. They may produce well educated students, sometimes teachers; but, they do not produce disciples.

In order to move from the place of learning to disciple an individual becomes committed to growing like Christ and applying that growth in actions. Jesus told us to make disciples! Ultimately that's what a believer is, but it is more than just an acknowledgement of Christ. The disciple wants to be like Christ! We should certainly be concerned about a person becoming a Christian, but we should be equally concerned that they commit their life to discovering and applying the truths of God's Word to their life.

This week we will look at what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Please consider, have you surrendered your life fully to Christ? Ask yourself, am I a disciple of Jesus Christ?

"The Land of the Living"

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:6-14 NIV).

Today is the last in our little series of being in the land of the living. There are two things that are important. First, good works are both expected and natural for the Christian. Jesus often talked about bearing good fruit. He likened the true disciple to a good tree producing good fruit. In fact, he asked can “thistles produce grapes?” He also talked about fresh water only coming from a spring. He never denied that good works were expected. He declared them to be natural. Our problem today is that we try to force people to do good things through manipulation. Often it is unintentional; however, it still draws us away from the center of who we are. Grapes are “produced” by a vine; fresh water is “produced” by the spring. Good works are produced by the presence of Christ living within us. That’s the “law” of nature God has established. Wouldn’t it be ridiculous to plant an oak tree and expect it to give us apples? In the same way God has created each of us uniquely designed for a part of His ministry. When we are operating within that call, those gifts, and that mandate, we will do great things for God. Hidden in this principle is the danger of putting people in positions they are neither gifted nor suited for simply because we needed to do so to complete an organizational chart. Therefore we are to center ourselves in Christ and He will shine through us. That allows us to stop doing good things and do God things!

Second, it is never too late to live in the Light. No matter what you have done, or not done, the grace of God is sufficient to forgive you and cleanse you from every sin. Paul simply says, “Wake up.” I believe it his way of helping us understand that the detours we take along the way, some conscious and some not, are merely that. They are detours for the child of God. Some will have consequences that are difficult to bear, however all will be forgiven and we will be allowed back in the center of our journey. The great tragedy is those who don’t know any better. They have been deceived with good words. They have not been taught with God words. The heart of discipleship is in showing people the Scripture so that they may hear directly from God concerning their life. Just one quick example… everyone ought to share the gospel with others. No one can argue that is a principle of Scripture. However, that doesn’t mean that we all are to be a part of a particular program designed to accomplish that. The tool must never become our focus. Christ is our focus. Take the Light of Christ everywhere you go and it will force the darkness away. In your home, at work, in your church, the places you go for recreation, everywhere is a place that can use the Light. Live in the Light. That places you in the land of the living!

"The Land of the Living" (Part 5)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:6-14 NIV).

Today I want us to look at one phrase in the reading today: what pleases the Lord. To truly understand this we need one passage from the Old Testament:

The Lord says, “I hate, I despise your religious festivals; your assemblies are a stench to me. Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5:20-24 NIV).

The Apostle Paul understood the history of his people very well. Israel’s religious leadership was very good about developing and keeping laws. Yet when it came to the real work of ministry they fell woefully short. That’s the danger Paul warns about. We can get so busy doing things that we forget why we do them. We become classic hypocrites. I have read the Queen Mary was the largest ship to cross the oceans when it was launched in 1936. Through four decades and a World War she served until she was retired, anchored as a floating hotel and museum in Long Beach, California.
During the conversion, her three massive smokestacks were taken off to be scraped down and repainted. But on the dock they crumbled. Nothing was left of the 3/4 inch steel plate from which the stacks had been formed. All that remained were more than thirty coasts of paint that had been applied over the years. The steel had rusted away.
When Jesus called the Pharisees "Whitewashed tombs," He meant they had no substance, only an exterior appearance.

If we continue to paint our facade with good works done out of a sense of guilt, we will soon be lost to the image of religion without any base of spiritual presence. It’s nearly Thanksgiving. Soon the stores will begin displaying their “live” Christmas trees. I say “live” only to distinguish them from the man-made artificial trees that may also be purchased. Watch this… they were once alive; and, they look and smell as if they were still alive. But they are dead merely waiting for that proof to be shown. We can become like that as well. I’m not talking about your new birth being reversed/ I’m talking about the process of producing good fruit. That can only happen if you are alive. That necessitates remaining rooted in the love and grace of God. Forget about answering the “what” questions and answer the “why” questions. Root yourself deeply in the Lord. Allow the love He has for you and you for Him to display itself in every good work!

"The Land of the Living" (Part 4)

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:6-14 NIV).

The Land of the Living… is an interesting idiom. It means to be awake or alert. I certainly know that feeling of not quite being fully awake because of my experiences over the past few days since surgery. I was in the hospital overnight after surgery and was told early the next morning that I was doing so well that I could be discharged by noon. One of the last things to be done in order for me to be released was reviewing all the things that needed to be done once I arrived at home. There were certain medications to take at precise intervals; positions that I could rest in; and, how often I should walk and move about for maximum healing in a minimum of days. I must admit that I really felt good after surgery. In fact, I was walking as soon as they took the various IV’s and monitors off. I thought, “This is a snap so far!” Mary drove me home and got me settled in with everything I might need. I was doing so well that I thought I really didn’t need to take all of those narcotics they sent me home with. I know… you’re thinking that was dumb. And, it was. My youngest brother texted me and warned me not to act like “John Wayne.” That is to say I needed to take the medicine and do what the doctors said without trying to be the hero. Since he has just gone through a knee replacement, I should’ve listened to that advice!

The rest of Friday was pretty good. I didn’t sleep well as the pain began to build from the surgical wound. Saturday began with a high level of pain and it built from there! It was about as awful as it could have been. Believe me when I say that I started taking the prescribed doses and have continued taking them since! Today might be the first day that I would say I have rejoined “the land of the living.”

So here’s the deal. Paul tells his readers to live as children of the Light and produce the fruit of living in the Light: “goodness, righteousness, and truth.” At first glance it would be easy for us to turn that into a checklist of things to do. That’s the subtle deception of the devil. He wants us to believe that the product is the process. He wants us to believe that is we practice goodness, righteousness, or truth that means we are children of the Light. It is a very important distinction to draw. Act of goodness, righteousness, and truth do not produce life. They are the result of being in the Light. I’ve really just touched the fringe of this principle today. Tomorrow we’ll look more closely. Let me close today, however, by reminding you of what Jesus told the young man when asked, “What must I do to inherit the kingdom of God?” (cf. Mark 10:17-31). The young man boldly claimed that he had kept all the commandments from his earliest recollection. He went on to say that there must be more to be done. Jesus’ answer is so revealing: “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (verse 21, New Living Translation). It is a clear challenge to stop trying to DO something to gain eternal life and BE something.

There are no John Wayne’s in the Body of Christ. That is, there are no loners who know how to do it on their own. There are only followers who know how to do it in Christ! That is the essence of grace. It is the heart of the gospel. Today make a commitment to be a follower of Christ. I know, you now saying “tell me how.” Listen… if you will commit yourself to being a follower of Christ, He’ll tell you how! You will then be alert, awake, and in the land of the living!