Discipleship

Christians used the word "discipleship" to indicate the process of learning how, and being, a follower of Jesus. Much of the gospels are lessons Jesus gives on discipleship.

Many have a picture of what this means. But is it the same picture that Jesus has? There is a section in Luke, where Jesus gives four brief snapshots of different aspects of discipleship.

One time, Jesus' disciples were engaged in a discussion, trying to demonstrate who was the greatest. Jesus brings a child into their midst, and tells the disciples that receiving a child is the same as receiving him.

Discipleship does not focus on the high, and mighty. Discipleship focuses on the least. Discipleship serves the least.

Another time, the disciples tried to stop someone from healing, because they were not with Jesus. Jesus said if they were not against you, they were for you.

The nation of Israel had many tribes, and clans. But they were all God's people. The followers of Jesus are the same. There are many groups. Each group trying to obey, and proclaim, Jesus in their own way. Each groups has its reasons for following its way. And, yes, Jesus would look at some, and proclaim their ways are more profitable than others. And some ways may be just wrong. But he would say that all the groups are trying to glorify him. So, disciples of Jesus need to watch how they treat, and respond, to other disciples of Jesus. Jesus himself did not expect total uniformity. Otherwise, he would expect one group. Unity is not uniformity.

And, as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, through Samaria, a Samaritan village refused to be hospitable. The disciples wanted to drop a bolt of lightning on the village. Jesus rebuked this attitude, and went on.

Jesus' mission was to die for sinners. To bring them to a new life. Which included people from this village. Jesus' heart was for all people to experience God's mercy, and grace. His disciples need to have the same heart. In our day, there are many people who do hateful, and wicked, things. And it is easy to get angry, and wish for God's judgment to consume them. But that is not Jesus' heart. And it should not be the heart of his disciples. The prayers, and actions, of Jesus' disciples should be for all people to be captivated by the love of Jesus, and desire to live in agreement, and submission, to Jesus' will.

And last, there are a number of people who are concerned about the normal everyday. One person said he would go anywhere. Jesus said he had no home. Another said he had family obligations. And another said that family relationships were important.

It is not that Jesus is not concerned about physical needs, personal responsibilities, and personal relationships. But, often people can use legitimate concerns as excuses. Discipleship should be worked out in the midst of legitimate concerns. Disciples need to take of these legitimate concerns, but maintain an equal grasp on God's mission. It is like love. Love should be glad when people experience good. And if someone is involved in something bad, love is not glad, even if the person believes it is good. And patience, and kindness, need to be practiced. All of this at the same time.

Discipleship involves humility, unity, love, and the pursuit of God's mission. And everyday life, relationships, and personal responsibilities should not be neglected. Discipleship involves all of life.

God's Family As Ambassador and Intermediary

God has set up his people to represent him to the world, and to represent the world to him.

All of God's people are priests before him. All God's children:

• Have ministries of intercession.
• Are to demonstrate God's love and grace.
• Are to provide a path toward peace with God.

When there is failure, wrong, or disaster in the world, God's people should seek God's mercy for those in the middle of what is going wrong. God demonstrated his mercy in Jesus on the Cross. His heart is to build his family. When there is a demonstration of God's mercy, it is a call, an invitation, to return to him. It is also God revealing his heart.

God's people are a picture of what God's heart is like. If we act in judgment, hard heartedness, keeping grudges, or envy, we a proclaiming to the world that God is hard, keeps grudges, and is intent on judgment, and condemnation. The Cross demonstrates otherwise. It demonstrates that God is intent on love, forgiveness, mercy, and reconciliation. By our actions, we can call God a liar. It is best if we soften our hearts, or beseech God to soften our hearts, and respond to people in love. Which just might involve service in messy situations. Jesus was not above getting involved in the mess of life.

The gospel provides a path to peace with God. And it is the mission of God's family to bring an opportunity for each person in the world to obtain that peace. We need to start where we are, and bring God's peace to whatever city we are in. And then, take it ti the horizon, until there is no place in creation that has not been touched by God's love.

Give Honor

We are living in turbulent times. People are upset with the government, with people running the country. There are people exacting their own justice by turning schools, churches, and other places into shooting galleries.

And I have seen people, who say they are followers of Jesus, speak in condescending, and insulting, ways about other people -- about those in government positions, and those against the government. I think Scripture speaks pretty plainly about such behavior.

To quote the Apostle Peter: "Honor everyone!"

We can define "honor" as treating respectfully.

We can define "everyone" as everyone.

Like every single person on the plant.

One cannot look down on, insult, or degrade, another person, and respect them at the same time. Each person is created in God's image. God designed each person with infinite love, wisdom, and care. By trashing another person, we are trashing the God who made him\her.

I am not saying we need to agree with every person. But we need to disagree without treating other people like dirt.

Authority

Jesus said: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me."

This verse appears right before the Great Commission, at the end of Matthew. Many have taken it to mean that Jesus is promising his enabling power to finish the task. I certainly do not want to argue against a Jesus, who promises us to help us. But is that all there is?

If he has all authority in heaven, and on earth, then he has the ultimate control. If he has the ultimate control, then he is the one we need to obey, to listen to, and to take with complete, and total, seriousness.

Given that it is stated right next to the Great Commission, then we need to be totally serious about making disciples among every people group in the world. Not just evangelize, though that is important. Our commission is more than making a proclamation. We should also instruct, motivate, and demonstrate how to follow Jesus, so those receiving our input grow, change, become proficient, and motivated, to please all that Jesus commands.

Which means believing, giving and being generous, loving, and becoming part of the process to make disciples.

Jesus has ultimate authority. He commands us to be a part of this building process. All of his family are pastors, evangelists, and church planters. All of his family are called to pray, to love, to encourage, to build up, and to multiply life in the lives of others.

There is a lot of discussion about how this should be done. Jesus gave knowledge. Jesus demonstrated. Jesus also gave homework. When he sent out the Twelve, and the Seventy, he was giving them the assignment to go, and do, what he did.

Whatever method we use, it must produce the fruit of people up, and moving. It must produce the fruit of people changed by the life, and message, of Jesus. It must multiply one person's life into another. And it must affect, and grow, the character of people, so they resemble Jesus more and more.

New Creations

Paul wrote: If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things passed away. New things have come.

"He is a new creation" is present tense. A person yields his heart to follow Jesus, and the process of redemption, reconciliation, and re-creation are done at that moment.

God has worked, and completed, the process of heart re-generation. He has infused new spiritual-DNA (sDNA) into your heart. Yes, sin is present. Yes, he has begun a process of complete renewal. But, yes, a new life, and a new saint, has been created.

Saints are normally considered to be people who have completed astounding works of love, and faith. That's not how the Bible defines saint. Paul writes his letters to the "saints" in a particular church. A saint is anyone, who follows Jesus. He is new. The Holy Spirit fills his heart.

God wants us to understand this change, so that we live that perspective of ourselves. If the new sDNA comes later, we will not make the every day decisions to live in faith, and love, until later. It is important that the perspective of ourselves, our lives, and our abilities, change, so we change.

So, God makes our hearts new now, so we will live new now.

Suffering As Jesus Follower

Because of the presence of sin in the world, there is suffering. Some suffering comes from one's own sin. Prison, addiction, and disease are some results of a person's sin. There is suffering that comes from these results.

But suffering can come from other people. There was a lot of talk about bullies recently. Some children were being picked on by bullies at school. One set of children were suffering, because of the attitudes and actions of other children.

Suffering could be a result of being different. At one point in this country, one type of person enslaved another type of person, because of differences, and economic gain.

Generally, when people suffer, it is something we should be sad about. But Peter points out one exception. If a person suffers, is bullied, because of being a follower of Jesus, it is something to be glad about.

Peter makes an assumption. The person, who is a follower of Jesus, who is being bullied, or persecuted, is living in such a way that demonstrates Jesus' character. If people can see Jesus in your life, and Jesus is being broadcast to the world, and you suffer as a result, rejoice that God is working in you, and through you, and people are against you, because you are more loving, more generous, more peaceful, and joyful. God's work in your life is a good thing.

If we respond in anger, cursing, and other fleshly actions, God's character is not moving in us. Not something to rejoice in.

Godly Interruptions

In the beginning of Luke, God sends the angel Gabriel to two different people -- Mary and Zechariah -- to announce that a baby -- Jesus and John -- was coming to their respective families.

And Zechariah and Mary had the same response: "How can this be?"

In Mary's case, Gabriel calmly answered Mary's question. In Zechariah's case, Gabriel was a little irritated. Zechariah should have believed and accepted what Gabriel said.

What was the difference? Mary pointed out that she was a virgin. A virgin, getting pregnant was without the involvement of a man, has never happened. This was the first time.

In contrast, Zechariah should have been very familiar with an old couple, with a history of fertility issues, having a baby. Abraham and Sarah having a baby, Isaac, was a very famous story in Israeli history. Zechariah should have been very confident that God could do something that he had already done.

We, of course, are often the same. "This person needs a miraculous healing. But these circumstances are totally unique in history. So, God cannot do anything in this case."

"God needs to move in a miraculous way to restore a correct respect, and love, for him and people. But the attitudes, perspectives, and lifestyles, are so turned away from God, that it is never going to happen."

There are numerous examples of healing in their faith, and love, Old Testament, New Testament, and secular history.

There are numerous examples of God revolutionizing culture, in a good way, in the Old Testament, New Testament, and secular history.

God is totally able, and totally ready, to launch a 500 megaton nuclear explosion of his Spirit. It is, maybe, his family that is hindering it by their lack of love, and lack of faith. 

Zechariah was rebuked because of his lack of faith. We need to behave in ways -- prayer, evangelism, and, maybe, prophetic acts -- that agree with God's ability to move.

It was God's love that motivated him to move on our behalf by sending Jesus to create a bridge back to God. He demonstrated that love by going to the Cross.

We are called to love mankind also. We may not do it in the same way. We maybe will be engaged in prayer, in evangelism, in ensuring justice, and providing for others in service and generosity.

God has chosen to interrupt the course of history a number of times in the past. We need to be his partners by preparing for future interruptions, and living in faith, and love, as demonstrations of who God is, and who we are created to be.