FBC Global: James 1:1-4

Discipleship 101

Discipleship 101

Do you want to be a disciple of Jesus?  If you do then this is what you must do!  Are you up for the challenge?  

Deny Yourself

                                   i.     What does that mean?  Well it doesn’t mean becoming mindless, freedom less, or non-existent.  What it does mean is that whatever is your present way of thinking, your lifestyle, or sense of who you are…you exchange for the world view, life choices, and concept of self-worth that is provided for you by faith through the grace of God in Jesus Christ.
 
                                 ii.     When I was in my early twenties, I fell into a cult which messed my mind up so bad I was a social pariah.  After I left the group I was lonely, depressed, and wasted all the time.  One morning around 3 or 4 o’clock I woke up drunk in an ally next to the bar.  I was wet.  I threw up on myself.  I felt sick.  I gathered up some sense and yelled at the sky “Is this it?!  There must be something better!  You up there?  I could use a little help!  God if there is something better, I wish you would please show me.”  That was the moment I was saved.  I really didn’t know then.  But having cried out to God in my desperation lead me to a man, a couple of years later, who introduced me to Jesus.  That’s why I often sign off on my writings as “Jesus is a better way”.  After I met Jesus I began to heal emotionally and physically.  It took a while but it happened.  God protected my with sincere caring Christians wo taught me what it meant to live the life of Christ.  I sinned, of course I did.  But I wasn’t lost anymore I have an advocate with the Father…Jesus!
     
b.   Take up your cross
                                   i.     Like I said I sinned but now I have Jesus and the Holy Spirit to guide and empower my new life.  So, taking up the cross means to me struggling with the day to day realities of living in a fallen world.  A world that is no longer mine.  What do I mean by that?  Although I live in this world, physically, I am not condemned by this world’s understanding of what is “normal”.  It isn’t normal to drink till your stupid every day.  It isn’t normal to scrape in garbage cans for food because every dollar goes to drugs.  It isn’t normal beat, sell and objectify others.  It isn’t normal to devalue life so that the loss of life, at any stage, is not horrifying.  It isn’t normal to be satisfied with evil!  It isn’t normal to abandon the worship God for the practice of idolatry, in whatever form that may be.
 
c.   Follow me
                                   i.     I struggled a lot to practice Christianity.  I am an addict.  I pretty much don’t care what it is I can abuse it.  Now after over 40 years of practicing Christianity…well…I still struggle.  The drugs are quite now.  My urge to be wild is quieter now.  My violent nature is quieter now.  I’m not depressed, don’t see things, hear voices anymore.  I’m still an out of the box thinker, only because I’m not sure what a box looks like.  Following Jesus continues to teach me how to live with myself and others.  The ethics of Jesus is not self-indulgent.  It is sacrificial. The ethics of Jesus is not violent.  It is peace led by peacemakers.  The ethics of Jesus is not sickness and harm.  It is healing and kind.  Jesus says in Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
2.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer: The Cost of Discipleship
“Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of his Son: 'Ye were bought at a price', and what has cost God much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.” 
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
 
3.  Are you ready to lay down your burdens?
a.   I’m not going to tell you being a Christian is easy.  It’s not.  There is a lot of opposition to being a Christian.  Because of this it can be hard work.  It takes a great deal of reorientation You’re going to have to learn to love and not hate.  You’re going to have to be joyous and not be a Debbie Downer.  You’re going to have to demonstration peace instead of violence.  You’re going to have to be patient. You’re going to have to show kindness.  You’re going to have to display goodness.  You’re going to have to be faithful.  You’re going to have to be gentle.  You’re going to have to show self-control.  I know you’re probably saying to yourself “nobody can do all that!”  You’re right nobody can without the power of the Holy Spirit!  These are those characteristics which Christians are to strive for.  Do you see anything here you don’t want to have in your life?  It’s tough but it is so worth it.  To have this level of harmony and integrity is priceless. 
2Co 5:17  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
  Ready for that new life?  What are you waiting for!

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