One Master

Introduction

Introduce self

dismiss children

Continuing our series Apprentice

First week we saw that Knowing Jesus comes from living what He teaches and not just knowing what He teaches.

Last week we saw the importance of the faith community God has given you. Honestly ya’ll, our life groups are more like ekklesia than what happens on Sunday morning. I can’t recommend enough to be apart of one.

Today we are closing out this series with a look at faithful commitment to Jesus looks like.

Character- A Person conflicted about who they are following

Kylo Ren

Are there any star wars fans here today? I’m a huge fan. It’s great when spock and Gandalf defeat Sauron...

Ok I’m kidding.

I enjoy star wars. Even Episode 1 with Jar Jar.

In the new trilogy we got a great look into a the conflicted mind and life of Kylo Ren also known as Ben Solo.

now if you aren’t faamiliar with this, that’s ok. You’ll get where I”m going anywaay.

Born Ben Solo, son of Han Solo and Leia Organa…good guys in the story.

He grows up and his mentor makes a mistake, there is a misunderstanding and he turns to the dark side.

Then he gets introduced to Rey and there begins to be a conflict in him during the second movie and comes to a culmination in the third.

he begins to see the error of following the Sith Lords and how they are just using him. He also sees what he is becoming and eventually makes a decision to turn back to the light side of the force.

What I want you to notice about him is this: When he was following Luke early on…he was acting like luke.

When he was following the Sith, he was acting like the sith. And this brought about the internal struggle that played itself out in his emotions, in his phsycie, and in his reltionships around him.

When you are a follower of Jesus, you will find yourself becoming more like Him. However, you can also be distracted by other teachers or God forbid false teachers that twist the Bible into what they want it to be.

Or worse ,you find yourself trying to live according to wordly philosphy nd systems while having this internal struggle that you know what you are doing is wrong but you do it anyway.

Young people listen to me, statistically speaking 75% of you are going to leave your faith after High School. Your mom and dad, Craig, our entire LBC Kids team, and myself are doing all that we can to help ensure that doesn’t happen. However, it will ultimately be up to you.

Let me speak to you as the person who did leave their faith and lived apart from God for a time. The Holy Spirit doesn’t leave you if you have trusted in Jesus .He is always speaing to you. Your willingness to lissten is what cchanges.

There is always conflict when you are living opposite of what you know is right.

Problem- Conflicted conformity is an empty existence

You can find yourself conforming to a life you don’t believe in. And Conflicted conformity leads to an empty existence. This can also happen to someone trying to follow Jesus.

If you don’t love Jesus and your trying to live like a follower of Christ, your going to find yourelf frustratedd with all of the teachings of scripture. These are the people that beleive the Bible is all about a bunch of do’s and don’ts. A relationship with Christ is so much more than that.

Remembeer last week, when wee saw that the value we place on something determines what we are willing to give up for it?

When you place the appropriate value on Jesus, you don’t view the do’s and don’ts of scripture as restraining or neegative. You see them as freeing and positivee.

If your conflicted becuase of the way your living you’ll find yourself with an empty existence

Agitated- A person has tried to live as a follower of Jesus with their eyes on the world and trying the worlds methods leaving them empty, with internal turmoil.

This is why it’s important to be an apprentice of Jesus and not just a learner of Jesus.

You can get as many degrees as you want in biblical studies or even call it Jesus studies but if you choose to live opposite of what you know is right you are going to not just be living in sin but be empty, conflicted, always angry, irritable, and wondering why things are falling apart.

It’s becuase you are living a false life. Beucase you haave chosen to follow after a false teacher or somone that teaches in opposition to sccripture.

We can’t blame the teacher either. Because you know that whoever you allow to influence you will be what you live like. Which is why it is important to be careful about what you listen to and watch on your phone, tv, or anywhere else.

I heard a great illustration last week.

Do you all know who pigpen is from Peanuts?

the little kid that always has that dirt cloud around him. Even when he is standing still it’s there.

Who is the cause of that dirt cloud? Pigpen is right? it’s is own mess....

Ever wonder who to blame for the mess in your life? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not pigpen.

Solution- Sell out for your Savior

To keep yourself from being confliccted and living a conflicted life like this you have to dcide to sell out for your Savior. Be all in on Christ.

I’ve never and I mean it when I say never, had anyone tell me they regretted being all in on Christ.

Hearr me now though…Not all in on a church, not all in on a pastor, not all in on a system or methodology....on Christ.

A church will leet you down. A pastor will let you down. A system will fail you. Jesus will nev er fail you.

He will never leave you nor forsake. Why not sell out for Him? He was Sold out for oyu.

Guide- Jesus, his life, and His Word

That’s why Jesus came. That’s why Jesus sent His disciples. That’s why jesus gave the faith community that you exist in certain people.

Ephesians 4:11–12 “11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:”

You have Hesus, His Word, and those around you available to guide you towards Christ.

I’m thankful for those of you that makee the wise decision to reach out to someone who is more spiritually mature to help you make decisions and follow Jesus with your lives rather than those from the world.

Journey- Following Jesus not others and producing the fruit from that lifestyle

Jesus spoke about the importance of knowing who you are following.

Unfortunately thee internet and particualrly social media has given everyonee a voice and while everyone deserves to be heard, not everyone deserves to be listened to.

You are getting so much information slammed in your face that it’s hard to keep and without a solid biblicala background it is difficult to properly discern what is going on.

That’s why being sold out for Jesus means you take what you hear, see, and read to the Bible to ensure it doesn’t go against scriptture. You make sure that you can follow the advice by faith knowing it pleases God.

Jesus’ parables in Luke 6 explain this plainly.

Luke 6:39–40 “39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”

Have you ever played floor is lava?

Hilarious tv show on netflix my kids and I have laughed at and a fun game to play fi you don’t mind kids jumping on your pillows.

if I were to try and navigate a floor is lava course and I needed a guide, I would not choose someone that was legally blind or wearing a blindfold to guide me.

Why wouldn’t I? Is it becuase I hate people that can’t see well? no. It’s becuase the waya in which they are going to lead me is not going to end well.

it’s not going to end well becuase I’m going to folow them, I’m going to listen to them, I”m going to step where they step or where they tell me to step. Because I’m their disciple or apprentice in that moment.

Now in this version verse 40 can cause a little confusion. “veryone that is perfect shall be as his master” Well none of us are perfect. We will never be perfect…ok I hear you.

Another way to say this is “Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher” So once you are fully trained in an are and get your merit badge you will be likee your teacher.

The more you follow Jesus the more you will be like him. the more you follow someone else....the more yyou will be likee them.

Choose your teachers wisely.

He then gives another parable and with what we can assume is no break in conversation he says

Luke 6:41–42 “41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother’s eye.”

Now this is a popoular verse to tell people to mind their own business and fix their own life before speaking into yours.

Let’s take it in context though. It’s immediately following a parable about choosing the right teacher and right before a parable about the fruit you are producing based on who you are following and where your heart is.

There are a couple things I want to point out to you about this verse with this contextual understanding.

First notice, the term used to decribe what is in your eye…the beam. The Greek word is Dokos. It means a large timber.

Now I’ve told yoyu before I”m a pretty liteeral guy when it comes to scripture. I know this is a parable and not a real story of a person removing a beam but it is an allegorical representation right?

So here we have a speck and here we have a beam. The speck…easy to remove right? However, if I have a large peice of timber..in my eye…is this sometthing I can take out myself? I don’t beleive so. I need help to remove it. I need my guide, my teacher, the person I’m following to help me.

Next, chances are your brother is following someone to…hopefulyl Jesus. Instead of you taking the responsiblity of changing them for Christ maybe…and just hear me out hear…maybe you shouldn’t and just let Jesus do it.

When we begin to act like someones Holy Spirit, we are being the guide in their life. We taking the place of God. This is why I beleive it’s important to ask questions and not make statements.

We point people to Jesus thorugh asking about theeir situation in relation to how they are following Him not telling them how you would do it.

Because if you tellthem how you woudl do it and that is not how Jesus wants them to do it, assuming it’s not sin of course beause that is universal, then they are now following you and not Jesus. So the blind falling the blind.

When your sold out for Jesus, you only want Him and His counsel…not just some persons.

He closes out this three part parable with

Luke 6:43–45 “43 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.”

The life you live, the things you do, and the choices you make reflect not only who you are following but your own heart.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

Whatever is being poured into is what you are going to speak most about. Not only will you speak about it, you will make decisions based ont he teachings you are allowing ot influence yyou.

This is where the turmoil comes in. you can’t be a good tree, a follower of Jesus, and produce corrupt fruit. becuase if your producting corrupt fruit, your not following Jesus.

This leads to what we mentioned a while back. Cognitive dissonence.

Psycom.com describes cognitive dissonance and it’s result in this way:

Cognitive dissonance can be problematic if you start to justify or rationalize destructive behaviors or if you start to stress yourself out by trying to rationalize the dissonance. When cognitive dissonance goes unaddressed, it can not only cause angst, but it can lead to impaired decision-making.

If you don’t address the corrupt fruit you are producing and more importantly tyhe reason you are producing corrupt fruit or living differently than Jesus called you too it leads to angst. It leads to turmoi and inner truggle.

It’s wheny ou don’t see your wortth, it’s wheny ou don’t understand your value .Becuase yo are trying tot find that in yourself or from someone else’s aapproval of you but Jesus said you are valuable, you were worth dying for, Put your faith in me and see.

Put your faith in Jesus for Salvation, put your faith in Jesus for career, put your faith in Jesus for your marriage, for your parenting ,for your friendships, and see what happens.

Why do you do, say, and live the way you do? Is it becuase of the Jesus you aree following?

Resolution- Inner Peace, Purpose and Fulfillment, Genuine Joy, Eternal Perspective

That’s what resolves the conflict you have inside. That’s what provides peace, purpose, fulfimment, genuaine joy, nd an eternal perspective.

having one foot in the bible and the other in the world leads to conflicted conformity in one direction or the other. it leads to distress and it leads to problems. You are either a follower of Jesus or your not. There is no in between.

And how will God know who you are? Your heart.

How will people and this world know that God has impacted your life and oyu are a follower of Jesus? Your life.

For God sees the heart but man sees the life. And Jesus side that your actions are a representation of whats in yyour heart.

Are you conflicted? have you been living in opposition to what God has called you to in some way?

Your marriage?

Your parenting?

Your career?

Some other relationship?

Impact: Negative- Wordly success but lost their faith and family. Positive- Relationships, Work and Vocation, Community

Are you going to continue to choose to live conflicted? Are you going to choose to live pursuing after the things the world has to offer the worlds way?

Go for it. What’s that going to lead to though? Success? Doubt it. Look at the millionarie and billionarie community. Check out celebrities. While not all fall prey to it, we can see that happiness, joy, and a life well lived isn’t found in their activiies becuase if it was none of them would get divorced, commit suicide, have various addictions.

Or you can choose to stop playing Christian. Stop playing at being a follower of Jesus and start being a follower of Jesus.

Following Jesus isn’t learning about Jesus is living like Jesus.

Who have you been following?

What areas do you need ot make that choice?