Do what Jesus did

Introduction:

We are closing up our series on Apprentices of Jesus. Even though we are closing our series, this will be a continued discussion for the months and years ahead. We have been talking about:

To be an apprentice of Jesus is to order our life around three goals:

1. Be with Jesus

That we can be with Jesus via the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our advocate.

2. Become like Jesus

Teachings of Jesus, Practices, community, Holy Spirit

3. Do what Jesus did.

Message:

We are on a journey as a church to reorganize our lives. I am going to share several scriptures throughout the book of Matthew. This overview will show you the progression of discipleship. Throughout these scriptures, I want you to pay attention to a pattern of discipleship. Jesus gives us a clear blueprint to follow…lets explore the scriptures together.

Matthew 4:18 - 5:1 (NLT) One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers—Simon, also called Peter, and Andrew—throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living. 19 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” Make you into fishers of men. First century Idiom for a great teacher. Capture men and women’s minds/hearts. 20 And they left their nets at once and followed him. Dropped career and followed Jesus.

21 A little farther up the shore he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat with their father, Zebedee, repairing their nets. And he called them to come, too. 22 They immediately followed him, leaving the boat and their father behind.

23 Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralyzed—he healed them all. 25 Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea, and from east of the Jordan River.

One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him,

Jesus invites us to join Him…

Talmidim (disciples)

Jesus was teaching on the Kingdom of God. Teaching on how people needed to reorient their lives around these teaching of Him, living their lives not according to this world but to the Kingdom of God that came near to them.

Being with Jesus

Jesus invited these men to join Him as apprentices of Kingdom not of this earth.

Matthew 8:18–22 (NLT) “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake. Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

Jesus asks that we reorient our life around Him…

Some people may be eager…pick me. They haven’t counted the cost.

Others may be reluctant because they are focused more on the concerns of this world.

Matthew 9:9–12(NLT) “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at his tax collector’s booth. “Follow me and be my disciple,” Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him. Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners. But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with such scum?” When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.”

Jesus invites all different kinds of people on the journey…

Matthew

A tax collector

Worst of the worst

Jesus says, “follow me and be my disciple” | culturally speaking - respectable teachers usually waited for disciples to choose them; only the most radical sages were reputed to choose their own Talmid.

Some people who follow Jesus are really messed up and the invite is still there.

Matthew 9:35-10:8 (NLT) Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (becoming like Jesus)

Chapter 10

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve Apostles

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. 2 Here are the names of the twelve apostles:

first, Simon (also called Peter),

then Andrew (Peter’s brother),

James (son of Zebedee),

John (James’s brother),

3 Philip,

Bartholomew,

Thomas,

Matthew (the tax collector),

James (son of Alphaeus),

Thaddaeus,

4 Simon (the zealot),

Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).

5 Jesus sent out Send – missionary | To join in the kingdom work the twelve apostles with these instructions: “Don’t go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, 6 but only to the people of Israel—God’s lost sheep. 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

Jesus has given you an assignment…

Proclaim the message of the kingdom

Free you have received, free you give

Great Commission

Matthew 28:16–20 (NLT) “Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus gave you the greatest promise…He will be with you…

Did you see a pattern? Story, after story.

Rabbi, Messiah, started calling for apprentices, apprentices started follow Jesus. Apprentices started becoming like Jesus.

Live, eat, and watch Jesus.

Hero Maker Model:

1. I do, you watch. We talk.

2. I do, you help. We talk.

3. You do. I help. We talk.

4. You do. I watch. We talk.

5. You do. Someone else watches.

What does Kingdom work look like? What is Jesus calling us as apprentices to do?

1. Preaching the gospel

2. Teaching the way

3. Healing the sick

4. Casting out demons

5. Eating and drinking with people far from God

6. Doing justice

7. Peacemaking

8. Praying

9. Prophesying

10. Standing up for what is right

Jesus lays out the example, the template to follow.

Many people’s responses may be: But Jesus is God! I can’t do those things.

Enlightenment era (divorced the natural from the supernatural)

Jesus was a rabbi but not seen as the Son of God

Apologists of the scripture knee jerk response: Look at the miracle stories---this line of thinking dismissed what people are able to do through the power of Jesus.

Everything Jesus did - He did as a real, true human being, incarnated by the Holy Spirit as the example for His apprentices to follow.

Jesus did what he did by the Holy Spirit

The disciples did what they did by the Holy Spirit

The early church did what they did by the Holy Spirit.

You and I do what we do by the Holy Spirit.

The problem is we live in a complex and challenging culture.

We live in an anti-Christian culture. Whenever you bring up the name of Jesus ---there is hostility, resistance and assumptions.

Working definition of church:

A community of followers of Jesus, seeking to rediscover the teachings of Jesus and the practices of the early church and apply them to the soil of a post-Christian world.

Dismiss the baptismal participants

Five important thoughts as you do what Jesus did.

1. Spiritual paradigm – intentional spiritual formation

2. Know your stage of discipleship and season of life (progression of the stages)

What stage are you at?

Some of you may be doing deep work: pastor or counselor

Some you may say that you are freed and ready to jump into doing things for God.

Some of you need swift kick in the butt, others may need a time of healing and slowing down.

3. Do not underestimate the power of just practicing the way of Jesus in community

1 Peter 2:11–12 (NLT) “Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.”

Peter’s vision is a church that is embracing the ways of Jesus

There is a special evangelistic work to be done, of course, and there are special callings to it. But if those in the churches really are enjoying fullness of life, evangelism will be unstoppable and largely automatic. The local assembly, for its part, can then become an academy where people throng from the surrounding community to learn how to live. It will be a school for life (for a disciple is but a pupil, a student) where all aspects of that life seen in the New Testament records are practiced and mastered under those who have themselves mastered them through practice. Only by taking this as our immediate goal can we intend to carry out the Great Commission.”

Dallas Willard

4. Start with the basics: eat with people far from God

Luke 19:10 (NLT) “For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”

Zacchaeus was a known sinner…Jesus went to his house that day…

Practice hospitality – Romans 12:13 (NLT) “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.”

Love God and love your neighbor

Radical hospitality

5. Live in the moment

You don’t schedule these things out…it is interruption to your day.

We have to get better with interruptions because those are typically divine moments. Slow dowing will help you see what God is doing. Lord help me to slow down, so I can join in on what you are doing.

Long-term goal: do the things that Jesus did.

Short-term goal: invite someone over to eat with.

Prayer