Character: Following Christ

Introduction

Do we realize that in Jesus’ day it was an honor for a young man to become a disciple of a Rabbi.

After much training on knowing and understanding the Torah a student if accepted could approach a Rabbi to become his disciple

As one author wrote: “The goal of a disciple wasn’t merely to master the rabbi’s teachings; instead it was to master his way of life: how he prayed, studied, taught, served the poor and lived out his relationship with God day to day.”

This is what we see with Jesus’ disciples but what’s interesting is Jesus called these men to follow him

He choose those who were not previously accepted

It was only the most outstanding students that would seek permission to study with a rabbi which meant leaving home to follow to learn to imitate the rabbi

At some point along the way these 12 men did not make the cut and had moved on to the family trade

But Jesus saw it differently...

Apparently a rabbi would only accept a disciple if he believed that he had the potential to become like him and could make the commitment necessary to do so.

In essence Jesus has opened this to all of us...

And so Ray Vander Laan says this:

That is a crucial message for the talmid of today. We must believe that Jesus calls us to be disciples because he knows he can so instruct, empower, and fill us with his Spirit that we can be like him (at least in our actions).

And so this is what we have been talking about walking with and becoming like Jesus

Mark 1:16-20

I. The Call From

Jesus’ Authority

This could only happen if Jesus had authority to do so.

The Rabbi’s authority usually came more so from their completion of their training, their age and the body of rabbis

Jesus time and again says his authority comes from the Father as the Son

Highly controversial in His day

It is by this authority as the Son of God that Jesus teaches and calls these men to follow him

The call, for any disciple, is a call from

For these men a call from their families trade to be disciples

And so we all have been called from something...

dark to light

death to life

For some from an job/career

from old patterns

from old relationships

We have to understand that there must be a sense of leaving and loss when we put our faith(loyalty, to follow and imitate our rabbi)

vs 20 - and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with hired servants and followed him

This is how great a privilege it was to follow a Rabbi and particularly Jesus

We have lost sight of this, I believe, to give up all to follow Him

Because as Jesus taught, true life comes from surrender

Matthew 16:24–26 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

And for us, we can continue to hold on to things and so it is not only in our salvation but we continually have to surrender things in order to follow Jesus

II. The Call to

So we are called to imitate Jesus’ example

his teachings and way of life

It is a leaving behind to follow

We aren’t just leaving behind but we are moving toward Jesus

Example: pastor with broken past continued to hear condemnation and he struggled with accepting his forgiveness of past (means of leaving) and learning to live in His freedom

And so we need to understand what Christ says about us and leave behind the past as far as condemnation, and learn and participate to live out who he says we are

Again in the call to discipleship it is the belief of Jesus that he can through his teaching, life and Spirit transform us into his likeness

Do we believe - are we stuck in the past

Here’s the key - freedom and life in Christ is found in exposure

This is what Jesus constantly did with His disciples

Shaming in their culture - Shaming to restoration

“Get behind me satan”

“O you of little faith”

In our Individualistic culture, we believe that my life is my life and none of your business

Shaming in our culture is destructive heaping of condemnation in order to get people in line

And so we may hide things so that others don’t know and don’t expose them because we believe that to lose these things we will lose our freedom and life

By the way this is how Jesus works in our life

As we read Scripture, listen to Biblical teachers and walk as the body of Christ we find ourselves at times under the conviction of the Holy Spirit

But Jesus’ “shaming” is to bring about conviction so that we move towards Him and to true life

Also, which is contrary to our individualistic culture, becoming a disciple of Christ calls out of our high individualism to community

And the call on us to be part of helping others to move toward him and life

Which in essence was Jesus’ mission and now ours

III. The Call For

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

And so it’s following Jesus in his Mission

Jesus’ Mission

Make disciples

So our life is now not about our direction but His

It’s not about us but about Him and to follow him in character and action

Baptising them - the call from

Baptism class in March

Teaching them to Obey - The call to

Not just Biblical knowledge but greater obedience

and then to help others

So we might say I can’t do that...

That’s the point… but Jesus can

The only reason I can stand up here and preach is because of Christ and the work he has done in me not because I am so great.

The person you see today is not the same person who moved here and definitely not the same person of 10 or 20 years ago

It’s not about the position or gifting or even good theology but about walking with Christ so that we become more like him and I know we’ll be surprised how God uses us as he changes us.

Conclusion

William Willimon story