Untitled Sermon (2)

Kyle Foster would want to be remembered as a disciple of Christ. Kyle had developed a heart for God at a young age, through the support and encouragement of a godly family. His dad, grandfather, and great grandfather were pastors, and although he wasn’t sure if his calling was to follow along with the generations before him, he saw a need to pursue what his calling in life was. Kyle grew up going to a Christian camp most of his life and found through an experience in 2019 the passion for worship, specifically through song. He engulfed himself with music and made it known and clear that he couldn’t listen to music that wasn’t glorifying Christ; going by 1 Corinthians 10:31 which says, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” He recognized how important this verse was to live by, and the work needed to be done in his life in order to reflect that kind of character. Kyle had his own struggles in life, like anyone; but he had to build the discipline of learning to rely on the strength of God to face his struggles, and with that learned the importance of surrender. Through his relationship with God, he learned to play guitar and sing so he could write music for God and express his experiences through the passion God had given him. Though Kyle did have other hobbies he enjoyed, such as longboarding, sports–wrestling specifically, dancing, and being around his friends and family; but he wanted his life to reflect and emphasize the joy that comes from being a disciple of Christ. He wouldn’t miss a chance at being able to participate in ministry opportunities, and being an encouragement to others as God would use him. That’s what a lot of his friends remember of him–his desire to encourage and lead others in their relationship with Christ to become more sold out for Jesus. He often shared about the people God put in his life and how they shaped and challenged him to grow closer and closer to God. Kyle desired to follow God’s calling but wasn’t always certain about what that calling looked like. He loved music and worship, and he loved sharing his faith in Christ, but he wasn’t fully confident of what that meant specifically for him. Kyle learned how to lean on God for guidance in the areas he was unsure of, which ultimately led him to attend KMBC. He went to KMBC in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Worship Pastoral Ministries to not only grow in his knowledge and experience with God’s Word and music, but to find friends with the same desire to pursue God’s heart. In his later years of his life, he constantly desired to be an encouragement to others of what following Christ looks like, not just in the highs, but in the lows: in the vulnerable areas and how the more you give to Jesus, the more He transforms your life. Kyle ultimately wanted to be remembered as what a disciple of Christ looks like as plainly as possible, he didn’t want to paint a false picture of only following Christ when life was easy, but that with Jesus comes trials and tribulations, but also endurance and hope to face those circumstances.

If anything was to be learned from Kyle, that he would want us to know, is that Jesus is crucial in this temporary life, and even more is following Jesus even when it’s the most difficult thing to do. He wanted to be remembered as being a faithful disciple of Jesus, and that even when you don’t know what your specific purpose or calling in life is, we all have a common, central calling that we can rely on, and that is to be a disciple of Christ. His favorite verse was from Luke 9:23 where Jesus says, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” And along with that comes verse 24 which Jesus goes on to say, “If you try to hang on to your life, you will love it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” This doesn’t go without raising the question; Why would I want to live as a disciple of Christ? What’s in it for me? What does that kind of life have that living my own way doesn’t? With this, we are given 3 reasons why living as a disciple of Christ, as Kyle sought after, is the most important life to live. Our first reason is:

Because Jesus fulfills us.

Just like others who have discovered the sustaining life Jesus offers, Kyle knew he couldn’t keep to himself what Jesus had done for him through the relationship he had built. Kyle recognized that Jesus had a love for him that could fill every gap in his heart that he needed. Kyle dealt with anxiety and doubt a lot in his life. He talked about how much he desired to find someone who could fulfill him and experience love from others, how he wanted to be valued by others, and in the midst of that desire, came a lot of anxiety. There was a point where he believed to have found someone who could give him that assurance and love he sought after, but overtime he found himself over thinking and questioning if he was wanted by someone he loved. That’s where he talks about how Jesus fulfilled him in a way no one else could. Through searching anxiously for something to sustain him, he went to the Scriptures where God revealed to him Philippians 4:6-7, which says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He’s done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus. Through this, Kyle found that the peace God offered that goes beyond human comprehension. As he began to grow in his relationship with Jesus, he found more and more how Jesus was the only one that could truly make whole the parts of him where he felt empty. Kyle talked about how the peace of God became a foundation in his life that showed him everything he needed could be found and received in Christ. Through this he found joy and love in ways he knew weren’t possible from anyone else. We have desires and passions in life to find joy and fulfillment through many different areas, and although a lot of our passions could come from God, the places we seek fulfillment often will leave us incomplete and needing more. We become unsatisfied and disappointed in the flaws of the things in this world, and through that we become hopeless if we could ever be fulfilled how our soul craves–but Jesus is the answer for that emptiness. We follow Jesus because He is the sustainer of all things: where we seek love, Jesus has shown fulfilling love through the cross; where we seek freedom from our addictions and struggles, Jesus breaks the bonds of sin on our lives and wipes our slate clean; where we seek hope, Jesus assures us through His peace that He will guard our hearts and minds as He delights in our lives, caring for us in every way; where we seek fulfillment, Jesus provides for our every need so we can live the life He’s called us to. Kyle talked about the peace He experienced through giving His burdens and anxiety to God; he talked about the joy he found in the freedom and grace Jesus gave him where he fell short; and he talked about how although difficult, he found that everything he could ever need came from Jesus.

Transition: Kyle found fulfillment through being a disciple of Christ, and that’s why he encouraged others to seek after Jesus. He always believed that no matter what situation you were facing, it was never out of God’s capability of sustaining, comforting, strengthening, or leading through. But Jesus does more than just fulfill our lives. Our second reason for why we should be disciples of Jesus is…

Because Jesus has a plan for us.

Kyle recognized that although he wasn’t always sure on what exactly his specific purpose in life was to do, he had confidence that Jesus had a plan that He would lead him on at the pace that allowed Kyle to know enough to make the choices that directed him toward God’s path, but not too much to lose the need of depending on Jesus. Kyle encouraged others that God had a better plan for their lives that they could find as they trusted their lives into His hands. In Jeremiah 29:11-12, God says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.’” Through trusting in God, in communion with Him and prayer, we have an advocate who leads us with hope for the future ahead. God promises that those who would seek direction and guidance from Him, He will listen, and we would be able to find Him when we would seek with all our hearts. Jesus promises a plan for our lives that are better than anything we could try to make ourselves. The life we seek often leaves us disappointed and longing for more. We try to find purpose through the temporary things in this world and find that we are successful only by what we’ve gained, but true success is found in the life God promises for us. Psalm 37:23-24 says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly; He delights in every detail of our lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.” How great is it to know that the God of the universe delights in EVERY detail of our lives, when we seek after Him. When we choose to follow in the steps Jesus leads us through, we have the assurance that even when we face trials, and stumble in them, we are picked back up back our Savior. He has grace for when we fall short, and patience when we struggle. Life is full of trials and tribulations no matter if you choose to live as a disciple for Jesus or live for yourself, but with the plans Jesus offers we have a Savior who leads us and keeps us steady on our path, providing for our every need.

Transition: The life Kyle pursued to live every day as a disciple of Jesus was fulfilling, and he found purpose even when he wasn’t sure what he would do in the long run, but being a disciple was so much more to him then what he gained from it. Kyle recognized that everything he had: all his blessings, friends, family, interests, skills, traits, possessions–it all was only possible because of Jesus. Kyle discovered that Jesus had a love for him and others that he couldn’t ignore, and because of that love, Kyle desired to give His life over to Jesus in pursuit of being His disciple. Why would Kyle or anyone else choose to give their lives to Jesus? Our final reason for being a disciple of Jesus is…

Because Jesus died for us.

Kyle grew up in a godly household, so he heard from the beginning the classic John 3:16 verse which says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” But Kyle, just like countless others, at one point had to evaluate this revelation for themselves. God created humanity to have a relationship with Him and share His creation with, but humanity chose to rebel and disobey God’s one instruction. Because of their disobedience, sin came into the world and corrupted humanity, bringing them death rather than life. Over the course of hundreds of years, God tried to re-establish His relationship with humanity again, but the world desired to live for themselves, and couldn’t keep the covenant God made in order to restore His people back to Him. But God loved us so much that He sent Jesus, who reigned in heaven in holiness and deity, down to earth to become flesh like us. Jesus came and endured all the trials and temptations we did, yet never sinned, living a perfect life through the Holy Spirit, and taught us how to have a relationship with God once again. Jesus came and brought us hope and fulfillment in life, and in return, the world put Him on a cross as He suffered the worst death known to man. Jesus willingly endured the suffering of the cross, taking on the punishment of death we deserved, and sacrificed Himself, and 3 days later, He rose from the dead and made a way so that anyone would puts their faith in Jesus, believing He is their Savior, and accepting Him into their heart, would receive the same Holy Spirit that reigned in Him, and have a restored relationship with God, that once we pass from this life, we will be reconciled back to God for all eternity. Through this, Kyle and countless others have found more than enough reason to give their lives to Christ, just as He gave His life for us, so that we can have a relationship with Him again, and one day be with God once again.

Conclusion: Kyle lived his life as a disciple of Christ because Jesus proved to Him time and time again that only He could fulfill Kyle; that He had the best plans for Kyle’s life; and that He loved Kyle so much that He died for him so that Kyle could have everlasting life and a relationship with him. Kyle saw that and could question it anymore as to why he should or shouldn’t be a disciple of Christ if Jesus called him to be. Kyle chose to give up his own ways, to pick up his cross daily, and to follow Jesus. This life is temporary, it has its pleasures and happiness, but it also won’t always be here. God has called you to so much more than what the world could give you, and He has proven how much He loves you through His Son. Kyle recognized how crazy a love had to be for someone to take on his eternal punishment just to have a relationship with him, and saw that alone as reason enough to be a disciple of Christ. In Philippians 3:8, Paul says, “everything else is worthless compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” When we discover just how much Christ has done for us, and that the life He offers is fulfilling, purposeful, and full of love, then everything else in this world becomes worthless compared to knowing Christ and being His disciple. Kyle lived his life for Christ, and death was his gain in the end, because now he dwells in eternity with the one who showed him a loved beyond anything the world ever tried to offer, and that same love and life is offered to you, but it’s not just offered, it’s a calling. Are you willing to follow the example that Kyle was set to follow as well as so many others that have gone from this life to the next?