Measure of a Disciple

The fourth of July weekend. If we’re anything alike, Thursday seemed like Saturday and then when going back to the office on Friday it seems like either Sunday or Monday.

Holidays. The mess us up sometimes but they are reminders of something bigger than ourselves. For us the 4th is when we remember and celebrate, I’m not sure…maybe two things.

Freedom and Independence. In fact the 4th is often referred to as Independence day. The day when those colonies, the Continental Congress, declared themselves free and independent of Britain and the King.

And we celebrate that now that we operate, govern, differently than many nations have been all through history. Still probably aptly called the great experiement. George Washington, during his speech when leaving public service, talked about the idea that this type of nation, is built on foundation of “religious” morality. Saying that he’s referencing Christianity.

And he said that if the foundation begins to become not “religious” (not based on objective truth in God) then a standard of governance will go away and what they started way back then will not be able to stand.

And so I think way back then, President Washington was in a way, referencing the idea of needing a Godly foundation. Otherwise, the nation would lose it’s standard of morality and goodness (by standard I mean how God would define those things). Instead of Godliness, humans would lead themselves…and all through history we’ve seen how that turns out. We were never meant to lead ourselves. We were meant to be with God. Most of our founders understood that principle.

But even as we live today, we still have the ability to argue ideas, the freedom to, the freedom to vote, the freedom to try to become influencers ourselves. Freedom.

The other word we referenced a few bit ago was the idea of independence. Now with our history, we know that independence meant…from Britain and its monarchy.

We like to be independent don’t we? We teach independence. We try to instill it. I wonder though if there’s a teeter totter effect to the idea of personal independence. Like this is something that can be taken to far. Now…I’m moving from the idea of an independent nation to the idea of us as individuals.

I’ve been watching a young person recently really wanting independence. The last few years specifically. And this young person is fighting and fighting to live on their own…make their own decisions. And it hasn’t been working out well. It is very difficult to watch…even as you try to help. You see to accept help has the feeling of …dependence. And I think…the world has scewed the idea of dependence for us…especially those of us who would say we’re a part of God’s Kingdom.

I was in a dollar store the other day and as I was running through, the person taking care of the register was talking about how she was really thankful for her new job there. Very thankful. Hoping to make enough here soon to her fix her car…so she didn’t have to rely on others…and then maybe when she had her car running well…she could maybe get a different job to make a bit more....so she could be more independent.

Noble ideas right? Honorable. One person’s idea for indpendence vs. someone elses. I guess we can measure how both of those situations work out by what happens as life continues right? One didn’t want any help…the other was grateful, but didn’t want to overdo it…or seem like they expected help.

Dependence or independence can be a tricky thing for us. There seems to be something honorable behind being independent, but there seems like there can be a trap door there too right? And I’m not sure there’s a balance.

How about if we look at this idea through the idea of how life was suppose to be. In Eden…What I suspect Jesus is trying to get us back to…when he says the Kingdom is coming…I think that Kingdom is what was in the beginning. Jesus said I’m recreating everything and I think that’s so we can return to what once was.

So with that picture…in Eden…was humanity independent and free?

I think we can say we had…still have…free will. We can make our own decisions. (Now for sure we know in our environment there are lots of degrees of that with respect to ability and environment and what we’ve grown up with) but the principle stands. We choose.

However, are we independent?

To ask a different way…were we created to be independent beings?

Let’s narrow it down again…Were we created to be dependent on no one or no thing?

I’m not sure we can say that. I think …the more I read …that we were created completely dependent on our creator…and very dependent on relationships with other people. Meaning we need God…and we need each other …in order to live a full life, Peace filled and joy filled.

It almost seems that without God…full life can’t be obtained…without others, full life still can’t be obtained. Love God…Love People.

We want to be independent…be strong…be able…but I think in truth, we’re very dependent…and you know what…that’s ok!

There’s an image that’s given all through the Bible specifically to Israel. And it is an image that shows both good things and bad things.

Vine - all through Scripture we have this metaphor mentioned. The vine…mostly talking about a grape vine. We find it used in both the Old and New Testaments…and we see a couple of mentions …I think they are tied together. And it looks like our lives as disciples of Jesus…it looks like our lives are tied to this illustration too. And I think its a perfect way to look at our lives and to measure how we’re doing.

Old Testament - In the old testament, we have quite a few mentions but in one particular spot, in the book of Psalms, there is one passage that talks about Israel being a vine…from God.

Psalm 80:7–9 CSB

7 Restore us, God of Armies; make your face shine on us, so that we may be saved. 8 You dug up a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. 9 You cleared a place for it; it took root and filled the land.

That Psalm goes on to explain how this vine grew and blessed everyone and everything around....but then…the people that the vine represents, fell away from God…and the fruitful vine became fruitless.

Then the Psalm takes a turn…it begins to talk about God’s son ...who will return to save the people/the family…this fruitful plant represents. Sounds like a prophecy doesn’t it?

New Testament - Jesus’ use of metaphor is well know. It is the passage of the vine and branches. John 15, we’ll have some of this on the screen but I encourage you to read more…its really cool to read this along with the chapters before and after because they really all do work together.

This is such a simple metaphor…and I think an encouraging one. Not necessarily easy…but so stinking hopeful! Because I think we like this idea of independence so much…we apply it to our lives and then fight against the dependence we were really created with …dependence on our Creator.

John 15:1–11 CSB

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. 9 “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

Discipleship:

As disciples..what information do we learn about, carry, live out? The news of the Gospel…that new life is available through Jesus.

What’s the call and who is it from? …to carry this news? It is from Jesus. He calls us to follow Him.

What does following look like? Well, it looks like us becoming more and more like Him…more like His image…reborn…recreated into His image…the image of God that once was there before sin’s power marred it. It looks like us obeying Christ. As Jesus said, If you love me you will obey me. Follow me.

What’s our motive to live like this? What’s our motive to be a follower and to obey Jesus? His love. Simple…our motive for being a follower of Jesus, to carry this news to everyone…to make more disciples…it has to be the motive of Jesus himself....and His motive is the Fathers. He only said and did what the Father told him…full obedience. But obedience born out of love for us…so we could get real life back. Our motive must be God’s motive seen throughout the Bible. Love is the motive.

And now…how do we measure how we’re doing? We like to measure things. .... There are costs to measure value, there are speedometers to measure speed, bank accounts, we measure age and cholesterol…to measure health. We like things to measure. It looks like there’s a measure to living like a follower of Jesus. It looks like that is fruit…and what is the fruit of a disciple? Other changed lives around us. Ultimately, we want more people to become disciples…and not only disciples of Jesus…but disciple makers as well.

The growing disciple in whom the Father and Son live (14:20, 23) through the Spirit (14:16, 25; 15:26) is one whose life is utterly dependent on Christ. Discipleship is not just a matter of acknowledging who Jesus is; it is having Jesus spiritually connected to our inner lives. Burge, Gary M

Those who remain in the vine (such as disciples) are being readied for more fruit-bearing by the word Jesus is giving them. Jesus’ Burge, Gary M

The branch produces what the life coursing through its limbs desires, that is, the “fruit of the vine.” But the outcome is not a mechanical productivity of fruit. The disciple steps into a relationship of love with both Jesus (15:9) and the Father (15:10), out of which a transformed life, a fruit-bearing life, will flow. Burge, Gary M

The fruit of the vine....not the fruit of the branch…but we’re connected between the two…with the same new birthed life that is moving through us…because of the life giving spirit of God in us.

So God in us…God’s spirit...

And…we are also asked to remain in Him…in Jesus…so that we can become disciple makers through Him.

John 14:27 CSB

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled or fearful.

John 15:11 CSB

11 “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

The life of a branch on the true vine....

This chapter places in sharp relief our definition of the Christian experience. Is discipleship a commitment to doctrinal beliefs concerning God and Jesus? Is it a way of life, a way of “love” perhaps, that sets disciples apart from the world? Or is it an experience, a mystical spiritual encounter that transforms? I believe it is all three: Discipleship is a way of thinking (doctrine), a way of living (ethics), and a supernatural experience that cannot be compared with anything in the world. Burge, Gary M

The measure of a disciple…that’s kinda what we’re looking at today...

One should be able to look at a branch, see its fruit, and say, “This branch is living, it is attached, it is vital and growing from the vine.

And who’s the vine? Jesus himself. He is the one who gives life.