The Way of Christ

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Jason Neighbors

Kelly Case

Larry Purcell

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Let’s Jump into today’s message.

If you are new to our church today, it would be helpful for you to know that we practice a form of preaching called “Expository Preaching”.

What that means, is we believe the Bible is best taught by taking books of the Bible and then breaking them down from beginning to end, chapter by chapter, verse by verse. Our goal, to better understand not only what God’s Word says, but what it means in our lives today.

We are currently walking through the NT book of Matthew.

If you have your Bible turn with me to Matthew Chapter 10

As we close out chapter 10 Pastor Rustan took on a huge chunk of scripture in versus 18-33

He titled that Sermon A Few Instructions,

Today we are going to continue this instructions section as Jesus prepares his 12 Disciples, Set Ones, Apprentices to go out and share that The Kingdom has Come Near. A New Way is Upon Us. The Shephard has come to gather the lost sheep and lead them.

Let’s Jump into this weeks scripture and I will Unpack it.

Matthew 10:32–36 CSB

32 “Therefore, everyone who will acknowledge me before others, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever denies me before others, I will also deny him before my Father in heaven. 34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; 36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

There is a lot to unpack here but first I want to speak about Why this is so important to us today.

As I have studied over the last two years I have began to deconstruct a lot of what I believe was false doctrine in my theology.

One of those doctrines was the doctrine of Penal Substitution.

However with all Deconstruction their must be a Reconstruction.

I have come to fall under the concept that Christ Came to Restore the Icon.

I like to call it Restored Image Theology.

Genesis 1:26 CSB

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”

God Created us in His Image.

Like God we were created as three persons in one Being.

God The Father is the Head or Mind.

Jesus the Son is the Physical Form of God.

The Holy Spirit is the Spiritual Manifestation of God that connects us to God

I am Created the same way.

I have a:

Mind

Body

Spirit

In the beginning Adam and Eves Mind, Body, and Spirit reflected the Image of God.

After the Fall the Mirror was Broken

Jesus Came to Restore the Image.

His death covered everything needed in order for that Image Relationship to be restored for those who would place their faith in Him.

This is The Kingdom Coming Near. Jesus has come to Give us a Better Image to Follow.

This is where the second transformation is Happening in my Theology.

For so long we have preached Repent, Say a Prayer, and Receive the Free Gift of Eternity in Heaven.

I am currently reading a Book by John Mark Comer called Practicing the Way.

In this book He claims that statistically 71% of Americans claim to be Christians.

The word Christian actually was a derogatory word used in the first century to make fun of Followers of the Way.

It’s true meaning is Little Christs.

But is that really what we see from 71% of Americans.

Are 71% of those living in the United States really walking around like “Little Christs?”

You see I cannot find anywhere in the Bible that this is the offer Christ made.

The Offer beginning with the 12 Disciples was to

Come and Follow

To be part of a Talmadim was to Follow and become the image of the the Talmid or Rabbi.

Jesus has come to Lead Us as the Great Shepherd and as he leads us he is restoring God’s image in us as we begin to look more and more like our Mirror.

Everyone is seeking an image to reflect.

Everyone is Following something.

Everyone is Abiding in something.

Comer States that only 5% of the 71% claim to be Followers of Christ.

Those who are Apprentices of Christ.

Doing and acting like Christ.

So as we look at today’s scripture through that lens.

The Way of Christ is not about Peace.

Matthew 10:34 CSB

34 Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Christ’s coming not only brings peace, it brings misunderstanding among those who are not reflecting His Image.

Matthew 10:35 CSB

35 For I came to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;

Those who reflect the Image of God will have problems in their families with those who are not reflecting the same image.

Matthew 10:36 CSB

36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.

Some of a Christ Follower’s worst enemies will be those from their own home.

Why because the reflection of Christ is offensive and oppressive to those who don’t carry it.

The Mandate:

Death, Resurrection, Ascension, Advocate

Will you choose to be a Follow Christ and allow Him to restore the image of God in you.