Do as He did: Discipleship 3

Ice Braker

It was a cold and snowy December in New York City. I was working to earn money for college tuition in my country. In the afternoons I colported (sell books) and in the mornings I worked at an Asian food buffet in downtown Manhattan. I was totally out of place in an industrial kitchen. For an introvert like me that was really hard. I just wanted to show up, do my job and not talk to anyone. But that was not the worst thing.

On the first day I was waiting for a training session. I had the expectation that the manager would take time with me to show me everything and teach me how to do some things. I arrived shy but decided to work. The manager just confirmed my name, gave me an apron and a knife and put 30 giant onions in front of me. In his accent between Korean and English and very quickly, She told me, cut them in so and so style. I didn't know what to do. Long story short, those were the worst three weeks of my life.

Introducction

Today we come to the end of the discipleship series. Let's take a look.

In our first conversation we talked about Being with Jesus (Mark 3:14). You remember we talked about how teachers or Rabbi in first century chose their disciples. Also we saw that a disciple has to be with his mater. The life of the disciple begins here. The first thing for us is to learn to make God a habit in our lives.

Then we talk about Be like Jesus (Matthew 10:24). We are talking about transformation. The goal of being with Jesus is to be transformed into his image. It's not about knowing information about the Bible, but about what the Bible says transforming my life. You remember the pace of transformation.

Teaching of Jesus – Practices of Jesus – Community.

Today we come to the ultimate goal of a disciple of Jesus. Do as Jesus did. Now we come to the doing part. Yes, we only have to do after being transformed.

Jesus trained them to do as He did. Jesus is not like my manager in New York

The Process

This was the process that Jesus followed with his disciples.

I do, you watch

I do, you help

You do, I help

You do, I watch.

Let's look at this process in the Gospels

Called to be with him. Come and see.

Matthew 4:18–20“Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”

Jesus Teaches them What the Kingdom Means

Matthew 5-7

Preaching and healing. This is what Jesus did.

Matthew 4:23–25“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.”

Now they're going to do what Jesus did

Matthew 10:5–8“These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”

Jesus Must Die for Mankind

Matthew 16:21 “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.”

Now Jesus gives them a task to do. Does anyone know what it is? To do the same thing he did with them. Now go and make disciples of every kind of person. I taught you how to fish for men, now you have to do the same.

Matthew 28:18–20 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.””

Jesus promised them that they would do greater things.

John 14:12 ““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.”

How did Jesus work to reach people's hearts? What was his method?

The Method

Let's look at Jesus' method in Luke's gospel.

Filled with the Holy Spirit:

Context: The angel Gabriel speaks to Mary to announce that she would conceive Jesus.

Luke 1:35 “The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”

Context: The baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan River.

Luke 3:21–22 “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.””

Context: After his baptism, Jesus is taken into the wilderness.

Luke 4:1 “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness”

Context: After the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus begins his ministry.

Luke 4:14 “And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.”

Context: Jesus reads the passage from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue of Nazareth, applying it to himself.

Luke 4:18–19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Jesus eating with everybody

Context: Jesus is invited to a party at the home of Levi (Matthew), who was a tax collector.

Luke 5:29–32 “And Levi gave a big reception for Him in his house; and there was a great crowd of tax collectors and other people who were reclining at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes began grumbling at His disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with the tax collectors and sinners?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “It is not those who are well who need a physician, but those who are sick. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.””

Context: The Pharisees criticize Jesus for the way he behaves, saying that he eats and drinks too much.

Luke 7:34–35 ““The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.””

Context: Jesus is received into the home of Martha and Mary.

Luke 10:38 “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.”

Although this passage does not explicitly mention Jesus eating, it is a context in which he is in the house of Martha and Mary, and in the houses of the time a meal was often shared while conversing.

Context: Jesus is invited to eat at a Pharisee's house.

Luke 11:37–38 “Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal.”

Context: Jesus is invited to a Pharisee's house for lunch, and there he teaches about humility and generosity.

Luke 14:1 “It happened that when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, they were watching Him closely.

Context: Jesus invites himself to the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector.

Luke 19:5 “When Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zaccheus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.””

Although the text does not explicitly specify that Jesus was eating, it can be inferred that, as was customary in those encounters, the food was part of the hospitality that Zacchaeus offered.

Context: The Last Supper, where Jesus shares the Passover with his disciples before his arrest.

Luke 22:14“When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him.”

This is a key moment where Jesus shares the Last Supper with his disciples, instituting the Lord's Supper.

Context: After the resurrection, Jesus meets two disciples on the road to Emmaus and dines with them.

Luke 24:30–31 “When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight.”

This is one of Jesus' resurrected encounters with his disciples, where he shares a meal.

WHY EAT AND DRINK WITH PEOPLE

Ancient mealtime was an occasion to affirm hospitality (Gen 18:1-8), covenants (Gen. 31:33-54), social position (1 Kings 17:8-16, 2 Kings 48-11), and establish a formal acknowledgment of peace between feuding parties (Gen. 26:26-33; Josh, 9:14)

Anthropologist Mary Douglas call meal times “boundary markers.”(“Mary Douglas, Implicit Meanings: Selected Essays in Anthropology (London: Routledge, 2010).”

Meals bring people together, but they also keep people apart. Think of the pre–civil rights restaurants with signs on the door saying Whites Only, or, in the UK, No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs. Even today, think of how restaurants are often stratified by class.

Normally we eat with friends or family, people who are like us. For example Thanksgiving

This is true of all cultures, but it was especially true of first-century Jewish culture. They called it “table fellowship”; to eat with someone was a sign of welcome, not just into one’s home, but also into good standing with the community and even with God himself.” “One theologian wrote, “Jesus got himself crucified by the way he ate.” (“Robert J. Karris, Luke: Artist and Theologian (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf and Stock, 2008), 47.”

He ate with all the wrong people: turncoats like Zacchaeus, prostitutes, Gentiles, the unclean. Danger, danger. He was accused of being “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

In The Gospel of Luke alone, there are over fifty references to food. Lukan scholar Robert Karris wrote, “In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.”

(“Robert J. Karris, Eating Your Way Through Luke’s Gospel (Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical, 2006), 14.”

“This practice of eating and drinking with people far from God is what the New Testament writers call “hospitality.” The word is philoxenia in Greek, and it’s a compound word: philo means “love,” and xenos means “stranger, foreigner, or guest.”

Meaning: Hospitality is the opposite of xenophobia. It’s the love of the stranger, not the hate or fear of the “other.” It’s the act of welcoming the outsider in and, in doing so, turning guests into neighbors and neighbors into family in God.”

(John MarkComer, Practicing the Way, 161-167).

Healings and Cast Out Demons

Matthew 4:23–24“Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.”

Matthew 8:16 “When evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.”

Demostration that the kingdom of God is here

Preaching the Gospel

Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””

Matthew 4:23 “Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.”

Matthew 5:1–2 “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,” (Beginning of the Sermon on the Mount).

Matthew 9:35 “Jesus was going through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.”

Matthew 11:1 “When Jesus had finished giving instructions to His twelve disciples, He departed from there to teach and preach in their cities.”

The challenge of the Disciples

Some history in the early.

They did what He did

Filled with the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”

Acts 4:8 “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,”

(Peter speaking before the Sanhedrin).

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

(Believers after prayer for courage).

Acts 6:3 ““Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”

(Qualifications for deacons, such as Stephen.)

Acts 6:5 “The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.”

(Specific mention by Esteban).

Acts 7:55 “But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;”

(Stephen before being martyred).

Acts 9:17 “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.””

(Saul of Tarsus, before he became the apostle Paul).

Acts 11:24 “for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.”

(Description of Barnabas in Antioch).

Acts 13:9 “But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,”

(Paul facing Elymas the magician in Cyprus).

Acts 13:52 “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”

(After the persecution in Antioch of Pisidia).

Hospitality in the Church (4x)

1

Acts 2:42 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

(Bread breaking, a practice that included shared meals and possibly the Lord's Supper, is mentioned.)

2

Acts 2:46–47 “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

(A clear description of how the early church shared meals and lived together in harmony.)

3

Acts 20:7 “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.”

(Breaking of bread as part of disciple meetings, probably including food and the Lord's Supper.)

4

Acts 20:11 “When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left.”

(Paul breaking bread and eating with the believers during an evening meeting.)

Healings (14x)

1

Acts 2:43 “Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.”

(General mention of the miracles performed by the apostles).

2

Acts 3:6–8 “But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.”

(Healing of the lame man at the door of the

temple).

3

Acts 4:30 “while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.””

(Disciples' prayer for the power to perform miracles).

4

Acts 5:12–16 “At the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people held them in high esteem. And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them. Also the people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together, bringing people who were sick or afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.”

(An extensive description of the miracles and healings performed by the apostles).

5

Acts 6:8 “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.”

(Miracles performed by Stephen, one of the first deacons.)

6

Acts 8:6–7 “The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing. For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.”

(Philip performing healings and deliverances in Samaria).

7

Acts 9:17–18 “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;”

(Ananias restores the sight of Saul, who would later become the apostle Paul.)

8

Acts 9:33–34 “There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up.”

(Healing of Aeneas by Peter).

9

Acts 9:40–41 “But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.”

(Resurrection of Tabitha/Dorca by Peter).

10

Acts 14:8–10 “At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well, said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up and began to walk.”

(Healing of a lame man by Paul in Lystra).

11

Acts 16:18 “She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.”

(Liberation of a young woman possessed by a spirit of divination).

12

Acts 19:11–12 “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out.”

(Extraordinary miracles performed through Paul).

13

Acts 20:9–12 “And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, “Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.” When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.”

(Resurrection of Eutychus by Paul).

14

Acts 28:8–9 “And it happened that the father of Publius was lying in bed afflicted with recurrent fever and dysentery; and Paul went in to see him and after he had prayed, he laid his hands on him and healed him. After this had happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases were coming to him and getting cured.”

(Healings performed by Paul on the island of Malta).

Proclamation (19x)

1

Acts 2:14 “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.”

2

Acts 4:2 “being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.”

(Peter and John preach about the resurrection in the temple.)

3

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.”

(The early church preaching boldly.)

4

Acts 5:20 ““Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life.””

(The apostles obey the angel and preach in the temple after being released from prison.)

5

Acts 5:42 “And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

(Daily sermon of the apostles in different places).

6

Acts 6:2 “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.”

7

Acts 6:4 ““But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””

(Commitment of the apostles to preaching).

8

Acts 8:4–5 “Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them.”

(Philip, one of the deacons, preaches in Samaria.)

9

Acts 8:25 “So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.”

(Peter and John preach in Samaria.)

10

Acts 9:20 “and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.””

(Paul begins preaching immediately after his conversion.)

11

Acts 10:42 ““And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.”

(Peter preaches in the house of Cornelius).

12

Acts 11:19–20 “So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

(Evangelization of Jews and Gentiles).

13

Acts 13:5 “When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

(Paul and Barnabas on the first mission).

14

Acts 13:38–39 ““Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.”

(Paul's preaching in Pisidian Antioch).

15

Acts 14:7 “and there they continued to preach the gospel.”

(Paul and Barnabas in Iconium).

16

Acts 17:2–3 “And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.””

(Paul preaches in Thessalonica.)

17

Acts 18:5 “But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”

(Paul in Corinth).

18

Acts 19:10 “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.”

(Paul preaches for two years in Ephesus.)

19

Acts 28:31 “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”

(Paul preaching in Rome while under house arrest.)

Practical Steps: Appeal

Pray and cry out for the Holy Spirit

Hospitality

Use Your Gifts

Live like a witness

Be kind, be kind, be kind