Grace Upon Grace Part 2
Grace Upon Grace • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Disciples of Grace
Disciples of Grace
In this part of the series I am talking to sincere followers, those who are by Christ’s definition, disciples of the Christ. If God defines “grace” as yesha יָשַׁע ample space for deliverance through Yeshua יְשׁוּעָה, then what is the responsibility of a talmid תַּלְמִיד a disciple of the Christ?
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
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.”
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Are you a good steward of God’s grace? Just as God has given you ample space to be delivered from your old self and into the new life in Christ Jesus, so you are to share that same grace with others that they may know such freedom of their souls. This is the essence of giving forgiveness in order to receive forgiveness. This is the essence of the love of Christ. This is the essence of the love of God through Christ. This is the essence of discipleship. God gave you ample space to repent and be reconciled and delivered from a life of unrighteousness and separation from God and you must give that same ample space to others.
As my dear son in Christ Brennan pointed out to me after part one of this series, take note of the subtle but powerfully incredible difference between the two Hebrew words yesha יָשַׁע (ample space for deliverance) and Yeshua יְשׁוּעָה (the deliverer). What two things are added? The letter vav ו and the letter hey ה. In Hebrew the letter vav represents a nail and the letter hey the breath and revelation of God. When you accepted the salvation of Jesus Christ through His being nailed to that cross, you were given that ample space to receive deliverance. The one who helps you in that deliverance process with resurrection power is the very breathe of the Living God, Ruach Ha Kodeh רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, the Holy Spirit.
You then are expected, even commanded, by the Lord to go and share that ample space, that deliverer, His deliverance and His Helper with those who are bound and held captive by their sin and life that keeps them eternally separated from the Lord.
Unfortunately, too many of us have secured our portion and have been convinced that is enough. We are satisfied as long as we are safe from being condemned to eternal separation from the Lord. To be an evangelist, a preacher of this Good News, a disciple maker of Yeshua would be an inconvenience. Most of the church today wants a convenient cross. But the cross was not convenient for Christ. The process of deliverance and disciple making is never convenient but critical to the Kingdom of God.
Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. When Christ returns He will not inquire as to your material net-worth or the assets, comforts and resource you spent a lifetime acquiring. He will not be concerned with your diversified retirement portfolio. He will ask, where are the souls you have added to my Kingdom Family? Were you like Martha in Luke 10:40-42
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha was focused on temporal living instead of eternal life.
I used to feel good about encountering someone and feeling a slight conviction about them being an unbeliever. So, I would in conversation ask, “So, do you know Jesus?” And most every time the answer is, “Sure I do.” And I would feel like I had done my Christian duty knowing full well they may be aware of who Jesus is but have no real knowledge to the point of being a true follower. The follow up question should be, “Is your path straight?”
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It does not good to give a courtesy recognition of Christ. As true followers of Christ we are called to not only point people to Jesus but demonstrate and teach them how to trust in the Lord with their inner-most being. To lean not to one’s own understanding means to lean on the understanding of the Lord. But if you have no real knowledge of the Lord, or incorrect knowledge of the Lord you will have either no understanding or misunderstanding. You then lean on the knowledge and understanding of the world instead of the Word.
Discipleship is to help people with being delivered from the old patterns of their lives, to break out of the things, situations, choices, attitudes, lifestyles and relationships that are keeping them bound. It is to walk with them out of their old life and into their new life in Christ.
In Proverbs 3:6 the word “acknowledge” is da’ahu דָעֵהוּ which is much more than to give a courtesy recognition. The root is yada יָדַע which means “to know Him” as a wife knows a husband. And when you truly know Christ with the correct knowledge of who He is and His way of living, then through Him your paths orach אֹרַח or way of living become like His. You leave your old path and embrace an ancient one. When His way of living becomes your way of living then your way of living is straight, otherwise you path remains crooked, filled with obstacles and detours that do not lead to deeper relationship with the Lord.
In Proverbs 3:6 the word “straight” is y’yash’ar יְיַשֵּׁר. In the Piel form of the word it means a state of making or to facilitate, direct or lead one straight forward. And in the Qal form it means to be and stay straight. It means to live pleasing and upright before the Lord.
This is what discipleship looks like. To direct and lead others in the way of Christ then help them stay on that path until they can do the same for another. This same principle is applicable to not only discipleship in the context of the local church but it applies to a marriage and even parenting. This is the same Biblical spiritual and practical process Jesus used to call forth followers and then make disciples that could persevere in the faith, change the world and make history. Do not waste the space of grace God has bestowed you in this life. Do not be a grace user or abuser. Be a disciple of God’s amazing grace.
