The Practices of True Discipleship Wk.1

Good morning, CHURCH!

(I want the men and their wives up front and the men that are single that are not serving.)

Welcome to FFM where we love God, and we love people.

Are you ready to be equipped to go and do the work of the ministry?

Let me see your Bibles. (QR code to get my notes)

Let’s pray.

I am introducing a new series today.

This will all be introduction today.

In this series I want to get at the heart of discipleship.

what does it means to live out the teachings of Jesus - today - over 2,000 years later.

As we probe the New Testament and the teachings of scripture, we consistently see them pointing us towards a kingdom lifestyle.

What is a kingdom lifestyle?

A kingdom lifestyle is:

-A life that reflects the heart of Christ.

-A life that reflects the mission of Christ.

-And a life that reflects the character of Christ.

You all do understand what it means to reflect Christ!

(Remember in the Lion King, Rafeeki told Simba to look into the water and he would see his father.)

But Simba only saw a reflection of himself as a frail weak cub.

That’s not the reflection I’m talking about.

I’m talking about the reflection that you see when you’re standing between the sun and the ground or a wall.

Whatever movements you make, will also be made by your reflection or shadow.

When people see us, they shouldn’t see a weak frail part time Christian. They should see:

-A life that reflects the heart of Christ.

-A life that reflects the mission of Christ.

-And a life that reflects the character of Christ.

Jesus was on a mission.

And we should be on that mission.

As we get started with this introduction, I want to give an overview of some of the things Jesus taught us during His three years plus span of ministry.

And I want you to look inwardly and ask yourself, “Does my life reflect Christ in this area?”

Jesus taught us to love God wholeheartedly.

Matthew 22:37-38 ESV And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to love others as He has loved us.

John 13:34-35 ESV A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to turn from sin and live transformed life.

Romans 12:2 ESV Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to pick up our cross and live a life of self-denial, surrender, and obedience.

Luke 9:23 ESV And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to forgive others just as we’ve been forgiven.

Ephesians 4:32 ESV Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us not to seek being served but to serve others.

Mark 10:45 ESV For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to make disciples everywhere.

Matthew 28:18-20 ESV And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to walk by faith and not by sight.

Galatians 5:16-17 ESV But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

Jesus taught us to seek first the kingdom of God.

Matthew 6:33 ESV But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Question to self - (Does my lifestyle give off that reflection to others?)

How about this? (Does my treasure reflect that I seek first the kingdom?)

The new series title is:

The Practices of True Discipleship

Week 1

My goal in this series is to entice more of you to live out the essential practices that Jesus taught.

We have too many Christians that know about the things that Jesus taught, yet don’t practice them in their daily lives.

The things we learn from Christ and from scripture once we are born again, should transform our inner lives, which then leads to transformation that is visible to those around us.

Today’s focus is going to be about:

How Loving God Shows Up in Our Lifestyle

So, my first question to self is, “Do I love God?”

If I was arrested for not loving God, would there be enough evidence in a court of my peers for me to beat the charges?

As my defense attorney began to build a case on my behalf what type of evidence would he/she be able to gather?

They would probably start by requesting things like my daily, weekly and monthly calendar.

They would request my bank statements which tell the truth about me.

They would request my social media alga-rhythms.

 They would question my family, friends and co-workers.

If I’m married, they would question my spouse.

The one thing that would carry no weight in my defense is me constantly stating out of my mouth that I love God.

There would have to be proof.

They would ask others who are often with me, what kind of things do I often say?

Are my daily words in line with what the scriptures teach?

Do I complain about situations in life, or do I confess statements of faith and trust in God?

They would, ask my physician if I show signs of stress on a regular basis?

They would, ask my Pastor if I show up regularly for church and mid-week service?

They would, ask my Pastor if I help advance the kingdom of God?

They would, ask my Pastor if I help with the vision of the ministry?

And after coming through all of the evidence, would I be proven to be a person that my love for God shows up in my lifestyle or not?

What is Holy Spirit saying to you?

Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you next week.