Jesus Teaches His Disciples

Key Truth: Disciples are called to learn about Jesus and learn from Jesus.

Learning, for a transformed follower of Christ, is always connected to obedience in our actions.

Introduction

What is the first thing that pops into your head when you hear the word counterfeit?

You think of money, right?

Counterfeit money is produced in order to use the fake bills in the place of real money in order to buy whatever, right?

Right out of college, I worked at a credit union and it was very important that my team and I be able to tell the difference between counterfeit and real money.

I had to make sure that my tellers could tell the difference between a fake $100 bill and a real $100 bill, an authentic check vs an altered check, a real ID vs a fake ID.

We would of course see samples of fake currency, checks, and ID’s, but the best way for us to identify the fakes was by studying, handling, and feeling the real thing.

The same is true for discipleship.

If we want to know what a disciple should look like - what they should believe and do - we need to know the One we are called to follow.

The scary thing about counterfeits is that they are so much like the real thing.

With a quick glance, you aren’t going to notice anything different.

If my tellers weren’t paying attention, they could easily let a counterfeit bill or check be exchanged for real money.

As followers of Christ, we can easily do the same thing.

We can go through the motions as disciples of Christ, but absolutely be fake at the core.

We can act like disciples of Christ without integrity, and yet appear to the world as an authentic follower of Christ.

Know the Story

are known as the Sermon on the Mount.

It is the most famous sermon ever preached delivered by the greatest Teacher who ever lived.

It’s probably worth taking a look at!

We will start by looking at and

- north of the Sea of Galilee is mountainous.

Matthew 5:1–2 HCSB

1 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying:

Matthew 7:24–29 HCSB

24 “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!” 28 When Jesus had finished this sermon, the crowds were astonished at His teaching, 29 because He was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.

It is not enough to hear these sayings, we must put them into practice.

These passages help us see the necessity of learning from Jesus - and of taking action to obey what we learn - as we follow Him.

If a person lives by these principles found in , the world calls him a fool; Jesus will call him a wise man.

The world considers a wise man to be someone who lives by sight, who lives for the present, and who lives for self; Jesus calls such a person a fool.

The key in this passage is the foundation. The house on the rock pictures a life founded on the proper relationship to Christ.

Let’s look at the intentionality the disciples had about being a true disciple of Christ.

Let’s look at how the Disciples

Unpack the Story

Disciples Adopt a Posture (Position/Attitude) to Learn

Again and again, Jesus called His disciples to a higher level of obedience.

He pushed them to shape the culture around them rather than just follow what everyone else was doing.

(Beatitudes)

The Beatitudes teach what kind of person Jesus expects His disciples to be.

They address the desired character of the disciples.

Matthew 5:1–12 HCSB

1 When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He began to teach them, saying: 3 “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. 5 The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. 7 The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. 8 The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. 9 The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. 12 Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Poor in Spirit - spiritually destitute without God. Only the poor in spirit, those who recognize that without God they are spiritually destitute, can surrender completely to the reign of God.

Those who Mourn - mourning specifically for personal sin.

The Meek (Gentle) - Those who are humble, gentle, considerate, unassuming.

Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - people who have a passion for righteousness in their own lives. They want to see honesty, integrity, and justice in society, they look for practical holiness in the church.

The merciful - to be actively compassionate, to withhold punishment from those who deserve it, to help others in need who cannot help themselves.

The Pure in Heart - One whose motives are unmixed, whose thoughts are holy, whose conscience is clean.

The peacemakers - Love one another; actively intervene to make peace.

Those who are persecuted for righteousness - Being a disciple of Christ will lead to opposition with your families, friends, authorities, and the world.

Which of Jesus’ statements do you find most countercultural? Why?

(Get answers)

A.W. Tozer - “A fairly accurate description of the human race might be furnished one unaquainted with it by taking the Beatitudes, turning them wrong side out, and saying, ‘Here is your human race.’”

Not everyone followed Jesus up the mountain to hear His teaching.

But the disciples did.

They had given up their “normal” lives in order to follow Jesus.

Now they were climbing mountains to sit at His feet.

They put themselves in a position to learn and so they were blessed by His teaching.

(Ask) In what settings or situations do you most often hear from Jesus in a meaningful way?

(Ask) How can you intentionally place yourself in a position to learn from Jesus?

Putting ourselves in a position to learn from Jesus is a necessary step for all of us, but it is not the final step.

Disciples Obey What They Learn

What is the difference between a student and a disciple?

Students learn in order to pass a test or get a degree.

Disciples learn for the sake of obedience.

They learn in order to take action.

That is why Jesus regularly warned people to be conscious of their fruit.

Look at what He said in .

Matthew 7:15–17 HCSB

15 “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. 16 You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit.

Being a follower of Christ is not always easy.

That is why we need a firm foundation - something that we can build our lives on, weather the storms, and continue in Jesus’ mission for the world.

It’s pretty clear that the teachings of Jesus offer the only sure foundation on which we can build.

He is the rock.

But Jesus’ teachings only serve as a usable foundation when they are acted upon.

Obedience is necessary if we want to avoid building on sand.

What are some key teachings of Jesus that all disciples should believe? (Go through for examples)

What actions are required or implied by these teachings?