Discipleship (6 G's), Part 2: Grace & Grit

I think when an expectation has been set and setting deviates from that expectation to becomes very noticeable. I was reminded that as a better story this week in for my expectation. I guess you might have I don't know if you know that Ohio has a high density of one of the highest densities of Amish people there and in Pennsylvania that have a lot of people so you wouldn't find it weird an expectation as you might expect to read a story in the newspaper about an Amish person if you live in Ohio, but you might not expect is the new story. I read this week where a Amish buggy was pulled over that had a sound system in the back of it. It was really weird just to see this like two big speakers in the back and I really hope that just in a sense of delicious. Irony. They were listening to Weird Al Yankovic Amish Paradise. I really wish that that was blaring in the background of that right there. But expectation I would have is I would be the better choice, but I wouldn't that would that would be not noticed that would be noticeable to me but a formal expectation that was set is one that was set actually in the world of tennis tennis fans out there tennis great sport. I mean, it's just the endurance and skill and accuracy and everything. They need is just incredible. I'm horrible at tennis I've had respect for people able to do it this past summer in Wimbledon. One of the guys his name is Bernard. Tomic was fined $50,000. For a lack of effort in his match think about that do in Wimbledon. They have such high standards an expectation has been set for the players and there's a come in with professionalism and give you maximum effort but I love is there not fighting him cuz he lost their finding him because he didn't try his hardest and if you are to participate in something like that you were going to go out and give your maximum effort because if not, it's noticeable because everybody out there on the court is going to give their maximum effort in that sense made me think about that in the expectation that we've been talking about these past two weeks in the area of making disciples that God has put on the church God's expectation on the church. Is this that you and I would be involved in going to make disciples. That's the mission that he gave us and Matthew 28 18 to 20. That's what we need to talk about last week. So if that is the expectation that Christ has set on the church, I think what you and I need to do is take a hard look at our life in the ministry that we have here and say are we participate in that is all Effort matching the expectation that Christ has set upon us because we are participating in that mission as we go out and proclaim the gospel to the world. I think it's good for us to do it. Don't worry. I'm not going to be $50,000 if you think a, you know, I'm a little bit like on the effort but this morning we want to talk a little bit about that what it means to give that effort towards Christ and where that effort and strength come from and so we're going to talk about two more G's like we were talking about last week, but just to give us some kind of a refresher on what we were talking about. We gave the definition of discipleship as this students who strive to be like the Savior who saves them that's discipleship students who strive to be like the Savior who saves them and I gave you that from Luke chapter 6 verse 40, but this morning again, I just want to remind you from Mark chapter 10 verse mean your Bibles to Mark chapter 10 through begin to think about this expectation that Christ has set on the church and what we should be doing watch again how this is laid out in Mark chapter 10 I think it's so beautiful the way that Jesus does it remember from our study in mark from about chapter 8 verse 30 all the way to the end of chapter 10 Jesus Is On The Road to Cross and as he's doing it over and over again. He stops his disciples who are just so myopic and so small-minded in their vision of what Ministry is in Jesus shatters their world that a different things that he says and here is no different in chapter 10 verses 41 to 45 and as we get there you're going to hopefully begin to see those parts of that definition begin to come out Mark 10:41. So James and John just asked to sit at the right in the left hand when the other 10 heard it they were indignant with James and John and Jesus called them to him and said to them, you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles Lord it over them and they're great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all for even the son of man came not to be served but to serve so catch that right there what Jesus is saying? If you are my disciple you are going to be getting to be transformed and conformed to look like something and that cannot be the external rulers who are the rulers of the Gentiles. They are domineering autocratic horrible leaders who use their Authority and position to hurt people what you are if you are in my church as my disciple is somebody who looks a lot like me, you're a servant a slave of all because the son of man the king of the universe didn't come to be served but to serve two students striving to be like the Savior who saved them notice how he finishes mm versus 45 But even the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom from any notice of Jesus and John the fact that he has to be the ransom for send it cannot be me becoming more and more like Christ so that when I get to a certain point then God's going to save me because I've worked my way in Christ likeness know the gospel is you are saved when you were the enemy of God, and now that you've been saved by grace through faith in the amazing work of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now that you've been saved and made a life your progress in discipleship is measured by the closeness of your look to your savior. So you should be increasing in that that is what Jesus is saying discipleship is student learner's apprentices pupils striving to be like the Savior who save them. And then last time I told you that that's exactly what the New Testament Epistles begin to describe is the work that's gone on. Although the weird thing was Paul doesn't call us Disciples of an interesting point to think about last time Paul isn't calling Christians disciples. He is using terms very similar to that. I want to show you one other area turns me to Ephesians chapter 4 and watch that that definition of we just gave from Mark. It's the same thing that Paul does when he goes to Church's I think I showed you that from Philippians last time here a fusions chapter 4. What's a 17 to 24? seasons 4 verses 17 to 24 follow along as I read pulse is this now this I say and testify in the Lord that you must no longer walk is the Gentiles do in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to their Hardness of Heart. They've become callous in a given themselves up to sensuality greedy to practice every kind of impurity. So Paul is starting out essentially the same way that Christ did in Mark chapter 10 verse 41 and 42, you know that the Gentiles act this way. You can't do that. What's all doing here? You know as a Christian you can't act like the way non-christians act because their mindset and their attitudes in their heart are only towards the things of this world. You can't look like them you have to look different than them notice the contrast he gives him verse 20, but that is not the way you learned Christ you say that word learned again. That's the verb form of nasty taste disciple. You could translate that that is not the way you were discipled in cry. When Paul comes to the church at Ephesus and you read that in the the book of Acts, he does the same thing that Jesus did with his disciples he instructs and give something to imitate so that people become more like the Savior who saved them and that's exactly what Paul is saying when I'm here in the church when I came and talked to you you can't live like the Gentiles you have to live under the instruction in imitation that I showed you make you look more and more like Jesus Christ ticket take a look at chapter 5 verse 1 to solidify That season 5-1 therefore be imitators of God noticed that as your God's child, you're going to start to look more and more like the father and what is the other example and walk in love? He was the phrase as Christ loved us. So you as a Christian now as you're being discipled as you're being transformed, what is going on is your hearing instruction from the scriptures and your hopefully able to have to put that into a picture as somebody you look at it. Somebody who's the site when you mix a model of imitation that you can begin the following your own life. So then you pass that on to the generation behind you. There's that imitative walk in love as Christ loved us student striving to be like the Savior but notice this who save them and gave himself up for us. That means it's not us again becoming more like Jesus and then when we get to a certain point, then we're safe know he gave himself up for us when we were Sinners dead in our trespasses and sins. But now that were alive in Christ because of the grace of the Gospel. We now get to move into Conformity to the image of Christ. That's the standard and expectation that God has on his church for disciples being made and that's what we want to be a part. Now if you were you weren't here last week. I want to make sure that you know that this isn't this is the middle of a series cuz we're going to talk about today is how this process kind of works as you go through the Christian Life last week. We talked about the two of the six Gees that were there the first one a real disciple keeps the gospel primary. There's a first importance as Paul said in that sense Paul and Jesus said my mission is here to go proclaim the gospel and Jesus invested that in his disciples called them to repentance and Faith then as they came to repentance and Faith Heat. How to go out and be Fishers of Men just like he was discipleship in action Paul did the same thing in his letters as we saw from 1st Corinthians and Philippians last week. Remember that phrase was just concerned that the gospel advanced in every situation that he was in if you were disciple you will keep that primary and then he said the last year that the glory is book ending this great process of discipleship because we're waiting for the one that we looked on that we Pierce and he could have wipe away every tear when we get in this present when his glory comes that's what we're aiming for. It's not just in this life making it just a little bit better. It's aiming for the glory of Christ when he comes to set up his kingdom here on Earth and then we're going to rejoice when that happens. Set the justification and glorification of the belief of the way Paul put in that sense. And that happens when you put real genuine saving faith and you possess it. Not just Professor like we spoke about last week, but now I want to talk about to other G's going on. See what I've been so encouraged by as I put these together is really we could preach this again in three years and we could combine any one of the G's in a different way get a different look at it but still get the same product in the end because they're all interconnected. I'm going to hope to to wrap up the series next week as we look at the systematic study of discipleship that you can use that connect all these together. We don't pull out one to the you know doesn't neglect of the others and that's really where churches start to go in wrong directions. They highlight one to the neglect of another. So this morning I'm going to put two of them together that I think are necessary to go together because if they go individual that can be misunderstood very very A poorly for the first time ever going to talk about this morning is the the the G of Grace you want to talk about disciples or dependent upon God's grace affect what you write it down and Route 21 real Disciples of God live dependently by God's grace at that number one of those like we need to live dependently by God's grace if we're really making disciples because if you think about the mission the expectation set if you don't live by the grace of God and you were to go try to accomplish that in and of yourself, it would be woefully an utter failure but here by the grace of God is going to we're going to study in a moment. We're going to begin to see that this power that energizes and sustains and strengthens us now motivates us to be able to go out an accomplished this great work, but I'll admit you this these two categories, but this one specifically Grace is very difficult to pull from the gospel. Of Mark, I think explicitly matei what I mean by that. If you've been with us, I think we're like 35 or 40 sermons already in the gospel of Mark. We're getting close to the end of the series will probably finish it by the end of the year. So typically when you come on a Sunday morning, here we go through an exposition of the book of the Bible the systematic approach of going through each text. So we get everything in context this three-week series. We're going through a systematic study of discipleship. So we're pulling different text together. But when you come to the gospel of Mark, I want you to think about specific text that we studied so far. How many times has the word Grace appeared in mark you know it is 0 The word Grace isn't mentioned so far that we study the mark and guess what we're going to hear the word Grace throughout the entire Book of Mark in that sense Caris that idea that Paul speaks. So eloquently about in all these letters. It's not sounding Mark. I think that's also true of Matthew as well as you work through those gospels. That's not to say that the gospels themselves are devoid of any gospel mentions. You can think of just the beginning of John's prologue number how to describe Jesus. They're so beautifully. Jesus is full of grace and truth. It's such a contrast the law that has truth. But Grace is found in Jesus Christ in that sense to see that and John one button, really not that much in the gospel. I don't know any other examples outside of John one that it's found and then in the Gospel of Luke you do see a number of instances of Charis the word grace in Greek, but it's not really translated that way when you begin to look at least in the ESV. It's more like favor or forgiveness and that's very interesting because Luke and Paul were the ones working together until you would think that Paul's influence on Grace might show up there, but It's not that prominent the theme in there. Let me let me show you what I mean by living dependently put on Grace in one of Paul's Epistles first, and then we'll come back tomorrow to show you but that's exactly what Jesus is modeling for us. It's just under different terms of turns me the 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 1 Shut off all this argument with me as we're walking along the disciples need to live dependently on the strength of God's grace. We're trying to live dependently upon that I think that's a very evident and Mark. We just want to clarify our terms in 2nd Timothy 2:1 and then we'll begin to talk about it from the gospel of Mark.

2nd Timothy 2:1 call writing this letter to his Young Apprentice. This is Paul's Ministry 2 Timothy was one of accomplished discipleship. If you want to know what discipleship will end up Paul invested in Timothy and Timothy followed after Paul and he mimics Paul and you did that and then Timothy supposed to take that and pass that on and that's how discipleship Works. We're passing on what we've learned been instructed and imitated to the Next Generation II Timothy 2:1 says this use then my child be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. So there speaks of a dependency that Timothy is to have on the grace of God strengthening him to do this great work of discipleship that he's about to tell him where you entrust Faithful Men with the gospel. And then they take that and they pass it on to other men in that sense. That is a work that needs the strengthening of God's grace. So it's a dependency that the disciple should have on the grace of God in that sense to accomplish this great task, but this right here isn't the first time that we've met Grace in the letter of 2nd Timothy. Go back to chapter 1 verse 8 and noticed how potent and Powerful this grace is 2nd Timothy 1:8 there for it to not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord nor of me his prisoner but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God and I've noticed a dependency right there. If you're going to share in the suffering of the Gospel you're not going to do so because you're able to work up the strength yourself. It will be by the power of God notices who saved us and called us to a holy calling not because of our works but because of his own purpose and Grace which he gave us in Christ before the ages began. Do you see the potency and power of the grace of God given to Sinners who could not save themselves by their own good works. They would have been left to judgment and condemnation that they earned by their sinful work, but God came in with his grace and save them. So Grace is that powerful component that takes a fusions to one someone dead in their trespasses in And the Fusions for 2/4 makes them of Life In Christ. That should give you great hope that as we're talking about relying upon the grace of God if it is able to make a dead center alive in Christ did what is it able to do in the life of somebody who is alive in Christ because of that gospel. This is powerful potent Grace that we want to be dependent upon. That's my pulse is Timothy if you're going to do any work you will do so I being strengthened is a passive voice be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. So that's the terminology that were used in the point. It's a dependency that you should have and now I want to show you from the gospel of Mark. How did Jesus model that for us? Thanks for this with me. Have we seen examples of Jesus's prayer life in the gospel of Mark? You just write it down Mark chapter 1 think it's 35 Jesus after a long day of ministry. What is he he goes any praise the next one is going to get up early. He's going to make sure that he's spending time with God and why is he doing that? We will find out later on when we turn to this text in actually Washington and Mark chapter 14 what Jesus is praying when we do that turns me to mark 14 Jesus. I believe it's he's praying as he's instructed when he taught us the Lord's Prayer to the disciples the disciples to use you are to pray God's will be done and not our will be done. And that is a Monumental prayer that if you really genuinely ask needs strength accompanied with it to accomplish that because it's very easy to live for our will is very difficult to live for the will of God. So what we want to do is find out how Jesus did that so look at Mark 14 verse 32. This is where we're going to pick up and we jump back in the mark in a few weeks. We're going to pick up on the scene and just picture it. They went to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I pray and he took with him Peter and James and John and begin to be greatly distressed and troubled you see that the ministry that Jesus had is burdensome and difficult and he said my soul is very sorrowful even to death remain here and watch and going a little further he fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible the our might pass from him and he said Abba Father all things are possible for you remove this cup from me not yet. Not what I will but what you will What a beautiful prayer we have of Jesus so we know from Matthew 6. He instructs the disciples. Pray your kingdom come your will be done Jesus demonstrates that as imitation that we should be following when we're asking prayer request to God not my will but yours be done. I know all things are possible for you, but I want what you want more than what I want in that sense. And this is the dependency that Jesus is showing on the father not turn this me to Luke 22 to find out the outcome of that. Luke chapter 22 Matthew Mark Luke and John are the synoptic gospels given that picture of Jesus's life and Ministry and the move 22, we have the parallel scene of Jesus praying in the garden, but watch what Luke fills in for us happens after Jesus prays this Luke 22 verses 39

2239

does this and he came out and went as was his custom notice that this is not a one-time thing that Jesus does this is his custom to go out to the Mount of Olives with his disciples and they followed him and when he came to that place, he said to them pray that you may not enter into temptation and he withdrew from them about a stone's throw away and knelt down and prayed same father. If you are willing remove this cup from me watch this nevertheless not my will but yours be done verse 43 helps us and there appeared to him an angel from heaven. strengthening him You see the outcome of the prayer that Jesus has here. He praised this to the father father not my will yours be done? I know that your will is what will accomplish the scope of redemption that has been planned from the foundation of the world. And I don't want what's going to him to that. I want what you want. So father allow me to be able to feel all that you called me to do and at the end of that prayer what happens there's a strengthening of Christ. So he's able to do what God is calling them to do. Cuz I think this begins to teach us the ways that we live dependently by the strength of God's grace. It teaches us to approach the Realms of spiritual disciplines in this way. When we approached the Realms of spiritual disciplines, which would include prayer Bible reading service at Church Fellowship with the same worship. These are the things that the Bible list out as spiritual disciplines. Not that we used to earn favor. But really if you think about it think about them as funnels to receive the grace of God. If you had like, you know, just very costly expensive some form of liquid. I don't know if it's an oil think if you've got to do Tesla's take oil. I don't think that's a big whale Cay think about the most expensive car in the most expensive oil that would go into that car. Would you take that expensive oil and find a place where it goes in the car and just try to pour that expensive oil into the car without a fun or would you use a funnel you're going to use a funnel because you want to make sure that very expensive resource goes directly where it needs to be in that sense. And when I start to think about my spiritual disciplines that way now, I'm never treating them as a legalistic thing that is going to gain me status with a credit with a with God because I've been so good at reading my Bible every single day, but I realize this is a necessity that I have to funnel the strength of the grace of God to my life to accomplished what God has called me to do. Now when we talk about encouraging one another you need to do your spiritual disciplines. I'm not saying that's because you're going to lose your salvation. If you don't what I'm saying, is this is the the Avenue the channel the funnel was you will receive the strength of God's grace in your life to be able to accomplish what he's asking you to do if we see that you would Jesus or do you guys know about intake Towers? You know, those are like look at the Hoover Dam KY the Hoover Dam is I think at Holding Back Lake Mead and they have I believe four intake Towers in there. What does intake towers are designed to do is to pull the water from that great reservoir of resource and to take it to this place where it turns into this this power this Hydro electronic power but to get from the reservoir to the place where is converted to the energy which the Hoover Dam provides to like, Arizona, California, Nevada a whole bunch of power. To get there. It has to go to the intake Tower. That's what the spiritual disciplines are. You will not get the power that's found in the reserve of God's grace unless the intake is there to get it there to be converted to the energy that you need but man when you do that and you're getting the unadulterated grace of God in your life now, you understand why we want to hold each other accountable to pray have you spend time in prayer this week. It's not because we're trying to shame you were trying to ask Have You Been strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. To think that's what's being shown here in Jesus's life another example that you just write down Matthew Chapter 4 verses 1 to 11 Matthew for 1 to 11. And if you know the seen enough story Jesus is being tempted by the devil. And what is he doing in that temptation? Is he because he's the son of God and he could just simply sit there and let all the Temptations bounce off of him if that's the way he's approached these Temptations or does he dependently appeal to the word of God three times? He's using the word to fight off these attacks you what happens right after he uses the word Angels come again and minister to him. So he's receiving some sort of strength to be able to do all that God is asking him to do these the spiritual disciplines. Do you know what some denominations and some branches of theology call the spiritual disciplines means of Grace have you heard that before a means of Grace? So if you were talking to somebody like, you know, are you taking advantage of the means of Grace it would be like Bible? And prayer coming to church, you know that service in the church is a means of Grace to encourage one another to receive Grace to be strengthened to go out and do what God has called you to do charge me the 1st Peter to see this. Look at his First Peter chapter 4

this become so important on why we need to come to church and serve at church because if you're not serving at church, you're not allowing there for that channel of God's grace to be communicated to People First Timothy 4. Call 1st Peter start for 3 or 4 verses 10.

And 11 1st Peter, 4:10 and 11. Just listen to how Peter talks about this as each has received a gift K. That's talking about Gracie received a gift use it to serve one another. Okay. That's what we do in the body of Christ as good stewards of God's varied Grace. If you're here and your disciples saved by the grace of God, you have been entrusted as a steward with a gracious gift of God to be able to use that to communicate Grace to other church members. So what are the examples that he gets here? Whoever speaks as one who speaks Oracles of God when you come. I hope that you hear not my words, but the words of the Bible that Empower you and strengthen you to go out and to serve the way that God is asking you to do it because it's not about me or my opinion or anything that I'm coming up with. I'm trying to give you the Oracles of God himself. What does everything say whoever serves Search for the strength that God supplies so that in everything. God gets the glory. Do you see when we live dependent lies on the strength of the grace of God. This is how God always gets the glory for it. So when you serve at church, you can just simply pulled up a chair at the end of the service that might be your simple Act of service. But if you pray God give me the grace to do this with such joy that people who see me do it will be encouraged or as you fold up a chair. Who ever sat in this chair. Please help them to apply your word today. If you do that you were simply by the strength that got supplies helping one another do what God is calling you to do. There's no meaning the service here. That's why we want you to be active and involved because it's one of those channels are funnels. We're going to express God's grace to one another. So I told you that was kind of implicitly in the gospel of Mark, but you know where I think it's explicit in Jesus's teaching his disciples John 15:15.

John 15 just a great portion scripture. I mean redundant thing to say write any time preacher says that a great portion scripture like is there are not great portion of scripture, but this is a great portion of scripture John 15. 1 to 8 Now listen again for the idea of dependency and being strengthened by an outside Source again, we're not going to see the word terrorist. We're not going to see the word race, but this is definitely the same thing that Paul is talking about when he talks about being strengthened by the grace of God John 15128. Jesus talking to his disciples. I am the True Vine and my father is the vinedresser every branch in me. That does not bear fruit. He takes away and every branch that does not bear fruit. He prunes that it may bear more fruit already or clean because of the word. I've spoken to you abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself. That again as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine. Neither. Can you unless you abide in me? I am the vine you are the branches whoever abides in me and I in him he it is that bears much fruit for apart from me. You can do nothing. Do you hear the dependency that is spoken of in there apart from Christ. Nothing for his glory will be accomplished. You can do absolutely nothing without his strength. The branches are worthless unless it's connected to the vine and that's where the source of strength. Is coming from so you have to have that dependency upon the grace of God if you're doing it. If not, you will be fruitless. And what did he say happens? When you do that you're proving to be go to adjust professing Christianity, but you're not really connected to the vine. Take a look at verse 6, if anyone does not abide in me, he's thrown away like a branching Withers in the branches are gathered in front of the fire. If you invited me watch this and my words abide in you see how the abiding is being in the word of God. So that's why I'm gaining this strength. It's encouraging me. It's developing me. It's challenging is convicted me and I'm becoming more like Jesus as I read this My words abide in me ask whatever you wish never talk about prayer. So if I'm not in the word of God abide in me, I'm going to go to prayer and that could be effective means to funnel to channel the grace of God to me in that sense and we'll be done for you. Here we go by this my father is glorified that you bear much fruit. And so prove to be my disciples. Do you see how this discipleship has to be a dependency upon the grace of God strengthening you so that you take no credit yourself. The father is glorified when you bear much fruit, so please take a look at your life and safe is there much fruit bearing going on that? I can directly credit to the grace of God because here it tells me that I could not have produced this spiritual fruit unless I was connected to the vine dependency upon the grace of God to accomplish the work of God heals the glory of God always going to him. It cannot go anywhere else. That's why we have to live that way. Token, that's the way I Think. Jesus is telling his disciples to live did DePaul do that while we showed you already. But let me show you another verse from Paul jersey the 1st Corinthians 15. 1st Corinthians 15

We referenced a little bit last week showing Paul's you of discipleship. But we don't stress this point of dependency.

1st Corinthians 15 take a look at first 10 just follow along with the wisdom of a Polish saying here. 1st Corinthians, 15:10 But by the grace of God, I am what I am that's present tense. So Paul standing there as the Apostle writing to the church for claiming to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified by the grace of God. I stand right here. I am what I am cuz he says and his grace toward me was not in vain. So I think that's that's the are extensions now going back in time when God saved him on the road to Damascus that Grace that was given to me was not in vain because now I'm standing in his grace and watch for the statement goes on the contrary. I worked harder than any of them. So does Paul think it's possible for disciple to receive so much grace and the idle or apathetic or uninterested in doing the work that God is going to do. I don't think you can answer. Yes to that. By the grace of God anybody in his grace to me was not in vain on the contrary. I worked harder than any of them though. It was not I but the grace of God that is with me currently presently strengthening him and powering him transforming him to be more like Jesus Christ. Does producing disciples is hard, but when you have the power of the omnipotent grace of God behind you, it's not insurmountable. In fact, it will be the outcome of that great and we will be a part of this great ministry producing genuine disciples for Jesus Christ. I told you this is not the only G that we want to focus on because again some people to the neglect of other aspects of discipleship can purely focus on the Grayson probably just focus on the singular aspect of God's grace in the past. Now, let's just talk about God's grace at the cross and we want to rejoice in that that causes a sense of humility of thankfulness, but we've seen all throughout their that it's not just enough to talk about the foundation that Grace is giving you that provides the humility and thankfulness that helps you serve with the right attitude, but we also want to talk about the functionality of Grace to give you the strength to do what God is calling you to do and then like Peter says in 1st Peter we set our hope fully on the grace to be revealed to us at the at the coming of Christ. So Grace is coming from beginning middle to end and we have to be depended upon gone through that. But when we genuinely do that when we have that that means of Grace that that funnel we receive that strength. What do we do? The Bible tells us that disciples use that to endure as real Disciples of Jesus Christ. So we want to talk about now is the fourth G grits. Okay, great. I use that terminology just because it's a lot in the culture today. You're going to hear that a lot special business out there finding success in business or Sports is a conservator grittiness today. So every time you think about the biblical words of endurance of steadfastness of perseverance that that we're grit encompasses all of those words right there. And Jesus is one who taught us specifically that a real genuine disciple who has real saving Faith who possesses it not just professes. It is one who will endure turn the mark 13 to see this Mark chapter 13

Mark 13

Mark chapter 13 verse 13. This is again in the context of Jesus teaching on the end times and we talked through this we looked at the way that Christ is bringing God's Plan of Redemption to the end and he's going to come back as a son of man Inglorious what we long for as Disciples of Christ, but he said something very interesting and Mark 13:13. Sza and you will be hated by all for my namesake is into the verse but the one who endures to the end will be saved. Again, this is not me coming up with the category of grittiness or endurance or perseverance or steadfastness. This is Jesus. You say the real genuine disciple is the one who endures to the end. That's why we talked about real discipleship a real saving faith never being able to be taken away from you because it's empowered by the real genuine grace of God. And what is going to overcome the grace of God, if you can describe to me some sort of foreign power that is stronger than the grace of God, then I'll be convinced that somebody who genuinely possesses salvation can lose it. But I know you can't come up with anything stronger than the grace of God if he can take you from death to life. There is no way that it cannot support that very life that it gave it. So Jesus to stay in here watch again. The argument is not if you enjoy your then I'm going to Grant you salvation, but because I've given you salvation you will endure and that's exactly what Jesus is saying. So we need to have a category for grit as we're producing disciples must write down number to Hunter outline this way we need to develop this grid. through dependence we need to develop this create through dependents. I want to show you why I put these two together. Because of everything we just talked about being empowered by the grace of God now requires us to use that for the endurance that God is calling us to in the Christian Life. She's a great value. Think about it. This way Grace is such a a potent resource that God is not really in the business of just throwing it out there without specific purposes. Only take the name of that. Maybe your parents. I haven't gotten there yet in in our parenting yet. But I imagine they'll be days when miles comes and just blurts out that I need a hundred bucks maybe parents had that happen before I can say what's going to happen in our home okay to come and you demand a valuable resource like $100 there better be a very good reason behind that cuz I'm not just in the business of Benjamin's to my kids over there any time that they ask for the night since they give us a dad. I need five hundred bucks. Okay, that's a lot. What do you need $500 for? you know, there's a father but if it's a real legitimate need Dad one of my friends is homeless and he has no food no clothing. I want to take this I'm going to go by my friend some food and some clothing but that was genuinely it when I take my valuable resource and give it to my son. Yeah, cuz I know he's using it for I think about the way you pray. Oh God be gracious to me. For what? Do you want my grace? You know, how valuable this resources? What do you want this for? Why are you asking for this resource? Are you just here because you want to say some sort of religious platitudes and ask for my grace and do nothing with it. Why not? Go to God and say God I Need Your Grace today because you called me to love my wife the way Christ loves the church. The difficult thing to do husbands. Yeah is an empowered by the grace of God. Absolutely and when I go to God and I said God dependently, I need you today to help me accomplish this thing. So I will continue in your For Your Glory now, we're living like a real disciple in that sense. That's what does endurance is developed through these these dependencies upon God's grace to get you through these things. I just want to give you three examples from Paul about things you can pay for the many others that you find the scriptures. I want to give you three. OK as we're on the road of discipleship for on the mountain rock climbing. I'm going to give you three areas that you can pray dependently to ask for specific race to accomplish that you will continue in your number one when you face Temptation when You Face Temptation letter 800 number to when You Face Temptation turns me to 1st Corinthians. chapter 10 1st Corinthians 10

1st Corinthians 10

Call this along with me when you developed. This grits endurance is perseverance the steadfastness and we do so but being dependent upon the grace of God to accomplish it first Corinthians 10 take a look at that shows the dependency 1st Corinthians 10 verse 12. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall that's a dependent mindset that you need to develop right? I'm not going to stand here and think that I'm so great and God save me and now I'm ready to do whatever he's called me to do. I don't need any other help I'm here to take on all comers in that sense. That is a recipe for failure. You need to be dependent upon the grace of God verse 12 is the antithesis of that. So what do we need to do with researching? No temp take Temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. So we on the road in Cypress to understand the Temptations going to come. Okay, the World the Flesh and the devil all their enemies all out. They're all trying to distract us from what God is calling us to do. Okay, so you should anticipate that you will face Temptation now as a disciple, what do you do with that anticipation? Do you sit back and cower in fear? Because temptation is going to overtake you or do you approach the Temptation with a mindset of Victory? Because you know, if your dependent upon the grace of God you're going to be able to fight it because no temptation is everything is not come and look at the face of God is faithful and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability. But with the Temptation will provide the way of Escape that you may be able to endure it. UC Paul teaching his disciples. This is how you live as a Christian you endure by fleeing Temptation in that sense, which is just the wisest strategy. Think about this with me. I told you guys I started running recently. And so I run around my neighborhood and we live in the neighborhood and somebody from the church lives in the same neighborhood that we do not to mention any names to protect the innocent or guilty depending on how you hear the story. But I have a neighbor who comes this church and they saw me running and they told me that I thought they saw me. Hey Pastor I saw you running the other morning and guess what I was doing. I said what I was cooking bacon, and I said Fantastic Four you okay really glad that you were doing that? And he said, you know what I'm going to do to you next time. Next time you go running by I'm going to run out with a big plate of bacon and I'm going to tell you that if you stopping at baking with me and don't finish running you can have all the bacon you want that sense to think about me as I'm being tempted right there by the minister of Satan over here with his bacon. Think about this. What is the best way for me to avoid in fight this temptation? Is it is it wise for me to the next time I go by stop and go. Okay. Let me let me really walk this bacon in smell it so I can do look kind of like an immunity against it and really fight really hard against it cuz I'm really strong. Is that is that a wise way to do it? Or maybe I should I should you know cuddle, you know the bacon in my hand. Maybe it's one of those soft pieces with the golden brown maple sugar on the outside of it really sick, or maybe it's a nice crispy piece. Maybe I should just feel it for a little while then and get really close to the Temptations, but I know I can overcome it. Or is the wisest way for me to enjoy that temptation to just keep running by it. That's the way to do it. You was a Christian when you are faced with temptation, which you will be every single day have to keep running you need endurance. So you pray that at the beginning of each day God give me eyes to see the way of Escape when Temptation comes and the power to run as fast as I can in the other direction. Now you're like Joseph in the Old Testament, right? What happens when Potiphar's wife comes to him? That's literally think about that. He's the second most prominent man. There would have been absolutely no way for him to have any sort of repercussions for this physically speaking. And what happens is he runs as fast as he can in the other direction to get away with it why cuz he doesn't want to dishonor the God has been so good to him a missed all the trials. He's gone through that's the best way to do it, but you got to pray for the grace of God to be able to do that. And then what happens when you do it if you've got all the credit. What would happen if I didn't power you you would have to come to that Temptation and that Temptation would have if you follow the the line of James, right Temptation gives birth to sin and sin when it's fully formed. Leave the death. God protect you from that. We live we develop description is dependent. Let's pray that way. Tony face Temptations face trials face trials let it be under to go to James chapter 1 Hope it's made versus to you. James chapter 1 James when we preach the word we called it faith-filled grit because there's a grittiness that James talks about you having and it's Illustrated when You Face trials in James 1 2 3 4