What Is A Disciple?

I'm not sure if you guys heard this past week a well-known oregon-based traveling evangelist name Luis Palau passed away this past week. Yes. Lived into his 80s lived a successful life that we can celebrate 50 years of faithfully following Jesus Lewis spread the gospel around eight countries in this world. Over 1 million decisions were made to follow Jesus over the course of that. Yeah, that is incredible. I knew the plow family. I know the plow family really. Well Lewis is great. He's a jokester did festivals with his son Andrew coached his grandkids and soccer and you know, I'll never forget my interactions lease again, super funny guy Spanish speaking a lot like our Louise, you know, just a jokester Spanish speaking and I want to give you a quote from Luis Palau. Just kind of sign up his humor. I love this. The church is like manure pile it up and it stinks up the neighborhood spread it out and enriches the world. And that's beautiful. Yes, we will miss Luis Palau. I think it's safe to say that Louis was a true disciple of Jesus committed to following him his entire life. And today we're going to talk about just that in the gospel of Matthew. We're going to ask a question and answer what is a disciple. What is a disciple and remember when we did our church series few months back rezultat on this very same thing. We're going to cover a lot of those same things bring it back up today this morning, but we're really going to dive into what is disciple was like in the first century and I think you're going to discover a lot of things that would be new for you. So what is this Eiffel now the main theme of Matthew if you've been tracking with us is the kingdom of God breaking into our world through Jesus Christ, right? We all get that Now that you've read chapters 8 through 10 what we've been studying the last few weeks. You've noticed a few things. You might be wondering. What is this section all about because Jesus is going around doing a bunch of miraculous healing spread top that last week and then there's a sections of him going in like refining his disciples and if you read it on your own you might be like what's going on here Matthew like what's what's the supposed to be about is a discipleship or is it healing and the answer is yes write the answer is both these two things go hand-in-hand. They're not mutually exclusive. God does not give us the option to learn about him without experiencing firsthand his power the Holy Spirit and our lives are some of us have tried one without the other you want to know more about the scripture. So you add Bible studies or books, but God wants you to face your demons. Or perhaps you want healing that migraine that just won't go away. But God wants to show you his character and to give you wisdom in your relationships an interview into the story of God. You see discipleship is always and must be both knowledge and power knowledge and power. That is the first thing about discipleship. Now we use that word disciple all the time and all the time around here. Every Demers. We say we're making disciples. We are followers of Jesus. And it's even in our mission statement. But the fear that I have is a leader and Brett to is that if we use these words too much. They might become redundant or cliche. We miss out on the meaning of them there for it's time to learn exactly what it means to be a disciple. Are you guys ready to nerdout? Okay, cuz this is this is going to be like lecture-style for the next like 30 minutes, but then at the end, I promise we're going to come up for air so buckle and take notes. Make sure your Bible is out open right now whether it's a physical Bible or Bible app to Matthew 9, we've got to cover a chapter and 1/2 we're going to do it can do this. Discipleship is not a class. You can graduate from or book you can read neither. Is it simply identifying as a Christian but instead discipleship is choosing to follow Jesus spend time with him learn from him and do the things he did for the rest of your life. We're not going to waste any time this morning, but we will stop and pray again for watching online. Please whatever you're doing. Stop and pray with us father. We look to you. We look to your son to teach us now through your scriptures. We ask that your Holy Spirit would connect the dots. This would not just be knowledge this morning. but Power

speak to each individual here exactly what they need to hear. Even those that aren't with us in this room right now. Holy spirit. Would you speak to them what they need downstairs at the kids teach them what they need to hear. Amen. All right, Matthew 9 verse 9. As Jesus went out from there his hometown and he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's Booth. He said follow me. And Matthew got up and followed him is very similar to The Calling of Peter and Andrew and James and John right just season fishing is like like a boss, right? Follow me and I get up and follow up. No questions asked now what happens next is kind of funny to me because I never really saw this the first few times I read it but Jesus basically asked Matthew to come follow him and then the very next thing Jesus like is that Matthews House eating a meal like he invited himself over for a meal which is hilarious. It's not expect to pay for the meal on the first date. The well, Jesus having dinner is a verse 10 Matthews House. Many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples and when the Pharisees saw this they asked his disciples. Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners? On hearing this Jesus said it is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick but go and learn what this means I desire mercy and not sacrifice for I have not come to call the righteous but Sinners and Jesus is quoting Hosea 6:6 here the emphasis to the Pharisees is their lack of compassion for the lost the sea the center's the outcasts the least likely that you'd expect to be invited into the kingdom of God. When this should have been Central for them in light of the vision of Hosea 6:6, I'm more on that next week Carson's going to lead us through the rest of chapter 9 for a purpose of the day. I want you to know a few things one Matthew is a very unlikely choice for a disciple very unlikely Choice. The Pharisees were astonished that Jesus would one eat with him. Let alone call him to be one of his followers one of his examples 35. Jesus went through all the towns and Villages teaching in their synagogues for claiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness when he saw the crowds he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless like sheep without a Shepherd. So another hit and critique of the Jewish leaders at the time. Then he said to his disciples. The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the lord of the Harvest there for to send out workers into his Harvest field. No, first 35 Jesus was teaching in their synagogues proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. This line should sound familiar Matthew uses it earlier doesn't he chapter 4 verse 23 just before he goes and gives The Sermon on the Mount is the exact same line. And this is important. Jesus did not go around saying something like believe in me that I exist and you'll go to heaven when I die. No, but instead he talked he proclaimed the kingdom of God's Rule and he healed it was life for that. I believe you tell anyways, why is that important? And why does it have to do with discipleship? I'm glad you have returned the chapter 10.

Jesus called his 12 disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out in pure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the 12 apostles. First. Simon is called Peter his brother Andrew James son of Zebedee his brother John Philip and Bartholomew Lowell Thomas and Matthew the tax collector James the son of alphaeus and the name that we all love our ready to name our grandchildren's Thaddeus. Time in this Valley and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him all kind of paired up in twos here was a lot going on here. I want the 12 disciples are Matthew put this in here to Echo the tribes of Israel as if to say, Jesus is starting a whole new work a horn a whole new people of God who will be my priest on Earth. It's really what Matthews doing There's Something Happening Here. We don't really have time to get into it. And I I kind of question is some of us are even ready for it. But there's a scandalous thing happening here just within the 12 disciples. You have Simon the Zealot paired with Matthew the tax collector in fear in the first century. This would be like a glaring Scandal are the zealots were Jews were typically violent and who were trying to overthrow Roman rule. And they were very aggressive. Now. The tax collectors are on the polar opposite side. They were Jews who were suspiciously corrupt and working with the Romans to yes gathered taxes. The least you would be at serious odds with each other things like an Oregon State Beaver fan and an Oregon Duck getting married, right or Trump and Biden or like let's join forces forces and run together the next election, you know, like I can keep going like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates Building a computer. Or Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey joining that works. We don't have time. So back to our main plot these twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions. Do not go among. The Gentiles are into any town of Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. Coming out to Versailles as you go proclaim the message your disc in the Kingdom of Heaven is come near heal the sick raise the dead cleanse those who have leprosy drive out demons. Freely. You have received freely give I stop isn't this what Jesus was doing in the previous chapters? Yes, he's he's telling his disciples go do exactly what I've been doing. Let me also read to you the end of Matthew's gospel chapter 28 is what we call the Great Commission. Jesus came to them as disciples and he said all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me therefore go and make disciples. Tell me the typos To Go Make Disciples to All Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and teaching Jesus taught the disciples now disciples are to go and teach teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you. Okay. So here's what you need to see the disciples are sent out to do exactly what Jesus Does And we see this strictly by observation, right? We haven't done any deep work yet. Is there so much going on in the first century contact? So we're going to go to like a whole another level of nerding out here you guys ready? I apologize. It's like watching The History Channel isn't your thing? Just bear with us? Okay. It'll be quick though. Discipleship fun facts, here we go. First thing to be super clear. Jesus is a lot of things. He's a son of God. He's also the Messiah that the Christ of prophesied coming King to restore Israel. But if you are a first-century, Jew and Jesus were to come to your synagogue and start teaching you found. The odds are you would put him in the category of Rabbi and Rabbi means teacher Rabbi means teacher for the slides not working reading is that He's a master back there in a wizard. So he'll figure it out. I'm sure Rabbi means teacher. Rabbis were traveling teachers with a yoke that's a first century euphemism for a way of teaching a way of understanding the trough and that was passed onto a rabbi's disciples. And that was what Jesus was in the gospels. Jesus is called Rabbi or teacher upwards of sixty a little backstory hear. Jesus was not the first Rabbi ya Rabbi Hillel. He was a famous famous Rabbi years before Jesus existed or live and he had 80. Disciples and then there was Rabbi Akiva who lived after the death of Jesus. He had five like super devote disciples, but they say he had 1,200 pairs of men and women who are also his disciples that is crazy. Now in Hebrew the word decipher disciple is Telma Dean. Can you say that? Comedy comedy means disciple follower or student but don't think like follower. I have like a thousand followers on Instagram. How many do you have? You know, it's not like that and don't think student like, oh I go to cocc or I go to Oregon State enough and I take notes in class. No actually the best definition or translation. We have a what a disciple is today would be an apprentice and Apprentice. Now this idea discipleship didn't start with Jesus either but was an idea actually imported from Grease hundreds of years earlier. For example, you know Play-Doh, right? He was a disciple of anybody now. Socrates yes, or as Bill and Ted say so crates. All we are is Dust In The Wind in the first century discipleship was the apex of the Jewish education system. Check this out. If you were born a Hebrew, you would go through three levels of Education. The first was called Bates affirm Akira phase that meant House of the book and this was essentially grade school what you did up to the age up to age 12, you learn to read and write and do basic math all from the book or the tour of the scriptures on top of that. You would memorize the Torah. The first five books of the Bible Genesis to Deuteronomy memorized by age 12 anybody. Yeah, what is happened to register education system. You know, where is Johor off right now? I need to ask him that. Memorize yikes. Okay vast majority of children were done after that when we would go on hopefully start a family of children's the males would then go on and learn the family business. Now the best of the best the wood continuing schooling something called baked on mood which means House of learning now, there is a school built on the side of the synagogue's had like a pay teacher and from ages 12 to 15. You would learn full-time from that teacher and you would memorize the rest of the Old Testament what we call the Old Testament memorized by age 50. Okay, right. Now. Almost everybody was done with schooling right everyone, but the best of the best of the best right the scholars the elite think like Maverick and Goose a Top Gun, right or Jordan Robinson and Barkley and the Dream Team, you know, or I don't know Brett and I are super cute fashion sense, you know starting a school for how to be good looking and do other things good to the best of the best would go on to become a tomagene and you had to first if you want to become atomidine past like this crazy interview with a rabbi who you wanted to follow and they would press you. I mean you'd be interrogated. What what how well have you memorize a tour and the scripture is in and you know, who's take or whose commentary do you agree with you know, Rabbi? Hello or Kiba? You know, what's what's your position on this issue? And if that rather I decided that he likes you and that you knew your stuff he would turn you in and say something like come and follow me be one of my, team. Now say you made the cut by a hypothetical a Readiness room like we made the cut the odds are not in your face shirt. You know, it'd have to be something like your family knew a guy knew a guy that knew the rabbi and the rabbi. I owed him money and that's how you got into Stanford, you know, if something like that.

I mean to sublet so you have three goals. Yes, the hardships is just beginning your three goals one to be with your Rabbi apprenticeship was 24/7. You would follow your Rabbi around all day sleep do rabbis stuff repeat. It's much like the modern-day Apprentice think like if you want to be an electrician, you know, you do training you do school and then you have to put in 4000 hours of work with another electrician and you're only halfway there. You didn't take an exam. Hopefully pass it and you begin your general license or did you turn the lights in the car is another 4,000 hours working under? a general electrician apprentice knowledge and power Co together For me, I'm like, no, thanks. I'm just going to watch a 2-minute YouTube and risk my life doing this electrical work. Here we go.

Now there's a well-known Hebrew blessing in the first century. That went something like this. May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi. And this wasn't a metaphor for Century dirt roads, you be following your Rabbi wherever they went and the cupboard in their dust. Until you find story. So I love going for runs on the canyon just a few blocks from here. Last summer was enjoying around with my good friend Carson Carson and I are actually good friends. And and so we're going on a run together and will Carson's from Eugene. I'm from Portland. So we're like decked out in like the coolest Nike stuff that you could possibly get like super high-tech all the cool colors. I mean, we're looking great. But Arsenal still wearing some dumb Mets hat, but that's his thing, mom and staff politics. I'm so much so that whenever I get home my wife's like

We just jumped right into the doxy. That's a deep conversation running. And then in the distance, we see this like tornado or something picking up. You know, I'm like, well that's strange. It's right in the middle of path like we're headed towards this weird my best tornado thing. Keep running we get closer. We realized what a person in this tornado like a Tasmanian Devil or something, you know, just coming right at us. So keep running like oh my gosh, like what is this dude and running really fast, but you had to be somewhere we get a little bit closer. We see like this person is dressed really poorly like basketball shorts from high school, you know, like a band t-shirt, but everything was covered in paint like they were painting their house and they just like Forrest Gump Style just got up and started running, you know. It's so so strange and we keep running and then as a person gets closer we realized. It's Brett Anderson. Oh my gosh, you don't have rats early faster here. And I'm like, this is great. This is exciting. We kind of like stop on the trail.

And Brett sees us and any looks Russian you could you put his army into ghosts.

Didn't stop for a second. I just like a semi passing you and then I like all the dirt and wind comes up, you know, like Discover it in the dirt of the canyon are cute little outfits now destroyed in the dust of our motions were hurt. I'm still recovering. We were astonished little later that day. Actually I saw her at a staff meeting here in the back of the room was like Hey and Brett doesn't skip it because I've got four kids. I don't got time to talk with you guys.

Bratz we love you. I hope you're enjoying your vacation and your lonesome runs by yourself.

baby covered in the dust of your rabbi

So the first thing be with your Rabbi 24/7 second thing learn from your rabbis teaching style when Jesus told the disciples, he would make them Fishers of Men. That wasn't like a Cheesy Christian cliche joke at the time. It was actually first century way of saying come and I will make you an incredible teacher Who can capture the minds and imaginations of people you'll become a fisher of men. It's really quite funny.

And that was a heart and soul of apprenticeship of discipleship. Your goal was to become a carbon copy of your Rabbi to imitate everything about him his tone of voice the way he dress how he ate like everything you would be transformed into the image of your Rabbi. Russo did a great job teaching us this a few months back another third thing you would do what your Rabbi does. So just as we were at earlier Jesus says something to the effect of gun out do the things I did teach make disciples proclaim the kingdom do Miracles and healing by the power of the Holy Spirit and that was the goal. The whole point of being a disciple was to be able to go and do the things that Jesus did. And we say this all the time we exist as redeemers Church to be with Jesus to learn from Jesus and to do the things that Jesus did. And we don't have time to fully unpack all of that actually bread and I are really looking forward to probably doing like an 8-week series on what it means to like learn from Jesus fully and then create new habits around practicing his way. We can't get into it today. But I'm really excited. When I get to that point some of the people call it spiritual disciplines, which is the various ways that you can you soak in from your Rabbi your teacher Jesus and then are able to live out those things. I want us to see and really have two takeaways one. This invitation to be a disciple is for you. There's an invitation for you to become a disciple not a Christian.

You've been invited to become a disciple not a Christian. Jesus did not come to Earth to make Christians or Converse. In fact that word Christian in the scriptures is only use about three times and it's debated whether or not even positive and negative use. So Jesus did, however to make disciples disciples is used 250 times in your Bible. I'll let that sink in.

You say What's the difference like my car? You just caught up in semantics disciples Christians with the best definition or distinction of the two that I've heard recently goes like this disciples. Are those who follow Jesus? Christians are those who make Jesus follow them? Put another way being a Christian today in the u.s. Is more about Jesus following you. Then you following Jesus as in you make decisions that you want to make about your life school who to marry where to live your job your car your house whatever and Jesus is supposed to come along and bless whatever you do.

In that scenario. Jesus is not Lord. You are he's just there to help you when you get down about life, right? He's the cosmic vending machine when you don't get what you want to go to God or to Jesus. And for many people sadly. This is as far as they get in their relationship with God. I need to be clear that is not discipleship. That is not what Jesus is inviting you to do now second thing. Jesus Jesus is invitation is for everyone. Yes, you like you don't have to make it all the way to that third level of, Dean if you haven't noticed yet. The disciples were like this ragtag group. They were super green. They were unlikely to be picked as disciples. That's the shocking thing that's happened in the first century, like what fishermen and and the tax collector of the Zealot. They're all disciples. Yes unlikely. Will you also need to know is that those 12 disciples are also referred to as the apostles. Jesus actually had way more disciples falling around men and women from all backgrounds all ages and all skill levels and you see that exploding at the church explosion to the world in the book of Acts. Please note that the invitation is for you. Yes you to become a disciple of Jesus you are invited. The second part of the teaching bringing to get into the rest of the scripture. It's summarized in one phrase Don't Be Afraid cuz we're about to read is the cost of discipleship. They're not done yet. We only got 30 more days to go. I've got two minutes. All right now and I'm looking down again chapter 10 verse 9. There's an interesting moment here compared to the sending of the 12 in Luke's gospel chapter 9 mini Scholars actually debate Matthew broke away from like a narrative flow and gave a sort of summary and missions discourse or instructions were Matthews redness after the death of Jesus as in disciples are flowing out into the world and enduring persecution. So I was going to notice much of a Matthew talking about kind of reflects the book of Acts or the Epistles that we read later in the New Testament. For purposes purposes this morning if we just read it like that. Like these are Jesus's words to disciples even now today 2000 years later. He says in verse 9. The words of Jesus do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you on your belts. No bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or staff for the worker is worth his keep safe to say as a disciple Travel Lite. Don't be bound. My bunny. Don't fear tomorrow. God will take care of you. And whatever town or Village you enter search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave as you enter the home give it to your greeting if the home is deserving let your peace rest on it. I love that language. If it is not let your peace returned to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words leave that home or town and shake off the dust from your feet that influence whatever it is. Truly I tell you I will be more bearable. It'll be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah. Those were like hounds back in the day that were actually destroyed at that point. I would like way worse in Las Vegas and on that day of judgment for that town again. Jesus is just kind of getting that be salt and light green peace and Shalom wherever you go when you eat meals and share them with your neighbors and then don't force Jesus on people who don't want it. 416 e says I am sending you out like sheep. That's a non violent creature know if you have she not very violent among the wolves of shrewd as snakes and as innocent as meaning you'll need to be wise and you'll need to be innocent and be on your guard you will be handed over to local councils be flogged and their synagogues on my account. You will be brought before Governors and Kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. This is all stuff that happens in the book of Acts, but when they arrest you, don't worry Don't worry about what to say or how to say it at that time. You will be given you'll be given what to say for it will not be you speaking but the spirit of your father speaking through you. So Jesus is saying being attached to my name it is going to bring about some hurt and if not to your physical body. It may affect other aspects of your soul, but don't be afraid don't worry. Brother will betray brother to death and father has child children lubell against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me but the one who stands for him to the end will be saved when you are persecuted in one place flee to another true. They tell you you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the son of man comes first 24 the student is not above the teacher nor servant above the master is enough for students to be like their teachers and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Bells about us like a popular demon of the day, like the way Satan is depicted today how much more the members of his house? So first 26 do not be afraid of them. For there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed are hidden. That will not be known what I tell you in the dark speak in the daylight. What is whispered in your ear Proclaim on the roof again? Do not be afraid do not be afraid of Those Who Kill the body but cannot kill the soul rather be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body and how that's God by the way, that's not saying that's got to mean if your anyting have the fear of God are not Two Sparrows sold for at any yet. Not one of them will fall by the ground outside your father's care. And even if the very hairs of your head are all numbered here it is again, so don't be afraid you are worth more than many sparrows you guys getting the hint here don't be afraid whoever acknowledges others. I will also acknowledged before my Father in heaven, but whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to Earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. Brad come to turn a man against his father a daughter against her mother a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law if that wasn't already problem. A Man's enemies will be the members of his own household all that to say the persecution you are receiving is expected with the family tensions that we feel as Jesus followers for for our faith is normal. Jesus wants us to press on our father cares about us and knows we're going to be received as a disciple verse 37 are almost through anyone who love their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me loves her son and daughter more than me is not worthy of me. That's heavy. Gosh. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds our life believes that never loses their life for my sake will find it and that's pretty crazy the whole take up your cross right then in that moment. When Jesus was saying this probably on that very Road, there would have been 2,000 sell it to try to rebell against realm crucified every 30 or so feet. imagine that crosses along the road like telephone poles today in a person on each one in. Jesus says take up your cross and follow me. Crazy in the same time he sang. Don't be afraid. First 40 anyone who welcomes you welcomes me and anyone who welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet will see the prophet's reward and whoever welcomes a righteous person as a righteous person will receive a righteous person to record and if anyone gives you a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple truly I tell you that person will certainly not lose that reward. The cost of discipleship is heavy spread said last week it's not safe, but it's worth it because the cost of not following Jesus and following your own desires will in much worse. Jesus told us all he told us whether or not you follow him that you will have troubles in this life. Jesus also said But my yoke, my way of life is easy in life. Another quote from Luis Palau when You Face The Perils of weariness carelessness and confusion. Don't pray for an easier life. Pray instead to be a stronger man and woman of God.

Now if you like me this whole section is uncomfortable this call to follow Jesus is uncomfortable. We want to keep living our living right we want to have a plan. We want Insurance all insurances. We can get it if we want to pack our bags when we travel like multiple bags for some of you and your animals whatever to have a place to stay when we get there. We want to stay at peace with others. Even if it means tolerance are giving tolerance. We definitely don't want to offend the people. We love our family members. But the call to follow Jesus will cost us.

We're going to close here.

so

when I graduated from high school. I was like a super Christian. I love being a Christian Legos gray all the Bible studies midweek Bible study lunch. Both Bible studies Bible studies at church, you know reading Max Lucado books and listen to Christian music. And what would Jesus do bracelet right being a Christian was fun. Do not to mention drinking way too much caffeine. Super cool. I loved it. I love being a Christian. But in my heart there was something that was divided. My desires were divided. I wasn't fully committed to following ways of Jesus. There were things I wanted some of those things were like one. I wanted to move to warmer weather second thing. I did not want to go to college. I was done learning at age 18, right? And then the third thing I wanted to be married so that I could be married. Okay.

Got other plans somehow got me to sign up for this thing called youth with a mission a thing called discipleship training school what we call DTS. And it wasn't super Nobel because the school was actually in Hawaii go figure Lord. Send me Hawaii, okay.

And I was with 30 or 50 different people from different walks of life did not share the same world. He was mean almost got kicked out the first week I was there. But by the grace of God, I was able to stay and began learning from just Masters and their Realms. We didn't teach her every week schooling us the next part the next three months of this was what's going on Mission. We went to Thailand of all places. I'll never forget we're staying with this this pastor in his life at his church Community Compound thing. And for one, I got sick the first three weeks. I was like hanging out next to the bathroom cuz I was one of those kind of sicknesses, you know, I don't want to get too far away. If you don't make it in time, you know I'm saying.

Yeah, it wasn't there was a super easy, but we are going around to schools and we've inly show up to these Thai schools and and present the gospel like right after they were done doing their morning prayer in front of like a huge like Buddha Idol statue. I mean, this is like spiritual warfare stuff right in front of her eyes is not really but I'll never forget this pastor and his wife they loved us so well, they would do like all night prayer meetings. We can even hang with their devoutness. It was so amazing. Remember the posture sitting across from us telling his testimony and then I died and then God raised him from the dead and wait, excuse me. What? Backup, what did you just say was dead for 6 hours the church. Can we pray for me? And then I rose from the dead?

What do you do with that? This is crazy. I came back from uses the mission. I came back from Thailand in Hawaii back home. I was completely changed now the Holy Spirit grab a hold of my life and my parents saw at my family's authentico. How you holding me in your whole personality has changed if you've committed your ways to discipleship the following Jesus 18 19 year old and discipleship continues, but it ended up being surrendering things that I wanted in those three things the cold weather college and getting married turns out I would go to Portland move to Portland started at Portland State University going to college and three was devoted myself to singleness for five years after the Rapture, you know.

Exact opposite of what I wanted to do coming out of high school now, I'm a disciple and I'm doing what Jesus wanted me to do. McGann I wish I had time to tell you what that looks like today with my wife and and recently some of the things that Jesus has called us to do but it's that same thing. It's not what we want for a life. He calls us sometimes to pack our bags again to sell the house to give up the dream that you've had for your business or to buy that home out in John day, whatever it is. Will you follow the call of Jesus certainly, see if you guys want to come back up?

Now a lot of information there this is going to hit and I was asking Holy Spirit. What do you want to say to you guys? I think some of you are here and you're like, I'm new to follow Jesus. This is what I expected discipleship Let's Do It come on for you? I think the Holy Spirit wants to stay. It's a marathon not a Sprint. It's a marathon not a Sprint. It's going to be a long life devoted to surrendering things. You want to choose us. I think there's another group in here and you kind of a knot in your head the whole time. I've been teaching or you're like, yeah, that's just like my life I could get up there and share my testimony to it would sound exactly the same to you. I was just say Finish Well, thank the spirits. I finish well continue to do a good work that you can be like a Luis Palau at ATM when you die people are just celebrating the life that you lived. And then lastly there's a person who has not made a decision yet to follow Jesus's disciple. Either content being a Christian or your spiritual or just doing the church thing once a week or repeat the words of Jesus to you. Whoever finds their life will lose it. Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Or in the words of MLK if not truly lived until you found something to die for. Even if you make it to 80 90 years old you were dad at into your age 36 5662 whatever it is, unless you found something to die for you if not truly lived.

So to end it was Saint Patrick's Day this last Wednesday to anybody celebrate that yes, my my clan the Hughes clan we go all out. Right corned beef cabbage potato does my mom even like cut cucumbers into four leaf clovers hunting sure how she did that is like super extra.

Saint Patrick was 4th century English man, that Christ was slave in Ireland was freed miraculously became a Catholic priest return to Ireland where he was enslaved and was credited with leading the entire country to Christ. Not bad. There's a collection of quotes from him. I don't know if you have on the screen. I'll just read it to you this weekend. St. Patrick said daily. I expect to be murder what you guys stand to.

Daily, I expect to be murdered or betrayed or reduced slavery. The occasion Rises but I fear nothing because the promises of Heaven. Let anyone laugh and taunt me if they so wish I am not keeping silent nor am I hiding the signs and wonders that were shown to me by the Lord many years before they happened who knew everything even before the beginning of time and I pray to God to give me perseverance and today and that I'd be a faithful witness to him to the end of my life for God so Lord. We hear the call. We are invited to be your disciples and I pray we take that seriously even as we're Latin Songs now as we come to the tables here after this first song. Lord we allow you to work working our hearts working our minds. We pray this in his name. Amen.