A High View of Discipleship

I didn’t want to be that guy! (Picture of Army Rangers)

THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENED! (Picture ofrock face)

How does one loose their way?

We take get caught up in what is around us… Pictures of the the beauty.

Distracted by a selfie, or a ding.

Distracted by people watching… that outfit is ridiculous… boy are they dirty… she sure could use some more clothes… Eves dropping…

Where did we miss the path marked for us. We probably missed the way, long before we realized it!

I love the metaphor of the journey… Of Seeking A Higher View.

A High View of God, Self, Others.

A High View of Jesus, and His Authority

When people follow the way that Jesus blazed, God things happen!

WHEN WE SURRENDER AND OBEY TO THE WAY OF JESUS WHAT HAPPENS?

Those of you who have been doing Bible Study with Shawn on Sunday morning have a pretty good idea of the answer to this. The first followers of Jesus humbled themselves in prayer… Obediently GOed… Taught…Baptized and Gathered those new learners in learning communities.

So much so, that it threatened the existing power structures. When we follow the way of Jesus it always threatens our existing power structure.

Acts 9:1–3 ESV

But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him.

THE FIRST FOLLOWERS WERE KNOW AS ‘THE WAY’

Last week we took a look at the Great Co-Mission of Jesus.

We concluded that Jesus is calling disciples who would live the life long way of Surrender and Obedience.

The Way of Jesus: is disciples who make disciples.

We better define Disciple and discipleship…

Disciple literally means learner, student, or my favorite apprentice.

Discipleship is the lifelong journey of surrender and obedience to Jesus.

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I like to think of the Great Commission as the Trail Markers (Trail Blazes) of authentic discipleship.

Jesus marked out a specific path for his disciple…. If you are not on that path you are lost!

The Way of Worship.

Matthew 28:9 ESV

And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him.

Posture: bowed down, humbled, surrendered, authority recognized.

Worthship- to Ascribe worth.

John 4:19–24 ESV

The woman said to him, “Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

To humble ones self, to Authority

JESUS IS SAYING, DON’T BE DISTRACTED! SEE WHAT’S AT HAND!

WHAT DOES GOD WANT? THE FATHER IS SEEKING THOSE WHO WILL WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH…

Matthew 28:16–20 ESV

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Trail blaze: Obey Jesus

The Way of Obedience is The Way of Scripture.

How do I know Jesus calling on my life?

Psalm 119:105 ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Proverbs 6:23 ESV

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,

Fortunately before I left I downloaded a trail map on my phone, which could identify where I was via GPS. As I looked at the map I realized I was certainly off the trail. I appeared that I was roughly 500 feet from the trail, which doesn’t sound bad. But the trail was straight up on blaze path thickly wooded inclines were soft and wet. That moment I thought to myself do I go back, but when I look back frankly I couldn’t tell you how I got to where I was. There was no longer any visible path. Using the GPS locator and compass I began to navigate back toward the path. In the back of my mind I thought, well I wanted to see a bear. however, I didn’t want to see a bear like this, lost, far away from anyone else.

I wrote this in my journal: The trek towards the path was harder than I can express. It was much steeper and more challenging than the actual path itself. It wasn’t blazed for me. There weren’t markers directing me. I missed the mark, now I was in the thick of the forest. I had scary thoughts, my hosts shepherds refuge had told me a story of a hunter who went out went out got lost and had to be rescued by the United States Army Rangers. I didn’t want to be that guy!

This is how our spiritual journey is. Going down the path, it’s hard, challenging. Sometimes we even think, I’ve never been to such heights. But then we miss a mark. We’re faced with a choice. Do I stay in the thick of it, do I climb, how do I get out of this mess?

Faced with all these questions I stopped. I prayed. I admitted my fears of embarrassment and shame. I took a really deep breath. Allowed my heart to slow down in my mind to settle. I made a plan to get back on the trail. I knew that the map was true. And if I just made my way following its guidance I would make back to the path. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I knew I could do it.

It was harder than I ever imagined. I would push forward for 2 to 3 minutes stop and catch my breath. Push, stop and allow my heart to return to a normal pace. Finally I made it back to the path. Exhausted literally drenched in sweat dirty, and many miles of track left in front of me. But in my heart I felt safe sure steady confident that I would make it because I was on the marked path.

ARE YOU OFF THE PATH? FEELING THREATENED? BREATHLESS? CONFUSED?

Confess- that I have missed the Blaze.

Repent- Turn To THE WAY! To The Jesus Way!

I HAVE A WONDERFUL PROMISE FOR YOU! GETTING BACK ON THE PATH WILL BE HARDER THAN YOU EVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. BUT IT WILL BE GOOD FOR YOU. IT WILL MAKE YOU EMPATHETIC AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PEOPLE GET LOST AND OFF THE PATH!

THE WAY

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

YOU ARE A DISCIPLE AND YOU ARE A DISCIPLE MAKER.

Using the life, circumstances, gifts, resources, occupations, stage of life, to Make more and better disciples of Jesus:

THIS DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN A LIFE OF VOCATIONAL MINISTRY, BUT IT DOES MEAN A LIFE OF FULL-TIME MINISTRY.

MOST OF US WOULD‘T BE ON THE WAY OF JESUS IF IT WERE LEFT TO VOCATIONAL MINISTERS…

My Parents

Rosemary Bird

Karen Phillips

Paula Bouton

My Friends, Mike Black and Trevor Riggens..

Countless friends and professors

You!

JESUS SAID FOLLOW ME: SO LET’S GO!

JESUS SAID BAPTIZE MORE DISCIPLE: So let’s Treat everyone we encounter like a new baby born into the family of GOD!

IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN YOU THING FOR THEM TO GROW UP!

THEY WILL MAKE MESSES!

THEY WILL MIMIC YOU!

JESUS SAID TEACH THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING I HAVE COMMANDED YOU

You are going to have to become a student, learner, and lover of God’s word!

Do what I say, not what I do… doesn’t work.

Teaching them… to observe (see) scripture and witness.

THE WAY OF DISCIPLESHIP AND DISCIPLE MAKING IS A LIFE LONG JOURNEY OF SURRENDER AND OBEDIENCE.

Worship and Obey.

Go to people and love them

Love and learn scripture.

Go Make Disciples.