MDFL - Week 1 - Discipleship, Staying Connected to Jesus for Life 10:30 WOR

Who do you say I am?

When Jesus asked that question of the 12, they had been with him almost three years. At this point, they had heard His amazing teaching,

“…the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. Matthew 7:28-29 (ESV)

They had also seen His compassion and love for the least, the lost, the lepers, the unloved, the sick, even the dying, and His authority over the demons:

“…they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. Matthew 8:16 (ESV)

By the time Jesus asked the 12 the question, “who do you say that I am?,” they had seen and heard enough to know who Jesus was,

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16 (ESV)

That’s question is one every life must answer. The faith that answers that question opens the gates of heaven. It is THE most important question that every life must, because,

Romans 10:9 (NIV) if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

When you believe in your heart “Jesus is Lord”, you are saved. Salvation is a matter that begins in the heart.

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:10 (ESV)

The moment saving Faith in Jesus Christ is born in your heart, you are a disciple of Jesus.

My discipleship began shortly after I was a newborn when God formed faith in my heart in my baptism. I’ve had a lifetime of being a disciple. But not everyone starts at the beginning of their life.

John Newton’s discipleship was nurtured by a Christian mother who taught him the Bible at an early age, but then, he was raised in his father's image after his mother died of tuberculosis when Newton was 7. At age 11, Newton went on his first of six sea-voyages with the merchant navy captain, where he worked firsthand in the slave trade. When he quit captaining a slave trade ship, he became and Anglican minister, and his discipleship life in Jesus Christ went from zero to sixty overnight. We’re still singing his song of faith, salvation, and praise from his life of discipleship:

“amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

For the woman, in John chapter 4, her discipleship began in the middle of a normal day when she met Jesus resting at Sychar’s community well. A conversation started by Jesus, turned confrontational when He called her to account for her questionable life. She came to the well for water and left behind her water bucket, but her heart was full, full of faith AND hope. Her discipleship life took off that day when she brought the good news she had found in Jesus to her entire town.

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, 29 "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" 30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him. John 4:28-30 (NIV)

Maybe your discipleship life started later, like John Newton’s or the woman at the well. You heard the word of truth, the Gospel and you believed. Whether your faith and your discipleship began early like mine, later, or at the very end like the thief on the cross next to Jesus, it doesn’t really matter: What matters is this:

You are now in a life-long discipleship connection to Jesus that started when you first believed.

Here’s how Jesus explained it to His disciples the night before He died.

5 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.” John 15:5 (ESV)

Discipleship is a divine connection that begins with God.

Some theologians call this work of God, “prevenient grace.” prevenient is Latin, translated: ”to come before.” Jesus describes God’s gracious work in your heart that comes BEFORE you believe that makes saving faith possible like this:

44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44 (ESV)

Thank God Your Father in heaven for His hand in your becoming a disciple. Paul said it like this,

3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:2–3 (ESV)

Based on God’s Word, Luther wrote about the Spirit’s work in your Discipleship in his small catechism,

I believe that I cannot believe, by my own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel. And lightened me with his gifts. Sanctified and kept me in the true faith. Just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth…”

John Newton’s hymn “amazing grace” spells out this theological idea, in these words:

“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and Grace my fears relieved how precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed.”

If you believe, God gets all the credit. If you reject God’s offer of grace, it is your sin, the world’s influence, and/or satan’s evil efforts keeping you from believing.

For by grace you have been saved through faith.And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

Paul calls faith, a gift, a gift that comes through the Gospel.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. Romans 1:16 (NIV)

The Holy Spirit and the power of the Gospel is what changes our hearts and connect us to Christ the Vine.

Discipleship is a living, life-long relationship YOU have with Jesus.

John 8:31–32 (ESV): 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

We can’t afford to lose our connection to Jesus, because,

6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” John 15:6 (ESV)

Cut off from Jesus is death, eternal death. BUT connected to Jesus, abiding in His word, and the Holy Spirit abiding in us, we stay connected to Jesus for life.

63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” John 6:63 (ESV)

The Spirit uses the Word of God to keep us connected, to the vine, to keep us alive in faith.

That’s why we’re having Rally Day and why we’re focusing for today and three more Sundays on making disciples for life.

In our busy world and lives it is so very easy to neglect our connection to Jesus, our Discipleship. Rally Day is an annual reminder to stay connected to Jesus, to take up His word and fill your heart with His teaching. Today is a day to commit to reconnecting. Join a connection group. Meet some great people to grow in your discipleship with others.

It is all too easy to fall away from your faith, when your discipleship is weak.

You are most vulnerable to the evil one when aren’t in God’s house every Sunday.

When your discipleship is sporadic or absent it’s easy to get sucked in by the world.

Paul warns that when we don’t

“…wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. (we run the risk) By rejecting we may shipwreck of our faith, 1 Timothy 1:18–19 (ESV)

Jesus warned,

“…apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 (ESV)

It is my responsibility as your pastor to lead and guide, to prepare and plan opportunities for you to grow in your discipleship.

I promise to lead you to the good shepherd Jesus every time you come to His house for worship. So that you may receive His mercy in forgiveness.

I will do my best to draw living water from Christ’s well so that when you come thirsty for His grace and love, you can drink to the full.

We will join in prayer as fellow disciples, raising our hearts and voices together to God’s throne, for ourselves, for one another, for the world that so desperately needs Jesus.

I have this hope for you and me in this new year of discipleship: to be better equipped, to bear more fruit, to share the gospel more to make more disciples in Jesus’ name.