The True Disciple

Good morning children of God! We worship and serve a mighty God. We often hear preachers talk about the free gift of salvation. Salvation is certainly given freely to us, but at a great cost to Jesus Christ. What I have a hard time with is when we are told that there is nothing to do after receiving salvation. The change that occurs in our hearts and minds because of Jesus should stir us to a place where we desire to improve daily.

I was recently following a social media thread in which a pastor I know made this statement; “How bad do you want to delve into doing things that please God? You must understand and deal with your sin and your sin nature and the sins of others that effect you.” This is a biblically sound statement. We have to deal with and correct sin in our lives and sometimes we have to separate ourselves from those whose sin may cause us to stumble. I did not think it could be argued. Guess what, someone argued. “What am I supposed to do about my sin? Do I have the ability to pay for them? Only what Jesus did can cover my sin and the sins of others. What exactly are you trying to say, because it sounds works based to me?”

I could be wrong, but I think the grace message is getting a bit twisted by some to justify their behaviors. It is true enough that our works do not get us into heaven, or earn us salvation, it is by his grace alone, by His stripes, and what HE PAID at the cross. I want to be clear in what I say next. Our walk with Christ requires WORK on our part. Not to receive salvation, but for what comes after salvation, TO RUN THIS RACE WELL. There are two things believers need to keep front and center in our minds:

1. Every believer is called to imitatio Christi, to imitate Christ.

2. Every believer is called to be a disciple of Christ.

Those two things take work. If you ever wonder, as I often do about myself, if you are imitating Christ, pull up the beatitudes and the fruit of the Spirit. Read them daily. Compare your actions, words, and behaviors to those lists, and you will be able to figure it out rather quickly. We are going to look at three of the beatitudes this morning.

Matthew 5:1–2 NLT

1 One day as he saw the crowds gathering, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down. His disciples gathered around him, 2 and he began to teach them.

We are gathered in the very presence of God this morning. Jesus was speaking directly to the disciples. He is speaking through His living Word to each of us this morning. Are we listening for his voice? Are we spending that much needed time with Him? When we listen His Word will speak to each of us and He will teach us.

Matthew 5:3 NKJV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The word “blessed” in the context that Jesus is using it throughout the Beatitudes means:

Blessed (makarios): spiritual joy and satisfaction that lasts regardless of conditions; that carries one through pain, sorrow, loss, and grief

I will be the first to admit that there are occasions when I felt less than blessed. Here is something I have learned. You and I are allowed to feel pain, sorrow,loss, and grief. It does not mean we are going through those hard times with a smile and skipping with joy (hey this trauma is great!) To realize our dependence on God and what it means to be blessed, we must experience the things of this life. There is a difference between feeling blessed and knowing you are blessed. Blessed means that we KNOW God blesses us, walks with us, will never leave us nor forsake us, and teaches us through Holy Spirit how to deal with those things in our lives. An internal change takes place that results in Christ-like behaviors flowing from the disciple. Lets go back to Matthew 5:3 again.

Matthew 5:3 NKJV

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

What does it mean to be “poor in spirit?” It does not mean we lack faith. It means that the disciple of Christ recognizes his or her dependence on God. We are spiritually bankrupt and powerless apart from Christ. The real blessing in this life and eternity comes from our right relationship with God. We know that our sin separated us from God and only Jesus can bridge that gap.

Some believers develop an attitude of superiority causing them to become prideful, haughty, and overbearing toward others. That is the opposite of being poor in Spirit for that person is full of themselves leaving no room for Holy Spirit. In the eyes of God, there is none better than you, none richer than you, or superior to another of His children. The person who is poor in spirit approaches life in humility recognizing that life owes them nothing, yet that person always does what they can to contribute to the needs of others.

The poor in spirit receive a living inheritance from God through Christ Jesus. There is forgiveness of sin, fellowship with other believers who walk as they walk, kingdom life now, and eternal fellowship with God in the Kingdom of Glory.

Matthew 5:4 NKJV

4 Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.

The mourning that Jesus is speaking of here is a desperate, helpless, and deep sorrow. Who are those who mourn? There are three groups that I could find in scripture, and some of us have fit in all three groups at one time or another.

The first group is those who mourn over their sin. If our attitude is to cover or defend sin, then we are as far removed from God as it gets. Even the publican in Luke 18 would not even look up, asking God: “be merciful to me a sinner.” The disciple mourns his or her sin, repents, and confesses those sins to God. The Apostle James tells us when we do, God lifts us up.

The second group is those who feel the desperation and suffering of others. So empathetic that they will experience the pain, sorrow, and joy of others. Remember that Jesus grieved over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41. Scripture does not use the word angry, Jesus was not angry. His heart broke for the people. The tragedies, problems, brokenness, sinful behavior of others, and lostness of the world weigh heavily on some people. Yet, the disciple of Christ who mourns refuses to give up! Continually sharing His comfort, love, and hope with all people. Doing everything within his or her power to bring the power of Jesus Christ into others lives.

The third group is made up of people who have suffered great personal tragedy or intense trauma. I know that many in this church and online have had their share of tragedy and trauma. Sometimes the hardest thing in those times, for me, was to seek God. It is like the internal conflict and anguish are so great that I did not want to talk to anybody or be around anybody let alone seek God. I just wanted to lay down and cease to exist. Has anybody else ever been there? The dark abyss, the pit of despair? A crushed heart? It can be a struggle. It can be a battle. If you are in that place this morning, Jesus knows how you feel, and He is walking through the fire with you.

Christ himself was called the man of sorrows in Isaiah 53. Scripture tells us that “God goes before us.” Here is the thing. We must be willing to follow. He will hold on to you, he will lead you, but he won’t make anybody follow him. In that darkness, we must recognize his light and use the strength He gives us in weakness to follow him. To go into His light and to know His peace. Bring your hurt, bring your pain, and bring your heart to the Father, He will bring you comfort through His people and through His very Spirit.

Matthew 5:5 NKJV

5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus knows me, so I am good with sharing this with you. Way back when I first read this, “blessed are the meek,” I said: “that is all wrong, that sounds dumb.” I had no idea what it meant to be “meek.” I was thinking about meek through the world’s eyes, not God’s. I thought it meant be weak, let everyone walk all over you, to constantly give in. That word “meek” in the Greek is praeis, and it means “gentle.” To be meek in this way means that the person has a strong yet tender and humble character. It has nothing to do with being spineless or bowing down to others. It means being strong yet gentle just like Jesus Christ.

A disciple who is biblically meek recognizes the need to have a God-controlled life. They are strong yet teachable. The person who is not easily provoked. He or she is in control when dealing with people: cool, even-tempered, able to show displeasure without reacting impulsively, able to answer softly. The disciple who is meek recognizes that they do not know it all and will seek wisdom in a multitude of council.

When Jesus says “shall inherit the earth,” this has present and eternal significance. The disciple who is meek knows that when the old earth and heaven pass away, they will be present when the new heavens and earth come. This is the promised inheritance of eternal life and dominion as joint heirs with Christ. Knowing that brings those who are meek a peaceful soul now. They may find themselves embroiled in inner conflict, but find peace in God. The person who is meek learns to control their emotions and words with Grace upon Grace and mercy for others.

Communion

As we take communion today, the alter is open. I am going to ask that you get real personal with God. Bring your struggles to the foot of the cross. If there be discontent, unforgiveness, anger, hurt, let today be the day that YOU do something about it. Do not wait for someone else to do it. Jesus put the imperative on each of us to be the first to “go.” Jesus showed even Judas compassion, mercy, and the opportunity to repent. We know from John 13 that Jesus had Judas sitting next to him and that Judas took of the bread and wine. The one who betrayed him. That is the love of our LORD and Savior. Are we imitating Jesus like that to this broken and hurting world and to one another? We have two stations this morning. Take communion in remembrance of Him. Will you come?