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The True Disciple
Good morning children of God!
We worship and serve a mighty God.
I 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 we have to do nothing after receiving salvation.
The change that occurs in our hearts and minds because of Jesus should stir us to a place where we desire with all of our being 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.
I am going to say something that some may disagree with.
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.
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.
Tape them to your bathroom mirror and the door as you leave the house.
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 gathered in the very presence of God this morning.
Jesus was speaking directly to the disciples.
Are we listening for his voice?
Are we spending that much needed time with Him away from everything else?
When we listen with our hearts, His Word will speak to each of our hearts and minds.
Let’s look at what the word “blessed” means in the context that Jesus is using the word.
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.
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 prior to our salvation.
We WORK in this flesh to Glorify Him and not ourselves.
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 always doing 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.
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.
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.
What some would refer to as an “empath.”
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.
He knew many would not freely come to him as their Lord and Savior.
The tragedies, problems, brokenness, sinful behavior of others, and lostness of the world weigh heavily on some people.
Yet, the disciple of Christ 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 have had their share of tragedy and trauma.
In the spirit of transparency, and knowing others can relate, 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.
Christ himself was called the man of sorrows in Isaiah 53.
Scripture tells us that “God goes before us.”
Here is the catch.
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 very strength He gives us through Holy Spirit 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.
Jesus knows me, so I am good with sharing this.
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.
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