Sermons tagged #Disciple

The death of Christ began immediately to produce fruit. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were secret disciples of Christ for fear of the Jews. But when Christ died they publicly received the body of Christ to bury it properly. What brought them out of darkness and secrecy? The death of Christ. This is a picture how that the death of Christ saves and draws out from death and darkness all God's people. It is through the death of Christ that we are redeemed unto God.

A meaningful life is found in an eternal perspective that comes from a relationship with God.

Jesus is the Lamb of God due our trust and praise as He is God's appointed substitute for us.

"The second leg on the 3-legged stool of missions is Discipleship. This is more than just teaching. It is training people to follow Jesus." ~ Dr. Bud Steadman, guest speaker at the 2023 Missions Conference Watch this Sunday evening's message from Luke 14:25-33 entitled "The Three-Legged Stool of Discipleship," part 2 of our 2023 Missions Conference series "The Three-Legged Stool of Missions."

Students must hear the words of their teachers in order to learn. In the same way, you must hear the words of Jesus in order to be his apprentice. Knowing God's Word and being shaped by God's Word is an absolutely essential practice of following Jesus. This message explores four ways to read the Bible in order to have the well-rounded approach of a true apprentice.

Which is the second commandment? What is required in the second commandment? AnswerThe second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. What is required in the second commandment? AnswerThe second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances, as God hath appointed in his word.

In this podcast, we ask the question, "What Part Are You Playing in Building the Church?"

Love for God is expressed by those who believe in Him by their acts of obedience and worship.

Believers are "guided into the truth." We also help guide others into the truth - through evangelism, for example. In this sermon, Pastor Jesse walks us through the account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:25-40. Here we see an example of a lost man who needed the truth, and of a faithful evangelist who gave it to him. Listen, and be encouraged by Philip's example to help guide others to the truth in your own life.

Many Christians today don't realize that Jesus' discipleship model was based upon the rabbinic model of ancient Israel. This makes it very different than sitting in a modern classroom, learning a subject matter from your teacher. There was this element of learning information, but it was much more about becoming like your teacher and being recognized by your imitation of your teacher. Ultimately, it was about replicating the way of your teacher -- which, in the case of Jesus, means teaching his Gospel and life to others.

Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life, my personal response of faith in His life, death, and resurrection matters for eternity.

Jesus Calls His Disciples to Follow Him (v 18,22; 4:19, 9:9, 19:21) Ἀκολούθει Understanding Jesus (vv 19-20) Understanding Ourselves (vv 21-22)

We are all always being discipled by someone or something. If we are not deliberately following Jesus, we will follow someone else by default. We must choose: what framework, what ways of thinking, what paradigm, will I build my life upon? Jesus and the apostles said the true Way is a communal lifestyle in which we are learning to live in the reality of our new identity in Christ.

One of our problems as Christians in America is that our Christianity doesn't COST US anything. Instead of believing and accepting what Christ said about how we will suffer and be persecuted as His disciples and followers in this evil world, instead of taking up our own personal cross daily, and being intimately associated with the sufferings of Christ in our lives, we bend over backward in America to be accommodating to our family, friends, and to the world. This…. Because WE HAVE counted the cost of following Christ, and the cost is more than we are willing to pay, so, we capitulate and exchange our Christianity for "a religion" that costs us nothing…. no suffering shame for the gospel, no cross to bear, and no persecution or dealing with those that hate us because we love Christ! Child of God, that's not Christianity!

In order to follow Jesus, you have to take the first step. He has provided a clear way into relationship and apprenticeship – and there is no other way than his. Being a Christian is not simply believing in God, going to church, or doing good deeds. It's a lifestyle of repentance and faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord. To put it differently, being a Christian means turning from sin, learning to think rightly about God, and fully depending on him for life and godliness.