Good Monday Morning!
A little chilly this morning as the Kansas weather continues its crazy, normal patterns. Great chances of rain in the next week so continue to pray for that.
Yesterday we looked at keys to identifying a true gospel message – focused on Jesus, leads to freedom and brings joy to life. A false message is one that lifts up someone else, promises to solve all your temporal issues and has a power based on something other than the Lord. If you need to watch it again go to YouTube and search mabcvideo. That’s how I get there. You can even subscribe!
We also talked a little about being able to clearly discern if something is from God or from Satan. This morning I want to encourage you to focus more on being a disciple of Jesus. The Greek word for disciple is mathetes which means pupil or learner. When associated with Jesus, it is widely recognized as someone who adheres and follows the teachings of Jesus. Adhere means to hold fast or to stick by as if by gluing, suction, grasping or fusing. Of all of those, I like fusing as the best goal for us to have as followers of Jesus. Fusing means blending or melting. When I blend marshmallows and butter to make Rice Krispy treats at some point they melt together and it is impossible to visually discern the butter and marshmallows. They make one really good base for a sweet treat. That should be our goal as followers – to have a life so sweetly blended with that of Jesus that it might become hard to differentiate between the two. It would be irresistible!
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
We won’t get there on this side of earth but we should aspire to live a life such as this. In our men’s life study class yesterday we discussed the words aspire and desire. Aspire means “to long for something”. It is an internal focus. The Greek word for desire means to have a “passionate compulsion.” It is the drive to live a life like Jesus. Desire is an external action that means to “stretch out or reach to obtain a goal.” As I told the men, I can’t take my little old Ford Ranger pickup and park in the Ford dealership garage and hope that it becomes an F-150 pickup overnight! As much as I would like that! It takes effort, not osmosis.
Do you desire a life that looks like Jesus? Patrick Morley, a leading men’s author, says that “a bible, a small group and serving someone else will solve most of your problems.” Do you have a bible? Most homes do but they have a layer of dust on the cover. Are you in a group that helps you grow? Not a social group but one that digs into scripture so that you can KNOW Jesus, not just know about him. And, are you serving? Jesus said he “came to serve and not be served.” (Matt. 20:28, Mark 10:45, John 14:14-15)
Friends, we will never “accidently” become a disciple of Jesus Christ. In the Great Commission Jesus alludes to a process when he said “go and MAKE disciples.” It will take effort and it is a lifelong pursuit that we undertake. The ending point only comes when the Lord calls us home. Reach out and stretch this week to become a disciple for the first time if you never have. If you are a disciple…don’t settle for the bare minimum. Strive for next level discipleship.
P.R.
Rick Neubauer
