Signpost 8 – Disciples LIVE UNASHAMED – Romans 1:1-17
Ashamed of the Gospel? One of the signposts of the discipleship journey is that my shame, my distrust, my weak faith gets replaced by an ever growing, deepening confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ for all of life. This enables me to do what our theme calls us too: Disciples LIVE UNASHAMED.
Signpost 7 – Disciples Build Relationships – Hebrews 13
We see God’s vision in Hebrews 13:1-16:
A counter cultural relationship focused community. Why it’s difficult, even impossible to be this kind of community. And the power to be this kind of community!
Signpost 6 – Disciples seek God
Jesus teaches His disciples to not be anxious and distracted, like the unbelievers, but to seek the kingdom of God in all things.
His kingdom answers our world view problems, and our Father knows our needs.
Signpost 5 – Disciples Exercise Faith
Faith ties us to the Lord, by His grace, and we live daily in the sure hope of His loving care.
Signpost 4 – Disciples SHARE Christ – John 4:1-42
Disciples speak about Jesus because he commands it, but especially because they can’t keep quiet about Him and his love for them. The only way your experience of a beautiful sunset can be more intense and in that sense greater, is if you share it with someone. The same goes for our experience of Jesus and his glory. That’s the great benefit of sharing Christ:
You’re experience and sense of His greatness and love becomes greater.
Signpost 3 – Disciples SERVE – Matthew 25:31-46
In this sermon, we’re stopping at the 3rd signpost: Serving God and others. I know, I’m on track, behind Jesus if I find myself growing a bigger and bigger servant heart and doing practical servant type things especially in my family and church community. But do not trust me for it! Listen to Jesus. Once again it is some serious words from our Lord. You can’t read this and still think like many Christians do, at least in practice, that being a servant is optional to our discipleship.
By the way, Liifeway’s research shows that this is one of the signposts, most people struggle with. Let’s listen to Jesus.
Signpost 2 – Disciples DENY SELF and obey God – 2 Timothy 2:1-7
For the King, or for me?
The gospel is transformative, changing us to the core. Will you live for the King, obeying God and denying self?
Signpost 1 – Disciples Engage with the WORD to hear their Shepherd’s voice – John 10:1-21
In the context of knowing and being known, of the security of the Shepherd, of the trust of having the Shepherd taking care of you, ensuring that you have all that you need, preserving your life, setting the course of your days,
WHY would you NOT listen for the Voice of the Shepherd and FOLLOW Him?
The Discipleship Gospel – Introduction – Matthew 7:21-23
In these confrontational words of Jesus at the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is teaching us what lies at the heart of true discipleship: It is doing the will of God. It becomes clear in this passage that what God wants to do in us, far outweighs what He wants to do through us. Jesus warns us of seeking assurance of being a disciple of Jesus in what He does through us. God’s will is to change and restore us.
He wants to KNOW us through a process of daily repentance where we turn away from sin and towards Jesus in faith and obedience. This is discipleship. The main question of this text is therefore not: “Do you know Jesus?”, but rather, “Does Jesus know you?”