WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.799 Again, welcome. My name's Chris. If you don't know me, I'm a teaching pastor here at Watermark. 00:00:07.120 --> 00:00:13.000 And we're going to be starting a new series today. If you've got, has everyone picked up 00:00:13.000 --> 00:00:20.460 one of these little things? This is going to be helping us to think about, you can stick this in 00:00:20.460 --> 00:00:26.199 your bathroom, you can stick this anywhere in your home. This is going to be a reminder for you 00:00:26.199 --> 00:00:31.179 of some of the things we're going to be talking about as this series. And just to help that, 00:00:31.280 --> 00:00:40.119 just to really inform and shape the way that we view ourselves. When I was a kid, I went to church 00:00:40.119 --> 00:00:44.859 quite a lot. And the people at my church, they were nice, okay? They were kind of nice people, 00:00:45.259 --> 00:00:50.659 nice church people. And every Sunday I'd meet them and then I'd say hi to them. And they would come 00:00:50.659 --> 00:00:57.159 and say hi back. And we'd all be very pleasant. And then afterwards, they'd go away, go off to 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:02.179 their life. I'd go off to my life. And then next Sunday would happen and we'd say hi to each other. 00:01:02.339 --> 00:01:08.479 And we'd be very pleasant to each other. And everyone seemed sorted. Everyone seemed kind of 00:01:08.479 --> 00:01:16.420 nice. And then right into our middle class, kind of nice middle class church, came a few different 00:01:16.420 --> 00:01:21.960 people who didn't quite fit in. There was an ex-football hooligan. There was some ex-drug addicts. 00:01:22.140 --> 00:01:28.140 There was a gym owner who was kind of pretty rough. And everyone in their nice kind of middle class way 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:34.520 avoided them. Or just kind of had very polite conversation and then tried very quickly to 00:01:34.520 --> 00:01:40.700 kind of move off to the people they were comfortable with. But there was one thing that was different. 00:01:40.700 --> 00:01:48.740 My parents didn't do that. My parents, they actually invited them to come over to our house for Sunday lunch. 00:01:49.320 --> 00:01:55.400 Every Sunday, we would have random people come into our home just for lunch. Sometimes my dad would do a 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:00.600 Bible study with them. We had all these kind of interesting characters coming in and out of my home. 00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:07.480 And people asked me, are your parents pastors? 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:18.060 Because, you know, pastors do that kind of thing. And I'd say, no. My parents just teach us ordinary 00:02:18.060 --> 00:02:24.879 people. And I stopped to think about why people would think that only pastors would do that kind 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:35.180 of thing. And I realized that for many of us, the idea of Christianity, of what we read in the Bible, 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:41.800 of a radical discipleship, which changes the way we focus on our priorities in life, which for many of 00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:48.180 us seems very scary, is actually when you read the Bible, this is what life is all about. And our modern 00:02:48.180 --> 00:02:56.340 Christianity often does not mirror what Jesus calls us to. You know, we've reduced discipleship to an 00:02:56.340 --> 00:03:03.100 eight-week course that you do. Christianity becomes very manageable. You know, sacrifice means giving up 00:03:03.099 --> 00:03:10.699 chocolate at Lent. Okay? And what I notice in my own life, and I think in the life of the church, 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:15.439 is that even for us, we've been through a period of transition. And when you go through a period of 00:03:15.439 --> 00:03:21.000 transition, like rocking on a boat, what happens? You want to hold on to the rails of comfort and 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:27.299 security and stability in your life. We want to stay with the people we know. We want to be comfortable 00:03:27.300 --> 00:03:33.040 with the things that we feel okay with. We want to stay safe without taking gospel risks. 00:03:35.040 --> 00:03:41.540 And yet, Jesus is going to say to us, this year in our lives, I don't want you to stay safe. 00:03:42.640 --> 00:03:48.680 I want you to come and follow me. I want to stretch you in ways that you could never have imagined that 00:03:48.680 --> 00:03:53.680 are going to be stretched, so that your faith will grow in ways that you could never imagine your faith 00:03:53.680 --> 00:04:01.020 could grow. And so this year, what we want to do is, we want to root ourselves in the truth, 00:04:01.140 --> 00:04:05.740 biblical, theological truth, to get us deep down in the roots. You know, like we talked about the vine 00:04:05.740 --> 00:04:12.400 last week, to really understand, get the sap of God's word flowing into us, so that we can be people 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:17.939 who learn how to bear fruit as we're trying to follow along with Christ and make disciples of other 00:04:17.939 --> 00:04:27.800 people. That's why, who was there at the CG together on Friday? Yeah, it was great. If you weren't there, 00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:34.399 you need to come this Friday. We had just an amazing time. There was amazing food. There was, and we just 00:04:34.399 --> 00:04:39.420 said it was a great time, because what we're trying to do with the CG together, we've pulled the community 00:04:39.420 --> 00:04:46.220 groups for five weeks intentionally, because we see this as a crucial time for us to really get back 00:04:46.220 --> 00:04:52.320 at the heart of what it means to be disciples of Jesus, and also, how do we help others to become 00:04:52.320 --> 00:04:57.760 disciples of Jesus? So we want to be shaping our community life. That's why we want you to be there 00:04:57.760 --> 00:05:03.120 on Friday nights for the next few weeks, because this is a time where we want to shape the way we're 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:07.700 living as a church, and really learning how to do what God calls us to do. Does that make sense? 00:05:07.699 --> 00:05:31.139 Father, your word is powerful. I pray that your word would speak to us. I pray that we wouldn't 00:05:31.139 --> 00:05:36.819 just be people who hear your word, but people who do your word. I pray that you would show us Jesus, 00:05:36.819 --> 00:05:43.139 and let us live in the light of how beautiful you are, and learn to follow you with where you're 00:05:43.139 --> 00:05:51.579 going. In Jesus' name, amen. Okay, so if you have your passage open with you, 00:05:54.879 --> 00:06:01.879 the series we're going to look at, if you, do you know those new scanners at airports, you know, 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:05.139 where you have to put all your hand on them? You know, you've got to put all your fingers 00:06:05.139 --> 00:06:11.779 on the scanner just to verify your ID. Well, what we're looking at over the next five weeks 00:06:11.779 --> 00:06:20.259 is five different biblical titles which show what our identity is as Christians to show us and help 00:06:20.259 --> 00:06:26.180 us to see what it means to follow Jesus in our lives. And you need all of them to understand what 00:06:26.180 --> 00:06:31.819 your ID is. And so that's why we have this, to kind of remind you of some of those things. So we're 00:06:31.819 --> 00:06:37.099 going to look today at disciple. Then we're going to look at saint, family, servant, ambassador, 00:06:37.099 --> 00:06:42.339 and because I'm perverse, I'm going to add another one as well, which is member. Okay, but we're going 00:06:42.339 --> 00:06:49.879 to go for the five key ones to start with. So today we're looking at disciple. Okay, disciple. It's a 00:06:49.879 --> 00:06:56.800 strange word. We don't use it very often, but my definition of a disciple is this. Someone who is 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:04.520 growing in trusting Jesus as Savior and growing in lovingly obeying him as Lord in every part of life. 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:12.220 Okay? Growing in trusting him as your Savior and growing in lovingly obeying him as your Lord. 00:07:12.819 --> 00:07:20.139 Okay? In every aspect of your life. And what I want to do today is just kind of unpack that a little 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:24.720 bit and looking at the passages that we have. And I just wanted to say, just to point out, 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:31.240 that word growing. Because being a disciple is about a journey. It's not a destination. 00:07:32.140 --> 00:07:38.360 It's a journey which starts with a call, which has then a cost, and it takes place on a mission. 00:07:39.140 --> 00:07:46.200 So we're going to look at the call, the cost, the fuel for responding, and then the mission that he 00:07:46.199 --> 00:07:55.959 calls us on. Okay? So Mark chapter one. You see the scene. Jesus, before this has come. He's announced 00:07:55.959 --> 00:08:01.019 that the kingdom of God has arrived. He's called everybody to repent and believe. And it seems like 00:08:01.019 --> 00:08:04.980 we're on the crest of something amazing about to happen. Maybe there's miracles. Maybe there's 00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:10.039 healings. Maybe incredible things are going to happen. And then Jesus goes down by the lake of Galilee 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:15.900 Galilee and calls some fishermen to follow him. And it seems a bit like an anticlimax if you actually 00:08:15.900 --> 00:08:24.140 read through Mark. Because Mark is telling us, though, that if you want to see what God's kingdom 00:08:24.140 --> 00:08:34.340 looks like, it starts in the call of Jesus to ordinary people like you and me. You see, he comes up and he 00:08:34.340 --> 00:08:40.440 sees Andrew and Simon. And they're in the middle of fishing. Okay? They were fishermen. Now, I don't 00:08:40.440 --> 00:08:46.960 know if you know about fishing in the first century, but being a fisherman in the first century was a 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:53.580 good job. Okay? Because basically, fish was in massive demand in the Roman Empire. It was the food of 00:08:53.580 --> 00:09:01.400 choice. Okay? If you have rice here, it was fish there. And so the fishing business was a great business to be in. 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:09.759 Okay? And we know from Luke chapter 5 that James and John were also business partners with Simon 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:16.939 and Andrew together. And so they're running their own little SME. It's a little family business. Okay? 00:09:17.079 --> 00:09:23.419 Together. And they've got hired servants. They've got employees. Okay? So this business seems to be 00:09:23.419 --> 00:09:31.179 doing pretty well. And scholars even think that after Jesus' resurrection, you see Peter, who 00:09:31.179 --> 00:09:36.419 Simon, who's later called Peter, goes fishing again. Okay? Do you know that story after his 00:09:36.419 --> 00:09:41.159 resurrection? And so they think that actually he still is running his fishing business even while 00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:49.659 he's going out discipling as a disciple of Jesus because he still has his own boat and things are 00:09:49.659 --> 00:09:56.259 still going on. So you see Simon, they've got his fishing business. But then you also see he's got his 00:09:56.259 --> 00:10:00.840 own house. That's in verse 29. It's not in your bulletin. And his mother-in-law was staying with 00:10:00.840 --> 00:10:08.659 him. Okay? Just imagine what that was like. And so Peter's married. James and John, later on we find 00:10:08.659 --> 00:10:15.340 out they have an embarrassing tiger mom who comes up to Jesus and says, can you make my sons sit at your 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:21.179 right hand and left hand? And they're going, no. Why do you have to say that, mom? That's the kind of 00:10:21.179 --> 00:10:26.819 families they were. These people, if you look at them, they're just ordinary people like you and me 00:10:26.819 --> 00:10:31.979 who have got families, they've got homes, they've got jobs, they've got careers, they're just trying 00:10:31.979 --> 00:10:40.939 to get on in life. Ordinary people. Not super Christians. Not super people. But in their ordinary 00:10:40.939 --> 00:10:50.599 world, Jesus comes and he calls them. And he calls them. And he says, follow me. 00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:57.919 Follow me. Now, you've got to understand the significance of what he is saying when he says, 00:10:58.039 --> 00:11:06.120 follow me. Because in Jewish culture, basically the way that education worked was like this. 00:11:06.539 --> 00:11:13.179 Until you were about 13, young Jewish boys would go to a local synagogue, the school there, and they 00:11:13.179 --> 00:11:17.579 would learn what's called the Torah, which is the first five books of the Bible. In fact, they wouldn't 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:22.560 just learn them. They'd memorize them. Okay? So you look at your Bible, look at the first five books, 00:11:22.680 --> 00:11:30.940 they had them down, memorized by the age of 10 to 13. After that, what would happen was that most kids 00:11:30.940 --> 00:11:34.500 would then just go off to be an apprentice in their family's business. That's probably what happened to 00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:41.660 Andrew and Simon and James and John. But then the brightest kids, okay, would then go on to further 00:11:41.659 --> 00:11:48.839 study, learning the rabbis' traditions and things like that. And then after 17, and by the way, 00:11:48.899 --> 00:11:54.139 they would have memorized the whole of the Old Testament by then. Okay? You get a little picture. 00:11:54.279 --> 00:12:00.779 This is more than Hong Kong education going on here. Okay? And then by the age of about 17, 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:05.959 most people would go off to work, get married, do all the normal things. But then the most elite, 00:12:05.960 --> 00:12:14.820 brightest of the bright students would go and look for a rabbi, a teacher, who would then go and be 00:12:14.820 --> 00:12:22.160 able to train them to become the kind of people who really knew and lived out the Word of God. 00:12:23.180 --> 00:12:29.220 And what would happen is they would go and ask the rabbi, can I be your disciple? 00:12:29.220 --> 00:12:36.940 And the rabbi would basically give them the equivalent of like an interview. Like he would 00:12:36.940 --> 00:12:42.440 grill them on all the kinds, it's like an entrance exam to get into Harvard or Cambridge. He would just 00:12:42.440 --> 00:12:46.600 grill them with all these kind of questions to see whether they're suitable or not to be his disciple. 00:12:48.100 --> 00:12:52.800 And if he thought they were bright enough, what he would do, he would then say to them at the end of 00:12:52.799 --> 00:13:03.539 it, follow me. Follow me. And what that meant was, come with me as my disciple and submit to the 00:13:03.539 --> 00:13:10.839 authority of my teaching in your life and let it shape every part of your life. Because the rabbi was 00:13:10.839 --> 00:13:17.299 this ultimate example of someone who'd saturated his life so much with the scripture and was following 00:13:17.299 --> 00:13:22.659 God that the disciples wanted to learn not just stuff about the Bible, they wanted to see 00:13:22.659 --> 00:13:29.059 how he lived it out in his life. And they would then imitate him. So the really interesting thing is, 00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:36.360 they were so devoted to their rabbi that they would copy everything he did. So if he walked with a limp, 00:13:37.079 --> 00:13:43.139 you could tell who his disciples were because they'd start walking with a limp. If you like baseball, 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:50.939 they'd like baseball. In fact, we even see stories of a disciple hiding in a rabbi's bedroom to see how he 00:13:50.940 --> 00:13:58.000 made love to his wife so he could learn later on. Okay? This was serious. You know, this isn't a 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:03.680 five-week course in, okay, come and be a disciple. This was a whole life commitment. Because their 00:14:03.680 --> 00:14:11.940 rabbi was their master, was their lord. And if the rabbi's father, sorry, if the disciple's father 00:14:11.940 --> 00:14:16.300 needed help at the same time as the rabbi, do you know who he would prioritize? 00:14:18.280 --> 00:14:20.000 The rabbi would come first. 00:14:21.240 --> 00:14:22.900 That's the level of commitment. 00:14:23.540 --> 00:14:24.420 He's saying, 00:14:25.220 --> 00:14:28.740 it's a totally new set of priorities you have when you follow me. 00:14:30.680 --> 00:14:34.040 And what Jesus does here is absolutely revolutionary, though. 00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:40.019 Because he doesn't wait for his disciples to be good enough, to kind of pass the test. 00:14:41.039 --> 00:14:45.539 You see, what he does, out of pure grace, he comes out to them. 00:14:46.579 --> 00:14:51.699 Do you see that? He initiates the call to them right where they are. 00:14:52.299 --> 00:14:53.699 And he says, follow me. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:59.339 And when he's doing that, he's giving them the highest privilege available to them 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:04.180 without any entrance requirements except come and trust me and obey me. 00:15:04.700 --> 00:15:05.680 That's what he's saying. 00:15:07.180 --> 00:15:09.420 You know, it's the ultimate apprenticeship. 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:11.120 When I was young, 00:15:11.840 --> 00:15:15.060 one of my guitar heroes, 00:15:16.019 --> 00:15:18.180 and I've said this before, was a guy called Van Halen. 00:15:19.100 --> 00:15:20.980 Who here knows who Van Halen is? 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:23.900 Okay, there's some educated people. 00:15:24.019 --> 00:15:25.259 Obviously, the rest of you, 00:15:25.540 --> 00:15:28.780 it just shows the lack of education that there is here. 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:31.980 So go home after this, 00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:33.639 and go on YouTube Van Halen. 00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:35.620 You'll see somebody who knows how to play the guitar. 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:36.460 Okay? 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:38.759 But when I was learning guitar, 00:15:38.940 --> 00:15:39.420 what I would do, 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:41.100 I would go down and I'd get these books 00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:43.879 which had tabulated all the music in them. 00:15:44.180 --> 00:15:45.780 And as I was learning, 00:15:46.399 --> 00:15:47.259 there'd be these songs, 00:15:47.340 --> 00:15:48.340 songs which I didn't know. 00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:50.740 And some of them would buy this guy called Van Halen. 00:15:51.200 --> 00:15:51.639 And you know, 00:15:51.700 --> 00:15:54.160 I'd try and kind of work out what some of the notes were 00:15:54.160 --> 00:15:54.980 and things like that. 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:57.320 But I didn't know what it sounded like 00:15:57.320 --> 00:15:59.440 until one day, 00:15:59.879 --> 00:16:04.480 I got a VHS videotape. 00:16:04.840 --> 00:16:06.379 There was no internet in those days. 00:16:06.740 --> 00:16:08.539 Of Van Halen playing. 00:16:10.759 --> 00:16:12.120 And my goodness, 00:16:12.940 --> 00:16:14.240 I was stunned. 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:16.019 It was like, 00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:19.620 this was guitar playing as I had never heard it before. 00:16:20.480 --> 00:16:21.620 And I was going, 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:23.879 I want to know how to play like that. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:26.080 And you see, 00:16:26.899 --> 00:16:29.340 I had got the book there 00:16:29.340 --> 00:16:30.519 which showed the notes, 00:16:30.840 --> 00:16:32.700 but I couldn't fully understand 00:16:32.700 --> 00:16:33.840 how to play like him 00:16:33.840 --> 00:16:36.500 until I actually saw him playing. 00:16:36.860 --> 00:16:38.560 Until I actually saw him 00:16:38.560 --> 00:16:40.580 and saw how he operated. 00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:41.220 And then I was like, 00:16:41.259 --> 00:16:42.700 I want to study this guy. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:44.680 I want to know how to do it like he does it. 00:16:46.060 --> 00:16:47.539 I want to play like that. 00:16:47.539 --> 00:16:50.339 That's actually the call of a disciple 00:16:50.339 --> 00:16:51.819 is actually to say, 00:16:52.120 --> 00:16:53.459 I want to learn Jesus. 00:16:54.339 --> 00:16:54.679 I want to, 00:16:54.819 --> 00:16:56.059 because he lives life 00:16:56.059 --> 00:16:57.319 like nobody else lives life. 00:16:57.519 --> 00:16:59.259 He's compassionate and yet bold. 00:16:59.419 --> 00:17:01.139 He's strong and yet humble. 00:17:01.459 --> 00:17:03.199 He's everything you want to be. 00:17:06.339 --> 00:17:07.180 And so he says, 00:17:07.319 --> 00:17:08.319 I want to learn Jesus. 00:17:08.740 --> 00:17:09.759 Come and follow me 00:17:09.759 --> 00:17:12.259 and learn me with every fiber of your being. 00:17:13.579 --> 00:17:15.940 Learn to play life like I play life. 00:17:17.539 --> 00:17:19.460 And the thing is, 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:22.119 if Van Halen personally came into the room 00:17:22.119 --> 00:17:22.839 and said, 00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:24.139 follow me, 00:17:24.879 --> 00:17:25.899 man, I'd be there. 00:17:27.159 --> 00:17:28.359 But he hasn't done that. 00:17:29.159 --> 00:17:30.819 And I don't think he's ever going to do that. 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:33.339 But the amazing grace 00:17:33.879 --> 00:17:35.139 of the call of Jesus 00:17:35.139 --> 00:17:37.659 is that he has called 00:17:37.659 --> 00:17:39.259 each one of you personally 00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:40.579 to come and be his disciple. 00:17:40.579 --> 00:17:44.119 And the thing is, 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:45.099 that is grace. 00:17:46.079 --> 00:17:47.139 You didn't deserve it, 00:17:47.179 --> 00:17:47.799 didn't earn it, 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:48.519 that's grace. 00:17:50.159 --> 00:17:52.299 But when we dumb down Christianity 00:17:52.299 --> 00:17:53.299 to say, 00:17:53.879 --> 00:17:54.919 just pray a prayer, 00:17:55.059 --> 00:17:56.119 believe that Jesus died 00:17:56.119 --> 00:17:57.240 to forgive you for your sins, 00:17:57.339 --> 00:17:58.359 go to church every Sunday, 00:17:58.460 --> 00:17:59.259 be a good person, 00:17:59.619 --> 00:18:00.240 pray occasionally 00:18:00.240 --> 00:18:01.439 to kind of get some help, 00:18:01.659 --> 00:18:02.759 and then you'll go to heaven, 00:18:03.139 --> 00:18:04.379 we're not talking about 00:18:04.379 --> 00:18:05.759 biblical Christianity there. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:07.779 That is not the call 00:18:07.779 --> 00:18:08.660 of to be a Christian. 00:18:10.420 --> 00:18:12.859 Because if Jesus is actually 00:18:12.859 --> 00:18:14.599 the creator of the universe, 00:18:14.879 --> 00:18:16.299 the savior of all, 00:18:17.099 --> 00:18:18.720 as the Bible claims, 00:18:18.940 --> 00:18:20.119 just think about it. 00:18:20.279 --> 00:18:22.200 The nearest star 00:18:22.200 --> 00:18:26.859 is about 4.26 light years away 00:18:26.859 --> 00:18:27.559 to us, 00:18:27.559 --> 00:18:28.180 other than the sun, 00:18:28.259 --> 00:18:29.259 it's the nearest one. 00:18:29.500 --> 00:18:31.640 And to get to that star 00:18:31.640 --> 00:18:33.640 with the shuttle Voyager 1 00:18:33.640 --> 00:18:36.460 traveling at 36,000 kilometers an hour, 00:18:36.620 --> 00:18:37.680 it would take us 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.020 over 70,000 years 00:18:40.020 --> 00:18:40.720 to get there. 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:41.680 Okay? 00:18:42.180 --> 00:18:43.460 How long am I going to live? 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:46.220 Well, 70, 80, 90 years maybe. 00:18:47.780 --> 00:18:49.020 And if you think 00:18:49.020 --> 00:18:49.780 that that star 00:18:49.780 --> 00:18:51.000 is only just a speck 00:18:51.000 --> 00:18:52.480 in the whole of the universe, 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:56.640 and if Jesus is really creator 00:18:56.640 --> 00:18:57.660 of all of that, 00:18:59.960 --> 00:19:01.740 are we seriously suggesting 00:19:01.740 --> 00:19:02.640 that we invite him 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:03.240 into our lives 00:19:03.240 --> 00:19:04.620 just to be our personal assistant 00:19:04.620 --> 00:19:06.220 to kind of help us out 00:19:06.220 --> 00:19:06.680 in trouble? 00:19:08.120 --> 00:19:09.380 When Jesus calls, 00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:11.440 it's his incredible grace. 00:19:11.900 --> 00:19:12.720 But when he calls, 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:13.599 his call is for you 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:15.400 to center your entire life 00:19:15.400 --> 00:19:16.140 around him. 00:19:17.620 --> 00:19:18.839 It's like how you parent, 00:19:19.500 --> 00:19:20.980 how you approach your work, 00:19:21.059 --> 00:19:21.620 your family, 00:19:21.720 --> 00:19:22.380 your relationships. 00:19:22.380 --> 00:19:24.359 It's a totally new priority 00:19:24.359 --> 00:19:26.359 in every area of your life. 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:27.900 That's the call of a disciple. 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:29.660 And you see Simon, 00:19:29.960 --> 00:19:30.279 Andrew, 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:30.779 James, 00:19:30.779 --> 00:19:31.160 John, 00:19:31.839 --> 00:19:33.180 they leave immediately 00:19:33.180 --> 00:19:34.220 to follow him. 00:19:35.480 --> 00:19:36.700 They see the privilege. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:38.079 That's the call. 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:40.980 What about the cost? 00:19:41.759 --> 00:19:42.700 What about the cost? 00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:45.639 I discovered last week 00:19:45.639 --> 00:19:47.779 in talking to a guy 00:19:47.779 --> 00:19:48.759 who's an ex-headhunter 00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:51.599 that good headhunters, 00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:52.700 when looking for someone 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:54.000 for a post, 00:19:54.119 --> 00:19:55.519 they approach somebody, 00:19:55.619 --> 00:19:56.220 they invite them 00:19:56.220 --> 00:19:57.859 to come and have the job, 00:19:57.859 --> 00:19:59.379 and then they pull the offer away 00:19:59.379 --> 00:20:00.000 and say, 00:20:00.199 --> 00:20:00.500 hmm, 00:20:00.539 --> 00:20:01.879 I'm not sure you're the right person 00:20:01.879 --> 00:20:02.500 for this job. 00:20:03.699 --> 00:20:05.579 And if the person says, 00:20:05.639 --> 00:20:06.179 no, no, no, no, no, 00:20:06.179 --> 00:20:07.699 I really want this job, 00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:08.799 they know that that is 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:09.419 the right person 00:20:09.419 --> 00:20:10.639 to come and have the job. 00:20:10.879 --> 00:20:12.219 They know they really want it. 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:14.439 And now Jesus does 00:20:14.439 --> 00:20:15.879 a little bit of the same 00:20:15.879 --> 00:20:16.559 kind of thing 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:17.659 because he says, 00:20:17.859 --> 00:20:18.779 in Luke 9, 00:20:18.899 --> 00:20:19.219 he says, 00:20:19.220 --> 00:20:20.400 if anyone wishes 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:21.460 to come after me, 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:23.860 let them deny themselves, 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:25.319 take up their cross, 00:20:25.480 --> 00:20:26.400 and follow me. 00:20:27.100 --> 00:20:27.779 Whoever wishes 00:20:27.779 --> 00:20:28.759 to save his life 00:20:28.759 --> 00:20:29.259 will lose it. 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:30.400 Whoever loses their life 00:20:30.400 --> 00:20:31.039 for my sake 00:20:31.039 --> 00:20:32.200 will save it. 00:20:32.559 --> 00:20:33.880 But what does it profit a man 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:35.339 if he gains the whole world 00:20:35.339 --> 00:20:37.660 but loses or forfeits himself? 00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:40.000 You see, 00:20:40.039 --> 00:20:40.960 what he's saying is, 00:20:41.640 --> 00:20:42.460 if you want to follow me, 00:20:42.500 --> 00:20:43.600 you've got to count the cost. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:46.400 Because where do you 00:20:46.400 --> 00:20:47.400 follow Jesus to? 00:20:47.460 --> 00:20:48.279 Where's Jesus going? 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:49.920 The whole of Luke, 00:20:50.059 --> 00:20:50.740 the Bible story, 00:20:50.819 --> 00:20:51.399 is actually Jesus 00:20:51.399 --> 00:20:53.180 is heading to the cross. 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:56.059 And what does the cross represent? 00:20:56.899 --> 00:20:57.779 The cross represents 00:20:57.779 --> 00:20:59.059 everything in our culture 00:20:59.059 --> 00:21:00.039 that we want to avoid, 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:01.000 which is death. 00:21:03.859 --> 00:21:06.119 And so what he's saying is, 00:21:06.440 --> 00:21:08.440 if you want to find yourself, 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:10.599 you don't find yourself 00:21:10.599 --> 00:21:11.879 by eat, pray, love. 00:21:12.319 --> 00:21:12.579 Okay? 00:21:12.740 --> 00:21:14.000 You find it 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:15.740 in dying to yourself. 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:18.960 Now that's not a very 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:20.819 popular message. 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:21.200 The guy, 00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:22.319 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 00:21:22.740 --> 00:21:23.500 who was a guy 00:21:23.500 --> 00:21:24.559 in the Second World War, 00:21:24.879 --> 00:21:25.980 he had a safe career 00:21:25.980 --> 00:21:26.720 in the U.S., 00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:27.960 but he chose to go back 00:21:27.960 --> 00:21:29.339 to his home in Germany 00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:30.619 to help people there 00:21:30.619 --> 00:21:32.500 because of this call. 00:21:32.619 --> 00:21:33.559 And he said this, 00:21:33.559 --> 00:21:36.179 when Christ calls a man 00:21:36.179 --> 00:21:37.279 or a woman, 00:21:37.740 --> 00:21:40.059 he bids him come and die. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:43.179 If grace cost God 00:21:43.179 --> 00:21:44.480 the life of his son, 00:21:44.919 --> 00:21:47.200 what has cost God much 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.519 cannot be cheap for us. 00:21:51.139 --> 00:21:51.740 Wow. 00:21:53.399 --> 00:21:54.059 You know, 00:21:54.159 --> 00:21:55.779 Luke tells us 00:21:55.779 --> 00:21:56.579 that this cost, 00:21:56.679 --> 00:21:57.079 this dying, 00:21:57.159 --> 00:21:58.419 is not a suicide mission. 00:21:58.420 --> 00:22:02.300 This is a daily death. 00:22:03.259 --> 00:22:04.600 Every single day, 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:06.160 the disciple is learning 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:07.860 how to die to himself 00:22:07.860 --> 00:22:09.220 and how to walk with Jesus. 00:22:10.620 --> 00:22:11.100 You see, 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:12.680 when you seek to save your life, 00:22:13.820 --> 00:22:14.800 we're trying to gain 00:22:14.800 --> 00:22:15.920 everything for ourselves. 00:22:16.000 --> 00:22:17.080 We're trying to make ourselves 00:22:17.080 --> 00:22:18.500 as the first priority. 00:22:19.019 --> 00:22:19.519 And he's saying, 00:22:19.600 --> 00:22:20.420 denying yourselves 00:22:20.420 --> 00:22:21.779 is denying you 00:22:21.779 --> 00:22:22.620 as the number one 00:22:22.620 --> 00:22:22.920 and saying, 00:22:22.980 --> 00:22:23.200 Jesus, 00:22:23.320 --> 00:22:24.200 you're going to be number one. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:26.360 You know, 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:27.560 it's not dying to fun. 00:22:27.559 --> 00:22:28.039 Some people, 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:28.259 you know, 00:22:28.319 --> 00:22:28.940 they take this 00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:29.200 and it's like, 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:29.419 okay, 00:22:29.460 --> 00:22:30.259 we never have fun. 00:22:30.740 --> 00:22:30.879 You know, 00:22:31.079 --> 00:22:32.460 Jesus is accused 00:22:32.460 --> 00:22:33.559 of being a party animal. 00:22:34.220 --> 00:22:34.619 You know that? 00:22:34.659 --> 00:22:35.879 He turns water into wine. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:36.740 Okay? 00:22:36.819 --> 00:22:38.279 He knows how to have a good time. 00:22:38.899 --> 00:22:39.440 It's not that. 00:22:39.500 --> 00:22:39.579 No, 00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:40.440 you're dying to be 00:22:40.440 --> 00:22:41.839 on the throne of your life. 00:22:42.159 --> 00:22:43.200 You're dying to find 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:43.940 your identity 00:22:43.940 --> 00:22:45.579 in anything other than Jesus. 00:22:46.940 --> 00:22:47.740 Do you see what the, 00:22:47.960 --> 00:22:48.759 Andrew and Simon, 00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:51.139 they leave behind their nets. 00:22:51.899 --> 00:22:52.940 There's fish there. 00:22:53.079 --> 00:22:54.779 There's money to be made there. 00:22:55.319 --> 00:22:56.579 And they're saying, 00:22:56.579 --> 00:22:58.439 my world is not going 00:22:58.439 --> 00:22:59.139 to be centered. 00:22:59.339 --> 00:23:00.579 My identity is not going 00:23:00.579 --> 00:23:01.419 to be centered around 00:23:01.419 --> 00:23:03.359 just getting stuff for me. 00:23:04.079 --> 00:23:04.859 James and John, 00:23:04.919 --> 00:23:05.779 they leave their father, 00:23:05.879 --> 00:23:06.639 their family. 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:08.619 And yet, 00:23:08.679 --> 00:23:10.019 it's not that everyone 00:23:10.019 --> 00:23:11.159 has to leave their jobs 00:23:11.159 --> 00:23:11.759 to be a disciple. 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:12.759 The call is different 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:13.659 for every person, 00:23:13.740 --> 00:23:14.819 but the call in one sense 00:23:14.819 --> 00:23:15.359 is the same, 00:23:15.439 --> 00:23:15.779 which is, 00:23:16.359 --> 00:23:17.439 find your identity in me 00:23:17.439 --> 00:23:18.779 and make me number one 00:23:18.779 --> 00:23:19.839 with whatever context 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:20.799 I've placed you in. 00:23:20.799 --> 00:23:24.279 Because you see, 00:23:24.339 --> 00:23:25.099 Simon seems to keep 00:23:25.099 --> 00:23:26.259 his fishing business going, 00:23:26.359 --> 00:23:27.759 but there's a radical shift 00:23:27.759 --> 00:23:28.539 in his priorities 00:23:28.539 --> 00:23:30.740 and where his comfort 00:23:30.740 --> 00:23:31.440 is found 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:32.799 and his hope is found 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:34.319 and his security is found. 00:23:35.619 --> 00:23:36.200 You know, 00:23:36.399 --> 00:23:37.559 when you come home 00:23:37.559 --> 00:23:38.200 in the evening 00:23:38.200 --> 00:23:41.119 and all you want to do 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:42.240 is put your feet up 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:43.259 and watch TV, 00:23:43.799 --> 00:23:46.139 but your spouse needs 00:23:46.139 --> 00:23:47.379 the dishes to be washed, 00:23:47.380 --> 00:23:49.340 what does it mean 00:23:49.340 --> 00:23:50.580 to die to yourself? 00:23:53.640 --> 00:23:54.040 When, 00:23:54.300 --> 00:23:54.460 like, 00:23:54.580 --> 00:23:54.860 for me, 00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:55.860 I was just very convicted 00:23:55.860 --> 00:23:56.480 by this, 00:23:56.660 --> 00:23:57.280 just this week 00:23:57.280 --> 00:23:58.380 thinking about this passage. 00:23:59.940 --> 00:24:00.380 Procrastination. 00:24:00.980 --> 00:24:03.100 Anyone good at procrastinating? 00:24:04.120 --> 00:24:04.780 There's a few. 00:24:06.000 --> 00:24:06.360 I am. 00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:07.600 You know what I procrastinate 00:24:07.600 --> 00:24:08.540 and I procrastinate 00:24:08.540 --> 00:24:10.080 on administrative things. 00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:10.920 Okay? 00:24:11.100 --> 00:24:12.120 If there's a list 00:24:12.120 --> 00:24:13.320 of ten things I've got to do 00:24:13.320 --> 00:24:14.080 and there's stuff to do 00:24:14.080 --> 00:24:15.260 with like banks 00:24:15.260 --> 00:24:16.680 or internet companies, 00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:17.440 all that kind of stuff, 00:24:17.500 --> 00:24:18.140 that's going down 00:24:18.140 --> 00:24:19.000 right at number ten 00:24:19.000 --> 00:24:20.140 on my priority list. 00:24:21.480 --> 00:24:22.100 And yet, 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:24.160 it affects others 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:25.000 when I don't do 00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:26.220 those things on time. 00:24:28.180 --> 00:24:29.000 God says to me, 00:24:29.240 --> 00:24:30.200 if you want to take up 00:24:30.200 --> 00:24:31.060 your cross daily, 00:24:31.700 --> 00:24:32.200 one of the things 00:24:32.200 --> 00:24:32.820 you need to do 00:24:32.820 --> 00:24:33.340 is start putting 00:24:33.340 --> 00:24:34.580 those administrative tasks 00:24:34.580 --> 00:24:36.240 higher up your list 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:38.080 out of love 00:24:38.080 --> 00:24:40.039 because your procrastination 00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:41.779 is simply self-seeking, 00:24:42.200 --> 00:24:43.140 comfort-seeking, 00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:44.860 you being on the throne 00:24:44.860 --> 00:24:45.620 of your life. 00:24:46.680 --> 00:24:48.259 And a disciple 00:24:48.259 --> 00:24:49.220 is willing to die 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:50.120 to their comfort 00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:51.299 for Christ's sake 00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:52.299 and for others' sake. 00:24:54.120 --> 00:24:55.460 C.S. Lewis said, 00:24:56.200 --> 00:24:57.200 keep back nothing. 00:24:57.900 --> 00:24:58.660 Nothing in you 00:24:58.660 --> 00:24:59.640 that has not died 00:24:59.640 --> 00:25:00.640 will ever be raised 00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:01.259 from the dead. 00:25:01.920 --> 00:25:02.720 Look for yourself 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:03.460 and you will find 00:25:03.460 --> 00:25:04.140 in the long run 00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:05.019 only hatred, 00:25:05.580 --> 00:25:05.880 loneliness, 00:25:06.180 --> 00:25:06.620 despair, 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:07.380 rage, 00:25:07.580 --> 00:25:07.860 ruin, 00:25:07.980 --> 00:25:08.539 and decay. 00:25:09.060 --> 00:25:10.560 But look for Christ 00:25:10.560 --> 00:25:12.080 and you'll find him. 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:13.420 And with him, 00:25:13.759 --> 00:25:14.460 everything else 00:25:14.460 --> 00:25:15.060 thrown in. 00:25:15.779 --> 00:25:16.700 And he's saying, 00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:18.679 die to yourself, 00:25:18.879 --> 00:25:19.919 you'll find yourself 00:25:19.919 --> 00:25:20.940 because you'll find 00:25:20.940 --> 00:25:22.700 the true life in me. 00:25:25.519 --> 00:25:26.559 There are three people 00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:27.779 Jesus meets on the road. 00:25:30.079 --> 00:25:30.879 It's really interesting 00:25:30.879 --> 00:25:31.460 if you actually look 00:25:31.460 --> 00:25:32.440 at how discipleship works. 00:25:32.519 --> 00:25:33.220 Go through the Gospels 00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:34.379 and you see how Jesus does it. 00:25:34.419 --> 00:25:34.980 It's really interesting. 00:25:35.539 --> 00:25:36.119 Three people. 00:25:37.259 --> 00:25:38.559 And one person says, 00:25:38.619 --> 00:25:39.460 hey, I'm going to follow you 00:25:39.460 --> 00:25:40.179 wherever you go. 00:25:40.180 --> 00:25:41.700 And Jesus says to him, 00:25:41.960 --> 00:25:42.900 foxes have holes, 00:25:43.340 --> 00:25:44.380 birds of the air have nests, 00:25:44.600 --> 00:25:45.880 son of man has nowhere 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:47.019 to lay his head. 00:25:47.240 --> 00:25:47.820 And he's saying, 00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:48.519 okay, 00:25:49.340 --> 00:25:49.840 are you sure? 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:52.160 I'm not the kind of savior 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:52.900 who's just the kind of 00:25:52.900 --> 00:25:54.779 political campaign manager here. 00:25:55.480 --> 00:25:56.380 Let me bring this down 00:25:56.380 --> 00:25:57.000 to your level, 00:25:57.100 --> 00:25:57.600 he's saying. 00:25:57.799 --> 00:25:58.060 Okay, 00:25:58.660 --> 00:25:59.539 you have a home, 00:26:00.200 --> 00:26:00.820 you've got a nice 00:26:00.820 --> 00:26:01.560 standard of living. 00:26:03.460 --> 00:26:04.100 Are you willing 00:26:04.100 --> 00:26:05.120 to lay that down for me? 00:26:05.119 --> 00:26:07.779 Or are you just going 00:26:07.779 --> 00:26:08.839 to put that before me? 00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:10.119 That's what he's saying. 00:26:11.019 --> 00:26:11.739 Are you willing 00:26:11.739 --> 00:26:13.119 for people to not invite you in 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:13.759 because they know 00:26:13.759 --> 00:26:14.579 that you follow me? 00:26:15.439 --> 00:26:16.219 That's what he's saying 00:26:16.219 --> 00:26:16.759 to this guy. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:19.059 He calls another guy, 00:26:19.119 --> 00:26:19.319 he says, 00:26:19.419 --> 00:26:20.059 follow me. 00:26:20.899 --> 00:26:21.519 But his reaction 00:26:21.519 --> 00:26:21.979 is different. 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:22.279 He says, 00:26:22.539 --> 00:26:25.199 let me first bury my father. 00:26:26.519 --> 00:26:27.399 Which makes you wonder 00:26:27.399 --> 00:26:28.359 why he wasn't burying him 00:26:28.359 --> 00:26:28.759 beforehand, 00:26:28.899 --> 00:26:29.299 but anyway. 00:26:30.519 --> 00:26:31.039 And another, 00:26:31.179 --> 00:26:31.459 he says, 00:26:31.579 --> 00:26:33.579 let me first say farewell 00:26:33.579 --> 00:26:34.759 to those who are at home. 00:26:35.739 --> 00:26:36.559 And notice that 00:26:36.559 --> 00:26:37.539 in each of the occasions 00:26:37.539 --> 00:26:38.000 he says, 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:39.119 let me first. 00:26:39.979 --> 00:26:40.519 You see that? 00:26:42.339 --> 00:26:43.339 Because he's saying, 00:26:43.419 --> 00:26:43.859 listen guys, 00:26:43.959 --> 00:26:45.119 I know that our culture 00:26:45.119 --> 00:26:46.959 tells us family comes first. 00:26:47.839 --> 00:26:49.139 But when I call you, 00:26:49.239 --> 00:26:50.119 I come first. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:52.619 That's hard. 00:26:53.219 --> 00:26:54.079 But that's what he's saying. 00:26:55.299 --> 00:26:56.139 And some of us know 00:26:56.139 --> 00:26:57.519 the opposition from family 00:26:57.519 --> 00:26:58.099 when you've chosen 00:26:58.099 --> 00:26:59.399 to trust in Christ 00:26:59.399 --> 00:27:01.239 and the toughness 00:27:01.239 --> 00:27:02.219 and the cost of that. 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:06.400 But you only sacrifice, 00:27:06.579 --> 00:27:07.279 you're only willing 00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:08.559 to pay that cost 00:27:08.559 --> 00:27:10.039 for something 00:27:10.039 --> 00:27:11.400 that is truly precious 00:27:11.400 --> 00:27:12.180 to you. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:15.039 If Christ is precious 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:15.779 to you, 00:27:16.740 --> 00:27:17.860 you'll pay that cost. 00:27:18.079 --> 00:27:18.200 You know, 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:18.860 some of us, 00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:19.860 when we were single, 00:27:20.940 --> 00:27:22.019 didn't even know 00:27:22.019 --> 00:27:23.279 that 5am existed. 00:27:25.360 --> 00:27:26.400 And then you got married 00:27:26.400 --> 00:27:27.220 and had kids. 00:27:28.299 --> 00:27:28.660 Right? 00:27:29.580 --> 00:27:30.620 And, you know, 00:27:30.660 --> 00:27:31.220 I was speaking to someone 00:27:31.220 --> 00:27:31.620 last week 00:27:31.620 --> 00:27:31.920 and they said, 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:33.120 hey, I'm just exhausted 00:27:33.120 --> 00:27:35.720 from bringing out my kids 00:27:35.720 --> 00:27:36.140 and everything. 00:27:36.259 --> 00:27:37.440 But my kids bring me 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:38.160 so much joy. 00:27:38.660 --> 00:27:40.100 I wouldn't trade it in 00:27:40.100 --> 00:27:40.740 for the world. 00:27:41.779 --> 00:27:42.620 And you're looking at them 00:27:42.620 --> 00:27:43.019 and thinking, 00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:43.460 really? 00:27:44.880 --> 00:27:46.040 But because 00:27:46.040 --> 00:27:48.080 they're not sacrificing 00:27:48.080 --> 00:27:49.120 everything in their life 00:27:49.120 --> 00:27:49.660 just to kind of 00:27:49.660 --> 00:27:50.320 cut themselves off. 00:27:50.400 --> 00:27:50.900 No, it's because 00:27:50.900 --> 00:27:51.980 they love their kids. 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:53.820 And they want 00:27:53.820 --> 00:27:55.080 their relationship with them. 00:27:55.580 --> 00:27:56.900 That's what drives them. 00:27:56.900 --> 00:27:58.480 You know, 00:27:58.560 --> 00:27:59.620 if you prioritize 00:27:59.620 --> 00:28:00.960 the wrong things in life, 00:28:01.000 --> 00:28:01.900 even if you prioritize 00:28:01.900 --> 00:28:03.680 your kids above Jesus, 00:28:03.800 --> 00:28:04.820 when things go wrong, 00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:05.960 you'll be stressing 00:28:05.960 --> 00:28:06.900 and you'll transfer 00:28:06.900 --> 00:28:07.820 that stress 00:28:07.820 --> 00:28:08.759 onto your kids. 00:28:10.680 --> 00:28:11.560 And the greatest way 00:28:11.560 --> 00:28:12.540 to disciple your kids 00:28:12.540 --> 00:28:13.080 is for you 00:28:13.080 --> 00:28:13.680 to be learning 00:28:13.680 --> 00:28:14.500 how to be a disciple 00:28:14.500 --> 00:28:15.019 of Jesus. 00:28:16.500 --> 00:28:18.620 But what denying yourself 00:28:18.620 --> 00:28:20.180 means is this. 00:28:20.540 --> 00:28:21.660 My focus is not 00:28:21.660 --> 00:28:22.340 on the denial. 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:23.660 My focus is on the one 00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:24.400 that I'm following. 00:28:24.400 --> 00:28:27.519 So it's focused 00:28:27.519 --> 00:28:28.240 with your kids. 00:28:28.340 --> 00:28:28.920 It's on your kids, 00:28:29.000 --> 00:28:29.820 not the cost. 00:28:30.100 --> 00:28:30.920 And when we focus 00:28:30.920 --> 00:28:31.700 and follow Jesus, 00:28:31.800 --> 00:28:32.560 we're not just focusing 00:28:32.560 --> 00:28:33.519 on, oh, look at all 00:28:33.519 --> 00:28:34.540 the costs I've got to pay. 00:28:34.600 --> 00:28:35.180 No, we're focusing 00:28:35.180 --> 00:28:35.900 on Christ. 00:28:36.720 --> 00:28:37.480 And every day 00:28:37.480 --> 00:28:37.880 you're going to have 00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:38.720 choices whether you 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:39.540 choose to die 00:28:39.540 --> 00:28:40.900 or live for him. 00:28:41.040 --> 00:28:41.660 Whether you choose 00:28:41.660 --> 00:28:42.860 for self or you live 00:28:42.860 --> 00:28:43.840 for him every day 00:28:43.840 --> 00:28:44.500 and he says, 00:28:44.600 --> 00:28:45.180 follow me. 00:28:45.460 --> 00:28:46.320 Count the cost. 00:28:46.480 --> 00:28:47.420 I've called you 00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:48.180 and I'm going to 00:28:48.180 --> 00:28:49.060 change you to be 00:28:49.060 --> 00:28:50.080 who I've called you to be. 00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:52.160 So that's it. 00:28:52.220 --> 00:28:52.560 The call, 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:53.500 the cost. 00:28:53.500 --> 00:28:53.660 First, 00:28:54.619 --> 00:28:55.019 thirdly, 00:28:55.059 --> 00:28:55.440 the fuel. 00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:01.180 Being a disciple 00:29:01.180 --> 00:29:01.940 is not an option. 00:29:02.500 --> 00:29:02.940 Did you get that? 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:03.559 If you're a Christian, 00:29:03.839 --> 00:29:05.000 there's not this two-tier 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:05.339 kind of, 00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:06.460 here's the really 00:29:06.460 --> 00:29:07.480 keen Christians 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:08.099 and here's just 00:29:08.099 --> 00:29:09.079 the ordinary Christians. 00:29:10.299 --> 00:29:10.740 He says, 00:29:10.799 --> 00:29:11.140 no, no, no, 00:29:11.140 --> 00:29:12.019 everyone is called 00:29:12.019 --> 00:29:12.720 to be a disciple. 00:29:13.319 --> 00:29:14.000 There's no kind 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:14.980 of get out clause. 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:16.819 But here's the thing. 00:29:17.980 --> 00:29:19.619 You never earn 00:29:19.619 --> 00:29:20.460 God's love 00:29:20.460 --> 00:29:21.539 by being a committed 00:29:21.539 --> 00:29:22.079 disciple. 00:29:22.079 --> 00:29:22.199 people. 00:29:23.759 --> 00:29:24.819 Jesus doesn't say, 00:29:25.339 --> 00:29:25.639 follow me 00:29:25.639 --> 00:29:26.299 and then I'll die 00:29:26.299 --> 00:29:26.740 for you. 00:29:27.619 --> 00:29:28.480 He says, 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:30.000 I'm going to the cross 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:30.619 now for you, 00:29:30.679 --> 00:29:31.539 now follow me. 00:29:33.720 --> 00:29:34.599 And do you know, 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:35.859 here's the interesting 00:29:35.859 --> 00:29:36.159 thing. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:36.839 When you're really 00:29:36.839 --> 00:29:37.240 committed, 00:29:37.339 --> 00:29:37.919 when you commit 00:29:37.919 --> 00:29:38.839 to a cause, 00:29:39.339 --> 00:29:40.259 what often happens, 00:29:40.319 --> 00:29:40.740 if you're really 00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:41.259 hardcore, 00:29:42.099 --> 00:29:43.139 you become hard 00:29:43.139 --> 00:29:43.779 on yourself 00:29:43.779 --> 00:29:45.079 and you become hard 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:45.519 on the people 00:29:45.519 --> 00:29:46.139 around you. 00:29:46.539 --> 00:29:46.699 Okay? 00:29:47.199 --> 00:29:47.599 Think of how 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:48.559 terrorism works. 00:29:48.559 --> 00:29:49.179 people who are 00:29:49.179 --> 00:29:49.919 fanatical for 00:29:49.919 --> 00:29:50.700 something become 00:29:50.700 --> 00:29:51.679 very harsh towards 00:29:51.679 --> 00:29:52.279 other people. 00:29:54.700 --> 00:29:55.599 The story, 00:29:55.759 --> 00:29:56.220 which is not in 00:29:56.220 --> 00:29:56.700 your bulletin, 00:29:56.759 --> 00:29:57.599 but just before 00:29:57.599 --> 00:29:58.720 him meeting those 00:29:58.720 --> 00:29:59.460 three guys, 00:30:00.339 --> 00:30:01.039 James and John, 00:30:01.659 --> 00:30:02.099 who had left 00:30:02.099 --> 00:30:02.879 everything to follow 00:30:02.879 --> 00:30:03.220 Jesus, 00:30:03.819 --> 00:30:04.679 they enter with 00:30:04.679 --> 00:30:05.319 Jesus into a 00:30:05.319 --> 00:30:06.159 Samaritan village. 00:30:07.279 --> 00:30:07.879 And the Samaritan 00:30:07.879 --> 00:30:09.299 village rejects them, 00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:10.759 tells them to get 00:30:10.759 --> 00:30:11.059 out. 00:30:12.059 --> 00:30:13.819 And Jesus has no 00:30:13.819 --> 00:30:14.679 place to lay his 00:30:14.679 --> 00:30:15.740 head as he told 00:30:15.740 --> 00:30:16.259 the others. 00:30:17.700 --> 00:30:18.319 And it's 00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:18.859 interesting, 00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:20.319 James and John, 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.400 recalling an Old 00:30:21.400 --> 00:30:22.240 Testament example 00:30:22.240 --> 00:30:22.819 of Elijah, 00:30:23.200 --> 00:30:23.779 they say, 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:24.220 basically, 00:30:24.420 --> 00:30:25.240 let's call down 00:30:25.240 --> 00:30:25.980 fire on that 00:30:25.980 --> 00:30:26.519 village in 00:30:26.519 --> 00:30:26.859 judgment. 00:30:29.079 --> 00:30:29.980 They're hard, 00:30:30.120 --> 00:30:30.660 because they're 00:30:30.660 --> 00:30:31.220 committed and 00:30:31.220 --> 00:30:31.799 these guys are 00:30:31.799 --> 00:30:32.480 just wasters. 00:30:34.079 --> 00:30:34.279 Do you know 00:30:34.279 --> 00:30:34.980 what Jesus does? 00:30:35.440 --> 00:30:36.519 He rebukes them 00:30:36.519 --> 00:30:36.839 and says, 00:30:36.940 --> 00:30:37.440 that's not the way 00:30:37.440 --> 00:30:38.079 we roll around 00:30:38.079 --> 00:30:38.339 here. 00:30:39.880 --> 00:30:40.700 He says, 00:30:40.900 --> 00:30:41.460 if anyone wants 00:30:41.460 --> 00:30:42.120 to save their 00:30:42.120 --> 00:30:42.599 life, yeah, 00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:43.460 they'll lose it. 00:30:43.500 --> 00:30:43.859 If you don't 00:30:43.859 --> 00:30:44.579 follow me on 00:30:44.579 --> 00:30:45.480 judgment day, 00:30:46.200 --> 00:30:47.160 you'll forfeit 00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:47.859 everything you 00:30:47.859 --> 00:30:48.700 wanted to keep. 00:30:49.819 --> 00:30:50.660 But for the 00:30:50.660 --> 00:30:51.539 Samaritans who 00:30:51.539 --> 00:30:52.039 had wanted to 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:52.720 keep themselves 00:30:52.720 --> 00:30:53.140 as their 00:30:53.140 --> 00:30:53.759 priority, 00:30:54.299 --> 00:30:54.940 Jesus is saying, 00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:55.519 I'm not going 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:56.220 to send fire 00:30:56.220 --> 00:30:56.960 on them now. 00:30:57.859 --> 00:30:58.339 Why? 00:30:59.759 --> 00:31:00.620 Because I'm 00:31:00.620 --> 00:31:01.039 going to take 00:31:01.039 --> 00:31:01.660 the fire of 00:31:01.660 --> 00:31:02.200 God's judgment 00:31:02.200 --> 00:31:02.980 on myself. 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:04.759 Because that's 00:31:04.759 --> 00:31:05.200 where I'm headed 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:06.000 to the cross. 00:31:08.740 --> 00:31:09.319 You see, 00:31:09.380 --> 00:31:09.940 Jesus is so 00:31:09.940 --> 00:31:10.819 much more tender 00:31:10.819 --> 00:31:11.620 and gentle 00:31:11.620 --> 00:31:12.420 than often we 00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:13.299 can be with 00:31:13.299 --> 00:31:13.960 other people. 00:31:15.740 --> 00:31:16.759 And in a 00:31:16.759 --> 00:31:17.140 world where, 00:31:17.240 --> 00:31:17.400 you know, 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:17.720 we're so 00:31:17.720 --> 00:31:19.279 suspicious of 00:31:19.279 --> 00:31:19.880 leaders with 00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:20.259 too much 00:31:20.259 --> 00:31:21.819 power because 00:31:21.819 --> 00:31:22.720 they're all about 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:23.380 self-interest 00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:24.000 grabbing for 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:24.579 themselves and 00:31:24.579 --> 00:31:25.059 then they create 00:31:25.059 --> 00:31:25.740 cultures where 00:31:25.740 --> 00:31:26.519 everyone in the 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:27.640 workplace is trying 00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:28.099 to throw other 00:31:28.099 --> 00:31:28.720 people under the 00:31:28.720 --> 00:31:29.359 bus so that they 00:31:29.359 --> 00:31:30.120 can get themselves 00:31:30.120 --> 00:31:30.620 promoted. 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:32.880 Jesus says, 00:31:32.960 --> 00:31:33.539 I'm a leader who's 00:31:33.539 --> 00:31:34.180 willing to lay down 00:31:34.180 --> 00:31:36.579 my life for even 00:31:36.579 --> 00:31:37.720 the most hard-hearted, 00:31:38.400 --> 00:31:39.359 mistake-ridden, 00:31:39.359 --> 00:31:41.139 sin-infested 00:31:41.139 --> 00:31:41.799 person. 00:31:42.399 --> 00:31:42.919 Like the 00:31:42.919 --> 00:31:43.699 Samaritans, 00:31:43.879 --> 00:31:44.799 he's willing to 00:31:44.799 --> 00:31:46.579 be shot down for 00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:48.000 your hard-heartedness 00:31:48.000 --> 00:31:50.319 on the cross because 00:31:50.319 --> 00:31:51.479 he's so committed to 00:31:51.479 --> 00:31:52.059 your good. 00:31:52.779 --> 00:31:53.679 He's so committed. 00:31:55.139 --> 00:31:56.000 And if you have 00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:56.579 someone who you 00:31:56.579 --> 00:31:57.599 know loves you that 00:31:57.599 --> 00:31:58.479 much, a boss who 00:31:58.479 --> 00:31:58.939 would be willing to 00:31:58.939 --> 00:31:59.799 take the hit for 00:31:59.799 --> 00:32:02.199 you, isn't that 00:32:02.199 --> 00:32:02.799 somebody you're 00:32:02.799 --> 00:32:04.619 willing to undying 00:32:04.619 --> 00:32:05.519 loyalty to? 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:07.859 Because you know, 00:32:07.960 --> 00:32:08.639 in Acts, after 00:32:08.639 --> 00:32:09.299 Jesus is raised 00:32:09.299 --> 00:32:10.379 from the dead, he 00:32:10.379 --> 00:32:12.220 sends, the gospel 00:32:12.220 --> 00:32:12.900 is to go out. 00:32:12.980 --> 00:32:13.319 Do you remember 00:32:13.319 --> 00:32:13.859 from the Acts 00:32:13.859 --> 00:32:14.420 series where the 00:32:14.420 --> 00:32:15.139 gospel goes? 00:32:15.859 --> 00:32:16.500 It goes from 00:32:16.500 --> 00:32:18.440 Jerusalem to, 00:32:19.859 --> 00:32:20.500 what does it go 00:32:20.500 --> 00:32:20.779 next? 00:32:22.700 --> 00:32:24.139 Judea to 00:32:24.139 --> 00:32:26.819 Samaria. 00:32:28.339 --> 00:32:29.000 Isn't that 00:32:29.000 --> 00:32:29.519 interesting? 00:32:30.819 --> 00:32:33.019 You see, the 00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:34.000 same people who 00:32:34.000 --> 00:32:34.680 had rejected 00:32:34.680 --> 00:32:37.100 Jesus, he 00:32:37.100 --> 00:32:37.720 sends out his 00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:38.460 word again to 00:32:38.460 --> 00:32:39.420 call them back to 00:32:39.420 --> 00:32:41.620 himself because 00:32:41.620 --> 00:32:42.539 that's the kind of 00:32:42.539 --> 00:32:43.740 God he is who 00:32:43.740 --> 00:32:45.340 keeps calling again 00:32:45.340 --> 00:32:47.860 and again because 00:32:47.860 --> 00:32:50.820 he longs to show 00:32:50.820 --> 00:32:51.600 you grace. 00:33:00.240 --> 00:33:02.820 The gospel call 00:33:02.819 --> 00:33:03.939 goes out to us. 00:33:04.500 --> 00:33:05.379 He is gracious 00:33:05.379 --> 00:33:06.519 beyond compare. 00:33:07.000 --> 00:33:07.859 He calls us to 00:33:07.859 --> 00:33:08.359 obedience. 00:33:09.919 --> 00:33:11.099 Just as my name is 00:33:11.099 --> 00:33:12.519 Chris Thornton and 00:33:12.519 --> 00:33:13.839 you can't say, hey, 00:33:13.939 --> 00:33:14.579 I'd like to have 00:33:14.579 --> 00:33:15.980 Chris but I don't 00:33:15.980 --> 00:33:16.439 think I want 00:33:16.439 --> 00:33:16.960 Thornton. 00:33:17.679 --> 00:33:19.359 So you can't say, I 00:33:19.359 --> 00:33:20.460 want Jesus as my 00:33:20.460 --> 00:33:21.279 savior but I don't 00:33:21.279 --> 00:33:21.960 want to have him as 00:33:21.960 --> 00:33:22.619 my lord. 00:33:24.460 --> 00:33:25.439 But when you get 00:33:25.439 --> 00:33:26.259 Jesus as your lord, 00:33:26.339 --> 00:33:27.039 you get a gracious 00:33:27.039 --> 00:33:27.599 lord. 00:33:29.240 --> 00:33:30.220 Who is the kind of 00:33:30.220 --> 00:33:31.139 lord you want to have 00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:31.640 as a leader? 00:33:33.360 --> 00:33:34.700 And some of us 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:36.240 here, Jesus is 00:33:36.240 --> 00:33:37.680 calling you today 00:33:37.680 --> 00:33:39.420 and you've been 00:33:39.420 --> 00:33:40.320 wavering, you've been 00:33:40.320 --> 00:33:41.360 staying in the boat 00:33:41.360 --> 00:33:42.520 of your own comfort, 00:33:42.780 --> 00:33:43.500 wondering whether you're 00:33:43.500 --> 00:33:44.420 going to commit or not 00:33:44.420 --> 00:33:44.900 to Jesus. 00:33:46.180 --> 00:33:47.020 There are things that 00:33:47.020 --> 00:33:48.180 are attractive to you, 00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:48.960 around you, 00:33:49.080 --> 00:33:49.520 careers, 00:33:49.720 --> 00:33:50.280 relationships, 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:51.780 money, all those 00:33:51.780 --> 00:33:52.600 things and that's where 00:33:52.600 --> 00:33:53.860 your focus has been. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:56.060 And Jesus is saying 00:33:56.060 --> 00:33:56.680 to you, 00:33:56.680 --> 00:33:59.340 will you see how 00:33:59.340 --> 00:34:00.240 much I'm worth 00:34:00.240 --> 00:34:00.740 following? 00:34:01.080 --> 00:34:02.600 Come and follow me 00:34:02.600 --> 00:34:03.500 today. 00:34:04.759 --> 00:34:05.600 Some of us have been 00:34:05.600 --> 00:34:06.519 Christians for a long 00:34:06.519 --> 00:34:08.200 time and it's almost 00:34:08.200 --> 00:34:08.920 like we've kind of, 00:34:09.220 --> 00:34:10.680 we've followed him, 00:34:10.740 --> 00:34:11.740 we heard his call but 00:34:11.740 --> 00:34:12.680 then we walked kind of, 00:34:12.860 --> 00:34:13.920 we'd like to get back 00:34:13.920 --> 00:34:14.860 into the boat a little 00:34:14.860 --> 00:34:15.780 bit because we want to 00:34:15.780 --> 00:34:16.880 just be safe. 00:34:19.539 --> 00:34:20.519 Life is busy, 00:34:21.180 --> 00:34:22.619 things are challenging 00:34:22.619 --> 00:34:24.839 and Jesus says, 00:34:24.940 --> 00:34:25.460 I'm humble, 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:27.179 I'm gentle but I've 00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:28.059 died for you 00:34:28.059 --> 00:34:30.059 so trust me now 00:34:30.059 --> 00:34:31.139 and start following me 00:34:31.139 --> 00:34:32.500 again as your Lord 00:34:32.500 --> 00:34:33.139 and your Savior. 00:34:36.159 --> 00:34:37.500 It's grace that he 00:34:37.500 --> 00:34:38.219 calls us 00:34:38.219 --> 00:34:39.539 but he bids us 00:34:39.539 --> 00:34:40.400 count the cost. 00:34:41.420 --> 00:34:42.119 The fuel 00:34:42.119 --> 00:34:43.099 to be obedient 00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:43.880 is to know 00:34:43.880 --> 00:34:45.099 the grace that he 00:34:45.099 --> 00:34:46.319 has given to us 00:34:46.319 --> 00:34:47.699 as a gracious Savior 00:34:47.699 --> 00:34:49.099 and the final thing 00:34:49.099 --> 00:34:51.000 is the mission. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:53.039 the mission. 00:34:55.739 --> 00:34:56.860 You cannot be a 00:34:56.860 --> 00:34:58.000 disciple of Jesus 00:34:58.000 --> 00:34:59.780 without being on 00:34:59.780 --> 00:35:00.440 his mission 00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:01.519 to make disciples 00:35:01.519 --> 00:35:02.079 of others. 00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.420 He says to his 00:35:04.420 --> 00:35:04.860 disciples, 00:35:05.679 --> 00:35:06.380 follow me 00:35:06.380 --> 00:35:08.099 and I will make 00:35:08.099 --> 00:35:09.300 you fishers, 00:35:09.559 --> 00:35:10.039 I will make you 00:35:10.039 --> 00:35:11.320 become fishers of 00:35:11.320 --> 00:35:11.539 men. 00:35:13.500 --> 00:35:14.119 You've got to 00:35:14.119 --> 00:35:14.619 understand that's 00:35:14.619 --> 00:35:15.860 a phrase which is 00:35:15.860 --> 00:35:16.639 taken from the book 00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:17.699 of Jeremiah chapter 00:35:17.699 --> 00:35:18.780 16 where God 00:35:18.780 --> 00:35:19.900 calls fishers 00:35:19.900 --> 00:35:21.240 to catch people 00:35:21.240 --> 00:35:22.119 and it's a sign 00:35:22.119 --> 00:35:22.599 of judgment. 00:35:23.380 --> 00:35:24.460 It's catching those 00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:24.940 who are running 00:35:24.940 --> 00:35:25.900 away from God 00:35:25.900 --> 00:35:27.000 and ready bringing 00:35:27.000 --> 00:35:27.720 them for judgment 00:35:27.720 --> 00:35:28.559 but Jesus says hey 00:35:28.559 --> 00:35:29.420 I'm not coming to 00:35:29.420 --> 00:35:30.220 catch people for 00:35:30.220 --> 00:35:30.539 judgment, 00:35:30.680 --> 00:35:31.579 I'm coming to 00:35:31.579 --> 00:35:32.900 save people. 00:35:34.900 --> 00:35:35.800 And Jesus says 00:35:35.800 --> 00:35:36.500 if you want to 00:35:36.500 --> 00:35:37.139 follow me 00:35:37.139 --> 00:35:40.119 I want to make you 00:35:40.119 --> 00:35:41.039 somebody who reaches 00:35:41.039 --> 00:35:41.720 out to others. 00:35:41.820 --> 00:35:42.639 When you saturate 00:35:42.639 --> 00:35:43.780 yourself in who I am 00:35:43.780 --> 00:35:44.599 get to know me, 00:35:44.820 --> 00:35:45.300 love me, 00:35:45.480 --> 00:35:46.559 see how beautiful 00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:47.220 I am. 00:35:47.380 --> 00:35:47.900 What's going to 00:35:47.900 --> 00:35:48.619 happen is I'm going 00:35:48.619 --> 00:35:49.500 to stretch you. 00:35:50.319 --> 00:35:50.839 I'm going to 00:35:50.839 --> 00:35:52.119 call you to do 00:35:52.119 --> 00:35:52.859 things which you 00:35:52.859 --> 00:35:53.559 think you could 00:35:53.559 --> 00:35:54.880 never possibly do. 00:35:56.440 --> 00:35:57.420 If you think your 00:35:57.420 --> 00:35:58.480 life is manageable 00:35:58.480 --> 00:35:59.759 Jesus says I want 00:35:59.759 --> 00:36:00.659 to make it so only 00:36:00.659 --> 00:36:01.859 I can do the 00:36:01.859 --> 00:36:02.559 things in you. 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:05.839 He wants to give 00:36:05.839 --> 00:36:06.719 you a call so 00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:08.440 big that it 00:36:08.440 --> 00:36:09.440 feels overwhelming 00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:11.099 but what he does 00:36:11.099 --> 00:36:12.159 is he's going to 00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:13.019 say graciously I'm 00:36:13.019 --> 00:36:13.599 going to take you 00:36:13.599 --> 00:36:14.639 step by step, 00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:15.779 day by day, 00:36:15.779 --> 00:36:16.980 to be this person 00:36:16.980 --> 00:36:17.719 who influences 00:36:17.719 --> 00:36:18.460 and impacts 00:36:18.460 --> 00:36:19.099 other people 00:36:19.099 --> 00:36:19.900 in your life. 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:22.880 And when we 00:36:22.880 --> 00:36:24.240 mess up 00:36:24.240 --> 00:36:25.400 we're going to 00:36:25.400 --> 00:36:26.139 learn to trust 00:36:26.139 --> 00:36:27.019 Jesus as our 00:36:27.019 --> 00:36:27.760 savior again 00:36:27.760 --> 00:36:29.119 and that's going 00:36:29.119 --> 00:36:29.619 to fuel us 00:36:29.619 --> 00:36:30.360 to obey him. 00:36:32.420 --> 00:36:33.599 But if I gave 00:36:33.599 --> 00:36:35.000 a five year old 00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:36.179 the Van Halen 00:36:36.179 --> 00:36:36.719 music 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:38.699 and said I want 00:36:38.699 --> 00:36:39.079 you to go and 00:36:39.079 --> 00:36:39.539 play it 00:36:39.539 --> 00:36:42.639 it's impossible. 00:36:43.639 --> 00:36:44.760 I couldn't play 00:36:44.760 --> 00:36:44.960 it. 00:36:47.380 --> 00:36:47.980 And when you 00:36:47.980 --> 00:36:48.660 hear Jesus 00:36:48.660 --> 00:36:49.340 play and you 00:36:49.340 --> 00:36:50.100 see what he's 00:36:50.100 --> 00:36:50.840 like you look 00:36:50.840 --> 00:36:51.240 at it and you 00:36:51.240 --> 00:36:51.860 just say wow I 00:36:51.860 --> 00:36:52.520 can't do that. 00:36:54.120 --> 00:36:54.920 But you know how 00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:55.460 do you learn to 00:36:55.460 --> 00:36:56.220 play a piece of 00:36:56.220 --> 00:36:56.460 music? 00:36:57.700 --> 00:36:58.620 You take it one 00:36:58.620 --> 00:36:59.840 phrase by phrase 00:36:59.840 --> 00:37:01.200 by phrase and 00:37:01.200 --> 00:37:02.120 what you do is you 00:37:02.120 --> 00:37:02.980 learn the one 00:37:02.980 --> 00:37:03.680 phrase and then 00:37:03.680 --> 00:37:04.440 you learn another 00:37:04.440 --> 00:37:05.000 one and then you 00:37:05.000 --> 00:37:05.760 keep practicing 00:37:05.760 --> 00:37:06.540 that first phrase 00:37:06.540 --> 00:37:07.080 keep practicing 00:37:07.080 --> 00:37:07.840 do the next one 00:37:07.840 --> 00:37:08.260 and then sometimes 00:37:08.260 --> 00:37:08.700 you go back 00:37:08.700 --> 00:37:09.020 because you've 00:37:09.020 --> 00:37:09.620 forgotten the first 00:37:09.620 --> 00:37:10.300 one and you 00:37:10.300 --> 00:37:10.860 just kind of do 00:37:10.860 --> 00:37:11.780 that step by step 00:37:11.780 --> 00:37:12.760 by step by step 00:37:12.760 --> 00:37:13.600 by step by step 00:37:13.599 --> 00:37:14.319 and eventually 00:37:14.319 --> 00:37:17.039 you learn how to 00:37:17.039 --> 00:37:17.699 play the piece of 00:37:17.699 --> 00:37:18.299 music which you 00:37:18.299 --> 00:37:18.619 thought was 00:37:18.619 --> 00:37:19.440 impossible to 00:37:19.440 --> 00:37:19.719 play. 00:37:23.639 --> 00:37:24.339 That's the journey 00:37:24.339 --> 00:37:25.420 of discipleship that 00:37:25.420 --> 00:37:26.179 God has you and 00:37:26.179 --> 00:37:26.559 me on. 00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:28.739 He's got this big 00:37:28.739 --> 00:37:29.500 call and some of 00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:30.000 us say I don't 00:37:30.000 --> 00:37:30.480 know how to do 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:30.759 it and he's 00:37:30.759 --> 00:37:31.139 going to say I'm 00:37:31.139 --> 00:37:31.519 going to take you 00:37:31.519 --> 00:37:32.279 step by step. 00:37:34.400 --> 00:37:35.239 And when we do 00:37:35.239 --> 00:37:36.339 kind of dud notes 00:37:36.339 --> 00:37:37.119 on there he says 00:37:37.119 --> 00:37:37.940 just come back in 00:37:37.940 --> 00:37:39.019 repentance come back 00:37:39.019 --> 00:37:40.319 and trust me but 00:37:40.319 --> 00:37:41.299 he says my call to 00:37:41.299 --> 00:37:41.819 you is I want to 00:37:41.819 --> 00:37:42.559 make you a disciple 00:37:42.559 --> 00:37:42.920 maker. 00:37:43.599 --> 00:37:47.480 And I want to 00:37:47.480 --> 00:37:48.880 just kind of leave 00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:49.420 us with a couple 00:37:49.420 --> 00:37:49.880 of things. 00:37:51.259 --> 00:37:51.940 I want to leave 00:37:51.940 --> 00:37:52.360 us with a couple 00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:53.239 of steps to think 00:37:53.239 --> 00:37:54.980 about because I 00:37:54.980 --> 00:37:55.860 don't like giving 00:37:55.860 --> 00:37:56.739 just steps to do 00:37:56.739 --> 00:37:57.279 because the danger 00:37:57.279 --> 00:37:58.159 with steps is people 00:37:58.159 --> 00:37:59.139 think that loving 00:37:59.139 --> 00:38:00.079 Jesus is just about 00:38:00.079 --> 00:38:00.779 following a series 00:38:00.779 --> 00:38:01.460 of steps. 00:38:02.239 --> 00:38:02.819 No it's actually 00:38:02.819 --> 00:38:03.480 about coming into 00:38:03.480 --> 00:38:04.159 relationship with 00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:05.000 Jesus and learning 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:05.380 him. 00:38:05.639 --> 00:38:06.420 But here's a couple 00:38:06.420 --> 00:38:07.079 of things which I 00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:08.239 think can be helpful 00:38:08.239 --> 00:38:09.940 to help us to think 00:38:09.940 --> 00:38:10.759 what does it mean 00:38:10.759 --> 00:38:12.719 for me to be somebody 00:38:12.719 --> 00:38:13.799 as a disciple 00:38:13.799 --> 00:38:14.539 learning Jesus 00:38:14.539 --> 00:38:15.299 to now become 00:38:15.299 --> 00:38:16.379 someone who can 00:38:16.379 --> 00:38:17.319 make disciples of 00:38:17.319 --> 00:38:17.659 others. 00:38:18.199 --> 00:38:19.599 So here's a little 00:38:19.599 --> 00:38:20.699 diagram and I don't 00:38:20.699 --> 00:38:21.259 have time to go 00:38:21.259 --> 00:38:21.819 through all of this. 00:38:22.500 --> 00:38:23.219 So I'm just going to 00:38:23.219 --> 00:38:23.959 kind of give you a 00:38:23.959 --> 00:38:24.779 teaser and then we'll 00:38:24.779 --> 00:38:25.279 come and look at it 00:38:25.279 --> 00:38:25.559 again. 00:38:27.059 --> 00:38:28.419 The first stage if you 00:38:28.419 --> 00:38:28.919 want to make a 00:38:28.919 --> 00:38:30.139 disciple is you've 00:38:30.139 --> 00:38:30.879 got to engage with 00:38:30.879 --> 00:38:31.259 somebody. 00:38:31.260 --> 00:38:34.580 that means and here's 00:38:34.580 --> 00:38:36.020 tricky it means saying 00:38:36.020 --> 00:38:37.080 hi to somebody. 00:38:38.260 --> 00:38:39.120 Okay did you get 00:38:39.120 --> 00:38:39.420 that? 00:38:40.280 --> 00:38:41.220 Saying hi it means 00:38:41.220 --> 00:38:42.220 going up to somebody 00:38:42.220 --> 00:38:43.300 on a Sunday going up 00:38:43.300 --> 00:38:43.960 to somebody in your 00:38:43.960 --> 00:38:44.920 office going up to 00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:46.360 somebody on the bus 00:38:46.360 --> 00:38:47.320 wherever you are just 00:38:47.320 --> 00:38:48.320 praying say God who do 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:48.920 you want me to say hi 00:38:48.920 --> 00:38:50.300 to and then going up to 00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:51.580 somebody and just 00:38:51.580 --> 00:38:52.620 engaging with them. 00:38:53.300 --> 00:38:54.580 For some of us that is 00:38:54.580 --> 00:38:55.740 actually scary. 00:38:55.739 --> 00:38:59.839 because we only stick 00:38:59.839 --> 00:39:00.519 with the people we're 00:39:00.519 --> 00:39:01.359 comfortable with. 00:39:03.339 --> 00:39:05.079 I'm an introvert or 00:39:05.079 --> 00:39:06.099 whatever it is. 00:39:07.779 --> 00:39:09.219 But sometimes if God 00:39:09.219 --> 00:39:11.239 as you know always 00:39:11.239 --> 00:39:15.739 God tells you follow 00:39:15.739 --> 00:39:17.979 me maybe you need to 00:39:17.979 --> 00:39:19.299 die to your comfort and 00:39:19.299 --> 00:39:19.859 move out of your 00:39:19.859 --> 00:39:21.299 comfort zone and say 00:39:21.299 --> 00:39:22.259 hi to somebody. 00:39:23.819 --> 00:39:24.899 It's not complicated. 00:39:25.739 --> 00:39:26.500 But maybe some of us 00:39:26.500 --> 00:39:27.579 we're fine at doing 00:39:27.579 --> 00:39:27.799 that. 00:39:27.959 --> 00:39:28.619 No problem. 00:39:28.979 --> 00:39:30.079 We've got relationships 00:39:30.079 --> 00:39:30.879 with people with 00:39:30.879 --> 00:39:31.679 Christians and non 00:39:31.679 --> 00:39:32.059 Christians. 00:39:32.299 --> 00:39:32.879 We're in that. 00:39:33.159 --> 00:39:33.899 Then we've actually got 00:39:33.899 --> 00:39:34.819 to understand how do we 00:39:34.819 --> 00:39:36.119 invite people into that 00:39:36.119 --> 00:39:36.979 next stage in the 00:39:36.979 --> 00:39:37.439 relationship. 00:39:40.819 --> 00:39:41.539 Because some of them 00:39:41.539 --> 00:39:42.379 we've never invited 00:39:42.379 --> 00:39:42.819 people. 00:39:43.179 --> 00:39:44.019 I remember once having 00:39:44.019 --> 00:39:46.039 dinner in the UK and a 00:39:46.039 --> 00:39:46.959 Jehovah's Witness came 00:39:46.959 --> 00:39:47.419 to our door. 00:39:48.539 --> 00:39:50.059 And I had a friend over 00:39:50.059 --> 00:39:51.779 for dinner and I was 00:39:51.779 --> 00:39:53.459 like hey he actually got 00:39:53.459 --> 00:39:54.299 up to go to the door. 00:39:54.379 --> 00:39:55.199 I said hey tell him we're 00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:55.719 not interested. 00:39:55.739 --> 00:39:56.339 We're going to come 00:39:56.339 --> 00:39:56.619 back. 00:39:57.059 --> 00:39:57.639 I said he's not even 00:39:57.639 --> 00:39:58.179 to come back. 00:39:58.539 --> 00:39:58.679 Okay. 00:39:59.699 --> 00:40:00.879 And he then went to the 00:40:00.879 --> 00:40:01.659 door opened it up and 00:40:01.659 --> 00:40:02.559 said hey come in. 00:40:04.799 --> 00:40:05.679 And he said come down 00:40:05.679 --> 00:40:06.859 have some dinner with 00:40:06.859 --> 00:40:07.219 us. 00:40:08.639 --> 00:40:11.179 And we started sharing 00:40:11.179 --> 00:40:12.019 and just saying hey we're 00:40:12.019 --> 00:40:13.239 Christians and this and 00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:14.019 I was like yeah we're 00:40:14.019 --> 00:40:14.359 Christians. 00:40:14.739 --> 00:40:15.879 And he was kind of 00:40:15.879 --> 00:40:16.719 sharing a little bit and 00:40:16.719 --> 00:40:17.679 just getting them to share 00:40:17.679 --> 00:40:18.399 a little bit about their 00:40:18.399 --> 00:40:18.839 lives. 00:40:19.239 --> 00:40:20.500 And after a while he 00:40:20.500 --> 00:40:22.319 said hey yeah come back 00:40:22.320 --> 00:40:22.700 again. 00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:24.260 Here's my house. 00:40:27.260 --> 00:40:29.019 And he and he and 00:40:29.019 --> 00:40:30.000 after that he said to 00:40:30.000 --> 00:40:33.340 me you know do you know 00:40:33.340 --> 00:40:34.080 why I did that? 00:40:34.340 --> 00:40:35.140 He said you know as 00:40:35.140 --> 00:40:36.740 Christians we often just 00:40:36.740 --> 00:40:38.039 try and blank out people 00:40:38.039 --> 00:40:38.620 in our lives. 00:40:38.700 --> 00:40:39.460 The kind of guys we don't 00:40:39.460 --> 00:40:40.480 want to we don't want to 00:40:40.480 --> 00:40:41.260 see in our lives. 00:40:41.260 --> 00:40:44.280 And we don't see that 00:40:44.280 --> 00:40:44.820 actually the most 00:40:44.820 --> 00:40:45.820 effective way to reach 00:40:45.820 --> 00:40:46.880 people is to love them. 00:40:47.880 --> 00:40:48.720 And sometimes you have 00:40:48.720 --> 00:40:50.660 to just invite people in 00:40:50.660 --> 00:40:52.480 to your world. 00:40:53.180 --> 00:40:54.240 To go for coffee. 00:40:54.380 --> 00:40:55.160 To come for a meal. 00:40:55.280 --> 00:40:55.980 To go hiking. 00:40:56.240 --> 00:40:56.920 To do something. 00:40:57.000 --> 00:40:57.940 To come to church. 00:40:58.120 --> 00:40:59.020 To go to your CG. 00:40:59.200 --> 00:41:00.600 You invite them in. 00:41:01.420 --> 00:41:03.180 So they can see your life. 00:41:04.660 --> 00:41:07.320 And in that context you 00:41:07.320 --> 00:41:09.460 can then ask about them. 00:41:09.460 --> 00:41:10.519 You can ask about what 00:41:10.519 --> 00:41:11.659 they think about faith. 00:41:12.659 --> 00:41:14.519 You can share what you 00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:15.699 think about faith. 00:41:16.480 --> 00:41:17.720 But in a context where 00:41:17.720 --> 00:41:20.000 you're not just giving 00:41:20.000 --> 00:41:21.760 them kind of here's your 00:41:21.760 --> 00:41:22.940 four spiritual laws and 00:41:22.940 --> 00:41:23.679 then running away. 00:41:23.800 --> 00:41:25.280 But they're seeing like a 00:41:25.280 --> 00:41:26.679 disciple sees Jesus. 00:41:27.360 --> 00:41:28.260 They're seeing a life 00:41:28.260 --> 00:41:28.900 lived out. 00:41:30.380 --> 00:41:32.059 And you're asking them 00:41:32.059 --> 00:41:32.460 questions. 00:41:33.720 --> 00:41:34.599 Getting curious about 00:41:34.599 --> 00:41:35.039 people. 00:41:35.039 --> 00:41:38.119 If some of you struggle 00:41:38.119 --> 00:41:39.199 with inviting people 00:41:39.199 --> 00:41:40.059 maybe God is going to 00:41:40.059 --> 00:41:40.639 say to you. 00:41:41.059 --> 00:41:42.000 Come and die. 00:41:42.900 --> 00:41:43.380 Get out of your 00:41:43.380 --> 00:41:44.079 comfort zone. 00:41:44.500 --> 00:41:46.019 Who's that person in 00:41:46.019 --> 00:41:46.519 your office? 00:41:46.860 --> 00:41:48.380 Who's that person in the 00:41:48.380 --> 00:41:48.699 church? 00:41:48.820 --> 00:41:50.059 Who's that person that you 00:41:50.059 --> 00:41:51.239 need to reach out to? 00:41:51.500 --> 00:41:52.659 That you know is there. 00:41:53.019 --> 00:41:54.059 But you've never taken 00:41:54.059 --> 00:41:54.840 the next step. 00:41:57.119 --> 00:41:58.039 There's plenty more I 00:41:58.039 --> 00:41:58.440 could say. 00:41:58.579 --> 00:41:59.880 But I won't go on for 00:41:59.880 --> 00:42:00.360 the rest. 00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:03.420 First, Jesus calls us to 00:42:03.420 --> 00:42:04.660 costly discipleship. 00:42:06.840 --> 00:42:10.000 It's a call of grace to 00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:11.039 become like him. 00:42:11.880 --> 00:42:14.420 It's a costly grace. 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:16.340 But it's one that he 00:42:16.340 --> 00:42:19.620 fuels with his power so 00:42:19.620 --> 00:42:21.160 that as we go out we can 00:42:21.160 --> 00:42:22.500 go and make disciples of 00:42:22.500 --> 00:42:24.380 others and he gets the 00:42:24.380 --> 00:42:24.780 glory. 00:42:25.500 --> 00:42:26.240 Let's pray. 00:42:26.240 --> 00:42:26.300 Let's pray. 00:42:30.360 --> 00:42:31.840 I want you to stop and 00:42:31.840 --> 00:42:32.160 think. 00:42:34.320 --> 00:42:35.760 Where is God calling me 00:42:35.760 --> 00:42:36.539 to come and die? 00:42:40.099 --> 00:42:42.300 Maybe you're at a point 00:42:42.300 --> 00:42:43.120 you realize that the 00:42:43.120 --> 00:42:46.360 whole of your life is 00:42:46.360 --> 00:42:47.519 actually just wrapped up 00:42:47.519 --> 00:42:48.260 with a whole lot of 00:42:48.260 --> 00:42:48.980 things which are about 00:42:48.980 --> 00:42:49.260 you. 00:42:52.079 --> 00:42:53.200 Jesus is calling you 00:42:53.200 --> 00:42:53.700 right now. 00:42:55.059 --> 00:42:56.780 Will you hear his 00:42:56.780 --> 00:42:57.140 call? 00:42:57.139 --> 00:43:03.119 Some of you, you do 00:43:03.119 --> 00:43:04.019 the right things, you 00:43:04.019 --> 00:43:04.739 follow the right things 00:43:04.739 --> 00:43:05.400 but you've never even 00:43:05.400 --> 00:43:06.699 thought about being the 00:43:06.699 --> 00:43:07.639 people around you. 00:43:11.079 --> 00:43:12.400 Jesus says, okay, who's 00:43:12.400 --> 00:43:14.099 that one person that this 00:43:14.099 --> 00:43:16.279 week you need to take a 00:43:16.279 --> 00:43:16.699 step? 00:43:17.579 --> 00:43:18.480 You need to say hi to 00:43:18.480 --> 00:43:18.659 them. 00:43:19.119 --> 00:43:20.940 You need to invite them to 00:43:20.940 --> 00:43:21.179 something. 00:43:21.299 --> 00:43:22.420 You need to pray and say, 00:43:22.480 --> 00:43:23.799 God, help me to engage 00:43:23.799 --> 00:43:24.259 with them. 00:43:26.039 --> 00:43:27.119 Take a step out of the 00:43:27.119 --> 00:43:27.380 boat. 00:43:28.920 --> 00:43:30.019 Maybe you need to ask 00:43:30.019 --> 00:43:31.099 them, what do you 00:43:31.099 --> 00:43:31.880 actually think about 00:43:31.880 --> 00:43:32.359 Christianity? 00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:33.539 You've been in a 00:43:33.539 --> 00:43:34.539 relationship for so long 00:43:34.539 --> 00:43:35.119 with them but you've 00:43:35.119 --> 00:43:35.839 never asked. 00:43:36.859 --> 00:43:38.079 Maybe that's your step. 00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:40.380 Maybe you've never 00:43:40.380 --> 00:43:41.980 shared what you do on a 00:43:41.980 --> 00:43:42.279 Sunday. 00:43:43.719 --> 00:43:44.980 Maybe that's your step. 00:43:45.920 --> 00:43:47.319 Every disciple is, God's 00:43:47.319 --> 00:43:48.219 going to call in different 00:43:48.219 --> 00:43:50.500 ways but he's calling you 00:43:50.500 --> 00:43:50.859 now. 00:43:52.339 --> 00:43:53.579 Just respond to him. 00:43:57.119 --> 00:44:05.619 And again, maybe just 00:44:05.619 --> 00:44:06.719 open up your hands as a 00:44:06.719 --> 00:44:08.359 sign of surrender to him. 00:44:15.920 --> 00:44:19.599 Jesus, fill us. 00:44:21.139 --> 00:44:22.259 Show us yourself. 00:44:22.260 --> 00:44:25.460 Let us want to be like you. 00:44:26.200 --> 00:44:27.660 More than that, let us want 00:44:27.660 --> 00:44:28.100 you. 00:44:29.640 --> 00:44:31.840 Make us those who see the 00:44:31.840 --> 00:44:34.380 whole, the beautiful calling 00:44:34.380 --> 00:44:36.640 to be your disciple. 00:44:37.740 --> 00:44:39.600 To see how precious you are 00:44:39.600 --> 00:44:41.940 and to follow you today. 00:44:43.400 --> 00:44:44.580 In Jesus' name. 00:44:45.580 --> 00:44:46.080 Amen. 00:44:46.080 --> 00:44:46.240 Amen.