Learning lessons from Jesus; Discipleship Qualities
Matthew 5:1-12
Disclaimer- Some things mentioned were gleaned from Sermon Central sermons.
Introduction:
I want to talk to you this morning about discipleship qualities. Jesus is our role model of how to teach. Jesus is our example of how to live a disciplined life. Jesus is our image that is to be mirrored for Holy living. This is pleasing to God.
Illustration-
The story is told of the young man who came to Socrates and told him that he wanted knowledge. “Follow me” the philosopher told the student and led him to the edge of the ocean and into the water, without warning Socrates grabbed the young man and plunged him beneath the water and held him there until the struggling stopped. He dragged the boy to the shore, left him gasping on the sand and returned to the market place. When the boy recovered he sought out the teacher again and asked why he tried to drown him. Socrates, replied, “When you were under the water what did you want more than anything? The reply of course was “air”. And Socrates answered, when you crave knowledge like you craved air, then you won’t need me or anyone else to guide you.”
In western culture , we view salvation as a good thing, but not necessary thing. We view serving God as anything that you do that is better than most as a plus and you should and will be rewarded for it.
Illustration-
There he stood, in the midst of the Golden Corral restaurant, with thousand Island dressing dripping from his hair, over his glasses, down his face, all over his jacket, pants, and shoes. And I’m not talking about a little bit of Thousand Island dressing, I’m talking about two gallons. What had happened was that a waitress carrying 2-gallon container of Thousand island dressing for the salad bar had paused for just a second while coming through the swinging doors of th kitchen, and the doors had caught her and knocked her forward, launching 2 gallons of dressing all over this guy. Well, he went ballistic, he started shouting and cursing at her. “Your so stupid” I can’t believe you could do such a stupid, stupid, thing. This is a brand new suit and it cost me 300. His wife chimed in, yeah, youv’e ruined my husbands suit. It is the first time that he has had a chance to wear it. I want to see the manager. Throughly shaken, she went to get the manager, and the manager came out. Now picture this, here’s a guy with 2 gallons of dressing dripping from him, and the manger asks..”Is there a problem? Is there a problem? She ruined my 300 suit, and I demand a check for 300 right now. We’ll be glad to get the suit cleaned. Accidents do happen, and we are really sorry. No I don’t want my suit cleaned, I want a brand new suit, and I demand payment now. To avoid a bigger scene, the manger goes to his office and gets a check for him. Think about this, that is the image of church people that the world sees. Sunday morning dressed up with their fancy clothes, going of to their secret society they call the church. They live different Monday-Saturday than on Sunday. Family can tell stories that would not help their testimony if they were shared.
Now besides breaking down each “Blessed is He” this moring, which we will do at some time because it gives us insight of how Jesus expects us to live. I want to look at Jesus teaching techniques to his disciples. Then what they did with them.
This morning our church board, who were elected by you, stood before you and God and pledged to commit their time and effort to this body of believers and pledged to be the best leaders they can be with God’s help. Emphasis on “With God’s help”
This portion of scripture is called the “Sermon on the mount”. The Beattitudes. It is called by some as “The keys to happiness and joy”. All the Beattitudes begin with Blessed, which means happy, or joyful. Happy is he/she. Joyful is he/she...and then states his teachings.
The Beatttitudes can be broken into two catagories.
1st 4- preparation of our character toward God.
2nd 4- presentation of our character toward others.
I believe that Jesus teaches on the maturity level. I don’t think Jesus expects a new Christian to know everything after the first day of salvation. But I also don’t think he accepts that a longtime Christian lives his/her life like a new believer either.
Let get this party started:
5:1-
“Now when he saw the crowds he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to Him, and He began to teach them.
Don’t you think at first reading , that is odd.? He just feed the crowd, Jesus has just healed some sick. The action was with the people.
No matter how much of the super-Christian you think that you are, you will be limited if you do not have the power of God active and working in your life. Your relationship must be fresh, revived, energized everyday. If Jesus had to do it, how much more do you have to do it? Jesus went to the mountainside, commentaries say, because the sound would travel there and Jesus could be heard by His disciples. Jesus knew that his disciples would follow him there and , that He would get some alone time. Listen if the parade starts and you jump out front to lead and you look behind you and no one is following - you are not the leader
I think what has happened in the last decade, and especially lately concerning leadership is horrible. AIG, the big banks, car manufacturers, all being rewarded for failure. Any good leadership speaker, John Maxwell, Zig Ziglar, Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, will tell you that failing at something does not make you a failure. Most will tell you that not getting up when you fall, giving up makes you the failure.
Today we hear comments- “I don’t care what the president does in his private life, as long as he get us jobs.” - Rewarding poor greedy, selfish business transactions because we allowed them to get so big we cannot afford to have them fall.
1st 4 Beattitudes- preparation of our character towards God. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Poor in spirit, that’s right, keep the church poor, keep the preacher humble, keep their people quiet. Jesus refers to being poor in spirit, not poor in the pocket book. It means poor in the sight of God. It means those people are spiritually bankrupt. Right now leading the parade in most every area of our lives are spiritually bankrupt leaders leading spiritually bankrupt people. Jesus pulled his disciples aside , gave them some alone time and began to teach them qualities that is pleasing to God.
Jesus saw the multitudes, he went up on the mountainside (His platform if you will) and sat down. (Information was given standing up, oracles, or profound teachings was done sitting down. They knew when he sat down that they were in for profound teaching- on ha- moment Learning from the Master. I want you to hear me this morning, if we will sit at the foeet of Jesus, we will learn everything we need to know about rightful behavior and how to be the disciples that Jesus is looking for each of us to be.
Here we go
I. Having Jesus’s attitude toward others
humble in spirit, having compassion for those that God brings in your path, and thirsting for the things of God and create an appetite for those that see your life.
The world is full of broken promises
full of people who only think of themselves.
Full of half-hearted Christians, not really thirsting for God.
Jesus needs peacemakers who love people, not just people who hate conflict. (Say again) there is a difference.
There is a difference between people who love you, tell you the truth and desire to be a peacemaker. Than someone who will allow anything to avoid conflict. Jesus was not afraid of conflict. But his desire was always the eternal state of God’s people. The world is driven by sinful desires, pleasures, for here and now. Leaders, believers, which include all of us to some point have to wet the appetite of the world with the things of God. Jesus in picking his disciples, meet them at there everyday living and told them to “Follow me”. I am not saying that all become ministers. I am saying that God’s priorities come first- follow me
God has to change you inside before you can be a tool that God uses to change someone else.
II. Living out what you know to be right
Friday afternoon, Rev Cohen and I were eating at the Capital Diner, he began to talk to the manager of the Restaurant, Becky and I go in there, the manager is nice, quiet, and keeps to himself. Rev. Cohen tells him he was with Chosen people Ministries, thinking that Sammy the manager is Greek, he asks him if he is Greek orthodox. He says just Orthodox. Rev. Cohen says I am Jewish and that my rabbi says that I should never read the Old Testament, and not follow any teaches of Jesus. This is pastor Tony from the Nazarene Church in Middletown, He tells me that I must put my faith in Jesus Christ and follow all of his teachings. What do you think about that? We thought that Sammy would dodge the question, move unto the next person paying his bill, he looks at me and says to Rev. Cohen, he is right You cannot get to heaven without Jesus Christ. I am sorry that you feel that way. Jesus Christ is my Savior I was so excited that I shook his hand and was glad that he was a believer. We ended the conversation that he asked us to pray for him. My name is Sammy.
I learned not to judge a book by it’s cover.
Never miss an opportunity.
Live out your faith.
More than ever before, we need to be solid Christians. Not wavering, not tossed to and fro. Being the salt and the light to a dying world.
This has to be reflected in every area of our lives. Too often people compartmentalize their lives. This is the church, this is my work place, this is my family. To be Christians that are solid, we must live the same in all areas of our lives. Living out your faith is 24/7 with Jesus as your model of conduct and model of evangelism. The Beattitudes here is a all or nothing. We don’t get to choose which ones we like and which we don’t. He ‘s not saying live like this to be saved, he saying , because you are saved live this way. Conduct flows out of character. The character we model is Jesus Christ. Character is what you are when no one is looking. The problem with most Christians, they put this lifestyle off and say “later” in the future. The problem with the future is that it keeps turning to the present.
The disciples attitude must be our attitude. We must live out our faith.
III. Multiplication principal
Jesus saw the multitudes, but He is the master of multiplication. No where does the scriptures say learn everything you can, fill your head with knowledge, and I’ll grade you on what you know. No one following you - you are not a leader. A lot of people have one man parades, because they think what they know makes them a leader.
Since Friday, people have come up to me and said they applied what they learned on Friday night. One that the opportunity to actually speak to a Jewish lady about church and Christ.
That is multiplication We don’t save- God does. Were not the Holy Spirit, we are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. People that have Jesus Discipleship Qualities look for opportunities to grow the kingdom. The multiplication process Jesus uses is not for just pastors, it is for anyone that professes Jesus Christ. It is break out churches, radical believers who have decided that what they have experienced is to good to keep to your self. If you really care for people, you do not want them to be lost for eternity.
Altar Call-
