Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24459 - 7 Things to Help You Follow Jesus Better - Acts 12:25

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#24459 - 7 Things to Help You Follow Jesus Better - Acts 12:25 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the Study of God's Word with pastor and author Ed
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Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora, Co To learn
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more about the many resources available through Abounding
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Grace Media or to tune into our live stream services, visit us
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online at Calvary, Co dot Church or download our free Calvary
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Church app. Now here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Amen.
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Take your Bibles, open them to Acts chapter 12, and if you want
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to get ahead you can go to Matthew chapter 10 as well.
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But Acts chapter 12 verse 25 is what we're looking at today, and
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the title of my Bible study is 7 Things to Help You Follow Jesus
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Better, Seven Things to Help You Follow Jesus Better.
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Or we could also title this Seven Ways to help you become a
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Better Disciple. That's the topic of our Bible
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study discipleship and we're looking at this man by the name
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of Barnabas. He was an example of a good
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disciple. He is an example of someone got
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used in the early church. What was it about him that made
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him so strong and successful as a disciple?
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Will notice with me Acts chapter 12.
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Notice verse 25, as we end out the chapter last time it says
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and. Barnabas and Saul returned from
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Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry and
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they also took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
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If you haven't already, circle the word Barnabas here and
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remember his name means son of encouragement.
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He was a great encouragement to the early church here.
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For us sitting here today, we're 22,000 years into the life of
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the church. Understand though, with
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Barnabas, we're in the first few years of the church and the
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first few years, whether you're in the first few years or you
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are 2000 years later, we need the church to be filled with
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encouragers. The first time we meet Barnabas
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is when, remember, he sold a piece of land.
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He saw that there were great needs in the early church
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financially. He looked at his own resources
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and said, you know what, I'm going to sell it all and I'm
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going to give it to the church. And that's what he chose to do.
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He gave everything, so much so that he inspired other people to
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follow, and that was that. Ananias and Sapphira, they sold
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a piece of property too, but they lied about it and suffered
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a great consequence because they wanted everybody to believe they
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were like Barnabas, but in their hearts they really weren't.
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Then we meet Barnabas. He had the courage to take Saul
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of Tarsus and introduce him to the church.
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Like, like he said you can trust, like I'm going to
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encourage Saul, I'm going to help him.
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And listen, leaders, you can trust him.
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I know him. And now here in verse 25, it's
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because of Barnabas that John Mark comes on the scene because
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Barnabas was one of those guys that was looking for others to
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help grow. He was looking for others to
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bring along, and it rubbed off on Paul because later on we'll
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read Paul developed relationships with men like
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Timothy and Titus and so many more that he mentions in the
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last chapter of the book of Romans, where he learned that it
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was important in his relationship and his walk with
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the Lord to pour into people, to help them grow, to answer their
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questions. To correct, to convince, to
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encourage and to exhort. And this is really where
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spiritual growth it grows, you know, exponentially in our lives
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when we have people come alongside of us to help us, and
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we also come alongside others to help them.
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And I want to encourage you today as disciples of Jesus.
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Not merely A follower, not merely a believer.
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Not merely a church attender, but God's will for your life as
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you realize and understand that you are a disciple of Jesus.
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I want to encourage you to be comforted and encouraged and
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edified and excited today about what God's doing in your life.
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Discipleship flows through relationship.
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Discipleship's not transactional.
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Where you hear something and then you just kind of do it.
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Because I have to do it. It's relational.
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It's relational in the sense that you are now having and
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following and enjoying a love relationship with God through
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his Son, Jesus Christ. There is a process that God is
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accomplishing in your life, and the way that he does it is
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through your life. God's doing something.
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You really unique in you. You're important to the body of
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Christ. You're important in your own
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spiritual growth, but you're also important in someone else's
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spiritual growth. In the defining documents of our
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church, we have a vision statement.
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There are documents and in our that are available to define who
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we are because there's so many churches in town and and good
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churches and wonderful churches. But when we first moved here, we
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kept hearing why do we need another church?
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Why do we need another church? Which I thought was a great
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question to ask. I mean the the initial answer is
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God call me here. He called me here and said teach
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a Bible study in that city. And so I came obediently.
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But then to really think God, what is it you want to do
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through this church uniquely. And so we've developed these
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documents, we have them online, you can read them, you can pray
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over them. But our vision statements, very
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simple. It's very simple.
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It's 3 words when disciple and send.
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So right in the middle of our defining document, our defining
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statement is the word disciple. I wanted to find that for you
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today. It's important that you realize
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what a disciple is and what it means for us in the life of our
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church. How Barnabas reminds us of the
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value and importance of discipleship.
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Turn over to Matthew chapter 10. Now Matthew, Chapter 10.
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As we'll be looking at various verses today, let's let's gain a
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definition of this word. You may have used it, you may
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have heard it. And because it's a Bible word,
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we just kind of overlook it and some even ignore it.
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You know, it's not the Bible word.
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That's a technical Bible word. And I don't even really want to
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know about it, but I wanted to find it for you so that.
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You understand what it means, so once you understand what it
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means, you can apply it in your own life.
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Jesus here uses the word himself.
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Notice I'll draw your attention there to verse 24.
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Matthew Chapter 10, verse 24. Jesus says a disciple is not
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above his teacher nor a servant above his master.
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It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher and a
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servant like his master. You can circle that word
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disciple there and you could write next to it Learner.
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That's the essence of this word, to learn or to understand.
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That's what a disciple is. You see a relationship between
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teacher and disciple, and in your relationship with Jesus
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Christ, you are in a position to learn and to grow.
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Jesus is your teachers. We'll see in some of the points
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in just a moment. A disciple is a learner.
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You're more than just a believer.
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You're more than just a Christian.
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You're more than just a churchgoer.
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You are a disciple of Christ. The idea behind this word has
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the. The thought of discipline.
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A disciple is one who is disciplined in their faith, and
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it's actually more than just being a pupil, it's more of just
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being a student in a desk. This word, disciple in the
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original language, means and refers to someone who accepts
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the instruction given to him and makes it his rule of conduct.
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Let me say that again. It refers to someone who accepts
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the instruction given to her and makes it her rule of conduct.
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This is measured through a changed life.
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That's how you see the measure, the measurement and the
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effective discipleship is that you literally have a changed
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life because of what God has done and is doing in you and
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through you. And I know a lot of you don't
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like the word discipline. Because it implies, you know, it
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sounds like work and sweat and agony.
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I mean, it's the same reason why you don't work out, You know, it
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requires discipline. It's going to require a lot of
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effort. You know the the the gyms, they
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they take advantage of this because they they bombard you
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with all kinds of of ads at the beginning of the year and you
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go, OK, I'm going to do it. This is going to be the new year
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and you sign up for a membership, you show up on
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January 1st and by January 3rd it's over.
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But there's no refunds. So they keep all your money and
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you're just like, you know, I don't just don't think I have it
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in me. And I just don't want to put in
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the effort. I don't want to put in the work.
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And you know, when you choose not to put in the effort and you
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choose not to put in the work, you're the one that's going to
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suffer. And it's true in the gymnasium.
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It's true in the church, if you think.
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That you can just come up, stroll in here off and on, and
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just like I'm going to be here, I'm going to endure it and I'll
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just go because I got to go. That that's going to change your
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life. It's not any more than showing
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up at the gym for two days is going to change your life.
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It's not. A disciple is someone who's
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committed to following Jesus Christ because they have seen
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the death and resurrection of Jesus and all that He's done for
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us. And he changes our lives.
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It requires discipline. And it's sad to me as a fellow
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believer and as a pastor, to see many in the body of Christ today
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downgrade their relationship with Jesus to just another thing
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on a long list of things to do. Like you wake up on Sunday,
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Okay, I got to get up, got to go get some breakfast, got to get
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dressed, got to brush my teeth, got to go to church, got to go
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to Chipotle, got to go to Costco, got to go to sleep.
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As if they're all the same. Your relationship with Jesus is
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so much greater than all those activities.
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I mean really, if you look at it, it's the only thing that
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matters on Sunday morning and it's the only thing that matters
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on Monday morning. Jesus said just in case you
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forget, he said, He said seek first the Kingdom of God and his
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righteous and all these things will be added unto you.
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And while your day and my day might be filled with all sorts
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of activities, your relationship with Jesus is the most
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important. It's not a something on a list
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of other things to do. And if that's how you approach
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it, then of course your life is going to reflect that.
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You're going to continue to wrestle.
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You're going to continue to struggle.
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It. It's important that you grasp
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this responsibility of being a disciple.
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It's something you embrace. It's something that you teach to
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others. And here is the fundamental
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truth that we must be reminded of that will help us become
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better disciples. Would you turn over to 1st
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Corinthians now, chapter 6? First Corinthians chapter 6.
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This principle gets forgotten so often, and it's simply this.
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As a believer in Jesus Christ, you no longer have authority in
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your own life. You belong to him.
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You don't belong to yourself anymore.
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You don't call the shots. You don't live your own life
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anymore. You now live for the one who
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bought you. Who bought you with the blood of
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his hit? The press.
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His own precious blood. The blood that was shed on the
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cross. You don't own yourself anymore.
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You know, for people like me that got saved later on in their
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20s, this this has significance. Because if I ever forget this,
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God will remind me. Hey, Ed, you know what?
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You already had that time living on your own authority.
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Remember that? Yes, God.
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And you remember how How did it work out for you?
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Not good. It didn't work out good at all.
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It led me to the cross. Where I was reminded once again
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that my life apart from God was nothing.
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It didn't matter how much money I made.
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It didn't matter what title I have.
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It didn't matter how much I accomplished in this world apart
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from Jesus. It's nothing.
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It's nothing. It's temporary.
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It's not eternal. So it's God.
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I remember. I remember where I was.
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I remember when my marriage was broken.
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I remember all the people that I heard.
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I remember. I remember being in out of jail.
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Yes. Yes, Lord, I remember you own
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me. I gave you my life.
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I surrender to you, and here's the principle.
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You ready? First Corinthians, chapter 6,
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verse 19. He says.
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Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy
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Spirit, who is in you, whom you have from God and you are not
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your own? If you turn there with me, you
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should mark that you are not your own or you were bought at a
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price. Therefore, glorify God in your
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body and in your spirit. Which are God.
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So a disciple, Jesus said, is deeply connected with his
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teacher. Walking closely with his master,
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he becomes like him in his thinking and in his behavior.
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A disciple would learn from their teacher and even sometimes
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live with their teacher working alongside their teacher so they
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can have a holistic approach of the learning process.
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We don't have that privilege today.
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But we can have deep relationships with other
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believers that will help us along the way.
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The Bible calls us disciples, followers, learners of Jesus.
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And as disciples, we have a lot to learn.
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So today I want to give you 7 things that will help you follow
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Jesus better. Seven things that will help you
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become a better disciple. And I did put them in a in a
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specific order. So let's start with #1.
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And some of these you can turn to and some all read to you.
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So if you want, you can turn over to Luke Chapter 6, and
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we're going to start with #1 Luke Chapter 6, starting there
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in verse 39. And I'll read the scripture to
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you and then I'll give you the principle.
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Luke, chapter 6, verse 39. How do you want?
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How will you become a better disciple?
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Well, listen, Jesus says this and so answer these.
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It starts out with a couple questions.
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So go ahead and just answer out loud as I'm reading the
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question. So when I get to the end of the
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question, just shout out loud what you think the answer is.
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You ready? It says.
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And he spoke a parable to them. Can the blind lead the blind?
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Actually, the blind can lead the blind.
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Yeah, it's possible. It's not an automatic no.
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You saying you can read the Bible and just get used to
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stuff? Of course the blind can lead the
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blind if they want to, of course.
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But Jesus says here's the next question.
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Will they not both fall into the ditch?
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Of course they will. So here's the thing Jesus is
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really saying, can the blind effectively lead the blind?
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And the answer, of course, is no, because they're going to
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fall into a ditch. No problem.
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The key is notice he goes on to say in verse 40, a disciple is
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not above his teacher disciples not above his teacher, but
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everyone who's perfectly trained will be like his teacher.
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Here's principal #1 in discipleship.
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Jesus is your teacher. Singularly.
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In the spiritual growth process and at the discipleship process,
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your teacher is Jesus. I am not your primary teacher.
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I am not the one you primarily follow, or any other man or any
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other woman. We are disciples of Jesus
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Christ. He's our teacher.
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He's our leader. He's our pastor.
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He's our friend. And you need to learn to follow
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him, Follow him alone. And I know there's this intense
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pressure today. It's happens in the church, but
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it also is happening in the world where you've got to find a
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mentor and you got to find a trainer, and you've got to find
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even a disciple. And if you don't have one today,
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you kind of feel like you're a little bummed down and you're a
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little bit less than what you can become.
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But friend, I want you to know something.
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In Jesus Christ, you have the mentor, the teacher, the leader
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that you've always been looking for.
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You don't need to worry about someone else.
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You have him, you have the Bible and the Holy Spirit living in
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you. And Jesus is ready to teach you
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if you're ready to learn. Now, am I saying that people
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aren't used in the disciple? No, I'm not saying that at all.
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It is good to have people in our lives.
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It is good to be a person in our lives.
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But there is this pressure like, well, I just need a mentor.
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And it puts you in a very vulnerable place.
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You be my teacher. You be my teacher.
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You be my teacher. No, you have a teacher.
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Let him teach you. Let him grow you.
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Of course God uses human beings. Of course he uses mentors and
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trainers. Yes, yes, yes.
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However this UN. Balanced view that that's what
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you need. What you need is to remember
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you're a disciple and Jesus is ready to teach you.
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Today. Like the role of pastor,
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teacher. I'm exercising that today.
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The Bible tells us that pastors and teachers are given to the
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church as a gift. So when you're mad at me and
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you're upset with me, just remember I'm God's gift to you.
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Just remember that. That's the way it works.
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Of course we have pastors. I mean, I think of my own
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pastor, Jeff. Before I even cared about
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church, before I even knew there was a church on the corner,
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before I even cared about God, He already had planned to give
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me the gift of my pastor. And my pastor Jeff is still a
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gift to me today. I listen to him almost every day
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teach the gift that he gives me as he teaches me the Bible.
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And if you listen to Jeff and you listen to me, you may say,
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man, they sound, they sound similar in some ways.
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And the reason being is he's the brother that taught me.
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So I am going to sound like him. I spent, I've spent 30 years of
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my life being taught the Bible from this brother as he is the
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God's gift to me as well as other pastors.
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But he is my pastor and he is God's gift.
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So yes, God uses men and women in our lives.
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But here is the important another important piece that I
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don't want you to overlook when it comes to Jesus being your
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teacher. As you choose teachers, you must
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choose teachers carefully and prayerfully because you will
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become like your teacher. Didn't we?
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Did we not see this in the last couple years where culture and
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everything is happening politically?
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Economically, it just upset the church?
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And when many in the church didn't like what was even here
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in this Pope, but didn't like what I was saying, they went off
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and found teachers that agreed with them.
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And they agreed with the teachers and they didn't want to
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hear people that disagree with them.
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So they found someone in the GS. The Bible warns against this for
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us. The Bible warns us, says there
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come a day when they will not endure sound doctrine.
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And some of you've always applied that to unbelievers.
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It's not a statement to unbelievers.
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It's a unbelievers don't care about sound, sound doctrine.
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But followers of Christ do care. And God is warning you, Church.
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He's warning you that there will come days when you don't want to
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hear something, you don't want to endure it, you don't want to
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receive it. And what is the warning?
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That when you don't endure it, you will heap up for yourselves
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teachers that will scratch that itch and you'll go after them
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because you don't like to hear something that is contrary, like
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the the here's the process of discipleship.
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The Bible says what it says, and it's always right.
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Not the interpretations, you know.
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We get that wrong it from time to time, for sure.
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We're not perfect, but the Bible's perfect.
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It is perfect in every way. And if you will just read it and
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let it allow it to speak to you, you can yield to the Bible.
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The Bible doesn't yield to you, friend.
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You know that. And if you go off looking for a
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teacher that sounds like you, that agrees with you, it's only
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going to inflame and you're going to become like your
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teacher. So if you get, you fall off some
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guy on YouTube and they're all bombastic and angry and
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screaming and yelling, I can't believe, guess what you're going
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to become Not kind and gentle. I'll tell you that.
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You're going to carry on with they're saying bombastic and
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angry, and we're going to. Where'd you get that from?
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Well, I've always been that way. Not you.
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Actually, you haven't. I can tell you friends.
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I'm telling you, I've been here long enough.
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I've been through a lot of cycles of difficulty in the life
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of this church, things coming and going in our community and
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everything. This happens all the time where
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there are people that have been in this church serving and
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loving and caring. I mean, we're we're together.
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And then all of a sudden they change.
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They change. And when I engage them to talk
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about their change, I come to find out they're listening to
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another person. Not that that's bad.
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You can listen to whatever you want as long as you know the
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word of God. You can test all things, hold
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fast to what is good. But when you choose somebody
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that changes you, I have in my office trying to explain, no,
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you've changed. I haven't changed.
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No, you have changed. No, I haven't changed.
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And then they will listen. This is, I'll play the person
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that they're listening to. I say you sound just like them,
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and you weren't always just like them.
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When did you start listening to them?
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And you have to be careful. You have to be very careful.
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You don't need 30 teachers. You don't need 50 teachers.
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You have Jesus and if you're in a church, whether it's this
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church or wherever you call your home church, God has given you
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that pastor and those leaders as gifts to help you grow.
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So when you choose teachers, whatever you choose to listen
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to, whatever you choose to watch, be careful because not
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only are there, you know, believers that are kind of
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sideways, but there are many false teachers and you want to
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be super careful. You know the word so that you
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can understand the truth of God's word.
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And be very careful #2 I'm going to read it to you.
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Second Timothy, chapter 2 in verse 15, Second Timothy 215.
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It says this Be diligent to present yourself will prove to
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God a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing
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the word of truth. Again, be diligent.
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Don't be ashamed, but rightly divide the word of God or the
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word of truth. Here's #2 disciples.
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Read and study the Bible. This is the tool.
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Not tools, but this is the tool, The Bible.
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This is it. This is the tool of
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discipleship. That you know this book.
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That you become women and men of one book, the Bible.
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Jesus disciples us by his Spirit.
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Using the Bible and the Bible is the primary tool to use for
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discipleship. We want to know what does the
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Bible say about the matter? We want to know what it means.
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We want to know how to apply the Bible.
23:49
We want to know what God's view is on something in discipleship,
23:54
and I hope when you're asking questions around here, you're
23:56
asking questions to the lay leaders of staff one another.
23:59
I hope that when you get your question answered that it sounds
24:02
something like this. The Bible says this is what the
24:06
Bible says. It's right here, the situation
24:09
in your life right now. This is a word from God for you
24:12
in that situation, because the last thing you want or need is
24:17
my opinion. You don't need my opinion on
24:19
that. And believe me, I have opinions,
24:22
but my opinions don't matter unless they're God's opinions.
24:26
That's the only thing that matters.
24:28
The only thing that matters is that you know this Bible, You
24:31
read it, you study. This is the tool.
24:33
I mean, so you guys, this, this room is filled with successful
24:38
men and women in your field of study, your field of work, your
24:41
career. And in your career, you have
24:44
tools. You need those tools.
24:46
You don't use someone else's tools.
24:48
You use the most effective tool to accomplish what you're
24:53
supposed to be doing. And when it comes to following
24:56
Jesus, the most effective tool is the Bible.
25:00
There is no other. It's not the opinions of man.
25:03
It's not the emotion of the day. It's not the cultural pressures.
25:06
It's the Bible. And here's the thing, you know,
25:10
in the broader life of the church, there are extremely
25:15
large churches today. I can think of 1 in particular
25:19
where this popular pastor has started to tell people things
25:22
like, you know, the bold testaments.
25:23
Not important. What?
25:25
What do you mean it's not important?
25:27
Of course it's important. And he goes even one step
25:30
further and he tells other pastors, when you're teaching,
25:33
don't tell people. Don't use this phrase.
25:35
The Bible says you might offend people.
25:38
Can I just speak to that for a second?
25:39
Let me just speak to that for a second.
25:42
You're in a church with a pastor standing on the stage teaching
25:46
you a book. Don't you want to know what book
25:48
that is? I think you do.
25:50
It's the Bible, so whenever I give you some information, I'm
25:54
going to refer to the book where I got it.
25:58
If you're offended by that, I I'm tempted to say I'm sorry.
26:02
But I'm actually not sorry Because if this is the only
26:05
place that you get, this is the only place where you're
26:08
explained to something from God's perspective.
26:10
Again, I'm not purposely wanting to offend you.
26:12
Don't misunderstand me. If you're offended because of
26:14
something I said or that that's different, we could talk about
26:17
that because I don't want to offend you.
26:19
I don't want you all beat up and I I don't want you in that place
26:22
where you like. I mean, I don't like that guy.
26:24
I mean, you probably won't like me that that's a different
26:26
topic. That's a different Bible study
26:28
altogether. But here's the thing with You've
26:31
experienced offense and right now, you don't have a
26:34
relationship with Jesus and you're sitting here, you're
26:36
listening on the radio. You're even wondering why you're
26:39
here. I'll tell you why you're here.
26:41
You ready? God loves you.
26:44
His sin is only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die for you in
26:47
your current condition, if you will just be honest, just dig
26:52
deep for the that honesty to admit where you are in life
26:57
right now, to admit where your decisions have brought you.
27:01
If you will. Just come to the place where you
27:03
realize that the core problem that you're dealing with is not
27:07
all the symptoms. The core problem that you're
27:09
dealing with is your separation from God.
27:13
And then in that separation, God desires you to come back into
27:17
relationship. The Bible says you.
27:21
The Bible says this, that if you come to Jesus Christ and repent
27:26
of your sins, that he'll forgive you.
27:30
He'll transform your life. But to think that me as a pastor
27:34
would stand before you and not tell you where I got this from,
27:38
not affirm to you for the fear of being offended.
27:44
Listen, sometimes we have to be struck.
27:46
You know where we're at. We got to think things from a
27:49
different perspective. I think deep down inside, that's
27:52
why you're here. Deep down inside, you just know
27:56
there's a wrestling. You just know there's got to be
27:59
something better. I can't keep going in this
28:01
pattern. It's not going to end well.
28:04
I mean, it's not ending well right now, but if you continue
28:07
down that pattern, it's just worse and worse and worse.
28:12
And before you know it, your life is over.
28:14
And then what? You look back and go, what
28:15
happened in my life? Well, listen, your life, your
28:19
life and mine is a summary of the daily decisions we make.
28:26
And so maybe I I know I share some things.
28:30
Sometimes you're like, man, that that doesn't really.
28:32
I'm not a pastor only to be concerned about it.
28:33
You actually do because if you follow a guy like that you might
28:37
be fearful to tell somebody this is what the Bible says.
28:40
Of course you need to tell them that's what the Bible says.
28:43
That's your only authority. If I stood up here with my
28:45
authority, man, that's just not going to work.
28:48
I have no authority. It's only what God has said.
28:52
And if you want to grow as a disciple, you need to know the
28:54
Bible. You need to read it every day,
28:57
Pray. I remember as sitting in the
29:00
chairs, just like you as a newer believer.
29:02
And I'd stand, I'd be sitting there and pastors are sharing
29:05
the Bible and they're just scooting this Scripture, quoting
29:07
that Scripture, and they're not looking at their Bibles or their
29:10
notes. And I'm like, man, how is that?
29:12
How do they know so much scripture?
29:14
Now I know you know so much scripture because you know the
29:19
Bible. And how do you know the Bible?
29:21
You read it. Now we have apps where you can
29:24
listen to it and you're just taking it in.
29:27
You have your daily devotional, you have a little break.
29:29
You're reading the Bible. You pull out your phone and you
29:31
don't know Instagram. I'm just going to be in the
29:33
word. I just want to read it.
29:35
I'm not reading it to be a student or go to seminary.
29:37
I just want God to speak to me because it's already a bad day
29:41
and it's 801 And you go, what? Why is that so significant?
29:45
Because I woke up at 8:00 and I just need God's word.
29:51
Jesus said this. This is so cool.
29:53
Jesus said this. He said my words are life and as
30:01
we just need life in this world, so the tool is the Bible #3 #3.
30:07
Turn over to James chapter one, way back toward the right, James
30:11
chapter one, and when you get there go to verse 21.
30:15
This is super important because you know, in the world, in the
30:18
world we live in right now, the day and age, there's a lot of
30:22
talk about deception and some big the the, the big deception
30:26
that will come in the latter days, many will fall away.
30:29
And and there is, it's true, there will be a big deception.
30:32
We're in the midst of it right now for sure.
30:35
But I'm telling you there's a greater deception than that that
30:38
already exists in the church. It's right here in verse 21 and
30:42
22. Notice therefore lay aside all
30:44
filthiness and the overflow of wickedness and receive with
30:49
meekness the implanted word. How do you have the implanted
30:53
word? Reading it, memorizing it,
30:55
studying it, Bible studies like you are right now, which is able
30:58
to save your souls. The Word of God is able to save
31:01
your soul. And then notice verse 22.
31:03
This is for all of us. But be doers of the word and not
31:10
hears, only deceiving yourselves.
31:14
Here's point #3. Discipleship demands doing what
31:18
you hear. Discipleship demands it, you and
31:23
I. We want to be good disciples and
31:24
learners and followers of Jesus, understanding His will for our
31:28
lives. We need to do the word of God.
31:31
Growing as a Christian is not passive.
31:34
It is active, and it's a personal responsibility that you
31:37
have. You know, you don't raise your
31:38
hand at a service like this or come up to an altar call or pray
31:42
to receive the Lord in your front room and then just think,
31:45
you know what? That was an event, and I got the
31:47
event done. Now I can keep going and living
31:50
my own life, doing my own thing, and I can live for the devil the
31:53
rest of my life. That's not you're you're
31:54
probably not saved if you think like that.
31:56
That's not true. Raising your hand doesn't save
31:59
you. Standing up in the chair doesn't
32:00
save you. Coming to this stage doesn't
32:02
save you. Only God saves you.
32:05
And when He saves you, you have a new desire to do what he wants
32:10
you to do. He We have a Bible word for
32:13
that, and it's a doing is a little bit less, less harmful or
32:19
hurtful than you know. It's received faster than this
32:21
word. And this is the word you need to
32:23
understand. Obedience is demanded as a
32:27
disciple. Obedience.
32:30
Don't just hear the word, just come in.
32:33
Well, you know, I'm. I'm.
32:34
I've heard it. I heard it.
32:35
I hear what you say and then not do it.
32:39
James warns against this deception.
32:43
If you really think that you can hear me right now and not do
32:47
anything about it, you're deceived.
32:50
You're deceived because one or two or three of these points are
32:54
going to hit home in your heart. And what God is looking for is a
32:57
response. It doesn't want you deceived.
33:01
You know what a deceived believer is like?
33:05
Like a blind person. And so if you're like a blind
33:08
person you can't see and you start leading people, where you
33:12
going to end up in the ditch? You're going to take people with
33:15
you. What you hear Follow up by doing
33:20
it #4 Let me read this one to you.
33:22
Second Timothy, chapter 2, verse 3.
33:25
Second Timothy, chapter 2, verse three.
33:27
You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of
33:32
Jesus Christ. That's part of the package #4.
33:37
The 4th principle is this. Disciples face intense spiritual
33:43
warfare. That's part of the package if
33:46
you haven't been with us the last few weeks.
33:48
We've studied these topics, not necessarily in depth, but a good
33:51
enough primer for you to understand what spiritual
33:54
warfare means. It's not weird, it's not
33:57
exaggerated, It's real. The believer we live on the
34:01
earth, and the earth is not a playground to goof off and waste
34:04
our time. It's a battlefield.
34:06
And as a follower of Jesus and a disciple of Christ, you're going
34:09
to need to learn to endure the hardship that is coming your
34:13
way. And it's coming.
34:15
It's challenging and it's difficult to live for.
34:17
Christ. It can be so challenging that
34:20
you may want to just quit, that you think that's the answer.
34:22
I just quit. I don't want this.
34:24
You may even have that sense of like, like thinking back to your
34:27
past life. You go, you don't want.
34:28
My life was easier back then. It wasn't.
34:30
I'm telling you right now, it wasn't.
34:32
It wasn't easier back then. Your life was a mess.
34:35
It was a destruction. You were a walking zombie.
34:39
Spiritually, it wasn't better. What you're really trying to say
34:43
is this man. Ever since I committed my life
34:46
to Jesus Christ, things have gotten a lot harder, and I'm
34:49
surprised by that. That's really what you're
34:51
describing. You're surprised that things
34:54
would get so much harder when it's associated with something
34:58
so wonderful in the forgiveness of your sins.
35:01
But things do get harder. And we looked at all those
35:03
areas, remember, of where the enemy attacks and what to face.
35:07
And that testimony has been I shared so many times just in the
35:11
last couple weeks. Now, you've probably heard this
35:14
phrase over the years. It's a good phrase.
35:17
It's a truthful phrase. Someone may come to you and say,
35:19
don't you know God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your
35:23
life. It's a truthful statement.
35:25
It's a beautiful statement. It's a comforting statement, and
35:28
I love it. But there's a flip side to that
35:30
coin. As much as we know that God had,
35:33
loves us and has a wonderful plan for our life, here's the
35:36
flip side. You're ready.
35:37
The devil hates you and has a horrible plan for your life.
35:41
He has come. The Bible says Jesus taught us
35:44
only to kill, steal and destroy. He will sometimes get that
35:49
without our cooperation and sometimes he gets it with our
35:52
Co-op cooperation. But you can't be messing around
35:55
with sin and the devil because it will destroy you.
35:59
That's his goal, and the devil will take you as weak and feeble
36:03
and ineffective as you give him. He'll take you as miserable and
36:08
depressed as you give to him, and he'll just keep wanting more
36:12
and more and more. He doesn't want you being a
36:15
disciple of Jesus. He doesn't want you in church.
36:18
He doesn't want you reading the Bible.
36:19
He doesn't want you reaching others with the gospel.
36:22
He wants your marriage ruined. He wants your kids shattered.
36:28
He wants you as miserable and mad and frustrated, maybe under
36:35
the influence your whole life, trying to deal with the pain and
36:38
the trauma you carry instead of just coming to Jesus and going,
36:42
you know what? Here's my shattered life, here's
36:45
my sense of life. God take me and change me from
36:49
the inside out. There's going to be a lot of
36:51
battle as you make progress for the things of God and you don't
36:55
want to be shocked by it #5 Turn over to 2nd Corinthians with me,
36:59
would you? Second Corinthians chapter 3.
37:02
If you're new to the Bible and we're turning so much, you don't
37:04
have to be embarrassed. There is a table of contents in
37:07
the beginning of your Bible. If you have a paper Bible, you
37:10
can look it up. I did that for years because I
37:12
didn't know where the books of the Bible were.
37:15
I mean, when I got saved, I didn't even have a Bible.
37:17
That was one of the first things we did after we got saved as I
37:19
had to buy Bibles because we didn't have a Bible in the
37:21
house. That wasn't that.
37:23
This was not my thing to read the Bible.
37:26
It was so far, so far from where we were.
37:29
And so it's OK if you use the table of contents you'll learn
37:31
The more you use the Bible, the more you learn it.
37:33
Second Corinthians chapter 3, verse 18.
37:36
Listen to what it says, but we all with unveiled face beholding
37:42
as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord.
37:45
And this is the phrase I want you to key on.
37:47
Are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory,
37:52
just as by the spirit of the Lord.
37:55
Here's the principle #5A disciple is constantly changing.
38:02
And I would say, if I had to add to that, constantly changing for
38:05
the good. The word that's being described
38:08
here, to do that transfer, it changes transformation.
38:11
So that's an inside job. God is working in you, and you
38:16
are being transformed into the image of Christ.
38:18
You don't follow a pastor, you don't follow a church, you don't
38:22
follow a religion, you don't follow a movement of churches.
38:25
You follow Jesus Christ. So it follows if you are sitting
38:29
at his feet learning from him, you're going to be changed into
38:32
his image and you're going to grow in his image.
38:35
This isn't referring to the type of person that's wishy washy
38:39
changing every day. Like, he's one thing, one day,
38:41
one thing or the other, but really a substantive change for
38:44
the good. James described it this way.
38:46
In James 5/2, a person where your yes is a yes and your no is
38:50
a no, you're trustworthy, you're reliable, you're honest, you're
38:55
being changed. That's what every characteristic
38:57
of Jesus is beginning to be lived out in your life Because
39:01
you're a disciple, you're learning from him.
39:04
You're learning and God is doing the work inside of you and
39:07
you're responding with the work outside of you.
39:11
That's what a disciple is. Let me give you 6 sub points
39:14
here of what to expect as a new believer.
39:16
What to expect Like what are some of the changes you can look
39:19
for in your own life? What are some of the changes you
39:21
can pray for in your life? When you are a born again
39:24
believer, these things begin to happen in your life.
39:27
Number one, you love God. That's a startling change in and
39:31
of itself. You start to love God.
39:32
You're talking about God. You're care about God.
39:35
You you're want. You're talking to him in prayer.
39:37
You love, you have a new love relationship with God, and it's
39:43
just a cool transformation. You don't have all the
39:46
definition of what it's going to look like.
39:47
You don't know yet, but this is, this is something you do know.
39:51
Man, I love God and I want to get to know him, which is why we
39:56
read the Bible. Because when you have a when you
39:58
have a favorite book and a favorite, like when you we're
40:01
reading a book, you're like, man, this is so good, what do
40:03
you want? You want to know the author.
40:06
You begin to fall in love with the author.
40:08
Like, man, I want to get more books from this person because I
40:10
really appreciate the way that they write.
40:13
Well, when you're in the word of God, it gives you a greater love
40:15
for the author and it all works together #2 Not only do you love
40:19
God, but secondly, as a new believer you start to long for
40:23
personal communion with God. So the the way we might say that
40:27
is you find yourself in Church of Lives like you're a family
40:30
and friends are. Where you going?
40:31
I'm going to church. What do you mean you're going to
40:32
church? You're always a church.
40:33
I know, because I want to be. Why are you going to church so
40:37
much? Because that's the right thing
40:38
to do, Mom. That's the right thing to do.
40:40
Dad. I'm a follower of Jesus Christ
40:43
and so to be around other people that love Jesus, it encourages
40:45
me and it strengthens me. It is something that is natural.
40:51
You don't need to be told to do this.
40:52
You don't need to be like you just want to be where other
40:55
believers are. Because you know where you're
40:57
where other believers are. You're going to be drawn toward
41:01
God #3. You start to love what God
41:05
loves. You start to love like things
41:07
like holiness. You start to love holiness, the
41:10
sanctity of life. You start to love.
41:13
Well, you know what? This body was given to me and
41:17
I'm going to use it for the glory of God.
41:18
Like, like you start to love God's definition of things and
41:21
you begin to realize, you know, sex is reserved for marriage.
41:25
So then you start to honor your body and you start to honor God.
41:28
Why? Because you love God.
41:30
And when you love God, you love the things that he loves.
41:33
Fourthly, you start to hate the things that he hates.
41:38
This is the transformation process.
41:40
You go, Ed. What do you mean?
41:41
Well, This is why it gets you so frustrating when you're watching
41:43
the news because you were seeing another thing since wrecked
41:46
another life, another kid has been hurt, another situation.
41:51
And you're starting like, I can't believe this.
41:53
And it's more than just like, oh, look at where the world is
41:56
going. This is kind of hatred where you
41:58
know, God hates gossip and God hates the destruction of sin and
42:03
he hates what sin and death does to people.
42:05
And so you start to hate that too.
42:07
You don't become a hateful person because the fifth thing
42:12
that you learn and the fifth thing that God starts to do
42:15
inside of you is that you start to love people that God loves.
42:21
And you know you learn this principle.
42:23
You love the center, but you hate the sin and you just know
42:29
how difficult it is. But you love people, and there's
42:32
even people when you're closely in your life that you have a
42:34
nude love for. That's shocking.
42:37
It's like you thought I'd never love this person after what they
42:40
did or what they said or what. And all of a sudden now you're
42:43
like, man, I just want to reach them.
42:45
I want them to know what I know. I want them to see what I see.
42:47
Why? Because this is the work of God
42:49
in you. And then finally, you are
42:51
longing for number six and thinking about Jesus soon
42:54
return. I mean, that has never been a
42:56
thought in your life, but you are so eager to be with Jesus,
43:00
your teacher, your master, your savior, your friend, that you
43:04
think about his soon return. It changes your life.
43:07
Now you may not go around telling people I'm waiting for
43:09
the return of Christ. I'm waiting for the return of
43:11
Christ. But you know what it sounds like
43:12
sometimes? You know what?
43:14
I would really like to be in heaven right now.
43:18
I would really like to be in heaven.
43:19
I don't really want to be here. And it's not a suicidal thought
43:23
or or some kind of thought of self harm.
43:26
It's just a desire man. I can't wait to the fulfillment
43:31
of the promises of God in my life because then I'll be with
43:34
him forever. I'll shed this earthly body.
43:37
All my aches and pains will be dealt with, and I'll live
43:40
forever with the lores. Simple things like that.
43:43
Number six. Number six, we're winding down
43:45
here. Almost done.
43:46
Number six, let me read this one to you, Matthew, Chapter 28.
43:50
It is a very familiar Christian passage that I think has been
43:54
misused a lot, although not completely misused because it
43:58
does apply. But this passage is almost
44:00
always used as evangelistic, evangelistic, evangelistic.
44:04
But actually it's not what Jesus says here.
44:06
Listen, it says in Matthew 28, verse 19.
44:09
He says go there for and make disciples of all the nations,
44:14
baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the
44:17
Holy Spirit. And it does make sense that if
44:19
you're going to make disciples, you got to share the gospel with
44:21
them. I get that.
44:23
But the emphasis Jesus says is make disciples.
44:25
Here's the principle Disciples, disciple others.
44:30
You have learned and you're learning to think of others more
44:33
highly than yourself. You are learning and have
44:37
learned to care for other spiritual growth, just like you
44:40
care for yours. You are learning to self to
44:44
sacrifice yourself for the sake of other spiritual growth.
44:48
Disciples, disciple others. This is key.
44:52
After we realize the work of Jesus in our lives, we have a
44:55
natural desire to give it away. They won't always be received.
44:58
They don't, You know, it might lead to conflict and
45:01
difficulties, but that doesn't take away your desire.
45:04
It only steals your desire so that people might know Jesus the
45:08
way that you do. And what's poured into us
45:11
naturally comes out. Parents, you have the joy of
45:14
discipling your kids. Teachers, you get to disciple
45:17
your students. Believers, you get to disciple
45:19
each other. And the cool thing is this.
45:22
You give out. God gives you more.
45:24
As you give out and you empty yourself, God will feel you
45:27
again so that you might be able. Because that's the big that's
45:31
the big fear among us. That's the fear in the room.
45:35
All right? If I step into someone's life, I
45:36
don't even know what to say to them.
45:38
And so, because I don't know what to say to them, I won't
45:40
ever step into someone's life. But listen, you don't need to be
45:43
a scholar. You don't need to read the whole
45:45
Bible from front to back. You don't need to wait till then
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to step into someone's life. You can merely learn to give
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others what you've been given. So here, this is a template.
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This Bible study is a template you could follow.
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If you have a coffee date with somebody and like what's going
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on in your life, well, you will not believe this.
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What's going on? My life.
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I just heard this Bible study about about teaching other
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people about the Bible. Well, that's interesting.
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Well, tell me something that you learned.
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And now you have something that you learned, you received it,
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and you can talk about it, and through your life you can help
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someone else along the way. But you and I, we won't be
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effective disciples if we don't understand the significance of
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self sacrificial service in other people's spiritual life.
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That is so key and it's so rewarding and fulfilling to
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think. I mean think of this.
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To think that God would use someone like us to help someone
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else's life. Unbelievable, but totally God's
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will. And then finally #7, #7, I'll
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read again to you as well for time's sake.
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And 1st John three. It says this, behold, what
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manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should
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be called children of God. Therefore the world does not
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know us, because it didn't know him, but love it.
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Now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed
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what we shall be. But we know that when he is
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revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
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And everyone who has this hope purifies himself, even as he is
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pure. And I love that phrase.
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It is not yet been revealed. What the end's going to look
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like, it hasn't been revealed, but it will when we meet Jesus
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face to face. So this gives us our final
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principle when it comes to discipleship and being a
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disciple. And it's simply this
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discipleship never ends. And what I mean by that is
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you're not going to arrive at some place as a follower of
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cries and go, Well, I've arrived.
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I got nothing else to learn. I know it all.
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You. You won't.
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You don't. You.
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You'll never. That that will not happen this
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side of eternity. That will happen when you meet
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Jesus face to face, either at death or the rapture of the
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church. That's when you'll come to the
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end and go, OK, and now I get it.
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But until then, we're always learning and always growing.
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Discipleship ends the day you and I see Jesus face to face.
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Whether you've been safe for one day or 60 years, every single
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one of us continue to grow, continue to learn, continue to
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obey until he returns. Now, one final thought.
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I know that living for Jesus is very relational.
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But you might be newer to the church, or you might be newer to
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the faith, and you haven't really yet developed those
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relationships, and it feels a little discouraging because you
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haven't really developed them yet.
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Or maybe your personality is such where you aren't ready for
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that yet, or you kind of stand back a little bit and all that
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in between. And I, here's the here's the
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thing I want you to understand. I don't want you to
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underestimate what you are doing right now in this moment.
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Church, family. I don't want you to
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underestimate the power of God in your life as you sit here
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listening to a Bible study, learning and growing in God's
49:08
Word. Your time here investing in your
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spiritual life, is some of the most powerful and best
49:15
discipleship times in your entire life.
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A love for God's Word, given through gifted pastors and
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teachers is discipleship in and of itself, and I don't want you
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to underestimate it that God has you on a path and you'll get
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there eventually. As you are responding with
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obedience. Don't underestimate the
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consistent, steady teaching of the Bible, especially as you've
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landed on a radio station or you've landed on a YouTube
49:41
channel or you've landed in a church building where our
49:45
commitment to you is to teach you the whole Bible, word for
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word, the whole Bible. Because we believe that the IT
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requires a whole Bible to make a whole Christian and that we're
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going to take it all. We're going to talk, we're going
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to teach you the easy parts like today's more of an easy study,
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although there were some challenging things in it.
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But then we're going on another page and go, man, that's really
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challenging and you'll get taught that as well.
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You you need the good, you know, my responsibility.
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I've always been taught, you know, as a pastor to prepare you
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a good meal, you know, a real well-rounded meal there, there
50:18
There's steak or tofu for you. Tofu, people, steak on one side,
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tofu that looks like steak and you just like, so good cook just
50:26
the way you want it. But then the other side of the
50:28
plate, you got to have your Brussels sprouts, nasty deformed
50:34
little cabbages right up there. And you got to eat them all,
50:38
every single one of them. You can't hide them under the
50:41
potatoes. You got to have it all.
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And that's how the Bible is. And the Bible is filled with
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things that man, we may not want it, but we need it.
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And you're just in a church, so you're going to get that week
50:52
after week. And I know, you know, it's easy
50:54
to have it become routine. I need something new.
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I need something fresh. No, you just need to submit
50:58
yourself to the Lord. It'll all be new and all be
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fresh. If you come ready to receive
51:03
from the Lord, He's ready to give you a new word every single
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time. But don't underestimate all the
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time that you spend studying the Bible man.
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And can't you just imagine right now, Jesus here among us,
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comforting us, encouraging us, teaching us, leading us,
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discipling us, helping us to follow him from the inside out.
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It's a beautiful thing. So, Father, I pray that you
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would take this topic, these lessons that we're learning, and
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help us grow in you. We want to be like Barnabas, you
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know, and encourage her in our own personality, in our own, you
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know, person. We don't have to become someone
51:40
else. However, you did teach us that.
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You're transforming us into the image of Christ, and we need it.
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We need it more than we realize. We we say things we shouldn't
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say. We think things we shouldn't
51:55
think. We do things we shouldn't do all
51:58
the time, believers and unbelievers alike.
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And listen, if you're here today and you just know that the
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answer to the issues you're carrying is the forgiveness of
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your sins, I want to invite you. I want to invite you to follow
52:16
Jesus today. I want to invite you to receive
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the love of God in your life. I want you to learn what it
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means to turn away from your sin, to know there's a better
52:32
life ahead for you if you'll live it in Christ.
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I mean, imagine just in the simplicity, without a Bible,
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without like all these explanations that a pastor gives
52:42
to think that God, the creator of the universe, loved me
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individually so much that he would make a way for me in my
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worst, worst condition. He would make a way for me to
52:57
come back to him. I mean, that's a father's love.
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And I know some have a problem with fathers, because you may
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not have had the best example of a father, or you may not have
53:08
been the best. I get it.
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But God is so much greater than that.
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We've all failed. Every single one of us.
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I I remember this, and I just want to share this with you
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because I think it's going to relate to someone.
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I remember sitting in a chair just like you here in the
53:24
pastor, do the same thing I'm doing.
53:25
And I just couldn't believe that God would love me because I look
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around the room and I'm like, I know how bad I am.
53:32
The person next to me doesn't know.
53:34
The pastor definitely doesn't know.
53:36
But I know. I know what I did last night.
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I know what I did last week. I know the court date that's
53:42
coming up. I know.
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And I said I can't. I just don't think God, I mean,
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I'm. I'm beyond the limit.
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I'm beyond the limit of God's love.
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And what I learned is what I want you to learn.
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You are not the beyond the limit of God's love.
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It may be hard for you to receive it and accept it, but
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you know, you do hard things all the time.
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So just receive his love. Turn away from your sin today,
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choose to follow Jesus Christ. I'm going to give you a chance
54:07
publicly to do that right now. If you're here and you'd say,
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Ed, I want to follow Jesus, would you just stand to your
54:12
feet? I want to pray for you.
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God bless you up front here. Who else would say that's me.
54:17
Today's the day. God bless you over here in the
54:20
back. This is a a work of God in your
54:24
life right now. And pastors, you guys can move
54:28
already. You guys can already come up and
54:31
connect because I I want you guys that are responding to know
54:35
that you're not forgotten and that we care for you as a church
54:41
and this is an important decision in your life.
54:44
You guys online and listening on the radio, the same thing.
54:46
I know we don't have the opportunity to see you or even
54:50
downstairs see you, but it doesn't it it's it's okay.
54:54
God sees you and he loves you. Anyone else.
54:59
Today would be the day. There's a whole group over here.
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So you guys, there's a whole group over here.
55:08
They're moving. Dennis is on his way, and so I
55:11
want to help you. There's a principle in the
55:13
scripture that says if you confess with your mouth the Lord
55:16
Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
55:19
dead, you will be saved. So I want to help you do that.
55:22
I want to help you confess your sins to God so you could say
55:25
something like this. You just say God.
55:27
I believe that you sent Jesus Christ to forgive me of my sins,
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and I choose to follow you with my life, surrendering control to
55:40
you. I want to become your disciple.
55:44
I want to learn from you, Jesus, I want to follow you.
55:50
I want to enjoy you, and I want to enjoy Your love.
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I believe, Jesus, you live for me.
55:59
You died for me, And I believe that you rose again from the
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dead to save my soul. And I know that you love me,
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Father. I I know that many near and far
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are coming to you today, and some are fighting and wrestling,
56:20
and you love them still. Have your way with us as a
56:27
church God, let us be the men and women you desire us to be.
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And bless these men and women that have chosen today to
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respond to your invitation to become your follower and to
56:40
experience a transformed life. We pray these things in Jesus
56:44
name. Amen.
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We pray that you've been encouraged by this Bible study
56:50
delivered live from the sanctuary of Calvary Church for
56:53
prayer. Call us at 87730 Grace.
56:58
That's 877-304-7223 to listen to this message in its entirety or
57:05
to join us for our live stream services.
57:08
Visit us online at Calvary Co dot church or download our free
57:13
Calvary Church app Be blessed as you worship Jesus this week.