Discover Discipleship

Hey friends, my name is Russo brosser. As Michael said I grew up going to church with Brett. He was one of my church counselors at Camp every year. I learned a lot from him. He showed a lot of gospel seed into my heart as a young man. And I think day I hope I've been taking root and growing fruit since then has Michael said we grew up and did a lot of fun things together worked on staff at a church in Eugene for a few years. And now I am a thirty-one-year-old Southern Oregon Ian. I've been married to my lovely wife Hannah brosser for the last eight years then a disciple of Jesus for the last 12 years and I work at Trader Joe's I tutor students part-time elementary students. And then I in my spare moments of Life educate myself at Pacific Bible College and write poetry and a fun little project came out of that. It was never intended to be a book. It was just meant to be a fun little play we put on for the church. I was working at and it eventually grew and evolved into a buck. So that was kind of neat and exciting. But today I'm not here to talk about the book or any of that. I'm here to talk about discipleship. And so we're going to begin with the title of today's sermon is discovered discipleship. So discipleship is a term that we've heard a lot. It's a term we're all familiar with as followers of Jesus. So I want to start by just giving a definition to two different words because you guys are in the discovery series discover Church discover discipleship and discover worship and I am a staunch believer that giving precise definitions to words is one of the best ways to bring clarity. Any subject where there's obscurity where things are a little hazier where there's confusion. So we're going to define the two words discover and discipleship just on the front end and then we'll move into the teaching in 1828 sir. Noah Webster gave 6 definitions for the word discover and I'm only going to share two of them. I thought these were really helpful definition. The first definition he gave was to obtain the first knowledge of something before unknown. So it's a brand new discovery. You're discovering it for the first time the second meaning of the word discover that I thought was helpful was to lay open to the view and make visible something unseen or concealed. So the first kind of discover is the Discover that my uncle does when he goes digging for dinosaur bones. He is literally discovering them there covered up in the Earth are covered up in soil and he discovered them For the First Time spoiler alert. That's not going to be what we're doing today with discipleship were going to be doing the second kind of discovery, which is more of a reed. Discovery it's something you know is there but it's buried in the Clutter like when you lose a check in the mail or your remote gets lodged in the crevice of your couch you discover it. It's not that you didn't know where it was before. It's not that you didn't know what it was. You just know where it was and it was maybe a little bit little bit lost. And so we're going to ReDiscover discipleship. Hopefully, I think this is a really important thing to remember as Disciples of Jesus that the Bible says we really do need to be reminded and ReDiscover these kinds of things Hebrews chapter 2 verse 1, for example, it says therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard past tense lest we drift away from it as disciples. We tend to maybe hear something or learn something and it gets filed in. Okay. I know that I already know that section of our brains and then we just move on and take okay. I need to ReDiscover something. I need to discover something brand new, but we need to be reminded and have rediscoveries II. Peter chapter 3 verse 1 Peter says this is now the second letter that I'm writing to you beloved in both of them. I am stirring up your sincere Mind by way of reminder Peters a man is not to say hey, here's all these new things. You don't know. It's just a strip people's minds by way of reminder. And then in first John chapter 2 verse 7 John rice beloved. I'm writing, you know new commandment and I'm not keeping everything brand new but an old Commandment that you have had from the beginning the old commandment is the word that you have heard. So again, we need to be reminded of the things that we have heard. We need to have rediscoveries not just like Perpetual new discoveries of things that are Unknown about God as important as those are the more important thing for us as disciples is to have fresh rediscoveries of the truths. We already know we need to be reminded and have our minds and hearts stirred up by the gospel, MN. At for example in in Deuteronomy 14 * God's people are told to remember 14 times and drowned who said You shall remember that. I'm the Lord God who brought you out of the land of Egypt remember who I am remember what I've done. So we're going to be reminded and hopefully it'll produce a rediscovery of what discipleship is now discipleship is the second word. We need to Define and here is my favorite definition. It's a bit of a lengthy quote, but it is worth Hearing in its entirety. In the world of the Bible a disciple was a person who followed a teacher Rabbi master or philosopher the disciple desired not only to learn the teaching of the rabbi, but to imitate the Practical details of their life a disciple did not merely attend lectures or read books. They were required to interact with and imitate a real living person a disciple would literally follow someone in hopes of eventually becoming what they are. I love that definition. Here's the second part of this. So helpful. It says disciples are found in the world outside of the Bible for example among the ancient Greeks and philosophers disciples learned by imitating the teachers entire way of life and not just by remembering the spoken words of the teacher man. That's helpful. Thank you Wikipedia. For the most helpful definition of discipleship I've ever read. I hope that what you heard in that description and definition of discipleship is that discipleship is not exclusively or primarily about just acquiring information and filling our heads with info but discipleship is about imitation imitating the Practical details of somebody's life. I think that I grew up thinking if I just fill my head with more helpful information, then I'll be growing and it'll eat the transformation is so important that we get this transformation does not come exclusively from information information on its own. It's helpful, but it doesn't produce lasting transformation no more than a driver's manual can make a really good safe teenage driver. None of you would loan your car to a teenager whose like Elijah for the information in the driver's manual know that's what we have learner's permits for that's why they have to like study with Buddy who's an expert and get corrected and get the helpful feedback. A Pinterest recipe is helpful information, but that doesn't produce a masterful chef or a mouthwatering meal. If someone who's never cooked before just tried to throw it together information on its own it can be helpful, but it's not all that's required to have lasting transformation transformation comes through information plus imitation and imitation is integration. You're integrating the things in the information into your life and it's immersion your immersing your life your mind your heart in the presence of God, and that's what results in transformation information immersion integration and What's the fourth one? I'm drawing a blank on invitation and I'm a kid's teacher primarily. So let me simplify cuz when I teach kids I say ding idisciple is simply learning from Jesus. It's coming to him as a student and learning from him. It's loving Jesus having a heart that recognizes how beautiful and glorious Jesus is and then beginning to live like Jesus and love others in Jesus name in the words of redeemers mission statement. I love this. We believe that to be an apprentice of Jesus of Nazareth is to order your life around three goals be with Jesus. That's the information. I sent his word and the immersion in your time of prayer being with Jesus become like Jesus. That's the transformation that happens act as we're doing this and do what Jesus did integrating the things that you're learning from him into your life. And that's the imitation. You're actually imitating him and trying to be a Christian a little Christ. That is what Transformation is all about its immersion and imitation and information all combined. Well, this has been a year for me of rediscovering discipleship in a new way. So I want to open up the scriptures and share with you. This morning is the most helpful passage of scripture about what it means and what discipleship really looks like. We're going to look at Jesus calling his first disciples the first account of it in the scriptures foretold. So turn to Matthew chapter 4 as we see Jesus calling his first disciples to himself. In Matthew chapter 4 you guys tracking along a little bit. Okay, that's a big. Yes. It sounded like

Matthew thank you. Number one student. Okay in Matthew Chapter 4 Verse 18. We're just going to briefly read this cuz it sets the stage for what we're going to really dive into while walking by the Sea of Galilee Matthew 4:18. He saw two brothers Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen and he said to them follow me and I will make you Fishers of Men immediately. They left their Nets and followed him and going on from there. He saw two other brothers James the son of Zebedee and John his brother in the boat with Zebedee their father mending their Nets and he called then immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. So when Jesus the rabbi took students into his school of discipleship here. What did he tell them simply follow me and what this meant and they knew what it meant it meant lay aside all of your other priorities ditch your livelihood let go of all of your claims on your life and actually come follow me and be a student and an apprentice of me come actually follow me and they did it because there never was a teacher like Jesus before moving on it says then he went throughout all Galilee teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. So he begins his ministry. She's teaching because Jesus is a teacher and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every Affliction among the people. So his Fame spread throughout all Syria and they brought him all the sick those Afflicted with various diseases and pains those oppressed by demons epileptics and paralytics and healed them and break. Brown's followed him From Galilee and the decapolis and from Jerusalem and Judea and from Beyond the Jordan. So Jesus his Fame spreads his reputation as a Healer and teacher begins to explode and as the Crowds Are Gathering all over him. Jesus begins to teach them about discipleship and about the kingdom of God. He begins teaching them what really life in his kingdom looks like and I'm through all of his teaching. He's also weaving and cryptic hints and Parables to reveal who he is the king in God's kingdom and what he's all about. So before we move into these next three chapters again, I just want to show from the text that Matthew says Jesus asked you went out he was teaching in their synagogues in proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. That's verse 23 of chapter 4th. He is proclaiming the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe the good news. That's what Mark says he was preaching and then right on the heels of that after calling his first followers his first disciples. He begins to gather the multitude of his famous exploding his reputation is growing and then it says in Matthew chapter 5 verse 1 seen the crowds he went up on the mountain and when he sat down his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and taught them. This is the first time the word disciple is used. He says, he's Gathering these people and they want to know what he's all about. What is it teaching about? What what is he all about and it says they gathered to him all these disciples and he sat down and taught them. So this morning we're going to go through the Sermon on the Mount and I want you guys to hear with fresh ears. The good news the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus was proclaiming and the instructions for his disciples and apprentices because he is telling them here's how you follow me. Here's what life In My Kingdom should look like as my up. As my students and as we enter it, I want to just clear up something because I was raised during that The Sermon on the Mount Jesus only point in The Sermon on the Mount is to elevate the lot in the standard of righteousness so high to prove that we're incapable of doing life rightly with God and although there is a point at which Jesus really is elevating the standard of what real righteousness is what it really looks like he's doing much more than that. He is teaching his disciples. He's instructing his students on how to follow him. So let me pray and then we're going to get into The Sermon on the Mount in and hopefully very unique and Powerful way Father in Heaven. I pray that as we open up your words and hear the words of your beloved Son that you would send your Holy Spirit to tear away the calluses of familiarity from our hearts and give us fresh ears to hear the good news that Jesus proclaimed about how we can be liberated from sin and selfishness in this world through following and imitating him. I Pray For Eyes of our hearts to be enlightened to see the beauty and Glory of Jesus in a fresh and unique way. I pray for our hearts and Minds to be fully engaged and in for all distractions to be laid aside as we sit as students under our Rabbi and under our teacher and hear the word that you said where life and Spirits your word is a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. So Enlighten us for the glory of your name in Jesus name we pray. Amen. Seeing the crowds he went up on the mountain and when he sat down his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth and taught them saying blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted? Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied blessed are the merciful for they shall receive Mercy blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Westwood. Are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account rejoice and be glad for your reward is great in heaven for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you you are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste how shall its saltiness be restored. It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and Trampled Under people's feet. You are the light of the world a city set on a hill cannot be hidden nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house in the same way. Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father who is in heaven. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them for truly I say to you until Heaven and Earth pass away. Not an Iota not a DOT will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore. Whoever relax is one of the least of these Commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven for I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not murder and whoever murders will be liable to judgment. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment and whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council. And whoever says you fool will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you leave your gift there before the Altar and go first be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court lets your accuser hand you over to the judge and the judge to the guard and you be put in prison truly. I say to you you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. You heard that it was said You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust full intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to Sin Cara it out and throw it away for it is better that you lose one of your members then that your whole body go into hell and if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and throw it away for it is better that you lose one of your members then that your whole body be thrown into hell. It was also said whoever divorces his wife let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife except on the ground of sexual immorality makes her commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery again, you have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not swear falsely, but she'll perform to the Lord what you have sworn but I say to you do not take a note at all either by heaven for it is the Throne of God or by the Earth for it is his footstool or by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king and do not take an oath by your head for you cannot make one hair white or black let what you say be simply yes or no. Anything more than this comes from Evil. You have heard that it was said an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek turn to him the other also and if anyone would sue you and take your tunic let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile go with him two miles give to the one who begs from you and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your father who is in heaven for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you. What reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same and if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same you therefore must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them for then you will have no reward from your father who is in heaven thus when you give to the needy, Sound of trumpet before you as the Hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets that they may be praised by others truly. I say to you they have received their reward, but when you give to the needy do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that you're giving may be in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you and when you pray you must not be like the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners so that they may be seen by others truly. I say to you they have received their reward, but when you pray go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray you must not keep up empty phrases as the Gentiles do for they think that they will be heard for their many words do not be like them for your father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this Our Father in heaven Hallowed Be Your Name Your Kingdom Come your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and lead us not into temptation, but Deliver Us from Evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses neither, will your father forgive your trespasses? And when you fast do not look gloomy like the Hypocrites for they disfigure their faces that there fasting may be seen by others truly. I say to you they have received their reward, but when you fast anoint your head and wash your face so that your fasting may not be seen by others, but by your father who is in secret and your father who sees in secret will reward you. Do not lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven where neither moth nor rust destroyed and where thieves do not break in and steal for where your treasure is there. Your heart will be also the eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy your whole body will be full of white but if your eye is bad your whole body will be full of Darkness if then the light in you is Darkness How great is the darkness? No one can serve two masters for either. He will hate the one and love the other or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other you cannot serve God and money. Therefore I tell you do not be anxious about your life. What you will eat or what you will drink nor about your body. What you will put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing. Look at the birds of the air. They neither sow nor reap nor Gathering to Barnes and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they and which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about closing consider the lilies of the field how they grow they neither toil nor spin. Did I tell you even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these but if God so clothes the grass of the field which today is alive. And tomorrow is thrown into the oven. Will he not much more clothes you oh you of little faith. Therefore do not be anxious saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink or what shall we wear for the Gentiles seek after all these things and your heavenly father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Judge, not that you be not judged for with the Judgment you pronounce you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye or how can you save your brother? Let me take the speck out of your eye when there is the log in your own eye you hypocrite first take the log out of your own eye and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's I do not give dogs. What is Holy and do not throw your pearls before pigs lest. They trample them underfoot and turn to attack you. Ask and it will be given to you seek and you will find knock and it will be open to you for everyone who asks receives and the one who seeks finds and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Or which one of you if your son asked him for bread will give him a stone or if he asks for a fish will give him a serpent. If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him. So whatever you wish that others would do to you do also to them for this is the law and the prophets.

enter by the narrow gate for the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction and those who enter by it are many for the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves, you will recognize them by their fruits are grapes gathered from Thorn bushes or figs from thistles. So every healthy tree Bears good fruit, but the diseased tree Bears Bad fruit a healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my father who is in heaven on that day many will say to me Lord Lord. Did we not prophesy in your name and passed out demons in your name and do many mighty works in your name and then will I declare to them? I never knew you depart from me you workers of lawlessness. Everyone's in who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall because it had been founded on the Rock and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand and the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house and it fell and great was the fall of it. And when Jesus finished these sayings the crowds were astonished because he was teaching them as one who had Authority and not as their scribes. These are the words of Jesus the rabbi the master teacher instructing his disciples on what it looks like to follow him. And the reason I bring the words of Jesus to like that today is hopefully to help you to ReDiscover Jesus as the most amazing spiritual teacher has the most brilliant intellect as the most creative genius of a rabbi that there ever was there. There have been thousands of books and commentaries written on The Sermon on the Mount they've been tens of thousands of sermons preached from The Sermon on the Mount but none of it comes anywhere near to being as masterful and Powerful as The Sermon on the Mount is in and of itself. And here's an amazing quote that I found. Actually I'm going to skip ahead to Richard Foster's quote. It says if you speak Holiness of life, I encourage you to make good to make a good friend of The Sermon on the Mount. It is an expanded commentary on the Royal law of love. And Jesus is life is in expanded commentary on The Sermon on the Mount what he saying is that the simple law that Jesus gave the most important law to love the Lord your God with all your heart and mind and soul and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself. If you want to know what that looks like in a practical sense read and abide and meditate in The Sermon on the Mount it gives you really practical instructions. And if you want to know what the Sermon on the Mount looks lived out read the rest of the gospels because Jesus life is the expanded commentary on what it looks like to live in the kingdom of God. I'm afraid that we as Americans have maybe forgot that Jesus is a teacher. I had a couple friends a few weeks ago. We filled out a big whiteboard. I asked everybody in a shout out the names and titles given to Jesus in the New Testament and we got all the Big Field logical explicit ones Like Son of God Son of Man Lord Messiah Christ the way the truth and the life in all of these really explicitly theological ones, but nobody said teacher or Rabbi and I thought that's strange because that is the most common title given to Jesus in the gospels over 50 times people come to him and call him Rabbi or teacher and he says you call me Rabbi and teacher and you're right for so I am so we need to ReDiscover that Jesus is the teacher and we as Christians or his students. We actually have to learn to follow himself rather than Ending by giving you a bunch of information. I simply want to end with a few questions, which will hopefully stir up our hearts and help us examine the quality of our faith and our progress as disciples. I think that we need to sit at students Under The Sermon on the Mount and ask the difficult question does my life reflect the kind of characteristics and qualities of discipleship described by Jesus in this teaching. Does my life actually look like this at all? here's a couple more questions is your life being visibly shaped and formed into the image of Christ as he portrays himself in the Beatitudes poor in spirit able to mourn craving righteousness merciful trying to make peace like Brett dead in an age are made with Michael in an age where there's so much Division and War and so much political polarization are we peacemakers who are actually more concerned about about people than we are about all these other things do we actually represent Jesus in a way that looks like the Beatitudes Are non-believers able to taste and at Taste and see the distinct saltiness of the savior in your company. Jesus said you're the salt of the earth. You're the light of the world. Is there a pattern of good works in your life that reflects and shines the light of the Lord around those who don't know Jesus. Jesus talks a lot about anger and relationships. So let me ask are your relationships with other people characterized by anger bitterness resentment and unforgiveness, or do you actually pursue reconciliation when you've been wronged or when people have wronged you or are we does who just Retreat and don't care and just go on with our religious activities. She says if you're at the altar leave your gift and go make it right with people that's priority in the kingdom of God. How about this one? Jesus talks about lust and in so I would ask. Have you been making war against lust and making every sacrifice? No. How costly or painful to rid your life of it? Cuz it will ruin your life. If you don't read your life of it. How about this one? He says marriage and divorce he teaches on that are we as Christians really committed to God's vision of marriage and in what he says, it looks like as it's described in his word or are we buying into the cultures deceptive depiction of what marriage is or do we hold it to be an honorable sacred institution given to us as a blessing from God. What about when you're wrong or gossip or mistreated? Are you more likely to retaliate or are you able to look on your enemies with compassion and pray for them and do good to those who wrong you and actually be willing to go the extra mile for somebody who you don't even agree with? Are we like Jesus generous with our lives and our love and our time and our money and our energy are we really willing to help those in need and give to those who ask and let people borrow from Washington really just give our lives away generously. Here's a convicting one for us all for me to Jesus talks about prayer and how it's to be done. Are we Jesus's disciples able to talk to God as much as we talked about God convicting one. Jesus said don't lay up for yourselves Treasures on Earth. Don't lay up for yourselves Treasures here. It's all going to rot. It's all going to get ruined. It's all going to rushed but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven. What do your bank statements reveal about where your Treasures are being laid up? What what what have you been liberated from the love of money and materialistic possessions are your Treasures here or do you actually give generously in the name of Jesus? That's how you lay up Treasures in Heaven a good final question to gauge. This would be how are you doing with worry? And anxiety. Jesus says don't worry about tomorrow trust your father. Do we really see this world as a as a gift from our generous father who cares for the flowers and the birds. I don't think Jesus was just being like hippie or metaphorical when he said hey, look at the birds and look at the flowers. Have you ever actually gone out into nature in a time where your stress I've started doing this going out into the woods and just sitting and listening to the birds and look at little flowers grow and going. Okay. I got a lot of worries and anxieties in my life, but look at these little flowers and look at these little birds, my father actually cares for them and provides for them. And so I can trust at his beloved child, but I'm of more value than then and he's going to provide.

The reason I present these questions to you today is not to like make anybody feel guilty or to load you up with more just like burdens or anxiety. It's hopefully to help you examine your face and cats and see where are you at with your disciple. Are you being formed and conformed and transformed into the image of Jesus? Because that and that only is what Christianity is it is discipleship there two in the same thing my personal testimony of becoming a disciple began when I was 18 years old and I heard the final verses of The Sermon on the Mount preach in a way that hit me like a ton of bricks. Jesus says that there's a narrow path and a narrow gate that's a difficult that leads to life and as an 18 year old kid who had grown up in the church and knew all the religious things and even taught Bible study sometimes and do all the songs the new plenty of versus it hit me and I began to realize wait a second my life outside of church actually. Looks like everybody else has maybe I'm not on the narrow road and then Jesus talks about the tree that you'll know by its fruits and I began to ask myself and date be convicted by the spirit. Wondering wait. Am I actually bearing good fruits for the Lord is my life at all marked by the fruits of the spirit and I realized no, I'm actually I'm actually just bearing the fruit of sin and selfishness and then he says not everyone who says Lord Lord will enter the kingdom but the one who does the will of the father and I thought well, why is it that I expect to hear well done good and faithful servant when I've never actually done well, and I've not been good or faithful or a servant and then she's finally says whoever hears these words of mine and does them is the man building on the Rock but whoever hears them. It does not do them is building on the sand and I was really for the first time in my life. All of my hypocrisy was brought to the front and I realized I am not a disciple of Jesus. I'm a churchgoing hypocritical kid who really thinks at the end of the day that stay Discipleship is a mental choice. I made as a youngster and that if it doesn't flow in my life, that's no big deal. Cuz all that Jesus really cares about it. I made a decision to say yes to an invitation but that's not the gospel. The gospel is Jesus came to save us from the power of sin as well as from the punishment of sin. So for about a year, I became really trying to change and and reform my life and say, okay. I'm going to start proving to you that I'm serious about discipleship and for about a year. I began I move down to Mexico. I was serving the orphans going. Okay. I'm doing this for you, please I want to be, you know, I want to be a disciple but the more I tried and tried and tried to prove myself and be a disciple the more discouraged and distraught. I became I realized after about a year of fear and anxiety of about my security and my salvation. I realized that no progress as a disciple can be made and no attempt at obedience is pleasing to God that does not flow out of a heart that has been converted first. Jesus as Savior this is why he begins with blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven because until you come to the end of your rope and seeing that you're not able to do life as a disciple on your own. You're just going to keep spinning out and that's what I was doing and I was so anxious but I realized I know she actually wants to save me I remember I was sitting on a hill with a big cross right there. I was taking communion and I remember for the first time it was as though the Lord spoke to my soul and said, I didn't send my son to die on a cross so that you could earn my forgiveness or earn my favor. I want to save you but you need to repent of your sins and your self-righteousness and trust me entirely. And from that day on I was freed that gift of Grace was like it was it just transformed me. I had no effect since I saw Jesus first as my savior and then I was able to begin following him because I was Secure and what he had done and not in what I could do. I want to close with this quotes. It's a it's a Really helpful one it was Oswald Chambers. He said this beware of placing our Lord as teacher first instead of Savior. We must know him as Savior before his teaching can have any meaning or before it can have any any meaning other than that of an ideal that leads to despair if Jesus is a teacher only then all he can do is tantalize Us by directing a standard that we cannot come anywhere near check this out. But if I being born again, we know him first as Savior, we know that he did not come to teach us only he came to make us what he teaches us. We should be I love that. He did not come to teach us only he came to make us what he teaches us. We should be The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life that we will live when the Holy Spirit is having his way with us. So my hope this morning is that we can Recaptured by the beauty of Jesus first at Savior and as Lord as king of the universe and then sit at students under his teaching and begin saying Lord, I want to learn from you. I want your teaching to shape the Practical details of my life. I told you in the beginning that when my uncle discovers dinosaur bones, it's a brand new discovery. But what he does after discovering them is he recovers them and that's a long process for me. This year has been a long process of recovering discipleship and actually starting to say Okay. I want to grow as a disciple. I want to be this kind of person that you describe your disciples as recovering discipleship is a matter of doing it's a matter of imitation not just information. Right as James says but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves for if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a door. He's like a man observing his natural face in a mirror dirty and gross and NC goes Wait and immediately forgets what kind of man he was but whoever looks into the perfect law of Liberty and continues in it and is a doer of the word and not a forgetful hearer. This one will be blessed in what he does. So the good news today guys, and I'm closing with this the good news is that the school of discipleship is open. Jesus says whoever wants to come follow me and have rest take my yoke upon you and learn from me Jesus School of discipleship is wide-open. He's accepting enrollment for anyone who wants to be his apprentice and his disciple that is really good news because we in our own do not know how to do life. Well, we need a master teacher who does it perfectly and Jesus is the only person who's ever perfectly practice what he preached with absolute Integrity. His life was perfectly Flush Out The Sermon on the Mount so the good news School discipleship wide-open come and learn from Jesus tuition. You may want to know the cost on one hand. It's absolutely free. He's paid the way he's paved the way of discipleship by the leading it by his own sacrifice on the cross. He paved the way it's free tuition and on the other hand as Brett read this morning, it will cost you literally everything it will cost you every moment of your life to say. Okay. I'm actually going to follow you and be willing to take up my cross daily and follow you while which is is it free or does it cost me everything? Yeah. It's a paradox get used to that Jesus. The master teacher used a lot of Parables and paradoxes that were confusing get used to it. I'm closing with this. A very large crowd gathered to hear Jesus preach on The Sermon on the Mount big crowd. 3 years later, it was a small crowd a crowd of a few committed disciples who had followed him who had watched him who would learn from him the first crowd they marveled at the authority with which Jesus taught that the smaller crowd who gathered on a mountain in Bethany watched Jesus ascend back up into heaven after his crucifixion burial and resurrection and ask you to sin and he reminded them all authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to me go therefore and Make Disciples of all Nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you and behold I am with you always did the end of the age that is good news. So let us commit ourselves a fresh today the following Jesus as a rabbi as our teacher in first and foremost as our Lord and savior in Jesus name Father in heaven. We thank you. For the amazing gift that you've given us through the person of Jesus. Thank you for his example for his love for his life. And for the way that he is radically changed. I pray that we would continue to grow as disciples that we would continue to look into the perfect law of Liberty and see your instructions on how we should live as your followers fill us with your spirit because we cannot do it on our own we can't make progress on our own without you coming and changing our hearts and our affections and our desires. So we asked you to do this by the power of your Holy Spirit and for the glory of Your Great Name in Jesus name we pray amen.