Post by disciple on Jun 2, 2010 12:51:03 GMT -5
THE MASTER PLAN OF EVANGELISM: CONSECRATION
“TAKE MY YOKE ON YOU, & LEARN FROM ME…” MATT. 11:29
--HE REQUIRED OBEDIENCE
JESUS EXPECTED THE MEN HE WAS WITH TO OBEY THE WORDS OF GOD (i.e., HIM). DISCIPLE = LEARNERS OR PUPILS OF THE MASTER
LATER CALLED “CHRISTIAN” (AC. 11:26)-OBEDIENT FOLLOWERS INEVITABLY TAKE ON THE CHARACTER OF THEIR LEADER
TRUST IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST & OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD WAS CLEARLY IMPLIED IN THEIR INITIAL CALLING (NO “STATEMENT OF FAITH,” JUST HEARING & OBEYING THE MASTER)
--THE COST OF THE CROSS
BEING A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST INVOLVED FAR MORE THAN JOYFUL ACCEPTANCE OF REDEMPTION; IT MEANT SURRENDER OF ONE’S WHOLE LIFE TO THE MASTER IN TOTAL SUBMISSION TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY (NO COMPROMISE-LK. 16:13)
REQUIRES COMPLETE FORSAKING OF SIN; OLD THOUGHT PATTERNS, PLEASURES, HABITS OF THE WORLD CONFORMED TO THE DISCIPLINES OF THE KINGDOM (LK. 6:46-9)
PERFECT LOVE EXPRESSED IN DEVOTION TO THOSE HE DIED TO SAVE (MATT. 25:31-36)
WILLING DENIAL OF SELF FOR OTHERS (MATT. 16:24-26)
NOT MANY ACCEPTED HIS WORDS & STANDARD (JN. 6:60,66), BUT HE DID NOT GO RUNNING AFTER THEM TO KEEP THEM ON HIS MEMBERSHIP ROLL. TO BE DISCIPLES, THEY HAD TO PAY THE PRICE.
--COUNTING THE COST & PAYING THE PRICE
NO ONE COULD FOLLOW JESUS & HIS LIFE WITHOUT TURNING LOOSE OF THE WORLD (AC. 1:18-19)
POTENTIAL DISCIPLES TURNED AWAY: LK. 9:57-62. JESUS DIDN’T HAVE THE TIME OR DESIRE TO INVEST IN THOSE WHO WANTED TO FOLLOW ON THEIR OWN TERMS (LK. 14:25-33).
THE FEW WHO WERE SERIOUS WERE TRUSTED WITH MORE (MATT. 16:15-21)
--THE CONSECRATION STRUGGLES OF THE 12
HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING HIS DEATH & ITS MEANING TO THEM (MATT. 16:22-3)
HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THEIR PLACE IN THE KINGDOM:
NEED TO SERVE OTHERS: LK. 22:24-30
NEED FOR HUMILITY: MK. 9:33-37, 10:35-37
NEED FOR CONTENTMENT: MK. 10:41
NEED TO NOT BE JUDGMENTAL: LK. 9:51-54
NEED FOR LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN: MK. 10:13
JESUS PATIENTLY ENDURED THEIR FAILINGS BECAUSE, IN SPITE OF THEIR SHORTCOMINGS, THEY WERE TEACHABLE & WILLING TO FOLLOW (LK. 18:28-30)
JESUS’ DISCIPLES DID NOT COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO A DOCTRINE BUT TO A PERSON WHO WAS THE DOCTRINE. CONTINUING IN HIS WORD WAS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE TRUTH (JN. 8:31-32)
--JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE
OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL WAS THE CONTROLLING PRINCIPLE OF THE MASTER’S OWN LIFE (JN. 4:34, 5:30, 15:10), EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH (PHIL. 2:8)
JESUS MODELED OBEDIENCE TO EVERY WORD OF GOD (MATT. 4:4, AND NOTHING LESS SHOULD BE EXPECTED FROM EVERY DISCIPLE
--JESUS’ EXPECTATION OF OBEDIENCE
LIKE A FATHER TEACHING HIS CHILDREN TO OBEY HIM IN ORDER TO BE LIKE HIM, JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES.
JESUS WAS BUILDING MEN TO IMPACT THE WORLD, AND THIS REQUIRED ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE TO THE MASTER’S WILL AND COMPLETE ABANDONMENT OF THEIR OWN.
APPLICATION:
WHY ARE SO MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY IMMATURE & INEFFECTIVE IN WORLD IMPACT? CLERGY & LAITY ALIKE HAVE A GENERAL INDIFFERENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDS, OR A CONTENTED COMPLACENCY WITH HALF-HEARTED OBEDIENCE.
OUR “DO-AS-YOU-PLEASE” CHRISTIANITY MUST BE REPLACED WITH SELF-DENIAL & CONSECRATION TO CHRIST
WE MUST START AS JESUS DID, GETTING WITH A FEW CHOSEN ONES & INSTILLING INTO THEM THE MEANING OF OBEDIENCE.
“IF WE HAVE LEARNED EVEN THE MOST ELEMENTAL TRUTH OF DISCIPLESHIP, WE MUST KNOW THAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE SERVANTS OF OUR LORD & TO OBEY HIS WORD…UNLESS THERE IS THIS DEDICATION TO ALL THAT WE KNOW HE WANTS US TO DO NOW, HOWEVER IMMATURE OUR UNDERSTANDING MAY BE, IT IS DOUBTFUL IF WE WILL EVER PROGRESS FURTHER IN HIS LIFE AND MISSION” p. 59
“TAKE MY YOKE ON YOU, & LEARN FROM ME…” MATT. 11:29
--HE REQUIRED OBEDIENCE
JESUS EXPECTED THE MEN HE WAS WITH TO OBEY THE WORDS OF GOD (i.e., HIM). DISCIPLE = LEARNERS OR PUPILS OF THE MASTER
LATER CALLED “CHRISTIAN” (AC. 11:26)-OBEDIENT FOLLOWERS INEVITABLY TAKE ON THE CHARACTER OF THEIR LEADER
TRUST IN THE PERSON OF CHRIST & OBEDIENCE TO HIS WORD WAS CLEARLY IMPLIED IN THEIR INITIAL CALLING (NO “STATEMENT OF FAITH,” JUST HEARING & OBEYING THE MASTER)
--THE COST OF THE CROSS
BEING A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST INVOLVED FAR MORE THAN JOYFUL ACCEPTANCE OF REDEMPTION; IT MEANT SURRENDER OF ONE’S WHOLE LIFE TO THE MASTER IN TOTAL SUBMISSION TO HIS SOVEREIGNTY (NO COMPROMISE-LK. 16:13)
REQUIRES COMPLETE FORSAKING OF SIN; OLD THOUGHT PATTERNS, PLEASURES, HABITS OF THE WORLD CONFORMED TO THE DISCIPLINES OF THE KINGDOM (LK. 6:46-9)
PERFECT LOVE EXPRESSED IN DEVOTION TO THOSE HE DIED TO SAVE (MATT. 25:31-36)
WILLING DENIAL OF SELF FOR OTHERS (MATT. 16:24-26)
NOT MANY ACCEPTED HIS WORDS & STANDARD (JN. 6:60,66), BUT HE DID NOT GO RUNNING AFTER THEM TO KEEP THEM ON HIS MEMBERSHIP ROLL. TO BE DISCIPLES, THEY HAD TO PAY THE PRICE.
--COUNTING THE COST & PAYING THE PRICE
NO ONE COULD FOLLOW JESUS & HIS LIFE WITHOUT TURNING LOOSE OF THE WORLD (AC. 1:18-19)
POTENTIAL DISCIPLES TURNED AWAY: LK. 9:57-62. JESUS DIDN’T HAVE THE TIME OR DESIRE TO INVEST IN THOSE WHO WANTED TO FOLLOW ON THEIR OWN TERMS (LK. 14:25-33).
THE FEW WHO WERE SERIOUS WERE TRUSTED WITH MORE (MATT. 16:15-21)
--THE CONSECRATION STRUGGLES OF THE 12
HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING HIS DEATH & ITS MEANING TO THEM (MATT. 16:22-3)
HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THEIR PLACE IN THE KINGDOM:
NEED TO SERVE OTHERS: LK. 22:24-30
NEED FOR HUMILITY: MK. 9:33-37, 10:35-37
NEED FOR CONTENTMENT: MK. 10:41
NEED TO NOT BE JUDGMENTAL: LK. 9:51-54
NEED FOR LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN: MK. 10:13
JESUS PATIENTLY ENDURED THEIR FAILINGS BECAUSE, IN SPITE OF THEIR SHORTCOMINGS, THEY WERE TEACHABLE & WILLING TO FOLLOW (LK. 18:28-30)
JESUS’ DISCIPLES DID NOT COMMIT THEIR LIVES TO A DOCTRINE BUT TO A PERSON WHO WAS THE DOCTRINE. CONTINUING IN HIS WORD WAS THE ONLY WAY TO KNOW THE TRUTH (JN. 8:31-32)
--JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF OBEDIENCE
OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WILL WAS THE CONTROLLING PRINCIPLE OF THE MASTER’S OWN LIFE (JN. 4:34, 5:30, 15:10), EVEN TO THE POINT OF DEATH (PHIL. 2:8)
JESUS MODELED OBEDIENCE TO EVERY WORD OF GOD (MATT. 4:4, AND NOTHING LESS SHOULD BE EXPECTED FROM EVERY DISCIPLE
--JESUS’ EXPECTATION OF OBEDIENCE
LIKE A FATHER TEACHING HIS CHILDREN TO OBEY HIM IN ORDER TO BE LIKE HIM, JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES.
JESUS WAS BUILDING MEN TO IMPACT THE WORLD, AND THIS REQUIRED ABSOLUTE OBEDIENCE TO THE MASTER’S WILL AND COMPLETE ABANDONMENT OF THEIR OWN.
APPLICATION:
WHY ARE SO MANY CHRISTIANS TODAY IMMATURE & INEFFECTIVE IN WORLD IMPACT? CLERGY & LAITY ALIKE HAVE A GENERAL INDIFFERENCE TO GOD’S COMMANDS, OR A CONTENTED COMPLACENCY WITH HALF-HEARTED OBEDIENCE.
OUR “DO-AS-YOU-PLEASE” CHRISTIANITY MUST BE REPLACED WITH SELF-DENIAL & CONSECRATION TO CHRIST
WE MUST START AS JESUS DID, GETTING WITH A FEW CHOSEN ONES & INSTILLING INTO THEM THE MEANING OF OBEDIENCE.
“IF WE HAVE LEARNED EVEN THE MOST ELEMENTAL TRUTH OF DISCIPLESHIP, WE MUST KNOW THAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE SERVANTS OF OUR LORD & TO OBEY HIS WORD…UNLESS THERE IS THIS DEDICATION TO ALL THAT WE KNOW HE WANTS US TO DO NOW, HOWEVER IMMATURE OUR UNDERSTANDING MAY BE, IT IS DOUBTFUL IF WE WILL EVER PROGRESS FURTHER IN HIS LIFE AND MISSION” p. 59