Description of Discipleship

Thank you, Graham. It really is great to be here this morning. Thank you for your very

warm welcome to Brunswick Evangelical. Permit me, just as I was alluding to there, permit me to

also say a huge heartfelt thank you for your prayers and your financial partnership with us

as Christian unions in Edinburgh. I've seen some wonderful gospel fruit off the back of our week

of events that we ran at the end of January, the start of February. I firmly believe that God's

mission carries on throughout the whole year. God is at work 52 weeks out of 52 in the lives of these

students that I see and that I know. But this specific week of events that we ran at the end

of January, start of February, couldn't have happened without the backing of local churches such as

yourselves. So thank you very, very much. Okay, Luke chapter 9, we've read and we've prayed. Let's

Luke 9 · chapter mention

crack on. I remember sitting a few years ago with a girl called Naomi, who I worked alongside at

Chalmers for a few years. And we were reminiscing on individual time spent abroad in other countries.

We both studied Spanish. I studied at Glasgow University because I like the look of the degree

there. She studied at St. Andrews because she's much smarter than me. And I went on my year abroad

to Madrid and then we went to Argentina. And when we worked at Chalmers, we used to speak to one another

over lunch and probably other times when we should have been doing work,

about cultural mistakes that we made when we were in the countries that we were in for our years

abroad. So things that we would do that would look like perfect sense to us, that would make perfect

sense. But as locals would watch us, they would say to us, no, that's not how we do things around

here. They would have to explain to us that things were done differently in that place.

And so let me give you an example of that. When I was in Spain, I worked in a school as an English

teacher. And I remember after my first day of work, getting back to the flat of the host family

that I was living with for the year. I ran half past four in the afternoon and I felt fairly peckish,

having not really eaten much since breakfast, but I was fairly content to hold off until dinner at

5.30 sharp. Except Spaniards don't have dinner at 5.30 sharp. That would be a late lunch. So imagine

the horror when the mother of the family came home from work and explained to me with great enthusiasm

that we would be eating early at half past nine. And that was easily one of the longest and the

hungriest days I ever spent in Madrid. Another time I remember walking with a teacher to the local

primary school where this teacher's seven-year-old daughter was a pupil. And during the break,

the children were all outside playing and the two of us walked straight into the playground,

he found his daughter, scooped her up, kissed her and put her back down again.

And when I explained afterwards that in this country, in Scotland, in the UK, you'd never be

able to wander into a playground and do that, he smiled, he shrugged and he said to me,

it's not like that here. Things are different.

And if I was going to live there in Spain, then I had to rewrite my understanding of how I did things

based on the culture of the country I was in. And if that's true of a Scotsman in Spain for nine

months, it's certainly true of those that follow Jesus and follow his teaching. Anyone who wants to

believe in Christ to live in his kingdom needs to rewrite their understanding of how we do things

based on the culture of the kingdom that we now belong to, Christ's kingdom.

And you see Jesus doing throughout the whole of chapter nine, something which rewrites

the disciples' understanding of what the kingdom values and principles are.

Dr. Luke is recording for us what Christ's rule will be like. And there's much that initially looks

great in the eyes of those that follow Jesus. It's clear from the first six verses of chapter

nine that Jesus' healing kingship will be free from sickness, free from demonic spirits.

It's clear from the feeding of the 5,000 that Jesus' abundant kingship will be free from hunger.

And it's clear from the transfiguration that Jesus' powerful kingship will be one for his true

glory is revealed. And it would even appear that the disciples are starting to partially understand

who Jesus is. Peter says in verse 22, you, Jesus, are God's Messiah.

But what's obvious from what we read earlier on is that the disciples still have a very this world

view. They run the risk of interpreting everything as a we experience glory now

understanding of Jesus' kingdom. And you can see why they might think that after witnessing

everything that Jesus did and everything that Jesus said, what could possibly go wrong?

He comes as a king with an authority, with a glory unlike anything ever seen before.

However, Jesus makes it very clear that he comes as a suffering king.

His kingdom, by contrast to the expectations of the disciples, has vastly different values

and operates in a very, very different way. He mentions his death in verse 22. He mentions

a life of self-denial from 23 to 26. Jesus is rewriting his disciples' understanding,

of what it means to be a part of his kingdom. You want to follow me in my kingdom, chaps?

Well, you'll have to undergo a serious readjustment of your expectations.

You think we experience glory now? Well, it's not like that here. Things are different.

That's not how we do things around here.

And for us sitting here 2,000 years later, it's no different. Jesus is speaking to people

who would seek to follow him. Everyday men and women from all walks of life, just like us sitting here.

And it's very easy for us that genuinely follow Jesus to still allow the principles of this world,

of this day and age, to sneak into our lives and to twist our understanding of how Jesus' kingdom operates.

It's very easy and it's very dangerous. And Jesus will not allow it to happen.

Perhaps you're here and you're looking into Christianity for yourself.

Here it is.

Here's what it looks like to follow Jesus.

He has a terrible PR campaign.

He wants everyone who would follow him to know that it's a difficult journey

that does not lead to earthly glory and success,

but does lead to eternal glory and eternal success.

And so last week we were encouraged to stop, look and listen to Jesus.

And this week, under the heading of a detailed description of discipleship,

we're encouraged to do just exactly the same.

God says to Jesus' followers in verse 35, listen, listen to him.

And so the first thing to listen to, from verses 43 to 50,

is the caution from the king who devotes his life.

The caution from the king who devotes his life.

After what they've seen, everyone is amazed at the greatness of God.

Everyone is marvelling at all that Jesus did.

And in the middle of what looks like a crescendo, a high point in Jesus' ministry,

he delivers the most hard-hitting and devastating news.

He turns to his disciples and says, verse 44,

listen carefully to what I'm about to tell you.

The son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men.

At the moment when Jesus looks at his most invincible, he says, I'm going to die.

At the moment when Jesus looks at his most popular, he says,

I'm going to be delivered into the hands of men.

These same crowds that are marvelling will soon shout, crucify him.

And this news was so far outside of the disciples' field of expectation

that they just can't fathom that it'll happen.

They just cannot wrap their heads around it.

But we're also told by Luke in verse 45 that it was hidden from them.

They were starting to see who Jesus was as he opened their eyes,

but only very, very gradually.

Jesus still has much to teach them.

And the full extent of Jesus' glory is seen when Jesus devotes his very own life

for the sake of the salvation of others.

Jesus' caution is that the Savior must suffer,

so if the disciples are to follow him,

then his way must also be their way.

It's a hard truth for the disciples that desperately needs to sink into their heads

and sink into their hearts.

And that's why Jesus has some strong words to say about what follows.

The disciples are arguing about who is the greatest.

You can imagine the conversation, can't you?

Well, when Jesus rescues his people, we'll be the ones in the inner circle.

I'll probably be the greatest because I was one of the first disciples picked.

I was even up in the mountain with Jesus just there.

You were down here struggling to drive an evil spirit out of a little boy.

No, some disciple you are.

Jesus has just been talking sacrifice.

And they're talking self-exaltation.

Rivalry rears its ugly head.

And so in the process of rewriting their understanding of how Jesus' kingdom is to operate,

he has to issue another severe caution.

The disciples want personal status.

They want personal grandeur.

And Jesus takes a little boy and says,

whoever welcomes this child, whoever receives this child in my name, receives me.

And whoever receives me, receives him who sent me.

This is the sort of company the disciples are to entertain.

Those that follow Jesus, regardless of status or grandeur.

The child who is following Jesus, perhaps with his parents, perhaps on his own,

he would look like the least in any kingdom.

No reputation.

No standing in society.

But if this child follows Jesus,

then whoever welcomes this child in Jesus' name,

welcomes Jesus himself.

No self-promotion.

Instead, sacrificial welcome.

And you see how it's a picture of what Jesus is doing.

He welcomes the lowest.

This child cannot offer Jesus anything.

And yet, Jesus takes the boy and puts him by his side,

knowing that he will devote his life to forgive the sins of this young boy.

And as he does that, he says to the disciples in verse 48,

it is the one who is least among you who is the greatest.

It is the least among you who is the greatest.

Who's that?

Well, it will be Jesus himself, won't it?

As he hangs on the cross.

He will be the one who will become loathed, despised, delivered into the hands of men.

He will become the least.

But Jesus knows that the path to true greatness and glory takes him via the cross.

And he wants his disciples to follow accordingly.

Jesus models and will model the selflessness and sacrificial love he wants his followers to have,

because that is what true glory looks like in Christ's kingdom.

And just in case we were starting to wonder if the disciples were beginning to comprehend,

John very helpfully clears it up for us.

His response to all this is to say,

Oh, Master, we saw someone driving at demons in your name,

and we tried to stop him because, you know, he's not one of us.

And after everything that Jesus has just been explaining,

my initial response to John is,

John, you idiot.

And yet I know exactly what it is to be in John's position.

I was helping out last week at a CU events week down in Coventry.

It's the middle of nowhere, honestly.

And on Friday morning, we were feeding back as to how the Thursday night event had gone.

And the guy sitting opposite me, who was also helping out with the week,

explained to us all that God had used him to lead two students to repentance and faith in Jesus.

And I'd love to tell you that my instinctive reaction was,

That's such good news.

But it wasn't.

My instinctive reaction was,

Why couldn't that have been me?

I had to sit with someone who believed in Buddhism,

couldn't even tell me what type of Buddhism they believed in,

had no interest in Jesus,

and it was a really frustrating conversation for 40 minutes.

How come this other guy managed to enjoy success and I didn't?

But if Jesus' path is one where he devotes his life for the sake of his people,

then Jesus' caution to me, to all of us, to his disciples,

is that there can be no spiritual snobbery,

or spiritual elitism,

or spiritual jealousy.

There will always be those that are doing fruitful gospel work,

when things just aren't going well for us.

Maybe they're in a different part of the city.

Maybe they aren't just quite like us.

And yes, we have to be discerning.

Yes, we have to ask whether it's genuine gospel work or not.

But it's too easy to allow that to lapse into tribalism,

because they're not one of us.

Elitism, snobbery, is the ugliest thing in our church today.

And I feel the tug towards it in my own heart.

The Christian unions in Edinburgh are really healthy,

as I said earlier on.

It's very easy for me to think that other CUs across Scotland

just don't quite have it right.

Not like we do.

I don't want people to become Christians somewhere else.

I want them to become Christians here.

How ugly is that?

And you guys will know where risks appearing in your own hearts

and in the life of the church here.

But what will put a stop to it

is listening to the caution that comes from the king

that devotes his life.

If people are going to follow a selfless

and sacrificial King Jesus

to true glory in his kingdom,

how can we take any self-promotion on the way?

It's a real message for all who are called to be disciples.

Let there be no self-promotion, rivalry, triumphalism.

Rejoice.

Rejoice when others are doing the work of Christ's kingdom.

Rejoice when others are doing the work of Christ's kingdom.

Not according to Luke.

The destination of the journey, according to Luke in verse 51,

is Jesus being taken up to heaven.

And so his journey through immense suffering

leads ultimately to eternal glory

and it exemplifies the journey anyone takes

who trusts in Jesus

from the temporary kingdom of this creation

to his kingdom of the new creation.

And the road of discipleship will look like self-sacrifice.

And here we see clearly in these verses

it will look like facing real rejection

and open opposition.

Jesus is going through this territory

for the first time in Luke's gospel.

He is decidedly and obviously and purposefully

extending his kingdom to the foreigners.

All are invited.

The Samaritans would have been seen

as second-class citizens in the eyes of the Jews.

But true to Jesus' character,

true to Jesus' kingdom,

the gospel comes to them on the same terms.

He has come for the insider and the outcast,

for the privileged and the poor.

But all must welcome the saviour.

It's not enough just to hear about Jesus

or to meet him.

And tragically in this case,

the Samaritans don't want anything to do with him

because, verse 53,

he was heading for Jerusalem.

They seem to understand where Jesus is going

and Samaritans reject the idea

that Jerusalem is the place

where God should be worshipped.

So maybe it was pure sectarian hatred

on the part of the Samaritans.

Regardless of the reasons,

when people will not welcome Jesus,

when they say,

we don't want you,

we don't want your message,

Jesus listens.

He doesn't try and alter his teaching

to be welcomed.

Verse 56,

he and his disciples went to another village.

Well, how are the disciples going to respond to this?

Well, once again,

just in case we're starting to wonder

that the disciples were beginning to comprehend,

James and John clear things up for us.

They asked Jesus,

verse 54,

do you want us to call fire down from heaven

to destroy them?

They want justice and vengeance

on their own terms.

And once more,

Jesus has to rewrite the principles of his kingdom

on their hearts.

He rebukes James and John.

Let's be clear here.

Jesus doesn't rebuke them

because there are no consequences

to rejecting Jesus.

No, no.

Jesus makes it very,

very clear

that there are severe

and serious consequences

to rejecting him.

However,

Jesus' correction here to James and John

comes from the king

that instead demonstrates his grace.

Wonderfully,

if you read on

in Luke's second book of the Bible,

Acts,

you'll see in chapter 8

that Peter and John,

of all people,

place their hands on many Samaritans

to receive the Holy Spirit

who have heard the gospel

and are new Christians.

I reckon John,

when he was there in Samaria

in Acts chapter 8,

Acts 8 · chapter mention

probably kept pretty quiet

about what he'd said here

in Luke chapter 9.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

But to see the Samaritans

who had rejected Jesus

now welcome Jesus instead

is a wonderful display

of the grace

that the king extends

towards his enemies.

Jesus makes it very clear

that whilst it won't happen

to everyone,

there are definitely those

that first resist the message

of the gospel

who latterly welcome

Christ into their lives.

I'm sure we'll know

of people like that.

Again,

very easy for me to think

how awful of James and John

to suggest

such a thing as fire from heaven

when Jesus had very,

very clearly spoken

about welcoming the outsider.

However,

I've had some fairly choice thoughts

about those

that have rejected the gospel

and have mocked

the king that I follow.

Perhaps,

even in my darkest moments,

I've thought,

I cannot wait

until that person

stands before God

and realises

they've been wrong

all along.

It'll feel so good

when that person

kneels before God

and feels the weight

of every word

they've said against him.

Have you ever thought that?

Is that such a different attitude

to the one that James and John

display here?

I don't think it is.

Let's understand

the reality of all this.

To be on the path

to glory with Jesus

will always mean hostility

from all sorts of people

for all sorts of reasons.

Let's not be surprised by that.

Yet,

Jesus is patient

and his judgment

is withheld

for the moment.

and knowing that the king

we follow

demonstrates his grace

to his enemies

means that we too

are to extend grace

to those that oppose him.

And friends,

it's incredibly hard,

isn't it?

It can often come

at real personal cost.

cost.

And yet,

it was exactly

at a real personal cost

that Jesus

extended his grace

to us

before we were

his friends.

Realistically,

can we seek

any sort of

earthly retribution

for those that have

opposed Jesus

when we have done

exactly the same thing

and yet Jesus

has demonstrated

his grace

towards us?

Wonderfully,

thankfully,

vengeance does not

belong to us.

It belongs to the Lord.

So in turn,

we extend grace

to others.

See again here

how Jesus' way

ends up being

the way of the disciple too.

So the caution

from the king

who devotes his life,

the correction

from the king

who demonstrates his grace,

and now finally

as we close,

the call from the king

who demands our all.

The call from the king

who demands our all.

Very quickly,

three short incidents

between Jesus

and those that would

follow him.

That word is all over

our last section

this morning,

follow.

And Jesus is clarifying

the nature of the call

to follow him.

The first man

that he speaks to

wants to leap

into a commitment

to follow Jesus

without first understanding

the cost of it all.

Jesus warns him

clearly in verse 58

that whilst foxes

have dens,

birds have nests,

the son of man

has no place

to lay his head.

Jesus' path he walks

is one of homelessness

in this world.

It's a world

that he created.

Even the animals

have somewhere

they can call home.

And yet he's not

putting down

any roots

in this world

because he is

heading towards

the cross

and he is heading

towards the new

creation to come.

He is an outcast

in this world

and for any disciple

seeking to follow Jesus

we cannot

permanently invest

in the things

of this age.

We cannot put

unhealthy roots down

in this world

as our home.

Not when we weigh up

with the new creation

to come.

And Jesus is

seriously reconfiguring

how his followers

view things

in this world.

It doesn't mean

we can't enjoy things.

Please don't mishear me.

Friends,

family,

romance,

holidays,

sport,

food,

these are good

gifts to us

from God.

But the son of man,

the creator,

didn't think to take

a home for himself

in this world

when he was here

in the flesh

sharing the good news

of the kingdom

to come.

He had every right to

but he didn't.

He knew where he was headed.

And his demand

on this first man

is that he will

follow a saviour

who did not find

his home here.

That's the warning.

His people can expect

a life of exile,

not comfort,

in this creation,

awaiting the wonderful

new creation to come.

The second person

Jesus calls to follow him

gives what initially

seems like a perfectly

reasonable reaction

in verse 59.

Lord, first let me go

and bury my father.

Surely that's only reasonable.

But let's understand

that the whole

burial process

for a Jew

would have taken

roughly a year

from start to finish.

It's not even

explicitly clear

that this man's father

has died yet.

He might still have

a few years

to go first.

But regardless

of all that,

this man has not

grasped

the urgency

of Christ's call.

Nothing is more important,

not even

our earthly families.

The Bible has some

very positive things

to say about family life.

We're told to honour

our parents.

We're told to raise

our children to know

and to love Jesus.

However,

when the time comes

and it will often come,

Jesus' call

is firstly

to him

and to his kingdom

over

our earthly relationships

with family.

I've spoken to

young men and women

who have given

their lives to Jesus

at university

through various

events weeks

and these students

have parents

that are now

desperately upset

and desperately angry

that their child

goes to church

every week.

I've spoken to

students who are

thinking of perhaps

spending a year

volunteering with UCCF,

working for a church

or another Christian

movement.

They're expected

to fundraise

for the year

and often these

young men and women

come under tremendous

pressure from their parents.

Some of these parents

are Christians

and they say things like,

how are you going

to afford that?

I think you should

be getting a job,

a good job.

We've paid for you

to go through

three, four years

of university.

What a waste

it would be

if you were to

give it all up

and work for a church.

Leave that

for other people.

And the tug

of feeling like

your first allegiance

is to your parents

at the expense

of honouring Jesus

is very, very real

and it's very, very hard.

Jesus' call

as king

is to demand

all of this man's life

and it's the same call

he places on any follower.

It's a deliberately

sore example here.

It's a deliberately

sore example

because it's meant

to show us

just how difficult it is.

As I said,

no small print.

Even the best

of reasons

and excuses

cannot delay,

cannot derail us.

And the last

interaction is similar.

A man says,

I will follow you,

Lord,

but first

let me go back

and say goodbye

to my family.

Surely,

again,

a fairly reasonable

excuse.

But the man

is betrayed

by his own words.

I will follow you,

but first.

These are words

that are spoken

all too often.

I know a girl

who I started

university with

who told me

that she was going

to,

and I quote,

give up God

for university

before picking him

back up again

after she graduated.

I will follow you,

but first.

And it's no surprise

that she's no longer

anywhere near

following Jesus.

And Jesus says

that this man

and anyone else

with this attitude

is similar to a man

who plows,

looking away

over his shoulder,

only to see the plow

veer off track.

We've seen it

happen ourselves.

Jesus has to be

our sole focus

before anything else.

There's no room

for Jesus plus.

The first man

is too quick,

hasn't weighed up

the cost.

The second is too slow,

hasn't grasped

the urgency.

The third is too busy

trying to juggle Jesus

alongside all these

other commitments.

And Jesus' call

is to demand everything,

not because he wants

to ruin our fun,

not because he needs

our everything

as a narcissist,

but Jesus knows

that true joy,

true discipleship,

means following him

wholeheartedly.

He knows the dangers

of allowing the principles,

the values,

the priorities

of this world

to creep into our walk

with him.

And he does not want us

to fall away from him.

So he says to his disciples,

that's not how we do

things around here.

The caution from the king

who devotes his life

is to say no to self-promotion,

no to spiritual snobbery,

no to rivalry.

The correction from the king

who demonstrates his grace

is that we will face opposition,

but we respond not with

our own flavor of vengeance,

but with grace and patience

in the same way that he did.

And the call from the king

who demands our all

is that true discipleship

means that he is the number

one priority in our lives.

It's uncomfortable,

it's urgent,

it's uncompromising,

but it's everything

that Jesus embodied

when he was on earth.

Jesus doesn't make demands

that he did not live out himself

in his own life.

Do you see that?

When we experience

all of these struggles,

when we try and soldier on

to live the life of a disciple,

we can turn to Jesus and say,

this is really difficult.

And he turns back to us

and responds with,

I know.

Trust me.

I know.

And so the take home from today

isn't moralism.

It's not be more modest,

be more gracious,

be more committed.

That's not what I'm saying.

That's not Luke chapter nine.

The take home is follow Jesus.

See how he models

that which his disciples

are to follow.

See the cross.

See the way that he reconciles us

to God and pays the debt

of our sins.

See the destination

at the end.

His kingdom for all eternity

for the believer.

Let Jesus be what motivates you

to live in such a way

that points away from ourselves,

away from this world,

to him

and to his kingdom.

let me pray for us

as we close.

Lord Jesus,

we thank you for the

honesty

and the realism

that the Bible has

towards those who follow you.

Father,

in many ways,

the personal cost

is great,

but we can look at Jesus

and we can see

the way that he

models all of these things

for us to follow.

Father,

we know this morning

that an eternity

with you,

an eternity with Christ

is so worth

the pain,

the suffering

of this day and age.

Father,

help us

by your Holy Spirit

to have our eyes

fixed upon Christ.

Help us

by your Holy Spirit

to lean upon you

not to mingle

kingdom priorities

and principles

with the principles

and priorities

of this world.

Help us,

Father,

by your Spirit

to stay distinct.

Help us to live

the life

of a disciple

that genuinely

loves you

increasingly

as the days go on,

that knows you better

and understands

the love

that you have

for us better.

Father,

we thank you

that for those of us

that this morning

have not been doing this,

we know that there is

forgiveness

because of the cross.

We're so thankful,

Father,

that we can turn back

to you,

look at what Jesus did

and say,

forgive me

and know that

that forgiveness

is ours.

And so,

Father,

would you forgive me?

Would you forgive

all of us sitting here

that have allowed

other things

to sneak in

and distort

the principles

of the kingdom

in our lives?

Give us everything

we need,

Father,

to live a life

that glorifies you

in the same way

that Jesus did.

In whose name we pray.

Amen.

Let's do it.

Lup searchчат-

By the way,

Abraham,

Jesus,