Conviction 2: What Is A Disciple?

Well, I have the joy of drawing pictures for you this morning.

And so if Robin, if you could pull that up, I just want to remind you, we are in this

series called Revision, and what the elders of Christ the King Church are seeking to do

is the elders are seeking to shepherd our church towards a much more clear aim, why

we exist as a church.

And last week, we talked about conviction number one.

There's this little booklet that we're working through together.

It's from a book called The Vine Project, phase one, sharpening your convictions.

And last week, I drew a picture for you about conviction number one.

Why make disciples?

And so it went something like this.

Remember that our God is a triune God that came right out of Ephesians chapter 1, verses

Ephesians 1:3–14

3 through 14.

God the Father who ordains salvation, God the Son who accomplishes salvation, and God the

Holy Spirit who applies salvation, who is our seal, our guarantor of what Jesus has done

on our behalf.

So God's plan is a triune plan.

And then I wanted you to see that God's plan is a big plan.

It's a plan for the fullness of time.

God is moving all people over all time towards a designated end that we are representing by a

big old throne, as in the throne of judgment, as in Matthew 25, where all people will gather

before King Jesus, and he will separate all people from all time as his sheep from the

goats.

So God is moving all people from all time in this great big plan of his.

In fact, what I wanted you to see last week is that God is working out this plan right now.

In between I told you of this plan last week and this week, God for sure has been at work

all throughout the world.

I also wanted you to see that this plan was a Christocentric plan, that specifically the

cross of Jesus Christ is at the center of this plan.

Remember that this plan for the fullness of time, God intended to unite all things in

Christ, things in heaven and things on earth.

It's through the cross of Jesus Christ that God pours out an extraordinary grace, a grace

that changes people dramatically.

It changes the direction they live.

So at the cross of Jesus Christ, God does something amazing through the death of Christ.

That payment Jesus made, that act of redemption, he called it a ransom for many.

So this plan is a triune plan.

It's a big plan.

It's a Christocentric plan, by the way.

We also know that Jesus is the creator and that Jesus is the judge.

And so he's the creator, redeemer, and judge.

But we also know that this plan is a people-moving plan, that God for the fullness of time is moving

people to the cross.

Right now there are millions of people living in, that's an O, in the domain of darkness.

And they are running away from the throne.

They're not interested in following Jesus.

They're not interested in bringing glory and praise and honor to our God.

I was numbered among them and so were you.

We were living self-centered lives for this present age.

We were thinking that we had all right to determine our own lives.

We were living by the rule of self-determination.

And then this phenomenal act of grace, God intersects our lives.

He gives us ears to hear of what Jesus has done at the cross 2,000 years later.

And so what God does in glorious fashion, through the grace of God, he calls us to the cross.

And then it's by this amazing grace poured out in an extraordinary way at the cross.

He flips us.

He transforms us from living in the domain of darkness, self-centered, self-determined lives.

And he makes us new people.

And now we are living for him.

We are moving towards Jesus.

He's called us to be his disciples.

This extraordinary grace poured out at the cross results in a radical discipleship to Jesus.

And this is, of course, a glory plan.

When God radically changes us by his grace, now we're living for something far bigger than ourselves.

We're living for what we originally created for.

The glory of God.

And so we, so what God is doing for all time, is he is populating heaven with worshipers.

People who are around the throne right now singing the praises of God.

Salvation belongs to our God.

Who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb.

Praise and glory, honor and strength be to our God.

That's conviction one.

We've got, we've got to be convinced of this.

If we're not convinced of God's plan for the fullness of time, do you know what's going to happen?

We're going to be convinced of some other plan.

Some other plan is going to take his place.

We're going to be living for something else.

But this is conviction one.

God is at work, brothers and sisters.

All throughout this week, all throughout the world, God from every tribe, tongue, and nation

has been flipping people by his grace through the cross of Jesus, making them disciples of Jesus.

That's the intro.

Conviction two.

What, what is a disciple?

What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?

It's a very basic question, right?

And we can't assume that everyone in this room is sharing the same answer to that question.

Because some people think that a disciple of Jesus Christ is like someone who accepted Jesus into their heart when they were three years old,

but it's not living a life of discipleship to Jesus.

Or we can think that to be a disciple is to be in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with an older Christian.

We think of discipleship in terms of programs.

Or we can think that discipleship, a disciple of Jesus is one of the elite followers of Jesus.

Those elite people who go into full-time ministry.

They're kind of the real deal, the SEAL Team 6 of followers of Jesus.

We need to turn to Jesus.

Jesus, what do you say a disciple is?

How does Jesus answer the question, what is a disciple?

And so this morning, we're going to turn to Mark chapter 8, and we're going to look at 27 through 38,

Mark 8 · chapter mention

and we're going to look at this kind of nice section of God's Word to look to Jesus and to learn from Him what a true disciple is from His lips.

So here's what this is going to do for us.

First, it's going to give us as a church a shared definition and description of what a disciple of Jesus really is.

So we, at one point, as a church, we can say, okay, we're all on the same page of what a disciple is now.

Secondly, what that will do is help each of us assess our lives in light of what Jesus says a disciple is.

So all of us this morning need to ask a very basic question.

When we hear what Jesus says is a disciple, each of us needs to ask, am I that kind of disciple?

Have I responded to that call?

That, all of that call?

Thirdly, what this will do is it's going to help us move forward as a church.

Because think of your life groups as packs of 21st disciples, century disciples following Jesus together.

And so when we have a common definition of what a disciple is, now we can help each other move towards Jesus together.

And finally, this is going to help us know how to call people who are outside of the church, living in darkness right now,

what we must say to them so that they too can become followers of Jesus.

So if you would, please, if you haven't already, open your Bibles to Mark chapter 8, verses 27 through 38.

Mark 8:27–38

I'm going to read this for us.

Hear God's word.

This is the very words of God.

And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.

And on the way, he asked his disciples, who do people say that I am?

And they told him, John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets.

And Jesus asked his disciples, but who do you say, who do you say that I am?

Peter answered him, you are the Christ.

And Jesus strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

That's interesting.

Verse 31, and he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things

and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and the scribes and be killed.

And after three days, rise again.

And he said this plainly.

And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

But turning and seeing his disciples, Jesus rebuked Peter and said,

Get behind me, Satan, for you're not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, Jesus said to them,

If anyone would come after me, here it is, he is now defining what a disciple is.

If anyone would come after me.

He, he, for if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever would save his life will lose it.

But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

For what can a man give in return for his soul?

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation,

of him will the son of man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father and with the holy angels.

May God bless the speaking and hearing of his words.

This morning I want to walk you through kind of four steps, four points.

You'll see it on your bulletin.

Now I know the font on the back of your bulletin is really small.

If you just want to listen and follow along, that's fine.

But I'm going to make four moves so that we can answer the question.

So we can hear Jesus answer the question,

What is a disciple?

First, we see in this passage a Q&A with Jesus.

A question and answer time with Jesus.

Verses 27 through 30.

Jesus has brought his disciples to Caesarea Philippi.

They've been working together for some time.

His disciples have been seeing Jesus do amazing things.

And you've got to know that Caesarea Philippi,

This is like worship center.

There was the worship of Baal that took place in Caesarea Philippi.

The worship of Pan.

The worship of Caesar.

It was the Roman cult city.

So it's very interesting that Jesus would turn to his disciples and say,

In this town of worship,

Who are people saying that I am?

He's asking his disciples what other people think.

It's like he's taking a poll.

And his disciples respond in verse 28,

Well, some people think that you're John the Baptist.

Other people are saying that you're Elijah.

Some others are saying you're one of the other prophets.

These are the heavy hitters leading up to Jesus so far.

And then Jesus gets to where he wants to get to.

In verse 29, he asks his disciples,

Who do you say that I am?

Before we go any further,

Imagine that you're in Caesarea Philippi,

And that Jesus is asking you that question.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

When we talk about discipleship to Jesus,

We must begin with Jesus.

Who do you say that Jesus is?

In verse 29, Peter says,

You're the Christ!

Ding, ding, ding, ding!

He's almost right.

Because Jesus, look how he answers,

And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

That's kind of surprising.

So, if Peter were right,

Jesus is the Christ,

Wouldn't Jesus want him to declare that to everybody?

Why is Jesus putting the hush on his disciples

After they've said something apparently true?

That he's the Christ?

Well, what we're going to see is that

Jesus knows that Peter and the disciples,

They don't have a full understanding

Of what the Christ has come to do.

And so, that brings me to the second point.

An important messianic clarification.

Jesus, in verse 31,

Is seeking to correct his disciples

In a misunderstanding of the Christ.

You've got to be clear on who Jesus the Christ is

In order to know how to respond to him.

And so, here's what I want you to see right now.

In verse 29, Peter says,

You are the Christ.

And then in verse 31,

Mark summarizes what Jesus says.

He says,

And he began to teach them

That the Son of Man must suffer

And he must be rejected and be killed

And three days rise again.

And so, what Jesus is doing

Is he's using a title,

Son of Man,

That equals the title Christ.

It's just two different ways of saying

The Messiah.

And so, if you look in your Bible

In Mark chapter 9,

Mark 9:31

Verse 31,

Jesus refers to himself as the Son of Man.

The Son of Man is going to be delivered

Into the hands of men

And they will kill him

And when he's killed,

After three days, he will rise.

And then if you flip the page,

Chapter 10, verse 33,

Jesus says,

See, we are going up to Jerusalem

And the Son of Man

Will be delivered over to the chief priests

And the scribes

And they will condemn him to death

And deliver him over to the Gentiles

And they will mock him

And spit on him

And flog him

And kill him

And after three days,

He will rise.

Jesus is making a clarification

On the Christ,

The Son of Man.

If you flip back on your Bibles,

To Daniel chapter 7,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

If you kind of flip to the middle of your Bible

And you're in the Psalm,

Just start going right.

Go past Jeremiah and Ezekiel

And you will find Daniel.

Daniel chapter 7,

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

Daniel has these night visions.

And in verse 13 and 14,

We read this.

I saw in the night visions

And behold,

With the clouds of heaven

There came one like a

Son of Man.

And he came to the Ancient of Days

And was presented before him

And to him,

The Son of Man

Was given dominion and glory

And a kingdom

That all people's nations

And languages

Should serve him.

His dominion is not

An everlasting dominion

Which shall not pass away

And his kingdom

One that shall not be destroyed.

So when Peter's thinking

About the Christ,

He's thinking,

Uh-huh,

Here comes the dominion, baby.

The Christ is coming

To knock out Rome.

We're going to get our nation back.

And Jesus is saying,

The Christ didn't come

To establish his kingdom

That way.

Not by force,

Not by war horse.

Jesus is saying,

I have come,

The Christ has come,

The Son of Man has come

To establish his kingdom

Through suffering,

Rejection,

Being killed,

And being raised from the dead.

Here's why this is significant.

Robin,

Would you pull up

The,

That masterpiece of art?

Remember,

The cross

Is at the center of it all.

The cross

Is the thing

By which God

Poured out his grace

To accomplish

His unifying purposes.

The Christ,

Did you see that word must?

The Christ must suffer

In order to fulfill

God's big plan

For all time.

To establish his kingdom

In his everlasting dominion.

It had to happen this way.

You see,

The cross

Is central

To God's plan

Of making disciples

Of all nations.

It must happen.

It's a very important

Messianic clarification.

It's at the cross

That God's power

Is poured out.

And it's that

Gracious power

That delivers

A sinner

Living in the domain

Of darkness

And transfers

And transforms

That sinner

Into a saint

A child of God

Living in

The kingdom of light.

What's interesting

Is in verse 32

Peter rebukes Jesus.

Jesus,

You don't want

To be talking like that.

You got a crowd here,

Jesus.

Don't miss it.

You don't really mean that,

Do you, Jesus?

Jesus.

You're not going

To be crucified.

You're not going

To be killed.

And then Jesus

Rebukes Peter.

He says,

Get behind me, Satan.

Satan's the deceiver.

The distorter.

And he says,

Peter,

You don't have

The things of God

On your mind.

You've got the things

Of man.

You know what

Peter was doing?

Peter

Was wanting to be,

Wanting Jesus to be

The Christ

Of his own liking.

He wanted

The Christ

To be

To be the deliverer

Of his preference.

This is what we need

Right now.

And Jesus is saying,

No, no.

The Christ

Has come

To establish

His kingdom

By forgiving people.

By transforming people.

By a powerful work

Of his grace.

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

By a powerful work

It's a very important

Messianic clarification.

And by the way,

Jesus doesn't reject

What we read in Daniel

Daniel 7 · chapter mention

Chapter 7

13 through 14.

That shows up

In verse 38.

When Jesus comes back

In glory.

We've seen a Q&A

With Jesus.

We've seen this important

Messianic clarification.

Discipleship to Jesus

Must begin with the real Jesus.

The real Jesus.

Not the Christ

Of our own liking

Or our own likeness.

And it's from there

That he makes the call.

If you look at verse

Back in Mark chapter 8

Mark 8:34

Verse 34

He's just rebuked

Peter

And calling the crowd

To him

With his disciples

He said to them

This is where

He answers the question

What is a disciple?

And this call

In verse 34

Contains three commands

Deny himself

Take up his cross

Follow me

They're commands

They're requirements

And so Jesus says

In verse 34

The invitation goes

Out to all

If anyone would come

After me

Let him

Better said

He must

Deny himself

And take up his cross

And follow me

We've got to be clear

On what Jesus

Is saying right here

We all got to get

On the same page

Of what Jesus means

By a disciple

So let me give this a shot

Let's take those two commands

Of this call first

Let him deny himself

And take up

Take up his cross

When Jesus says

He must deny himself

What Jesus is talking about

Is giving up

Renouncing

A self-centered

Way of life

That lives for this

Present world

That's what he's talking about

He's talking about

You need

To renounce

Deny

A life

In which you

Every morning

Those living in the domain

Of darkness

They pull up this flag

Of self

And that flag of self

Doesn't have like

Your picture on it

It has things like

Living for accomplishment

Where

Every morning

Your

People get into this

Thinking that

I'm living for

Some kind of award

Or acknowledgement today

I'm living for a GPA

I'm living for a degree

I'm living for a promotion

I'm living to be right

And what it is

Is some kind of living

Actually for yourself

And the lie is

That this present world

Is all that there is

Jesus says

You need to deny yourself

You've got to deny

That

And Jesus goes on to say

Not only do you

Have to deny yourself

You need to take up

Your cross

Jesus is speaking this

In Caesarea Philippi

Everybody who heard

Jesus say this

Would know

Exactly

They would have

A picture in their mind

Of someone

Who's been convicted

By Rome

To death

And after their conviction

They would need to

Walk

The walk of shame

To the place

Of their crucifixion

And do you know

What they'd have to be carrying

Their own cross

Rome has come in

And said

And said

You do not have

Any more rights

To self-determination

We will determine

That for you

If denying yourself

Is renouncing

A self-centered

Living of your life

For this present world

This call to die

This call to

Take up your cross

Is laying down

Your right

To self-determination

I call my own shots

I decide where I go

Jesus is not pulling

Any punches here

And be clear

That these are not

Suggestions

What he's doing

Is this call

To deny yourself

This call

To take up your cross

It is a call

To lay down

Your life

For Jesus

And it is

Essential

To following Jesus

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Who wrote the book

Cost of Discipleship

Which everybody

In the room

Should have

He is known

For saying

When Christ calls

A man

He calls him

He bids him

Come and die

I want

I want to help you

Ask a question

Right now

And you might be

A little embarrassed

To ask it yourself

So I'll ask it

For you

But let me give you

A little kind of

Humorous kind of

Account of it first

This particular question

Back in 1992

Yours truly

Was a 20 year old

Guy

I literally

My frontal lobe

Hadn't been developed

Yet

So I literally

Thought in six

Hour increments

I'm just thinking

Six hours out

Well summer of 1992

I'm in New Jersey

With a bunch of

Other young Christians

We're seeking to

Follow Jesus together

It

The summer

Rocked

And I'm living

In six hour increments

And so this is

This is early August

Summer of 92

My friend Andy

And I

Loving the Lord

We get in our minds

Let's get Mohawks

And I'm not talking

Fowhawk

I'm talking

Mohawk

So we asked another

Buddy of ours

Hey man

Will you

Will you

Mohawk us

And I came out

With a great

Mohawk

It was awesome

I called my mom

Mom I

I got a Mohawk

And then she says

Something to the extent

Who do you think you are?

Because

My brother

Had asked me

To be his best man

At his wedding

On Labor Day weekend

That September

Six hour

My frontal lobe

Had not been developed

I had no

Who do you think you are?

I wasn't even thinking

I

I

Don't know

That question though

Who do you think you are?

That's the question

I want you to ask

Of Jesus

Because when he says

If anyone would come

After me

And he's talking to you

He must deny himself

And take up his cross

You need to ask

The question

Who do you think

You are?

Jesus

Who do you think

You are

To require that

Of me

To renounce

A self-centered

Self-determined life

Who do you think

You are?

And the answer

To that question

He's the son of man

He's your redeemer

He's your creator

He's your judge

He has every right

In the universe

To call you

To deny yourself

And take up your cross

And follow him

Here's how much

Your savior

Loves you

He will not

Suffer

Any

Rival

In your heart

For him

In his rightful place

You won't suffer it

And so he's saying

If you're going to follow me

If you're going to call me

Master

You've got to renounce

All other masters

And you're

You're

You're your biggest challenge

What Jesus is talking about here

In this

Deny himself

And take up your cross

We can call this

Repentance

It's turning from

Your old way of living

In order to

Turn

To Jesus

It's saying no

To your former way of life

Living in darkness

Living for what

People living in darkness

Live for

And you renounce that

I

I'm not living that way anymore

Because I'm living for Jesus now

We can sum this up in

Jesus saying

Lay down your life

If you're going to come after me

You must

Lay down your life

And for those of us

This begins

At conversion

When we hear the gospel

For the first time

God's grace

Lights us up

We realize

Who Jesus is

What he has done

And we're like

Yes

I will follow you

You lay down your life

You have no rights

It's a response

To his extraordinary grace

And then for every day

After that

You're laying down your life

This

Is the way

Of following Jesus

That last command

And follow me

He must

Deny himself

Take up his cross

And follow me

I

We tend

As Christians

To want to

Just say

Follow me

Jesus is calling you

To follow me

And we leave out

The deny part

And to take up

Your cross part

We can't do that

Jesus doesn't do that

That's not loving people

But

In order to follow Jesus

You must

First

Lay down your life

But when we get to

This command

Follow me

It's easy

To keep it vague

Jesus says

Follow me

I'll follow you

Whatever you say

Jesus I'll do it

Most of the time

I want to help you

Think through

A little bit more

About what Jesus

Means by follow me

First thing is

To follow Jesus

Means to learn

From Jesus

To

To listen

To his words

And to look

At his way of life

Back

In the first century

When disciples

Followed their rabbis

Disciples

Disciples would

Follow their rabbis

Not simply just

To hear the truth

Of their words

Disciples

Followed rabbis

To see how the rabbis

Lived out

The truth

Of their words

When Jesus says

Follow me

He's calling you

To a whole new

Way of life

The best place

To see

Jesus

To hear his words

To see his way

Of life

In your Bible

Are the gospels

Gospel after gospel

You hear

The words

Of Jesus

You see

The way he

Engaged with people

That's your savior

That's your master

That's the one

Who's calling you

To follow him

That's who you're

Learning from

To follow Jesus

Means first and foremost

To learn

From Jesus

But

To follow Jesus

Doesn't end

With learning

From Jesus

As though

Discipleship's

Just a classroom

We learn

From Jesus

In order to

Live for Jesus

We learn

From Jesus

To live

For Jesus

In Matthew 11

Jesus says

Come to me

All you who are

We are in heaven

Layden

I will give you rest

He says

Verse 29

Take my yoke

Upon you

And learn from me

For I am

Meek and lowly

Of heart

That yoke

Is a great picture

Of discipleship

We are to be

Yoked

To Jesus

To learn from him

To walk

With him

In his ways

We live

For Jesus

We don't learn

From Jesus

And that's it

We learn from Jesus

In order to

Live for Jesus

We take in his words

To live out his words

We make it our aim

To please him

It informs the way we live

He has poured out

His extravagant grace

Through the cross

And now we get

To live this

Radical discipleship

To Jesus

Learning from him

In order to live

For him

And it's in order

To become like Jesus

We learn from him

To live for him

To become like him

In your living out

Of what you are learning

You become like him

You think like him

You speak like him

You engage others

Like him

You get angry

At what he gets angry at

You delight

In what he delights in

You become like him

There's this great passage

In the apostle Paul

In 2nd Corinthians

Chapter 3

The apostle Paul

The apostle Paul writes

This

And we all

With unveiled face

Beholding the glory

Of the Lord

Beholding the glory

Of the Lord

Are being transformed

Into the same image

Becoming like him

From one degree

Of glory to another

For this comes

From the Lord

Who is the spirit

How do we behold

The glory of the Lord

Chapter 4 verse 6

For God who said

Let light shine out

Of darkness

Has shown in our hearts

To give the light

Of the knowledge

Of the glory

Of God

In the face

Of Jesus Christ

We learn from him

To become like him

We learn

We live

We become like

So what is a disciple

A disciple

Is anyone

Who by God's grace

Is laying down

Their life

To learn from

Live for

And become like Jesus

All because we love him

His love for us

And his transforming grace

It fuels our love

For him

And we live that love out

By laying down

Our lives

Learning from him

Living for him

And over time

Becoming like him

Brothers and sisters

That's his call

On your life today

If any of you

Would come after him

You must lay down

Your life

And learn from him

To live for him

To become like him

In verses 35 through 38

Jesus gives us

His cost benefit analysis

This is a big call

And in verses 35 through 38

Jesus says

This is why it's worth it

Remember

Who's speaking here

The creator

Redeemer

And judge

Is speaking here

He's doing the math

For us

If you know

The scale

Of what he's calling us to

Jesus is saying

This is why

It's worth it

I'm worth it

Jesus says

In verse 35

For whoever

Would save his life

And what he's talking

About there is

Whoever is trying

To live a self-centered

Life for this

Present world

Who's trying to

Live this self-determined

Life out

That is essentially

Saying no to me

You lose it

There's no salvation

In that

But whoever

Loses his life

Whoever lays down

His life

For him

For the gospel's sake

He's saved

Grace

Has come home

Only those

Who have experienced

The extraordinary

Grace of God

Will respond

In such a radical way

He goes into

This cost-benefit analysis

35, 36, and 37

And it's in verse 38

Though

That he changes

The language

And he starts talking

About being ashamed

For whoever

Is ashamed of me

And of my words

In this adulterous

And sinful generation

We're living

In that generation

We're living

In the domain

Of darkness

For whoever

Is ashamed of me

What Jesus is saying

There's whoever

Who is choosing

Not to deny themselves

And take up their cross

To follow me

Whoever's insisting

On their own way

He says

Of him

Will the son of man

Daniel 7, 13, and 14

Also be ashamed of

When he comes in the glory

Of his father

With the holy angels

It's a warning

Of judgment

When he comes

Who you choose

Now matters

What Jesus is saying

You've got a choice

To make

Between living

Your life for you

And living your life

For Jesus

And for Jesus

The decision

Is very clear

Live for me

And live

So what is

A disciple

Of Jesus

According to Jesus

Anyone

Who's done the math

Who by God's grace

Is laying down

Their life

To learn from

Live for

And become

Like Jesus

Because you love him

You can think about it

In four L's

Lay it down

Learn from Jesus

Live for Jesus

Become like Jesus

All out of

A love for Jesus

This

This amazing grace

Poured out at the cross

It results

In a radical discipleship

To Jesus

For those of us

Who have come to know him

We've realized

He's the treasure hidden

In the field

And you sell

Everything you have

To have that

Let me just hit

A couple implications

And we'll be done

Here's what this means

For us as a church

As a church

Now we have

A common

Definition

Of what a disciple

Is

According to Jesus

Someone who

By God's grace

Is laying down

Their life

In order to learn

From

Live for

Become like

Jesus

Out of a love

For him

We've got that

Now

We need to unite

Around it

We need to own it

And we can't

Conveniently

Leave out

The

Deny yourself

And take up

Your cross

Part

Nor can we

Stay vague

On the

Follow me

Part

We've got to

Be clear

Secondly

You need to ask

Yourself this

Morning

Am I a disciple

Of Jesus

According to

His definition

Let me help you

With that

Have you laid

Down your life

For him

When

Are you

Learning from

Jesus

What

Are you

Living for

Jesus

Where

Are you

Becoming like

Jesus

How

Assess

Yourself

Maybe today

You've realized

It's been a long

Time since I

Have said

I'm laying my

Life down for

You Jesus

Every morning

Early on

I'm making a

Statement

I'm saying

Something to

The extent of

Lord Jesus

My life is

Not my own

You've bought

Me

At a price

I am gladly

Yours today

You join me

Every day

Laying down

Your life

For Jesus

This gives us

To

A way to

Move forward

Together

It gives us

A common

Way of

Talking about

Discipleship

So that in

Our life

Groups

We can

Talk with

One another

About

You know

What

Last week

I didn't

Lay down

My life

Until

Friday

Or

You can

Say

Hey man

I am

Seeing

Jesus

In you

Brother

Keep on

Pressing on

I

Had a

Conversation

With a

Sister

This past

Week

And

Her life

Dramatically

Changed

In 2008

And I

Was able

To tell

Her

You've

Been

Changed

I can

See

It

We get

To help

Each other

Follow

Jesus

And of

Course

This helps

Us

Know how

To tell

Others

About

Jesus

And not

Leave out

The small

Print

But to

Say to

People

If you

Understand

Who

Jesus

Is

And what

He's

Done

The

Response

Is

Radical

To deny

Yourself

And take

Up

Your

Cross

And to

Follow

Him

We talked

About

Conviction

One

Why make

Disciples

Jesus

All around

The globe

Is making

Disciples

And today

We talked

About

Conviction

Two

What is a

Disciple

Next week

We get

To talk

About

How to

Make

Disciples

Let me

Pray

God in

Heaven

Lord Jesus

Thank you

So much

That you

Are a

Risen

Lord

You are

Our

Creator

Our

Redeemer

And our

Judge

And this

Call that

We're

Reading

About

Is your

Call

On us

Today

And we

Say yes

To you

Lord

Jesus

We gladly

Lay our

Lives down

We want

To learn

From you

We want

To live

For you

We want

To be

Like you

We want

To love

You more

Make it

So Lord

Jesus

It's in

Your precious

Name we

Pray

Amen