Choosing the Narrow Path: Living Jesus' Mission
Summary
In today's gathering, we began by preparing our hearts for worship and the Lord's Supper. We emphasized the importance of not just going through the motions but truly being present with Jesus and allowing Him to speak to us. We took a moment to greet one another, acknowledging the amazing God we serve and the incredible community we are part of. We then transitioned into worship, standing together to celebrate the presence of the Lord among us. We reflected on Psalm 103, which reminds us to bless the Lord and not forget His benefits, such as forgiveness, healing, and redemption.
As we continued, we delved into the series titled "The Other Way," which focuses on the two paths Jesus spoke about in the Sermon on the Mount: the broad path leading to destruction and the narrow path leading to life. We discussed how following Jesus means choosing the narrow path, which often requires leaving the safety of the crowd and embracing a life of surrender and faith. We revisited the idea that the narrow way is never easy, as it involves battling the flesh, the world, and Satan. However, walking by faith is the secret to navigating this path.
We then explored the concept of living for the Kingdom without fear, particularly in the context of financial concerns. Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 reassures us that our Father is our provider, freeing us from the fear that often governs our lives. This shift in perspective allows us to live a life of purpose rather than merely getting by. We looked at the example of the disciples, who left everything to follow Jesus, illustrating a major paradigm shift in their understanding of life and purpose.
We examined the calling of Levi (Matthew), a tax collector, and how this event taught the disciples about Jesus' mission. Jesus' invitation to Levi was the same as to the fishermen: "Follow me." This was a significant lesson for the disciples, who realized that Jesus' mission was to seek and save the lost, including those society deemed unworthy. This mission extends to us as well, calling us to share the good news with those who are far from God.
We discussed the importance of recognizing that lost people are not the enemy but the mission. Our culture often turns everything into a political or acrimonious issue, but we are called to break down barriers and help people find the good life in Christ. This mission involves speaking hope and healing to broken people, both outside and inside the church. We acknowledged that even within the church, people can be hurtful, but we are called to point each other to Jesus and help each other grow.
We emphasized the power of hospitality and sharing meals as a way to live out Jesus' mission. Jesus often shared meals with people, breaking down barriers and building relationships. This simple act of hospitality can open doors for meaningful conversations and opportunities to share the love of Jesus. We are called to live out the Great Commission in our everyday lives, making disciples as we go about our daily activities.
Finally, we concluded with a call to action: to open our tables and our lives to others, to invest in relationships, and to share the love of Jesus in practical ways. We prayed for our homes to be outposts of God's love and grace, and for each of us to be filled with love and compassion for those around us. Following Jesus means living out His mission, and His mission becomes our mission.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Being Present with Jesus: It's crucial to not just go through the motions in our spiritual practices but to truly be present with Jesus. This means allowing Him to speak to us and guide us, especially during significant moments like the Lord's Supper. Being present with Jesus helps us to focus on His presence and His voice, leading to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him. [17:43]
2. Choosing the Narrow Path: Following Jesus means choosing the narrow path, which often requires leaving the safety of the crowd and embracing a life of surrender and faith. This path is not easy, as it involves battling the flesh, the world, and Satan. However, walking by faith is the secret to navigating this path, and it leads to a life of purpose and fulfillment. [32:12]
3. Living Without Financial Fear: Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 reassures us that our Father is our provider, freeing us from the fear that often governs our lives. This shift in perspective allows us to live a life of purpose rather than merely getting by. Recognizing that God is our provider helps us to trust Him more and to live generously and fearlessly. [33:30]
4. The Mission to Seek and Save the Lost: Jesus' mission is to seek and save the lost, and this mission extends to us as well. We are called to share the good news with those who are far from God, recognizing that lost people are not the enemy but the mission. This involves breaking down barriers and helping people find the good life in Christ. [43:15]
5. The Power of Hospitality: Sharing meals and practicing hospitality are powerful ways to live out Jesus' mission. Jesus often shared meals with people, breaking down barriers and building relationships. This simple act of hospitality can open doors for meaningful conversations and opportunities to share the love of Jesus. We are called to live out the Great Commission in our everyday lives, making disciples as we go about our daily activities. [56:57]
### Youtube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[09:39] - Worship and Psalm 103 Reflection
[16:32] - Preparing for the Lord's Supper
[30:56] - The Other Way Series Conclusion
[32:12] - Choosing the Narrow Path
[33:30] - Living Without Financial Fear
[34:59] - The Calling of Levi
[43:15] - The Mission to Seek and Save the Lost
[48:55] - Recognizing Our Need for a Savior
[50:15] - Lost People Are Not the Enemy
[51:37] - Speaking Hope and Healing
[54:21] - Addressing Church Hurt
[55:50] - How to Carry Out the Mission
[56:57] - The Power of Hospitality
[58:33] - Living Out the Great Commission
[01:01:21] - Following Jesus' Mission
[01:03:52] - Opening Your Table
[01:05:47] - Prayer for Love and Grace
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. Psalm 103:1-5 - "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
2. Matthew 6:25-34 - "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 gather into barns, 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 clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet 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 clothe you, O 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."
3. Luke 5:27-32 - "After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, 'Follow me.' And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?' And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'"
#### Observation Questions
1. What are some of the benefits listed in Psalm 103 that we should not forget? ([09:39])
2. According to Matthew 6, what reasons does Jesus give for not being anxious about our needs? ([33:30])
3. How did Levi (Matthew) respond to Jesus' call to follow Him, and what did he do afterward? ([34:59])
4. What was Jesus' response to the Pharisees when they questioned why He ate with tax collectors and sinners? ([37:38])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does being present with Jesus during significant moments like the Lord's Supper deepen our relationship with Him? ([17:43])
2. What does it mean to choose the narrow path, and why is it described as difficult? ([32:12])
3. How does recognizing God as our provider change our perspective on financial concerns and living a life of purpose? ([33:30])
4. Why is it important to see lost people as the mission rather than the enemy, and how does this perspective affect our interactions with them? ([50:15])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you went through the motions in your spiritual practices. How can you be more present with Jesus in your daily life? ([17:43])
2. Have you ever felt the challenge of leaving the safety of the crowd to follow Jesus? What steps can you take to embrace a life of surrender and faith? ([32:12])
3. In what ways can you shift your perspective to trust God as your provider and live without financial fear? How might this change your daily decisions and actions? ([33:30])
4. Think of someone in your life who is far from God. How can you intentionally build a relationship with them and share the good news of Jesus? ([37:38])
5. How can you practice hospitality in your own home or community to break down barriers and build relationships? What specific actions can you take this week? ([56:57])
6. Have you experienced or witnessed church hurt? How can you contribute to creating a safe space of grace and peace within your church community? ([54:21])
7. Identify one person you can invite to share a meal with you this week. How can this act of hospitality open doors for meaningful conversations about faith? ([01:03:52])
Devotional
Day 1: Being Present with Jesus
In our busy lives, it's easy to go through the motions in our spiritual practices without truly engaging with Jesus. Being present with Him means allowing Him to speak to us and guide us, especially during significant moments like the Lord's Supper. This presence helps us focus on His voice and His presence, leading to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him. When we are truly present with Jesus, we open ourselves up to His transformative power, allowing Him to work in our hearts and lives in profound ways. This intentional focus on Jesus can change our perspective, bringing peace and clarity in the midst of life's chaos. [17:43]
Psalm 46:10 (ESV): "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"
Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally create space to be still and present with Jesus today? How can you listen for His voice in your daily routine?
Day 2: Choosing the Narrow Path
Following Jesus means choosing the narrow path, which often requires leaving the safety of the crowd and embracing a life of surrender and faith. This path is not easy, as it involves battling the flesh, the world, and Satan. However, walking by faith is the secret to navigating this path, and it leads to a life of purpose and fulfillment. The narrow path may be challenging, but it is the way to true life and joy in Christ. By choosing this path, we align ourselves with God's will and experience the fullness of His blessings. [32:12]
Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: What are some areas in your life where you need to choose the narrow path? How can you take a step of faith today to follow Jesus more closely?
Day 3: Living Without Financial Fear
Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 reassures us that our Father is our provider, freeing us from the fear that often governs our lives. This shift in perspective allows us to live a life of purpose rather than merely getting by. Recognizing that God is our provider helps us to trust Him more and to live generously and fearlessly. When we trust in God's provision, we can focus on His kingdom and His righteousness, knowing that He will take care of our needs. This trust frees us from the anxiety and worry that often accompany financial concerns, allowing us to live with greater peace and purpose. [33:30]
Matthew 6:31-33 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: What financial fears are you holding onto? How can you trust God as your provider and live more generously today?
Day 4: The Mission to Seek and Save the Lost
Jesus' mission is to seek and save the lost, and this mission extends to us as well. We are called to share the good news with those who are far from God, recognizing that lost people are not the enemy but the mission. This involves breaking down barriers and helping people find the good life in Christ. Our culture often turns everything into a political or acrimonious issue, but we are called to break down these barriers and help people find hope and healing in Jesus. By seeing lost people as our mission, we can approach them with love and compassion, sharing the transformative power of the gospel. [43:15]
Luke 19:10 (ESV): "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."
Reflection: Who in your life is far from God and needs to hear the good news? How can you intentionally reach out to them with love and compassion today?
Day 5: The Power of Hospitality
Sharing meals and practicing hospitality are powerful ways to live out Jesus' mission. Jesus often shared meals with people, breaking down barriers and building relationships. This simple act of hospitality can open doors for meaningful conversations and opportunities to share the love of Jesus. We are called to live out the Great Commission in our everyday lives, making disciples as we go about our daily activities. By opening our tables and our lives to others, we can create spaces for God's love and grace to be experienced. Hospitality is a tangible way to demonstrate the love of Jesus and to build relationships that point others to Him. [56:57]
Hebrews 13:2 (ESV): "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
Reflection: How can you practice hospitality in your life this week? Who can you invite to share a meal or spend time with, creating an opportunity to share the love of Jesus?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Without Jesus, we are all lost. Apart from Jesus, we're selfish. We're broken. We're self-serving. Apart from Jesus, in Christ, we are set free. And I'm not saying, you know, you're like, well, not like some of those people out there. See, that's the problem. You think it's like a matter of degrees. Well, I'm better than that horrible person over there. The comparison isn't that horrible person over there. The comparison is God's holiness and righteousness and true holiness. The standard." [48:55]
2. "Lost people are not the enemy, right? Lost people are not the enemy. They're the ones who are the enemy. They're the ones who are the enemy. We are called to share good news with. And far too often, especially with what's happened in our culture, I mean, it's always been a thing because it's human nature. But in our culture, it feels like in the last 20 years, something went crazy. Everything is political. Everything becomes acrimonious and we're angry and we're yelling at each other. And it's like, those people are bad. Those people are the enemy. No, they're not. They're sinners, just like you, apart from Jesus. And they need Jesus. They're the mission. They're not the enemy. They are our mission." [50:15]
3. "Try it. Try it. Open your table. Welcome someone to your table. If that's a little too intense, go to a restaurant first, kind of middle ground. It's a start. But just make room. Just make room. Because people, they don't, they may not have any idea that they need Jesus yet. They may not, they may have heard the Bible is whatever, and they may have no interest. You know what they know? They know that they were created for love. They know that they were created for relationships. There's something very powerful about welcoming someone into your circle and loving them in Jesus' name." [01:03:52]
4. "Following Jesus will always lead to living out his mission. Always. Because his mission becomes my mission. Okay, the third question is how. How do we carry out the mission? And this is what's great. Jesus' model. We have a meal. Isn't that great? Anybody have a meal this week? I'm looking at you. I can tell. Okay. We've all had a meal. We get it. No, but that's the beauty. Jesus is sitting down and having a meal. And I think we miss this. I think we miss this powerful thing. This is the part that was so offensive. Because at a meal, we're just people." [55:50]
### Quotes for Members
1. "We talked about how the path of a disciple always leaves the safety of the crowd to embrace the surrender of the way and that's sometimes the hardest part because we kind of there's safety in the crowd and kind of just go along and you know kind of want everybody to think I'm doing good and proving me and at some point when you're following Jesus you have to leave the crowd and we saw it over and over in the New Testament we saw the other way it's not a new path necessarily but a new life found in relationship with Jesus." [32:12]
2. "We learned that the narrow way is never the easy way ever because there are three enemies that we constantly have to fight flesh world and the enemy of our soul Satan and we learned that the secret to the narrow way is learning to walk by faith learning to walk by faith and that's one of the things that that we struggle with and last week we kind of zeroed in on one area we talked about living for the kingdom without fear because your father's your provider." [32:12]
3. "Jesus' mission is to seek and to save the lost. That's his mission, and therefore it's our mission. When he called them, he said, you're going to now be fishing for people. See, we have to understand, and we know this, we get angry at it. We are bothered by the fact our world, is broken. Our world is messed up, and we get, we look, and we watch the news, or we see stuff that's put into movies, or TV, and we just get upset and angry. We hear people talking about things, people talking about issues, and we get angry. Like, we need to understand, we live in a broken and a fallen world. People are far from God, and they are heading for an eternity separated from God. And our call, in Jesus, with Jesus, is to fish for people. Our call is to see as many people as possible find life in him. That's what we do." [43:15]
4. "See, following Jesus will always lead to living out his mission. See, as followers of Jesus, what we can say, say it this way. We can say his mission becomes our mission. Following Jesus will, always lead to living out his mission because his mission becomes my mission. Because understand when we're, we become followers of Jesus, we are forgiven of our sins. We are set free and we're filled with his spirit. Now the spirit of Jesus lives in us and he continues his mission. And so being a follower of Jesus always means living out his mission because his mission literally becomes my mission." [40:26]
5. "See, we help each other grow. That's how discipleship works. Iron sharpens iron. The body of Christ. It's not just pulpit to pew or chairs. It's people to people. As we use our spiritual gifts, we encourage each other. We remind each other. That's how we grow. That's what we're called to do. See, what we do in the context of the church, we create a safe space of grace and peace. Where we can truly speak the truth to one another in love. And then as we take our mission outside, our goal is to model that place of peace and grace for those that we're able to bring in. Those who we're able to connect with. Those who we're able to serve through the body of Christ." [55:50]
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