Discipleship Essentials // Grounded // Part 2

We're gonna start with a very simple statement that shapes everything that we do and everything we believe here at Disciples Church, and that is that Jesus did not call us to be Christians. Jesus actually called us to be disciples. And there is a difference. See, the word Christian actually only shows up in your bible three times. The word disciple is in there over 250 times. Like, that means it's pretty important. Right? [00:03:19] (23 seconds)  #BeADisciple

And so at Disciples Church, that's what we're doing. We are putting on the uniform of a disciple. That means we're gonna do some things that other people may not be doing. So at Disciples Church, I I really believe that every single one of us is called to be more than than just someone who believes the right things. We're actually called to follow Jesus with our whole lives, And so, we wanna help others do the same thing. And that's why we say it like this around here, to be one and make one. [00:04:44] (31 seconds)  #WholeLifeFollower

So number one, we need to meet with God daily, not just on Sundays, but every single day. Because spending time with God is the most important thing that we do as disciples. K? We spend time with God because you don't stay close to Jesus by accident. Relationships, any relationship, it only grows through intentional time together. And our relationship with God is no different. And so we spend time with him daily by opening his word, by talking with him in prayer, by responding to him in worship. And this is not about checking off a spiritual box to say, hey, I accomplished that task, or just rushing through a devotional so you can say, I didn't miss a day. No. No. No. This this is about slowing down to actually spend time with him so that you got time and space to actually listen to him, to be shaped by him, to be reminded of who God is and who you're becoming in Christ. And so, disciples, we prioritize time with God because we recognize that everything else we do flows out of that space. [00:22:51] (61 seconds)  #MeetWithGodDaily

Right? Following Jesus as his disciples means that every day, I'm choosing to surrender. Like, I'm choosing to surrender my life to his will as my Lord. And your comfort and your personal preference will always take the back seat. That means that when you don't feel like waking up earlier to spend time with God, what are you gonna do? Surrendering daily means when when sin is knocking at my door and it looks so tempting and so good, what am I gonna do? Surrendering daily means that when the Holy Spirit gives me that nudge to tell that person about Jesus, but you know it's about to be a really awkward conversation, what are you gonna do? Because disciples surrender daily by saying, not my will, but your will be done. So we surrender daily. Number six, we love like Jesus. [00:27:38] (47 seconds)  #SurrenderDaily

Okay? So these are your seven habits. Okay? I know it was a lot shotgun blast at you. Please know these are not boxes to check off of a to do list. These are rhythms that you create in your life to keep you close to Jesus and help you grow as a disciple. And can I just tell you, in all honesty, even as a pastor, the times in my life when I ended up feeling far from God, it wasn't a big dramatic moment? It was just distractions, just busyness. And these habits just started to slowly stop. Some of them disappeared. And before you know it, I looked up, I looked around, I was like, man, I don't like where I am. I don't like how far I am from God in this moment. And I don't think that anybody just wakes up one day far from God and goes, man, how did that happen? It happened over time. Because because drift is quiet, and drift happens slowly. But when you stop the habits, let me tell you, drift is inevitable. Like, it will happen. [00:30:19] (64 seconds)  #StopTheDrift

``I've been claiming to be a Christian. I've been saying I'm a disciple. I've been showing up to church, but man, if I'm honest, I I think I've drifted. Can I just tell you about the the beauty of the grace of God found in a sunrise? Even in cloudy gray overcast Chicago, the sun still comes up every single day. And every day that sun comes up, it's a reminder that it's a brand new day, that today is a fresh start. And today can be the day that you get real with God and you tell him something that he already knows, but you tell him, God, I've drifted, and I don't like it. And God, today, I wanna I wanna commit to come back to you. Today is the day that I I wanna I wanna start practicing the the practice of a disciple. I wanna start walking the path of a disciple. Today is the day, God, that I I wanna I wanna take off the jersey, and I wanna put on the uniform. [00:31:48] (53 seconds)  #FreshStartFaith

So for Disciples Church, let me say this as plainly and as clearly as I possibly can. Making disciples is not optional. It is commanded. If we are to be one, we must make one as well. [00:43:14] (20 seconds)  #MakeDisciplesCommand

Like, some of you had aspirational goals to get in shape and go to the gym this year, and you still haven't been. Right? That means it's still an aspirational goal. Like, it hasn't become a habit for you yet. And so we're gonna take those seven habits, and we're gonna actually work on them, maybe one at a time. And so, that's the be one step. But I also want you to take another kind of step. Right? What kind? A make one step. You guys are so smart. You're just on it. I love it. And so, I want you to take a make one step, and that could be to join a small group. Right? We we got a bunch of them starting up in, February. Or you can start a discipling relationship. Find somebody one on one and start walking through this booklet with them. Just one little thing at a time. Just work through with it. Or just be obedient to God. Just say yes when he prompts. That that maybe it's it's talking to your coworker about their faith, and it's it's gonna start slow. It's gonna start small, but you're just gonna keep being obedient to what God is telling you to do. Because at the end of the day, here's what we gotta understand. Jesus didn't change the world through crowds. He had crowds, but that's not what changed the world. He changed the world through disciples. [00:51:14] (68 seconds)  #MakeOneStep