Heart Posture: The Essence of True Discipleship
Summary
In our journey through "Come, Deny, Follow," we have explored what it means to come to Jesus and the challenging path of self-denial. Today, we delve into Luke 18 to gain a fresh perspective on denying ourselves and following Christ. At Westover, our goal is to mature in our faith, equipping ourselves through teaching and community life, and then scattering to live out our mission in our neighborhoods and beyond. Denying ourselves involves laying down our time, talents, and treasures at Jesus' feet, engaging in spiritual disciplines, and carrying forward His mission. However, it's crucial to remember that denial is not just about actions; it's about the heart's posture.
In Luke 18, Jesus shares a parable contrasting two men: a Pharisee and a tax collector. The Pharisee's heart is consumed with status and accomplishments, listing his spiritual disciplines as justification before God. This reflects a common idol in our culture—status. We often focus on what we do for Jesus or how we stand against sin, but the real question is how we are being molded by God and living out His mission daily. Spiritual disciplines are vital, but without a heart that sees the needs around us and holds a high view of God, we miss the essence of discipleship.
In contrast, the tax collector's heart seeks God's mercy. His posture is one of humility, asking for compassion rather than relying on his own righteousness. This illustrates the paradox of grace: those who humble themselves will be exalted. A life of holiness begins with a deep love for God, and our heart's position determines where our hands and minds will go. As we gather in community, not in isolation like the Pharisee, we must continually push ourselves deeper into discipleship, seeking to follow Jesus with a heart aligned to His will.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Heart's Posture Matters: Our spiritual journey is not just about actions but the posture of our hearts. Like the Pharisee, we can be consumed with status and accomplishments, but true discipleship requires a heart that is humble and open to God's molding. [04:48]
2. Community Over Isolation: The Pharisee stood alone, relying on his own righteousness. In contrast, true growth happens in community, where we hold each other accountable and humble. Together, we can better discern God's will and support one another in our spiritual disciplines. [07:02]
3. The Paradox of Grace: The tax collector's humility led to justification, illustrating the paradox that those who humble themselves will be exalted. This challenges us to seek God's mercy and grace, recognizing that our righteousness comes from Him alone. [08:07]
4. Holiness Begins with Love for God: A life of holiness is rooted in a deep love for the God of the Bible. Our heart's position influences our actions, and as we deny ourselves, we must ensure our love for God guides our journey. [09:38]
5. Denying Self for True Discipleship: Denying ourselves involves more than just actions; it's about surrendering our time, talents, and treasures to God. This requires a heart aligned with His will, ready to follow wherever He leads. [03:28]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:57] - Introduction to Denial
- [03:28] - The Heart's Influence
- [04:48] - The Pharisee's Heart
- [06:02] - Spiritual Disciplines and Heart Posture
- [07:02] - Importance of Community
- [08:07] - The Tax Collector's Humility
- [09:38] - The Paradox of Grace
- [10:45] - Holiness and Love for God
- [11:30] - Denying Self for Discipleship
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: "Come, Deny, Follow"
Bible Reading:
- Luke 18:9-14
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Observation Questions:
1. In the parable from Luke 18, what are the key differences in the prayers of the Pharisee and the tax collector? How do their words reflect their heart's posture? [03:28]
2. What does the Pharisee list as his spiritual accomplishments, and how does this reflect his view of righteousness? [04:48]
3. How does the tax collector's approach to prayer differ from the Pharisee's, and what does this reveal about his understanding of grace? [08:07]
4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of community in our spiritual growth, as opposed to standing alone like the Pharisee? [07:02]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might Jesus have chosen a Pharisee and a tax collector to illustrate the concept of humility and grace in this parable? What cultural or religious implications does this have?
2. How does the sermon suggest that our heart's posture can influence our spiritual disciplines and actions? [06:02]
3. What does the paradox of grace, as illustrated by the tax collector's justification, teach us about the nature of God's mercy and our own righteousness? [08:07]
4. How does the sermon describe the role of love for God in leading a life of holiness, and why is this foundational to true discipleship? [09:38]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Are there areas where you might be more like the Pharisee, focusing on accomplishments rather than the heart's posture? How can you shift your focus? [04:48]
2. In what ways can you actively seek God's mercy and grace in your daily life, similar to the tax collector's approach? What practical steps can you take to cultivate humility? [08:07]
3. Consider your involvement in community. How can you engage more deeply with others to support mutual spiritual growth and accountability? [07:02]
4. Identify one area of your life where you can deny yourself and surrender your time, talents, or treasures to God. What specific action will you take this week to align your heart with His will? [03:28]
5. How can you ensure that your spiritual disciplines are not just routine actions but are driven by a genuine love for God? What changes might you need to make in your daily practices? [09:38]
6. Think about a situation where you might have relied on your own righteousness. How can you remind yourself to seek God's grace instead? What scripture or prayer can you use to refocus your heart?
7. How can you encourage others in your small group or community to pursue a heart posture that aligns with God's mission? What role can you play in fostering a supportive and humble community environment? [07:02]
Devotional
Day 1: The Heart's True Posture
Our spiritual journey is deeply influenced by the posture of our hearts. In Luke 18, Jesus contrasts the Pharisee and the tax collector to illustrate this point. The Pharisee is consumed with his own status and accomplishments, using his spiritual disciplines as a means to justify himself before God. This reflects a common idol in our culture—status. We often focus on what we do for Jesus or how we stand against sin, but the real question is how we are being molded by God and living out His mission daily. True discipleship requires a heart that is humble and open to God's molding. The tax collector, in contrast, seeks God's mercy with a posture of humility, asking for compassion rather than relying on his own righteousness. This illustrates the paradox of grace: those who humble themselves will be exalted. [04:48]
Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV): "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 'I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.'"
Reflection: In what ways have you been relying on your own accomplishments or status in your spiritual journey? How can you shift your focus to allow God to mold your heart today?
Day 2: Growth Through Community
True spiritual growth happens in community, not in isolation. The Pharisee stood alone, relying on his own righteousness, while the tax collector's humility was recognized in a communal setting. At Westover, the goal is to mature in faith through teaching and community life, equipping ourselves to live out our mission in our neighborhoods and beyond. In community, we hold each other accountable and humble, better discerning God's will and supporting one another in our spiritual disciplines. This communal aspect of faith is crucial for true discipleship, as it helps us to see the needs around us and to hold a high view of God. [07:02]
Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."
Reflection: How can you actively engage with your faith community this week to encourage and be encouraged in your spiritual journey?
Day 3: Embracing the Paradox of Grace
The tax collector's humility in seeking God's mercy illustrates the paradox of grace: those who humble themselves will be exalted. This challenges us to seek God's mercy and grace, recognizing that our righteousness comes from Him alone. A life of holiness begins with a deep love for God, and our heart's position determines where our hands and minds will go. As we gather in community, we must continually push ourselves deeper into discipleship, seeking to follow Jesus with a heart aligned to His will. [08:07]
James 4:6-7 (ESV): "But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to humble yourself before God to fully embrace His grace?
Day 4: Holiness Rooted in Love for God
A life of holiness is rooted in a deep love for the God of the Bible. Our heart's position influences our actions, and as we deny ourselves, we must ensure our love for God guides our journey. Denying ourselves involves laying down our time, talents, and treasures at Jesus' feet, engaging in spiritual disciplines, and carrying forward His mission. However, it's crucial to remember that denial is not just about actions; it's about the heart's posture. [09:38]
1 John 4:19-21 (ESV): "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother."
Reflection: How can you express your love for God through your actions and interactions with others today?
Day 5: Surrendering for True Discipleship
Denying ourselves involves more than just actions; it's about surrendering our time, talents, and treasures to God. This requires a heart aligned with His will, ready to follow wherever He leads. At Westover, the goal is to mature in faith, equipping ourselves through teaching and community life, and then scattering to live out our mission in our neighborhoods and beyond. As we deny ourselves, we must ensure our love for God guides our journey, allowing Him to mold us and direct our paths. [03:28]
Luke 9:23-24 (ESV): "And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.'"
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you find yourself holding back from surrendering to Jesus? What would surrendering this area to Him actually look like in terms of daily habits?
Quotes
At Westover, we want to be maturing in our faith. We want to be a mature follower of Christ. And what that means for me is that we're going to gather each Sunday and yourself being me and the other teaching pastors are going to teach us and they're going to equip us and our community life leaders are going to equip us. And then we're going to go and be scattered out among our neighborhoods and where we live and work and play and learn. [00:00:50] (29 seconds)
Denying ourself, our wants, our desires, our habits is one of the hardest things to do. So what does it look like to follow Jesus even this way? You see, you're becoming the person that you are right now. Your habits, the things that you like, your desire, and your heart's desire are shaping you before you even know it. [00:03:28] (22 seconds)
The position of the heart is so important in this. You see, I think that sometimes we can list a lot of things and accomplishments we do for Jesus, or maybe the ways that we're against sin. But I have a better question. How are you being molded in the things that you are for and for what God is doing? [00:06:02] (23 seconds)
He actually lists the spiritual disciplines that he's doing as his justification before God. Now listen, we talked about that a little bit last week. Our time, our talents, our treasure. I want to see, as well as our staff, our leaders, our elders, our deacons, anyone in leadership, we desire to see maturing followers of Christ. [00:06:31] (24 seconds)
You and I need community. Look around the group that you're in. Each and every one of us could stand by on ourself, on our own accomplishments. But together, not only are we better in rows, but even more that, there's a community that can keep one another accountable and one another humble in ways. [00:07:34] (18 seconds)
It's not that but it's really where your heart goes your hand and your mind will go and that's when we come to the great paradox of grace jesus at the end of this passage will say this he'll say i tell you this man the tax collector went down to his house justified rather than the other for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled but the one who humbles himself will be exalted [00:08:33] (26 seconds)
A life of holiness begins with a deep love for the God of the Bible. So we will deny ourselves. We will deny our time, our talents, and our treasures in some way. But our heart has to be in the right position. So I pray as you gather together in community, not by yourself like this righteous Pharisee, but together taking a deep look at a great God. [00:09:15] (28 seconds)
That we'll continue to push ourselves further into discipleship and what it means to follow after Jesus. [00:09:52] (8 seconds)
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