Transformative Discipleship: Embracing the Way of Jesus
Summary
In Acts chapter 9, we see Saul's transformation from a persecutor of Christians to a follower of "The Way," a term used to describe the early disciples of Jesus. This transformation highlights the call for believers to live differently, to be set apart from the world, and to follow Jesus, who is "the way, the truth, and the life." As disciples, we are invited to take up Jesus' yoke, which is not burdensome but a means of learning and growing in His ways. This yoke represents the teachings and lifestyle of Jesus, which are distinct from the world's ways.
Discipleship is a journey of becoming more like Jesus, a process that requires patience and perseverance. It is not a quick fix but a long, slow journey akin to a crockpot recipe rather than a microwavable meal. This journey involves abiding in Jesus, as described in John 15, where Jesus is the vine, and we are the branches. Abiding means staying connected to Jesus, drawing life and sustenance from Him, and allowing His life to flow through us, resulting in fruitfulness.
The process of discipleship also involves pruning, where God, the vine dresser, removes what is unfruitful in our lives to make room for more growth. This pruning is not punitive but a loving act to help us bear more fruit. It involves cutting away not only the bad but sometimes even the good to make way for the best. This requires trust in God's wisdom and timing, knowing that He is committed to our growth and sanctification.
As disciples, we are called to be active participants in this process, allowing God to train and mend us, much like a vine dresser trains a vine. This training involves being aware of our identity in Christ, standing firm in our faith, and allowing God to work in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. It is a process of becoming more like Jesus, reflecting His image in the world.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Way of Jesus: Following Jesus means embracing a different way of living, distinct from the world's ways. It involves taking up His yoke, which is a call to learn from Him and live according to His teachings. This path leads to true rest and satisfaction for our souls. [01:20]
2. Abiding in Christ: Abiding in Jesus is essential for fruitfulness. It means staying connected to Him, drawing life from Him, and being conscious of our identity in Him. This connection is the source of our strength and ability to bear fruit. [08:14]
3. The Role of Pruning: God's pruning in our lives is an act of love, aimed at helping us bear more fruit. It involves removing not only the bad but sometimes even the good to make way for the best. Trusting in God's wisdom during this process is crucial. [24:49]
4. Active Participation in Discipleship: As disciples, we are called to be active participants in our growth. This involves allowing God to train and mend us, being open to His guidance, and submitting to His process of sanctification. [36:56]
5. Trusting the Vine Dresser: Trusting God as the vine dresser means believing in His wisdom and love for us. He knows what is best for us and is committed to our growth and sanctification. Resisting His work is resisting His will for our lives. [50:46]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:20] - The Way of Jesus
[03:25] - The Yoke of Jesus
[04:26] - The Teachings of a Rabbi
[06:13] - The Process of Discipleship
[08:14] - Abiding in Christ
[11:14] - Standing Against Opposition
[13:51] - Active Participants in John 15
[16:03] - Dependence on Jesus
[18:46] - The Role of the Vine Dresser
[20:01] - Lifting Up the Branches
[24:49] - The Purpose of Pruning
[27:16] - Pruning for the Better
[29:00] - Trusting the Vine Dresser
[36:56] - Training and Mending
[50:46] - Invitation to Sanctification
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Acts 9:1-2
2. John 15:1-9
3. Matthew 11:28-30
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Observation Questions:
1. In Acts 9:1-2, what was Saul's initial mission, and how does it contrast with his later transformation? [01:20]
2. According to John 15:1-9, what is the relationship between the vine, the branches, and the vine dresser? How does this metaphor illustrate our connection to Jesus? [08:14]
3. What does Jesus mean when He invites us to take His yoke upon us in Matthew 11:28-30? How is this yoke described in the sermon? [03:25]
4. How does the sermon describe the process of discipleship as being similar to a crockpot recipe rather than a microwavable meal? [06:13]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean to be "of the way" as described in Acts 9:1-2, and how does this concept challenge modern believers in their daily lives? [01:20]
2. In John 15, Jesus emphasizes the importance of abiding in Him. What are the practical implications of abiding in Christ for a believer's life? [08:14]
3. The sermon mentions the role of pruning in a believer's life. How can understanding God's pruning process change a person's perspective on challenges and growth? [24:49]
4. How does the concept of taking up Jesus' yoke in Matthew 11:28-30 relate to the idea of discipleship and learning from Jesus? [03:25]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current lifestyle. In what ways are you living "of the way" as described in Acts 9:1-2? What changes might you need to make to align more closely with this path? [01:20]
2. Consider your connection to Jesus as the vine. What practical steps can you take this week to ensure you are abiding in Him and drawing life from Him? [08:14]
3. Think about a recent challenge or difficulty in your life. How might viewing this situation as part of God's pruning process change your response to it? [24:49]
4. Jesus invites us to take His yoke upon us. What burdens are you currently carrying that you need to exchange for His yoke? How can you begin this exchange today? [03:25]
5. The sermon compares discipleship to a crockpot recipe. What areas of your spiritual life require patience and perseverance, and how can you commit to this slow, steady growth? [06:13]
6. Identify one area in your life where you feel God is calling you to trust Him more as the vine dresser. What steps can you take to surrender this area to His care and wisdom? [29:00]
7. How can you actively participate in your discipleship journey this week, allowing God to train and mend you? What specific actions will you take to engage in this process? [36:56]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: Embracing the Distinct Path of Jesus
Following Jesus means embracing a lifestyle that is distinct from the world's ways. This involves taking up His yoke, which is a call to learn from Him and live according to His teachings. Jesus' yoke is not burdensome but offers true rest and satisfaction for our souls. By choosing to follow "The Way," we commit to a path that leads to spiritual fulfillment and a deeper relationship with God. This path requires us to be set apart, living in a manner that reflects the teachings and character of Jesus. [01:20]
John 14:6 (ESV): "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
Reflection: What specific worldly habits or mindsets do you need to let go of to fully embrace the distinct path of Jesus today?
Day 2: The Vital Connection of Abiding in Christ
Abiding in Jesus is essential for spiritual fruitfulness. It means staying connected to Him, drawing life and sustenance from Him, and being conscious of our identity in Him. This connection is the source of our strength and ability to bear fruit. As branches are to the vine, our lives are meant to be intertwined with Jesus, allowing His life to flow through us. This abiding relationship is not passive but requires intentionality and awareness of His presence in our daily lives. [08:14]
Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
Reflection: How can you intentionally cultivate a deeper connection with Jesus today, ensuring that you remain rooted and grounded in Him?
Day 3: Trusting the Loving Pruning of God
God's pruning in our lives is an act of love, aimed at helping us bear more fruit. This process involves removing not only the bad but sometimes even the good to make way for the best. Trusting in God's wisdom during this process is crucial, as He knows what is necessary for our growth and sanctification. Pruning may be uncomfortable, but it is a testament to God's commitment to our spiritual development and His desire for us to flourish. [24:49]
Hebrews 12:11 (ESV): "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel God is pruning you? How can you trust His wisdom and love in this process?
Day 4: Actively Participating in Our Spiritual Growth
As disciples, we are called to be active participants in our spiritual growth. This involves allowing God to train and mend us, being open to His guidance, and submitting to His process of sanctification. Our journey of discipleship is not passive; it requires us to engage with God's work in our lives actively. By standing firm in our faith and being aware of our identity in Christ, we can cooperate with God in becoming more like Jesus and reflecting His image in the world. [36:56]
Philippians 2:12-13 (ESV): "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."
Reflection: In what ways can you actively participate in your spiritual growth today, allowing God to work in and through you?
Day 5: Trusting the Wisdom of the Vine Dresser
Trusting God as the vine dresser means believing in His wisdom and love for us. He knows what is best for us and is committed to our growth and sanctification. Resisting His work is resisting His will for our lives. By trusting in His timing and methods, we can rest assured that He is shaping us into the people He desires us to be. This trust requires surrender and faith in His perfect plan for our lives. [50:46]
Isaiah 64:8 (ESV): "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to surrender control and trust God's wisdom as the vine dresser? How can you begin to do that today?
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Quotes
And when you and I are following Jesus, we're taking up the cross and following him. We are following him in the way. The way. The way. The way. There are so many false ways. So many stories that lie to us and promise things to us that can never bring us to rest or satisfaction in our souls. But the way can. [00:02:44]
This is what this is all about. This discipleship pathway that you and I are on, it's about leading us to life. It's leading us to him. Yes, there may be hard things. There's stuff that Jesus does around us. And the Father prunes us. us and takes stuff off of us, but it's leading us to life. [00:03:06]
See, he said, take my yoke upon you and learn of me. See, Jesus, he's the bigger oxen, but he wants to get hooked up with you and I and teach us how to plow and how to plan. How to harvest. That's what he wants. His teachings. [00:04:26]
Everybody in here, if you are in this room today and you're a follower of Christ, this is a process. It's a long obedience in the same direction. Nothing happens quick in this thing. There is no microwavable. The Christian is not microwavable. It's a truck. Recipe. [00:06:21]
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit He takes away and every branch that bears fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you. Abide in me and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine. Neither can you unless you abide in me. [00:08:57]
So the way that you and I abide or stay lodged in, I can't go back and preach last week's message. I talked about that whole in Christ thought pattern and the reality of who we are in Christ, right? But the way that you abide as a Christian is staying aware and conscious of your identity in Christ. Staying aware of who you are. Staying aware that you are in Christ. Staying aware. [00:11:14]
There's oppositions to you abiding. Staying aware and conscious of your identity, right? So this is a conscious act of faith. Now, I want to read this scripture in Colossians 1, 22 and 23. There's this kind of, this kind of actually just, just actually explains everything we talked about last week in its nutshell. You can go back and listen to it if you want to. Yet now he has reconciled you to himself to the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. That is so good. But you must, this is it, but you must what? Continue to believe in this truth. And stand firmly. Stand firmly in it. [00:11:43]
The vine dresser's care and love for his vineyard would not just go around cutting things off. He wants to pay attention to it in order for it to produce fruit, to be productive. I don't need to be as scared of the father, the vine dresser, the heavenly father, when he comes to me and I'm not bearing fruit like I need to, he's actually going to pay closer attention to me if I need to work on you a little bit. He lifts it up. [00:21:02]
God's not interested in cutting you off because you mess up. He's interested in coming to you as the vine dresser. He says, listen here, I'm coming to help you. I'm going to lift you up and I'm going to get you on the trellis system. And I want to get you in a place where you can bear fruit. He's committed to that. [00:24:16]
The Holy Spirit's going to come to us. He's going to challenge us to grow. Every vine dresser, this is the person that's the manager of the vineyard. Every single vine dresser, this is what he's wanting. What's he want? He wants fruit. He just don't want a little fruit. He wants what? Much fruit. It's the same with you and I. God wants us to move. God wants us to grow. God wants us to be developing, maturing, and growing more fruit. This is the work of the vine dresser. You're designed for more. You're designed to be productive. [00:18:30]
Pruning cuts away that which could be good for that which is better. Pruning. Right? I saw people make decisions about relationships. I know there's nobody in this room. Probably everybody in here is mad. Make decisions about relationships. And they settle for just the good. Instead of just waiting on God and letting Him prune it in order for the better. [00:27:08]
The vine dresser is there. He has great wisdom. He loves you. He cares for you. He wants what's best for you. So when He comes and starts knocking on your door, asking you to change something, it's an invitation actually for something greater. Don't resist the work of the vine dresser. Because you're not resisting man. You're actually resisting God. Because His job is actually to bring you. This is the will of God. You're what? Sanctification. [00:50:46]
The process of sanctification is something you and I have to submit to. If you're rejected, you're not rejecting men. You're actually rejecting God, who's doing the work in you. trained. How about you? I'm going to be trained. How about you? Exercise yourself, rather, therefore, to God. That's the Bible. Exercise yourself. Gymnasio is the group. Exercise. Gymnasio. We get the word gymnasium from it. Exercise yourself. To godliness. [00:47:18]
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