Trusting God: The Journey of Discipleship and Leadership

Devotional

Day 1: Trusting God in the Waiting

Trusting God is akin to waiting for the best apples during apple picking. It requires patience and faith that God has the best in store for us. This trust is foundational to our relationship with Him, as seen in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve's failure to trust led to sin and brokenness. However, God's response was to promise redemption through Jesus, who would cover our shame and make all things new. [28:01]

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV): "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Reflection: Think of a situation in your life where you are struggling to trust God's timing. How can you actively choose to trust Him today, believing that He has the best in store for you?

Day 2: The Balance of Invitation and Challenge

True discipleship involves both invitation and challenge. Jesus invites us into a loving relationship where we are accepted as we are, but He also challenges us to grow and change. This balance is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation. Jesus' leadership model shows that we must be both inviting and challenging to lead others effectively. [47:18]

Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV): "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you feel Jesus is inviting you to rest and another area where He is challenging you to grow. How can you respond to both His invitation and His challenge today?

Day 3: Embracing Jesus' Leadership Model

Jesus' leadership involved calling His disciples to be with Him, become like Him, and do what He did. This journey of discipleship is about spending time with Jesus, adopting His ways, and being sent out to teach others. It emphasizes that true discipleship is not just about learning but also about being entrusted with the mission to lead others. [50:17]

Mark 3:14-15 (ESV): "And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons."

Reflection: Consider how you can spend more intentional time with Jesus this week. What steps can you take to not only learn from Him but also to share His teachings with others?

Day 4: Practical Steps in Leading Like Jesus

Leading like Jesus involves loving people genuinely, praying for them, spending time with them, encouraging them, and challenging them when necessary. This approach ensures that our leadership is not just about enforcing rules but about fostering deep, transformative relationships. It requires a balance of grace and truth, love and discipline. [01:02:56]

1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 (ESV): "But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us."

Reflection: Identify one person in your life whom you can lead more like Jesus. How can you show genuine love, offer encouragement, and provide necessary challenges to help them grow?

Day 5: The Great Commission and Trust

Jesus entrusts us with the Great Commission, calling us to make disciples of all nations. This trust is a profound responsibility, requiring us to teach others what Jesus has taught us. It emphasizes that the gospel comes to us on its way to someone else, and we are stewards of this divine mission. [01:12:06]

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV): "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Reflection: Think about how you can actively participate in the Great Commission. What is one practical step you can take this week to share the teachings of Jesus with someone in your community?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today, we explored the profound concept of waiting on God, which is essentially an act of trust. Just as we wait for the best apples during apple picking, we must trust that God has the best in store for us. This trust is rooted in the original design of our relationship with God, as seen in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve's failure to trust led to brokenness and sin, but God's response was not to cancel or condemn them. Instead, He promised redemption through Jesus Christ, who would cover our shame and make all things new.

We delved into the dual nature of Jesus' leadership, which combines both invitation and challenge. Jesus invites us into a relationship where we are loved and accepted, but He also challenges us to grow and change. This balance is crucial for true discipleship. We examined how Jesus called His disciples to be with Him, become like Him, and do what He did, emphasizing that discipleship involves both learning and being sent out to teach others.

In practical terms, we discussed how to lead like Jesus by loving people genuinely, praying for them, spending time with them, encouraging them, and challenging them when necessary. This approach ensures that our leadership is not just about enforcing rules but about fostering deep, transformative relationships.

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Key Takeaways

1. Trusting God in Waiting: Trusting God is akin to waiting for the best apples during apple picking. It requires patience and faith that God has the best in store for us. This trust is foundational to our relationship with Him, as seen in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve's failure to trust led to sin and brokenness. However, God's response was to promise redemption through Jesus, who would cover our shame and make all things new. [28:01]
2. Invitation and Challenge in Discipleship: True discipleship involves both invitation and challenge. Jesus invites us into a loving relationship where we are accepted as we are, but He also challenges us to grow and change. This balance is crucial for spiritual growth and transformation. Jesus' leadership model shows that we must be both inviting and challenging to lead others effectively. [47:18]
3. Jesus' Leadership Model: Jesus' leadership involved calling His disciples to be with Him, become like Him, and do what He did. This journey of discipleship is about spending time with Jesus, adopting His ways, and being sent out to teach others. It emphasizes that true discipleship is not just about learning but also about being entrusted with the mission to lead others. [50:17]
4. Practical Steps in Leading Like Jesus: Leading like Jesus involves loving people genuinely, praying for them, spending time with them, encouraging them, and challenging them when necessary. This approach ensures that our leadership is not just about enforcing rules but about fostering deep, transformative relationships. It requires a balance of grace and truth, love and discipline. [62:56]
5. The Great Commission and Trust: Jesus entrusts us with the Great Commission, calling us to make disciples of all nations. This trust is a profound responsibility, requiring us to teach others what Jesus has taught us. It emphasizes that the gospel comes to us on its way to someone else, and we are stewards of this divine mission. [01:12:06]
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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:01] - Trusting God in Waiting
[29:42] - The Fall and Brokenness
[31:10] - God's Promise of Redemption
[32:31] - The Perfection of God's Law
[34:04] - Communion: Remembering Jesus' Sacrifice
[35:39] - Series Introduction: Everyday Leadership
[37:11] - The Power of "And" in Discipleship
[40:03] - Invitation and Challenge Matrix
[47:18] - Jesus' Leadership Model
[50:17] - Journey of Discipleship
[52:52] - Peter's Confession and Jesus' Response
[55:44] - Jesus' Trust and Challenge
[62:56] - Practical Steps in Leading Like Jesus
[72:06] - The Great Commission and Trust
[73:33] - Closing Prayer and Reflection

Bible Study Guide

Observation Questions

What does Psalm 19:7-9 say about the nature and benefits of God's law?
According to Mark 3:13-14, what were the two main purposes for which Jesus appointed the twelve disciples?
In Matthew 16:18-19, what significant role and authority does Jesus give to Peter?

Interpretation Questions

How does the description of God's law in Psalm 19:7-9 reflect the idea of waiting and trusting in God's perfect plan? [32:31]
What does Jesus' dual approach of invitation and challenge in Mark 3:13-14 teach us about the nature of discipleship? [47:18]
How does Jesus' declaration to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19 illustrate the balance of trust and responsibility in leadership? [55:44]

Application Questions

Reflecting on Psalm 19:7-9, how can you incorporate more of God's perfect law into your daily life to refresh your soul and gain wisdom? [32:31]
Jesus called His disciples to be with Him and then sent them out to preach (Mark 3:13-14). How can you balance spending time with Jesus and actively sharing His message with others? [50:17]
In what ways can you practice both inviting and challenging those you lead, following Jesus' model of discipleship? [47:18]
Jesus entrusted Peter with significant responsibility (Matthew 16:18-19). How can you demonstrate trust in those you lead while also holding them accountable? [55:44]
Think about a time when you struggled to trust God's timing. How can the analogy of waiting for the best apples during apple picking help you develop patience and trust in God's plan? [28:01]
How can you genuinely love and pray for the people you lead, even when it is challenging? [01:02:56]
Identify one person in your life who needs both encouragement and challenge. What specific steps can you take this week to lead them like Jesus? [01:09:03]

Sermon Clips

1. "So many of us live our lives not waiting. And I want to substitute the word trusting. Because waiting is trusting that something good is still coming. There's something better. I don't want to fill up the bag of my life. I don't want to fill up the bag of my life. I don't want to fill up the bag of my life. There's things that don't fulfill what I was created and designed for. The best. That's what Jesus has for you. That's his love for you. Every single one of us was created and designed to live in a good, right, perfect world. And that comes from a good and right and perfect relationship with God." [28:01] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "We have a God that does not judge as our culture judges. We say that we have such a grace-filled, open, accepting culture. And yet we're so quick to judge. The moment that anyone does anything that we don't like or wrong, we're quick to cancel them. To want them fired. To cut them out of our lives. To cease relationship. To prove the point that, yeah, but you said this. You did this. I'm not going to let it go. God says, you know what? You broke my heart. You led to brokenness. But instead of insisting that you pay the price for this, you let it go. You let it go for that. We're not done. I will pay the price for that." [31:10] (45 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "Jesus led people with invitation and, and challenge. This is my prayer, though. Before we get into how Jesus led, which we're going to at the end, I want you, I pray that every person here today would know Jesus. I want you to know Jesus. I don't want you to just know buddy Jesus. I hope that you don't know the God of religion. I want you to know Jesus who loves you, who made you, who knows you inside and out, the good, the bad, the ugly, and yet, not only does he love you, he likes you. Scripture says he delights in you. He made you, he knitted you together, and he is dying to be in relationship with you." [48:45] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "Jesus led with invitation and challenge. Here's what Mark chapter 3, verse 13 and 14, it says, about that. It says that Jesus went up on a mountain and called to him those whom he desired. Pause. Do you know that Jesus desires to be in relationship with you? He called those whom he desired, not those that he had to. It wasn't like he was up in heaven and someone's like, hey, are you going to come down here and take responsibility for this here in the world? Like, no, from the beginning, God desired you. That's why. Why did God make people? Because he wanted to. Because he loves you. He likes you." [50:17] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Jesus invites you into his world, into an identity, into his perspective. But he also invites us into his work. Matthew 16, verse 19, Jesus goes on and he says, I will give you the keys of the kingdom. Keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven. Whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Do you remember the moment where you were handed the keys? Keys to the car, right? It's a whole world of freedom, trust, trust that now suddenly became available to you. Jesus says, I believe in you and I'm going to prove it. I trust you. I'm giving you the keys. Take it out for a drive. Go." [55:44] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Jesus says, actually, verse 23, get behind me, Satan. There's a word. There's a new name. You know, who Peter from Peter to Satan. Okay. Now this, this is obviously like we can all in different moments. He's not saying Peter is Satan. He's saying, hey, right now your perspective is from the enemy, man. Like your, your, your, your priorities. They're not in line with mine, with God. Like that's, that's not who you are. That's not who I am. So no, your priorities are actually a little bit messed up. Your beliefs. Many of us would say, hey, following Jesus is just about thinking the right things, right? Believe in God. And then he kind of leaves you alone." [57:17] (47 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Jesus says, because there is good stuff. There's good stuff, but there's also a cost. There's challenges. There's invitation. I'm inviting you. Come be with me. Learn from me. Walk with me. Be sent out to see my kingdom come. But there's a cost that comes with it. Before we move on to how we do this for others, I want to ask you, how does Jesus do this for you? Which of these Jesuses would you say, if you were to just stop and take some inventory, who is the Jesus that you know? Is he the Jesus that always seems to agree with you? Is he the Jesus that always makes you feel a little bit better in the day? That's good. Jesus does that." [01:00:05] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "The Jesus that you know is the Jesus that you will show. If you are in a spot where you just say, yeah, I believe in God, I would bet that you've never, when we sing about tasting his goodness, that there's part of you that you're like, that's weird. What's that like? We're talking about God's goodness, you know? Or his challenge too. You're like, well, Dave's talking about his ways lead to good things. I don't know. I believe in God. I do what I want, mostly. That is neither invitation or challenge. It's just kind of like God's there. He's an impersonal force. We don't really know anything about God. God doesn't really know anything about us." [42:53] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "I want to start out with something I hate, because I like talking about things I hate. All right? It's fun. It's fun. Not everybody enjoys it, hearing what I hate as much as I do. But you know what I absolutely can't stand? Would you rather scenarios? Anybody else? I cannot stand those. Would you rather be burnt or drown? It's like, my gosh. Like, why? What kind of, what does the world come to that these are my choices, you know? I feel more and more like my daughter, Nora, who, like, her answer to all, everything, always is both. And I want everything, you know? Like, would you rather have pizza or french fries? Both, please." [37:11] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "I know it's weird to think, I'm not saying like some people are a waste of time, but I only have so much of it in a day. I only have so much Dave to give. Same with all of you. Paul's saying like, hey, what I've trusted you with, I've trusted you with something. Do something with it. Teach it to others. Give it away. Make disciples. This isn't just Paul speaking, this is what Jesus says to all of us. I am entrusting you with the church. I'm giving you the authority. It's called the Great Commission. He says, go. I am sending you the Holy Spirit. You have everything you need. You have identity. You have authority. I'm going to be with you. Go make disciples." [01:12:06] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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