The first message in our Summer Series of Walking With Jesus: Learning to Be a Disciple was about the DNA of being a Disciple.
That DNA of being a Disciple was described as:
• Divine Truth. Truth comes from God. It is the revelation of God to humankind. This comes from the Son, the Spirit, and the Scriptures. The Son (Jesus) is both God and human and came to reveal to us in his person what God is like and what God requires. The Scriptures were authored by God and reveal God’s unfolding plan for humanity. The Spirit of God is also Divine Truth, since he brings revelation and direction to believers.
• Nurturing Relationships. Humans were never created to be alone. We are social creatures and have an intrinsic need for relationships. Our relational orientation is a reflection of the image of God in us. God Himself is relational and exists in a community—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is love because God is relational. To the Christian, God is love because he has always existed in relationship. Is love possible without someone to love? This should be the defining characteristic of our faith. All men should know that we are Christ’s disciples by the love that we have for one another.
• Apostolic Mission. Apostolic means that someone is sent as a representative with a message. We are here for a purpose. We have been given a prime directive to fulfill—to make disciples of all the nations. This part of us also comes from the nature of God. Jesus is an Apostle. He is the Chief Cornerstone of the apostolic foundation. Before he left this planet, he sent his disciples into the world with a mission.
One of the key tools we talked about in Walking With Jesus was Life Transformation Groups. Find out more on our website.
Below is the full Sunday Morning message by Phil Helfer:
Phil Helfer - June 16, 2019
What Ever It Takes To Get To Jerusalem-Acts 21
Acts 21 Paul now finds himself in Caesarea, visiting our friend Philip from earlier in our Acts adventures. While there, a prophet named Agabus visits and warns Paul he will be arrested and killed if he continues on to Jerusalem. His traveling company and the people in the town plead with Paul to change his mind and instead avoid Jerusalem. Paul responds with great offense: “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Pastor Phil pointed us to Matthew 16 where Jesus faces a comparable situation, knowing the fate that awaits him and having those closest to him pleading with him to avoid it. Paul and Jesus both knew what they had to do and the necessity for it. In terms of hearing prophetic words akin to Paul’s experience, Pastor Phil challenged us to not be dissuaded by them: We are each responsible for how we interpret messages that are intended for us. When we are lead to take action, the responsibility is on us to do so. We have to make sure our ears are turned to God, and to trust our gut feelings. God presents us with opportunities to interact with His kingdom every day. We must strive to take advantage of them when possible.
Scripture References: Acts 21:1-40
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