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 - October 20, 2019
Weeds, Pearls and Fish. Matthew 13
Continuing our series in “It’s Like This” about the kingdom of Heaven, Pastor Phil looked at passages in Mark 4 and Matthew 13. Jesus reminds us that His light penetrates deep and brings all of life into the open. The more we accept that truth and seek His light, the more truth will be revealed to us and through us in our life. In Matthew, Jesus guides us through the knowledge that this world is constantly being infiltrated by Satan. He works continuously to undermine Jesus’ authority and to cause rifts in the community of believers. It is incumbent upon us to recognize these actions and resist them. Our motivation can be found in the parables of the treasure and pearl. If we know that Jesus is all we need in this world, then resisting all other temptations becomes much easier. Pastor Phil left us with this summary: The Kingdom is a mystery that God reveals to us in different ways and at different times. Not everyone is a part of God’s kingdom, based on the decisions they make and the truth they choose to believer. Good and evil are both present in this world at the same time, and it is in God’s power to sort out the difference. And the value of His kingdom is unsurpassed. Matthew 13: 44-46 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, AND THEN IN HIS JOY WENT AND SOLD ALL HE HAD and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away AND SOLD EVERYTHING HE HAD and bought it.”
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