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 - May 5, 2019
One Thing Leads To Another- Acts 15
Acts 15 As Paul and Barnabas and the other apostles continue to spread the gospel, they encounter an issue: According to the Jewish leaders, since the Jews have been living according to the Law of Moses for the duration of their history, the Gentiles who are coming to faith should likewise follow the Law, and this new version of simply accepting Christ for their salvation is not readily acceptable. The apostles travel to Jerusalem to meet with the leaders to figure things out. The Jewish leaders re-emphasize the history of their people while Peter recounts the story of the Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit. Peter also points out the history of the Jews’ inability to follow the Law, and how expecting the Gentiles to do likewise is a tall order. A compromise is reached, allowing the Jews to continue their practices and the Gentiles to focus on a small number of acceptable directives. A letter is drafted and sent out to the Gentile communities. We get in the way of God’s work quite often. God set things in motion, provides us with opportunities, uses people to support and encourage us, yet still we struggle. We put our individual needs and desires first, and we suffer as a result. Our own lives get complicated, and that spills over into the lives of the people around us. Pastor Phil reminded us, in the midst of our lives, we have to constantly seek what God wants. Either alone, in groups, or in communities. Seek what’s true, what’s right, and what He wants. When we do, great things happen, because God is great.
Scripture References: Acts 15:1-40
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