Discipleship Heart Burn
Monday Morning Commentary
All month long we are focusing on being United by the Core. Like screws in a metal chair, core values are the tools that keep all the different parts of Dwelling Place together no matter what weight is put on us. Our anchor values are fellowship, stewardship, worship, and discipleship.
This week Pastor Chad kicked started the series by preaching on Discipleship. Discipleship is the state of being a disciple, a learner, student, a follower of another. As disciples of Christ we follow Christ daily and continue to learn his words. What does it mean for discipleship to be a core value for us at Dwelling Place? It means that leadership decisions are anchored in discipleship and are for discipleship.
Luke 24:8-32 reveals key aspects of being a disciple. Jesus had just been crucified and buried in a tomb. A group of women go to find him so that they can anoint his body with spices. Instead of finding Christ there, they find an empty tomb.
Key #1 to discipleship learning to stop seeking life among dead things. Discipleship doesn’t happen until go to look for life and instead come to the realization that we have found death. The only way to find life then is Key #2 to remember the words of Christ.
In following Christ, disciples hear words from the Lord. In times of perplexity and confusion disciples run back to them. To stagnate believers these words sound like idle tales, yet to those who want to believe they will go and investigate what believers have told them.
In the investigation and going forward on the understanding of Christ’s words we do have, continuing to converse about what Jesus has said is key. It’s in conversing with God and other believers that our hearts burn for the Lord. As God begins to walk with us as we converse with him and about him, we then have to constrain his presence.
As his presence grows in our life, we begin to witness about him. Witnessing is rooted in our experiential knowledge of him. The definition of a disciple is continuing to learn. We learn by listening to the words of Jesus, conversing with other mature disciples, and practicing what it is we have heard. Clinging to his words means denying ourselves. The only way to accept his words is to surrender.
To surrender:
- What we know and what we think we know
- For some talking all the time to listen and respond to another believer
- For others being quiet all the time to let others know what is going on in our hearts and minds
- Walking alone in order to contribute to the community
- Excuses that keep us from following
This week in your discipleship journey think about where you need to grow. Is it in learning the words of Christ? Do you need to allow yourself to wonder in conversing with God and others about the words you have received? Or is it in witnessing and surrender? Christ desires to be close to you. That’s why he wants you to follow him.