Nothing to say, yet
Transcription
This month, the focus is on discipleship. The speaker talks about the importance of being committed followers and learning from others. They give examples of following the wrong things or people and the negative impact it can have. They also share personal experiences of following the right path and how it has shaped them. The speaker emphasizes the importance of producing good fruit in our lives and being planted in the house of the Lord. Age is not a limiting factor in discipleship. This month we are in the series of discipleship. We're talking about discipleship all week all month Last week Katrina opened it up. She dropped the mic Talking about what we're what is expected of us as a follower of Christ today. I'm gonna follow up on that It's called I'm a follower. That's my title this morning So if you would if you would stand with me today for the reading of the world We're gonna be at Matthew 28 19 through 20 Matthew 28 19 through 20 Hallelujah on your phone on your Bibles Amen, let me be reading from the niv version Matthew 28 28 19 and 20 May the lord add an anointing to his word therefore go And make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and of the son and of the holy spirit And teaching them to obey everything. I have commanded you And surely I am with you always to the very end of age. Let's pray heavily father. We glorify you this morning Thank you lord because you're a good god. You gave us the Blessing of breath this morning those that are listening those that are here Lord We know there are many that didn't get that blessing this morning, but thank you For allowing us to see another day of your goodness to be able to be in your presence this morning That you may drop Something in us or that we didn't see yesterday or the day before And that we may lord Use it to your glory that you would build it up in us That we would know more and become more intimate with you your son and more in tune with the holy spirit working in our lives So we glorify you this morning. Lord. We ask that you add an anointing to your word hide me behind your cross And everything that was done on that cross is the prevalent factor here this morning And what he did for us all we can say is thank you. Abba father We glorify you this morning in jesus name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. You may be seated So discipleship making disciples right but in order to Become disciples or even be disciplers. We'll get into that a little later Another month we must be committed followers followers um a follower is Basically someone who's learning moving changing because They're following something or someone else they're morphing into what they believe like, um, uh, some of us are going to school because we want to you know, you want to get a degree to do whatever, uh, you know, uh pharmacist, uh doctor, uh, whatever it is Some of us are endeavoring to take courses to better ourselves, right so we're following something for ourselves right now That could that that's great. But you it could also be bad too Because you could be following the wrong things You could be following someone who is or something. That's untrustworthy Shifty crooked underhanded selfish one-sided money hungry We all know people that all they want to do is You know that nonsense that Go after the dollar they they their god is money Their god is possession. Their god is uh, they they are chasing whatever they believe this Success supposed to be is right that word right? Or you could be following somebody who's very egotistical Right or judgmental. That's a big one We all know people that they see something and they're boom that's wrong And it's the way I see it because they're wrong Like we're talking about this this morning But you follow somebody or something like that because it's not always a person Right you become that way Many years ago when I was in the military um Before I was going to separate I took a bunch of exams in new york city for I took police corrections uh, um Air traffic controller. That's a good job. Very stressful, but it was paid good money back then and they were looking for them, right? Um, and also as a train conductor, right? So I took all these exams like a year before I was gonna um Separate from the military, right? so Um, I did very well on all of them except for the air traffic controller. Thank goodness Don't fly if i'm on the thing don't do it because i'm not good at it. It's very anyway So I was interviewed first by the corrections. I actually got an interview several of them before I even Separated from the military. I was in the city and I would A recruiter would call me up and come on down. So we'll go talk to him and I went to four interviews so when I Separated right away. They wanted to hire me because they were hiring at the time for corrections And i'm like man, that's a good job a lot of overtime um And I work in the city And it's good money, right? Recently married whatever when I got when I when I got out of the military 20 years retirement That was big to me. I only had to do this for 20 years and I could do nothing for the rest of my life, right? That's the mentality, right? So I was like, okay and I had an uncle who was a deputy warden in rikers in new york city rikers island So after I went through the interviews and I was scheduled to start like the mini medical and all this stuff that you got to do before you actually go my uncle Sat down with me. He goes listen pete Are you interested in taking this job? I'm like, yeah, it's good money. He goes. Yeah, it's really good money But I wouldn't take it. I'm like, what do you mean? Aren't you? Like big wig over here in threshers, he's like yeah, but I am no longer the same man that I started Because this job changes you You become who you are watching You get the mentality of the inmates because you're in there so long And you start to think like them you start to reason like them you start to mistrust like them because it's always a Scam everything that all these all this stuff is going on. He says pete. You are a young guy I was relatively young 28 And he goes don't do it. I wouldn't do it. I am not the same man, please I know I can hook you up and certain things but the mentality in your life and you are going to change He says don't go through what I go through because he had become alcoholic And it was as a result of that job because he wanted to get away from it, right? Okay Now so what did I do? I didn't take the job. I took my uncle's advice Thank goodness. Praise god, right? I got another job, right? so eventually I didn't have to go through that what he was going through because he Very graphic and some of the stuff he used to tell me I mean, you know anyway, but today I am who I am because I followed certain things and today I am a disciple. I am a follower of christ now When we become followers, we're still talking about followers here or disciples whatever term you want to use it I think you start following and then somehow you morph into a disciple And then you morph into more amen. We'll get to that. Follow me here Following people or things Will birth something in you You may not think so But if you follow certain people the tendencies the things that they do how they see things is going to birth something in you Good or bad Good or bad, right? You could follow the wrong people and you're going to wind up You know that my mother used to tell me no don't hang out with those You know those people you tell me who tell me who you're with and i'll tell you who you are How many times did I hear that when I was growing up? He don't hang out with that kid. He's small girl like tell me who you're with and I'll tell you who you are and i'm like Okay But if you follow the right people the right the right uh things in this life Not only spiritually but also, you know how you go about things because god just changed you What happens something birth in you too good fruit Good fruit if you follow for the most part We are products of our parents Or those that brought us up when we were growing up. So we have a lot of tendencies. That's why we have We see things a certain way we have Generational things that we don't even realize we're doing why because it happened to our forefathers And they kind of instilled it in us Right my grandfather I used to watch him all the time awesome, man believer in god Very strong christian, but like he was like Willow was like i'm the man and that's it. I don't say anything until I have to say something and that's it right He would have a tendency To sit and eat my grandma would cook for all of us on sundays when we'll go there and he would sit there And he would look down and eat Would not look up And when he looked up and he didn't push his plate forward my grandmother already knew He wants more food And then my grandfather my grandmother get more and he goes again and until he didn't finish He didn't look up and he didn't speak I used to do that I used to do that. I was like what the heck's the matter with you? Why don't you talk while we're eating? When we first met because I that was me We would go off somewhere and she's like Am I talking to a plate? What are you talking to the plate? What are you doing? And then I realized why I did that Because I I used to see my grandfather. My grandfather was a big influence in my life my father my grandfather So I thought that's the way it was so you see There are things that are birthed in us that we don't even realize That we carry forward some of them like I said generational curses Some of the things are great. They're good uh things to do in your life if you're a hard worker if your if your parent apparently Your family was hard working. That was your mentality you learned that but if you didn't You didn't you didn't get that And this walk our walk our lives should always produce good fruit always It may not you may not see the fruit, but someone else is benefiting from what you're giving them All right, psalm 92 12 through 14 says the righteous will flourish like a palm tree They will grow like a cedar of lebanon planted in the house of the lord planted in the house of the lord That's a big line there because you could be planted somewhere else but if you're planted in the house of the lord You will flourish That's his word, right? They will flourish in the courts of our god. They will still bear fruit in old age So age is not a factor here when you are planted in The right garden you will produce good fruit even In your later years, so people that say oh, you're too old. You're too young nonsense Right, they will stay fresh and green proclaiming the lord is upright He is my rock and there is no wickedness in him if we're followers disciples of christ We carry the promise of god to everywhere we go Right still but we're still following now. Remember we're still following Now, are we willing to do that on a daily basis? It's hard sometimes It's hard sometimes to walk by in the middle of a fast you walk by Julio brought a cake back there This morning, so I thought i'd be like, oh Why you bring a cake? Why you put a cake in front of me, you know, we're fasting right? And he's like well everyone's not fasting and i'm like, I don't care I don't want to see the cake Because i'm gonna be like Right. That's the honest truth. We don't always measure up. We have to We have to endeavor to always be a disciple a follower of christ And when we do that his promises are going to be filled in our lives through his word and through his Actions through us and and for others if we emulate christ If we have a we're following christ We become better men and women I was a terrible husband to my To cindy I was I still have my moments. Don't get me wrong Right, but I am now a better husband and wife. Why because i'm not following anything But god and if he's making me better because i'm following him better then i'm better from her Same thing with what women as well We are better workers We are better contributors to society. Why because he's changing us to who he is And we give back to caesar what's his but we give god what's his as well Amen, we become new creatures every day. He changes our simple self-centered nature to a loving caring vessel for others to see And it's all for his glory and a goodie we get blessed along the way We are uh Next next week. I think it is we're going to talk about next level next level. Give it Right, you put your faith and your money in faith in god, and you don't see if he's gonna not overflow We talk about it all the time overflow That you can't even handle the blessing So, what does that mean all this to say? What does that mean the things that we've seen and the things that we've experienced are all about relationship You're a follower you're in a relationship Right and relationships matter they really do they're important in our lives And it's not because of we have to because most of the time if we have to do something It's not really a relationship. It's an obligation It's really an obligation right we're here first because of relationship Most of us are here in this church because of relationship Somewhere along the line somewhere invited you to a service Or to see a concert or something And you went not because you may have known what was going to happen at this concert or service But because of the relationship that you have with the person who invited you That's how it works that's how it starts the relationship, right And they grow in that Right, and that's how most of us came about here I had never I had been to camden twice before I came here four and a half years ago twice And it was for like 20 minutes to drop off pastorico one time I dropped them off here and I saw mithi and I was out gone back to the city where I was comfortable right but see we we many times have our own tendencies growing up because of our Forefathers what we're going through with them. So relationships do matter. We get good habits from them. We get bad habits from them we get Uh, what is it called biases? From our environment, right? We get all of that, right? So that means relationships are really important So what do we need to do when we become a follower? What changes do we have to have in us for that to happen and we can start getting separating ourselves or changing Those tendencies in our lives those outlooks those biases those those prejudices Our tendencies our thought process Right. That means we have to follow something or someone that's perfect And it's for us not against us And that's christ. Amen So what are the priorities? Of a follower or a disciple or even a discipler I'm gonna just read it to you a follower and a faithful disciple and disciple must establish goals consistent with the word of god Sounds easy enough right not that it is but it sounds easy enough Just establish those goals because if you don't have goals in your life, you're lost Even in your like if you don't have a budget you never know you're never gonna know where your money is if you don't have family planning or you don't have a We're gonna meet at dinner at five o'clock tonight and Nobody shows up. You gotta work on that stuff My house when I was growing up if you weren't in your if you weren't in the kitchen at five o'clock every day for dinner With the whole family then you had to be in the hospital with a lung out My parents were like, where are you? I don't care what's happening in school. I don't know You had to be in the house. That's the kind of thing. That's a goal My parents are still in us want to eat dinner family cindy's family never ate dinner together They all did their own thing. So when the first time cindy came to my parents house for dinner, she thought we were weird Because we were all sitting at the dinner table no tv no music and we were Yapping and chewing it up right and cindy was like, what are you people doing? What are you doing? Because she had never seen that before you see goals. Those are the kind of things in paul's letter and uh To the thessalonians, especially chapters two and three he expresses two primary goals To be a follower and a disciple Right and they control everything that he did and he was always sending letters to all of them You're doing great, right? One growing faith That was the first thing he told his first goal was to them to have the faith in god that they needed to grow Because if you stayed the same you became stagnant and he knew it and back then there was a lot of persecution a lot Right He writes in thessalonians first thessalonians. I always have trouble saying that word first Thessalonians 3 10 and i'd be night and day We pray most earnestly that we may see you again because he wanted to go hang out with them He wanted to see them, but he couldn't And supply was lacking in your faith Faith is really important Because if you don't believe something you'll never do something If you don't believe in something Then you're not going to bother with it. If you don't care about something you could care less about it, right? You couldn't go to them. So he sent timothy instead to strengthen and encourage them as to their faith You can find that at first thessalonians 3 12 Right, we sent timothy who was our brother and co-worker in god's service in spreading the gospel of christ to strengthen And encourage you in your faith, why do we come to church? Why do we fellowship with each other to strengthen? And encourage each one of us in our faith Just because you're sitting there doesn't mean that you don't encourage me in my faith Just because i'm up here doesn't mean I don't want to encourage you in your faith It's not about position Posture it is about lifting each other we rise and we fall Together as a church as brothers and sisters in christ He wasn't concerned with the superficial he wasn't even concerned about their numbers I could go an hour about that one Cheap stealing My church is a thousand people Numbers don't matter You know what matters? relationship What matters is discipleship? What matters is fellowship? What matters is intimacy with a god? within ourselves and each other That's what matters. So I would rather have 20 people that are on fire and in tune with each other There are a thousand people that don't even know each other's names That's relationship paul's not concerned with numbers he wants Them to be steadfast in their faith And obedience has to come before that so you gotta like I said, you have to believe and then you have to obey right A disciple has Have discipline to follow this word Like I said, it's not easy a lot of things in here that the world says Is okay. No, it's not No, it's not We have to be very careful That's why another reason why your faith Because if you have your faith and no matter what happens outside if god is in the center of my life He's gonna direct me through his spirit. He's gonna say don't go over there You ever been in that place you get somewhere and something in you just goes this is not good Or this is something there's something gonna happen. You need to leave Or even better you go to the supermarket and you see A lot of people in the supermarket and somebody gets pointed out And you don't know that person but there's something about that person that draws your spirit Right. That's the holy spirit at work, too. It's not always bad. Sometimes it's good, right? Amen But you have to have the discipline to follow that every day Jesus dedicated himself to following his father every day Every single day he denied himself for his father's will not my will father, but yours right A disciple will take up his christian identity We have an identity each one of us. We have a purpose We have a god-given plan and direction in our lives. Otherwise None of us would be here none of us Right. What's the second goal that that all has he has he wants them to have a worthy walk in christ a lot of words there worthy walk There I used to um, there's a term that I use for people that only show up to church christmas and easter I call them two first They're two first they only come christmas and then they come in easter They come christmas because they give out toys For the kids if they got kids right or they're gonna go visit family and maybe somebody in their family goes Come on, let's go to church. We'll go to mass And they go And then easter because they bought new clothes and they want to show them off So they show up at church with their new clothes, right? Call him two first, but he's telling them listen, you need to have a worthy walk in christ He says walk in a manner worthy of god who calls them into his own kingdom and glory. That's first. Thessalonians 2 12 These instructions are really clear to walk and to please god guys in All you thessalonians, please listen Have your faith and walk worthy of he who made the ultimate sacrifice for you. Amen He that he wanted them to live in such a way that the name of jesus will be emanating from everything they did When I was working People used to shun me when I when I recommitted my life to christ, right because I did this mid Mid, uh mid employment as a cop in the city. I was on my own and then god Did some stuff to me And I recommitted right and then it became a thing where now I was ostracized Oh, he don't don't look at don't show pete Those pictures of those women or don't show pete this or don't talk or don't curse in front of pete because you know, he's he's he's religious but when they wanted advice They didn't go to each other They would come to me. He can I talk to you? Can we go outside can you can you pray for me? I have a problem with my my wife Or my teach It it's crazy. It is what it is, right? But that's what happens people They they see the walk in you and once you are a true disciple and follower You are gonna Let out an aura you're gonna the holy spirit is gonna go before you and people that are in need and looking for an answer They're gonna come and step into your in your path and that's an opportunity right an opportunity to disciple Did I say that? Disciple, yeah To give them a word in season and to show them there's a better way through jesus christ Right as a discipler If you're if you're a committed follower, you will eventually be a disciple And a discipler too. You don't realize the influence we each have in our surroundings There are things that we have said to people 20 years ago and they remind me or cindy And i'm like did I say that? Don't remember why because you have influence over other people in your lives And god is going to use you with his spirit To spread the word remember Go and make disciples First script I read right The holy spirit does that He's gonna do that for you and through you now Character of a faithful disciple i'm almost done first thing His priorities and his goals. What is his first thing? He has an attitude of gratitude Paul right? I'm nothing. I am god. Remember he wrote. I am garbage. I'm i'm nothing but you are everything christ He knows his place He knows he's not jesus He knows he's not the holy spirit. He knows he's not god. He knows he's merely a servant amen but he also knows that he's happy To help All those around him. That's why he writes all these letters He is he has an attitude. Thank you lord for allowing me to have an influence Because we all have an influence at work In our schools in our surroundings, especially in our families amen He expresses how grateful he is to these thessalonians. I'm so grateful because after timothy came back It was like they are really strong in their faith and in their walk and paul was like yes Yes, i'm so happy. I wish I could be there with you to celebrate But I can't right but he is thankful for each for each of those people that are walking alongside him remember a follower Disciple discipler all walk together One is not in front of the other I am not here in front of you. We walk together. We rise and we fall together That's how god that's why god did it. Jesus didn't walk alone He had to get the 12 the dirty dozen. He had to get those guys to hang out with him for three years Because he knew this walk was not for the lonely It was for the lonely but not for the alone Amen so And he was bold In his writing he said don't do this don't do that, but he was very um and the people that he was Uh giving exhortation to in these letters. He was very uh careful with his words, but not he was He said it in love. That's what I mean to say Said it in love Don't do this so we can rejoice together There The follower is no better than the discipler because the discipler is following somebody too Right I follow jesus As he follows his father So there's always a follower the buck stops not with the discipler or the disciple stops with the father the heavenly father And he entrusted all his his the people that were he was helping to raise as well as himself He had to be totally transparent i'm a mess I'm worth nothing but god through me. I have value amen But he was very human He was very humble In his writings if you read his writings, he talks about himself like a dog But that's okay because We are in essence sin sinful in the father's eyes, but christ praise jesus christ Came and made a way for us. So now we're worthy. We're no longer dogs They may see us that way. They may treat us that way, but that's not who we are a faithful Discipler must never arrogantly Set himself above anybody else I don't None of us do should should we have influence but that influence is not power There's a difference between influence and power Influence means you can you can help somebody and how they see you live Maybe they take a little hint They get a hint as to how they should do things but power Nothing to do with power Power is the holy spirit, right? And paul loves Them so much. He treats him like his children. You can find that in first. Thessalonians 2 7 He cherishes the people in the relationships around him He wanted to impart everything that he had learned and is in process of learning to them So they will grow strong like he was so What a follower A disciple and a discipler is to do Is to have others duplicate his following his discipleship That's what the goal is, right? quick story here Um, there was a story about heaven and hell I read this somewhere This guy was taken to hell And they took him into this room this big room where there are all these people with these really long spoons right And there was a big pot of stew in the middle of the room Right smell delicious But he saw everybody in the room in that room in hell skinny grumbling angry nasty Right, they had spoons But the spoons were much longer than their arms so they couldn't right Then they took him to heaven. They took him a picture of heaven a place in heaven a room pot of stew in the middle Bunch of people standing around same spoons But everybody in that room was fat Everybody in the room was happy and content. Why? Not because they couldn't eat because they were feeding each other because their arms wouldn't reach their mouths So they fed somebody else on the other side of the room That's what we're supposed to do That's what a disciple is someone who feeds Someone else as someone else is feeding me amen That's what we take that go and spread the gospel right as a matter of fact I want to end this sermon today. I read it this morning a poem that I found I want to end this sermon with this poem I Would rather see a sermon Than hear one any day I'd rather one walk with me than merely tell me the way My eye is a better student and more willing than my ear Fine counsel Counseling is great But a good example is always clear one of the best of all the preachers No, and the best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds But to see good put in action is what everybody needs I can learn to do it if you let me see it done A lot of us are like that We will listen but if we see We get it better. We understand it more, right? I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue may too fast run And the words you deliver may be very wise and true, but I'd rather get my lessons by observing what you do For I might misunderstand you and the advice you give But there's no misunderstanding how to how you act and how you live When I see adidas i'm eager to be kind when a weaker brother stumbles and I see a strong man who stays behind Only to see if he can help them Then that kindness grows in me to become as big and thoughtful As I know that friend to be All the travelers can witness that the best of guys today is not the one who tells you But the one who shows you the way For right living speaks a language which to everyone is clear though a speaker may charm me with his words I can say I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one any day. Let's stand What does that mean That means each of our lives as followers as disciples as disciplers Preaches most in our lives not in our words Right acts 1a tells us to be witnesses not go witness You look at real carefully it doesn't say to go and speak it says Be a witness of christ and what he has done for you in your life because that be that show Is going to always surpass your words because words fail Amen Every head bow today if you're not a follower of christ if you don't have a relationship with Jesus this morning an opportunity is here If you're watching me online, you're hearing these words I know god has been Talking at your heart if you're listening He just wants to have intimacy with you and relationship with you and he can Take you where you don't think you can go And change you where you don't think a change can happen. He can place you in a place where you Are not meant to be but it is his will and his plan in your life that you can be there at that table He can forgive Every sin and the old do the old you will pass And a new you will emerge in christ, so if that's you this morning Just bow your head with me and repeat this prayer Heavenly father we glorify you today Father I am a sinner I recognize that you died on a cross for me so I can be renewed And restored this morning I believe you died on that cross just for me So I accept you as my lord and savior this morning Instill in me your spirit Your grace your mercy your forgiveness And take me to where you have predestined my life to be in you That I may follow you the rest of the days of my life And I may give you glory for that life Jesus christ, I pray amen. Amen. Amen Follower i'm a follower I'm a disciple. I'm a disciple endeavor to be both Because when you become both Then you disciple someone else And they get the benefit Of god's mercy and grace in your life I would rather see Someone who's walking the life of a follower and disciple of christ I mean we all know a lot of great speakers But show me their life I've known amazing orators speakers Even of the word but the minute they step off that platform It's a different story and that's sad But that's god's process with them We pray for them, right? I want to see someone who lives I want to be next to someone who's living this walk like I am Because we're both gonna fall and we can lift each other up and continue this walk Amen That's the word of the lord for this week Are you a follower this morning? Are you a discipler? Are you a disciple are you intending on following his word every day? Every day not just sundays an occasional thursday Or maybe on a friday Or when stuff happens and all of a sudden you turn to him again Amen I leave that with you this thing. Allow me to give you this uh this morning the uh benediction You would may the lord bless you and keep you May the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious patient Understanding give you wisdom and all that you need to continue this walk of a follower and disciple If the lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious, may the lord lift up his confidence upon you and give you peace Wisdom boldness Grace And love for one another may the lord give you that peace Go now in the name of the father The covering of his son jesus and the anointing and inspiration of the holy spirit Peace be with you friends and family blessings for those that are Not fasting there's cake back there for those that are fasting there's water It is what it is God bless. Have a wonderful sunday. Have a blessed week
