Radical Discipleship — Bob Utley

Jesus' Call to Radical Discipleship

Hello, we're going to be in what I think is one of the most important chapters about what I consider to be the New Testament central issue as far as discipleship and that is the radical commitment that Jesus Christ calls for.

There is no more beautiful expression of that than Matthew chapter 10. And we're going to be in verses 34 through the end of the chapter and then moving over to Matthew 13. Notice it says do not suppose that I come to bring peace to the earth and this do not suppose.

Probably the disciples were expecting The consummation of the age as they had been taught it as children now. It was very Nationalistic very militaristic they expected God to break into history one time in the Messiah to overthrow all the Gentile Armies to set up Jerusalem as the capital and all peoples flow under her now.

I believe that that's going to happen one day. But that we know is the second coming you see in the Old Testament really is only one coming that was seen clearly. But from further revelation, we realized that Jesus came the first time as the suffering servant riding on a fold of a donkey.

The second time he'll come is the King of Kings and Lord of Lord riding on the white charger. And so the Jews were expecting this second time first and they misunderstood. So Jesus says to them do not suppose that I have come to bring peace.

Inner Peace Versus Division

Oh, I love where it's we're in John 1427 where Jesus says my peace I given to you not as the world gives give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled but friends, let me say to you as beautiful that peace is.

That is an internal peace that is not an outward peace as the world rejected Jesus Christ and his message of love and commitment to God if we follow his footsteps and Walk in his ways as we ought the world Will reject us.

So the peace is an inner peace not an outward peace, but it says I have not come to bring peace but a sword now in John 3 17. Jesus after that after that great little deal about John 3 16. It says that he God did not send him into the world to condemn the world.

But that the world through him might be saved. But you see what happened is that light has come into the world. But men have loved darkness more than light because their deeds are evil. Now what that says to me is this Jesus did not come primarily to judge.

But the very fact that he has come and men respond or reject him they judge themselves and that's what I believe we have. Have you ever noticed in a you when you go out visiting for your church or something?

You can talk about sports. You can talk about the ballgame. You can talk about the weather you can talk about world politics. But when you mention the name of Jesus attention fills the air. Friends you can't mention his name in any group without dividing that group those who are for him those who are against him.

That's what he's saying. There's going to be a division everywhere. His name is mentioned. Y 'all see Luke 12 49 through 53 now notice where it makes in verse 35. For I have come to set a man now this in verse 35 and 36.

Really this is a quote from Micah chapter 7 verse 6 and what it's saying. Is that there's going to be no neutral ground about the Messiah? I've come to set a father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law really the words bride.

Against her mother-in-law and a man's enemies will be members of his own household. Now this a good example, it would be Peter in Matthew 16 18 where Jesus says upon this rock I'll build my church the gates of hell shall not prevail against it and then he says and I'm going to Jerusalem and die and Peter says Oh, not you Lord not you far be it from you and that's where Jesus says to Peter get behind me Satan.

God Above Family and Every Other Loyalty

You see one of his close friends try to take Jesus another way than God's way now friends I I love my family, but when I told my family that God was calling me to preach many of them said Oh, no, Bob, not you.

Not not you Bob. You see sometimes the closest people to you Can cause the most tension over decisions you have to make for God and I will tell you what God must come before wife. Before husband before children it must come before your very own life.

And that's the radical fellowship that we have here now notice if you would where it says in verse 37. Anybody who loves father and mother more than he loves me is not worthy of me. Now I want to show you a thing here.

It's a Hebrew idiom now in Luke chapter 12 14 verse 26. This Hebrew idiom is the word hate now here. It's the word love more than but hate is what Luke has now. This is a Hebrew idiom of Comparison the English translation intensifies this much too much.

We're not saying you got a hate father and mother what we're saying is that you're you're a commitment to Jesus Christ must be of such a Priority that everything else is secondary. Let me give you a few verses.

Genesis 29 31 through 33. Deuteronomy 21 15. Malachi 1 2 and 3 which is quoted in in Romans 9 13 and John 12 25. Will show you this Hebrew idiom of comparison. And so what we're talking about is the radical nature of the fellowship that Jesus calls for and I want to say to you the New Testament doesn't talk about make decision.

The New Testament talks about make disciples and is a Radical radical discipleship that we're talking about now. It says not worthy of me. You ought to see Luke 9 62 Verse 38 and nobody is worth worthy of me who does not take up his cross and follow me now.

Taking Up the Cross and Dying to Self

What does it mean take up his cross? I've heard people in my day say well, I've got arthritis. That's my cross to bear or I've got eye problems friends. We're not talking about some Minor physical problem.

We're talking about the ultimate physical problem death. The word cross to the people of Jesus day meant nothing less than a cruel torturous condemned criminal dying. Now crucifixion was a Phoenician kind of thing.

But the Romans took it over and developed it where it took several days for someone to die. They gave them water period periodically just to make them live longer. They put little blocks on their feet so they could raise up and breathe.

Most people died by asphyxiation and crucifixion not by anything else it reason was so torturous and Extended was it was a means of capital punishment to deter anyone from crossing the Romans. Now they wouldn't do it to Roman citizens.

But anybody else they would crucify and there are several historical precedents in the book. One of them is under Antiochus Epiphanes the fourth who? Killed 800 Pharisees by crucifixion. The other is under a Roman general named Varus who crucified?

2 ,000 Jews in a rebellion along all the highways in Palestine. Oh, I won't tell you. This is a rough way to die. Jesus is saying you've got to lay down The interest of your life and pick up the interest of my life.

Galatians 2 20 I Am crucified with Christ. Yet I live yet. Not I but Christ liveth in me and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Now that's the kind of commitment Jesus calls for it's a total complete 24-hour day.

Seven day a week commitment. Now notice what says here. Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me and nobody is worthy of me. That does not take up his cross and follow me. Anybody who gains his lower life will lose his higher life and anyone who loses his lower life for my sake Will gain the higher life.

The Meaning of Life and the Cost of Discipleship

Now this many translations are like this. But really we only have one Greek word here and I've got a graphic I want to show you if I could this graphic deals with the word Sukkot. Now in verse 39 the word Sukkot is what we're talking about.

It usually is pretty much synonymous with pneuma. Which is the word for spirit. The words translation higher life and lower life in my Williams translation reflect one Greek word Sukkot. Now notice that it normally means self or person and then I've listed for you the number of other times in the Bible.

But this same concept appears over and over. It's not a new concept. It is a Pervasive concept. Now notice that you wouldn't in verse 40. Whoever welcomes you welcomes me and whoever welcomes me welcomes him who sent me now.

Isn't that something? That's the same kind of a theology is Matthew 25 31 through 46. Where it talks about that in the Great Judgment Day giving a cup of water in Jesus name or visiting someone in? Prison or giving someone clothing all of these things done for others in Jesus name is just like doing them to Christ himself.

Then it says whoever welcomes a prophet as a prophet now I want to stop for a minute because I think we have several terms here that need to be dealt with. The word me whoever welcomes me and then the word prophet and in the word Upright man, which is really the righteous one.

I believe these are three titles of Jesus Christ. Now. The term prophet is used in Deuteronomy 18 15 through 18 and the term the righteous one is used for the Messiah in Acts 7 verse 52 and also in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

So I really believe these are three terms for Jesus whoever welcomes me Welcomes him who sent me and the ones that I send in his name now notice in verse 42. And I'll solemnly say to you no one who gives a cup of cold water.

To one of the least of my disciples now this term least of my disciples translates a Greek idiom. Which we normally would translate little ones now. We look from Matthew 18 all the way from 1 through 6 that little ones do not refer to children.

But refer to new believers weak believers. People like that and so what it's saying here is whenever we give somebody in the church no matter how Insignificant they may seem to you whenever we minister to them and love them and accept them and welcome them.

We are doing it to Christ himself. Then it says because he is a disciple will never fail to get his reward, you know, the Bible talks love it rewards. I don't understand this the reward system because I think everything I have I have because of my relationship to Jesus Christ.

Parables and the Purpose of Jesus' Teaching

But I think we are gonna be rewarded for for two things number one our availability to the Holy Spirit and number two our Use of our spiritual gift and that's very very important now. Let's begin the end at Matthew 13 beginning in verse 53 when Jesus had finished these stories now the word for stories here is The word parable in your Bible now para is the Greek preposition alongside and Bole is the Greek word for throw so a para Bole is to throw something alongside of now, basically it's used in two different ways in the New Testament it's used to illustrate a truth a spiritual truth by putting beside it a Common occurrence in everyday life that would clearly illustrate the spiritual truth now.

Jesus said many times he taught in parables to communicate truth, but Jesus also said he taught in parables. So that those who did not believe could not understand. So parables are meant to convey truth and to hide truth both.

Now notice if you will where it says. He left there. He went to his own hometown now in Luke 4 16 through 30. It seems like we're not sure if this is the same occurrence or a second occurrence in Luke 4.

They tried to kill him. So what we see here is maybe a second visit to Nazareth. We're just not a hundred percent sure and he kept teaching in their synagogue now I want to tell you Jesus was committed to regular public worship his background the Old Testament.

He learned from synagogue school as a child. But friends Jesus attended public worship every Sabbath now friends. We ought to follow his example. I usually don't preach on church attendance in my church because I think if I say you ought to come.

No one's gonna come because I get on their case. But I do believe that when it says in Hebrews do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Which is the manner of some the reason we need the whole family of God or the body of Christ together is we all have?

Different spiritual gifts and the church cannot be the church that Jesus wants her to be. Unless all of God's children are together for worship and praise so that we can be encouraged to go out and minister.

You see the church is not a building. It's a people. Jesus knew that public worship was significant in his spiritual life. And he attended synagogue every Sabbath knows it says that he taught in such a way.

They were dumbfounded you ought to see Matthew 7 28 and 29. Now the reason they were so shocked not only was Jesus teaching so succinct So real so alive so so in-depth, but he spoke as one who had authority.

Now you see the scribes and Pharisees spoke. They would quote a famous rabbi rabbi Aqaba said rabbi Hillel said and on and on but Jesus said I Say unto you a brand-new authority authority in himself, and it just shocked them.

Nazareth's Rejection of Jesus' Authority

But friends it caused real problem in his own hometown. Look at this in verse 54. Where did he get this wisdom and this power to do such wonder works you see he had grown up in this town? And they weren't denying the Marvelous teachings they heard and they couldn't deny the miracles they saw.

What they were saying is how do you do that? Isn't that the little snotty-nosed kid that grew up at the carpenters house? Isn't that Jesus and his brothers and sisters around here, too? Isn't that just Jesus the guy who lived down the street?

You see he did not have The credentials from the rabbinical seminaries of his day. He did not have the background. That they were expecting in a Jewish rabbi and so they were Challenging where he got this this power the source of his power now the Pharisees said they could deny his miracles or his Pervasive teachings, but they said he's does it by the power of the devil now friends.

That's the unpardonable sin. I Don't know how close these people of Nazareth were. But they were pretty close and saying that can't he can't be significant. He grew up right here now friends. I will tell you that says something about the normalcy of Jesus childhood.

There's some wild stories in the early apocryphal books not apocryphal. Excuse me pseudepigraphy books about Jesus changing birds and making them alive and zapping people and raising people friends. I think Jesus had the most normal childhood you can imagine.

I think he played in the dirt. I think he attended synagogue school. I don't think anybody thought anything unusual about this boy now. Notice it says in verse 55 is he not the carpenter's son now the Greek word carpenter.

We need to we've had some misconceptions about that. The literal translation is builder now. It's builder in the sense of expert Craftsman now it can be with metal. It can be with stone. It can be with wood.

We get the English term architect from this Greek word. Is not his mother's name. Mary are not his brothers James Joseph Simon and Judas are Not his sisters all living with us now friends. This is this seems obvious to me that Joseph is dead.

But it also seems obvious to me the people of the town thought that Jesus had normal brothers and sisters. Now we would know from further theology. They were half sisters and half brothers through the physical union of Joseph and Mary.

I love Mary. Oh, she's a wonderful girl. We've talked about her last week, but I think she was a lady. I think she had a normal family in the normal way after the virgin birth now. Where'd he get all these things?

They just can't believe what they're hearing. Look at verse 57 and so they found a cause of stumbling over him. And this is the ideal of a trap or trap stick or a rock, you know. He is the one that is the Old Testament calls him the rock of offense and the stone of stumbling.

It also says of him the stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. The Jews just could not believe and you think you know what bothered them. Mostly what bothered them. Mostly was the fact that He was going to suffer.

The rabbis could just not believe the Messiah was going to suffer. Now notice if you would please where it says. But Jesus said to them a prophet never fails to be honored except in his neighbor native neighborhood and it is on home.

Faith, Unbelief, and the Reciprocal Work of God

Now what we have here is a little proverb that says those things are people that you're familiar with. You never take seriously. What am I saying? Things that we're accustomed to lose their significance.

Okay, and so He did not do many wonder works because of their lack of faith. Now, you know everything God has done for us he has done in a reciprocal way every dealing that God has with man. God takes the initiative, but man must respond in faith everything.

It's not that Jesus could not do any mighty works here. He chose not to do any mighty works here because the people would not reciprocate with faith. Every major act of God is a reciprocal relationship.

Because it's a personal relationship between two people God and His creature now in Luke 4 28 and 29. They tried to kill him because of what he said. He said some things that were so astonishing that they tried to kill him.

A Daily Lifestyle of Radical Fellowship

Well, I wonder today how radical is your fellowship. Do you really have a priority? Walk with Jesus. Do you really have a commitment to him that supersedes every other commitment. Friends. I'm not. Christianity is not a decision not a one-time act of walking an aisle or praying a prayer.

Christianity is a lifestyle radical Followship of Jesus the Christ in every area of your life every day of your life and 24 hours of every day. What about you. I think if you took a pencil and wrote down what you do every week in the hours you do it.

You'll see real quickly where your priority is. You must take up your cross daily and Follow him. I hope you'll look up Galatians 2 20 and think about how it applies to your daily life. Not your church life on Sunday.

But your daily life does the radical nature of your commitment impact everything you do. Everything you say everything you have everything you are. I've really enjoyed being with you. I'll see you again.

Same time same place next week. God bless you.