Disciples: Lord Give Us Men
To get to know Jesus Christ we need to approach his throne of grace with meekness and humility, recognizing that we are poor in spirit and mourning over the sins that have separated our hearts from God’s heart. We must approach him with a hunger and thirst for righteousness. To become a disciple of Christ starts with a heart of repentance, recognizing our need for a savior from our sin nature that has blinded our eyes to the glorious light of the gospel of truth.
Then when we come to our Lord Jesus, we will able to see from his heavenly perspective instead of the world’s perspective. Jesus continued his teaching on the sermon on the mount…. You have heard from the Pharisees, that you should repay evil for evil… an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. However, Jesus said, bless them that persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake, for great is your reward in heaven. As the Apostle Paul said, in order to follow my Lord, I’m crucified to the world because in my flesh there is no good thing. For I was crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the live that I now live I live by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Jesus said, In this world you will have tribulation… mental pressure, heartache, testing, and temptation. But be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The abundance of life is not in the the pain and suffering of this world. Neither is it in the abundance of worldly things. Instead the abundant life is in the presence of the Lord. Despite the turbulence of the world around us, in his presence He will deliver us through the storm, in the storm or by the storm.
Discipleship, becoming a disciplined follower of Christ is on God’s unilateral terms, not ours. Following him is non-negotiable. Whosoever wants to come on God’s terms may come. The first unilateral term to becoming a disciple is, “come and see.” The second is “come and learn.” The third term is “come and do…. Jesus said, Walk with me, come follow me and I will make you fishers of men.”
Jesus said, whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. The cross symbolizes dying to self…. For in Christ my life is not my own. My life is hid in Christ with God. Then Jesus said, whoever wants to save his life will lose it. Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel will save it. For what good is it if a man gains the whole world but loses his soul? Life on earth is but a nanosecond in eternity. This life on earth will soon be passed, only that which is is in Christ shall last. As Missionary Jim Elliot said, he is no fool who loses that which he cannot keep to keep that which he cannot lose.
1 John 5:11-13 says….. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”
There are four responses to the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The first is outright rejection. This response says, I’m my own master, I’m the master of my own destiny. The second response is a tepid response…. Those who attend church as casual Christian’s but never make a commitment to follow Christ. The third is those who think they are saved but have never confessed that Jesus Christ is Lord. They attend church and may be involved with giving and serving. They say he’s Lord but don’t really mean it. They have not committed their lives by accepting God’s gift of salvation on his terms and following Jesus Christ from a heart of love.
The fourth response is to accept God’s gift of salvation by confessing that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised him from the dead. Christianity means “I surrender all.”…….. To confess Jesus is Lord means to agree with God’s word that Jesus is Lord and that I am no longer lord over my own life. Lord means owner…. All that I am and all that I have is yours Lord. Contrary to popular opinion, Christianity is not who we are but WHOSE we are.
In God’s divine transaction, we have been bought with a price. The price was the precious innocent blood of his son Jesus Christ. Those whom he has redeemed from the sin that separated us from God…. Those who accept God’s gift by confessing Jesus is Lord and believe God’s power in the resurrection receive his precious gift…. life of the spirit… eternal life in Christ.
Peter had to learn a hard lesson to realize that he was powerless in his own ability. He had told Jesus, even If the whole world forsakes you, I will not forsake you. Then Jesus said, Peter, before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me thrice.
While Jesus was being questioned in the court of the high priest a girl at the palace courtyard said, “I recognize you as one of his followers.” Peter swore, I am not one of Jesus’ disciples.” Then someone said, “I can tell by your accent that you are a Jesus follower. Peter responded cursing, “I know not the man.” Then the cock crowed and Jesus’ eyes met Peter’s. Peter went off and wept bitterly. Thank God for breaking our hearts for what breaks his. A broken and a contrite heart, the Lord will not forsake.
When we turn our hearts to the Lord in repentance, Romans 10 says, he who believes on the son of God shall not be ashamed. Even though the devil and his followers try to shame us and ostracize us, as the Apostle Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it us the power of God unto salvation.
Jesus said, follow me. He did not ask his disciples to do anything he himself did not do. He didn’t say, do what I say. Instead he said walk with me. To deny oneself is to say yes to Jesus Christ. To look unto Jesus is to press toward the mark of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus. Then when we walk in the light as he is in the light, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Those who chose to follow Christ have eternity in their hearts. It’s only by God’s grace and mercy that he has called us unto himself. Thank God that we can say and rejoice with the Apostle Paul…. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which He’s committed to me (and I’ve committed unto him) until that day (of righteous judgement.)
There are always more to and better ways to follow in the footsteps of our Lord…. It starts with a heart of love…. God’s love in that while we were yet sinners, he gave his only begotten son as the righteous payment for our sin nature. By grace, he has called us from the darkness of this fallen world into the glorious light of his gospel of truth…. That because of his love for us, we can chose to love him above all.
Loving God above all is the requirement for following in the path of righteousness. Then when we walk in the first and great commandment, to love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, soul, mind, and strength… we can live in the liberty where with Christ has set us free. Our liberty as his disciples is to follow him and serve others from a love.
What kind of Men is God calling? Pete wrote this prayer when God called him to start Influencers in Orange County:
Lord Give Us Men…
…Men with stout hearts and fire in their eyes. Men who fear nothing but you, and who owe nothing to anyone but acts of love.
Lord give us men.
Men who are willing to live and die for you, who name the name of Christ and live for His glory.
Lord give us men.
Men who know your voice and whose greatest delight is to do your will. Who are slow to anger, quick to listen, and eager to forgive.
Lord give us men,
Men who love their wives and honor you in their homes; Who are living epistles of salt and light to all they know and meet. Men whose sacrifice, service, and love are renown and who are known to have spent time with you.
Lord give us men!
These kinds of men! For the world is desperate for them.
Lord give us men,
Men of faith and action, who have eternity in their hearts and only you as their focus, passion and reason for living. Men of whom the world is not worthy.
Lord, these men are few, but they know that you use ordinary men to do extraordinary things through your power. That you use foolish men to shame the wise; weak men who because you become strong.
Men who are known more for their availability than for their ability. Men who choose to decrease so that you may increase.
Lord to me this seems like an impossible request, but these are the kind of men you make when they give their lives in total abandonment and absolute trust to you.
Lord let me be a man like this among men like this.
Lord let me be that man. —Pete McKenzie 2006
May this be our prayer…that as disciples of our Living Lord we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
