Real Discipleship - Taste and See, Part 1

You know we all have certain specific life-changing moments in our lives today I want to share one of those moments in my life changed my entire future and I believe my changers as well stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with terrific submission of these daily programs is to intentionally disciple Christians, the Bible in just a minute will continue our series.

Real discipleship.

Jesus chose to change the base to the gospel we get started this series with recorded different but the truth is share is also applicable to all of us. If you have a Bible turned out to Mark chapter 9 for chips message taste and see God basically through the life of another person in a situation where he had me asking. Answer the question.

Are you willing to go for broke or not they trust me. Is this a college passing fantasy of getting involved in Bible studies and all that.

Or are you really committed to go where I send you to do what I want you to do to literally write a blank check sign your name on the bottom and let me fill out the top to take all the chips of your life and push them to the middle of the table and let me deal and except that I'm good enough and more powerful and gracious that what the hand ideally will be best, and I in my case it may not seem like a lot to you now, but back then leaving a girl that I thought I would marry for year and leaving a basketball scholarship and friends and all the rest seem like a real big deal, and for six or eight months upright about and it was exciting for me to get to a point where I can say God if you want to leave the school and go. I'm willing I want to be upfront with you. This is not sound like a fun deal at all, but if you want me to do it, I'll do it and it was even more exciting for them to say we don't think you need to do it is collecting of the knife was coming down on Abraham's son got to stop Isaac great and the but a year later. I did hear later, I turned down a couple teaching jobs in and of mixing mud for bricklayer and started to campus ministry on a campus where there is nothing going on. To be honest with you when I am serious and write a blank check with my name on the bottom of it and give it to God I hate to admit this, but it scares me to death and that's why a lot of still do, let me tell you, in this case I did send Olga at that campus is where I met my wife Teresa is a pretty good low bonus wasn't I think is even better than pretty good. It was there that for the first time after year the bricklayer said in a something I'm getting too old for the stuff you take over all the college part of the no work with couples I was very young. For some to turn over the entire range of the campus ministry and where issues of leadership and teaching ability and right God develop my life because I took that step always had a dream of coaching and after about four months of mixing mud and realizing what real life is about. I decided that I would willing to do this and I admire those who do it but I sure would like to get back in teaching and coaching got opened adorning at the coach high school team. Another reason another benefit that came from. There is a year later they had a real particular need that I had some background in West Virginia University and asked me to come there and teach free year. While I did my Masters degree. Well West Virginia University was only 20 minutes were moved done anyplace else.

So what I want to help you see is that when God asked you and I to make a radical step and say no to our will. And yes to his will. What I want you to see is his will. Sprint is wonderful. It's good, powerful is better than anything you can dream up for yourself, but you have to let go of years to get to his so often we talk about sacrifice and commitment. You know when I find people to we always look at the side of this is what I've got to give up and then we recoil what Jesus is going to do with his followers is he's gonna flip the coin over and say this is what you get. This is what you get in on following me.

Instead of focusing on what we give up easily talk about what he promises, and he's going to show his inner group of three that it is the most fantastic thing you ever get in your life and to actually to do anything less, than abandon yourself to Christ really is not very intelligent. That's a different way to look at is let's open up the Mark chapter 9 picking up and he said to them, I tell you the truth. After this great call to commitment and the reasons why they should do it.

Some of you are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power and the word power. There is Dumas we get our word dynamite. She says to them.

I just asked you guys to go for broke on SQ to put the chips in your life.

In the center of the table. Let me deal do whatever I ask you to do a says, but now here's what I want to get there. Some of you standing right here. Not only are you see me in all my glory power when I return.

But he says some of year again to get the taste and see what it's like. Even before you die of verse two says after six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him, and he led them up on a high mountain where they were all alone knows the phrase six days he made this challenge and for six days can imagine what it was like I mean, this put ourselves in their shoes. 2 1/2 years were following the sky. We listen to them. We see the miracles he walks on water. He columns the storms were on board keys or Messiah, but in our mind, were thinking oh I can't wait until he takes on the Roman government and he pushes them aside and then he takes care that religious establishment and then he's the Messiah, the King little over in the 12 of us will rule with boys can be neat. That's how they viewed and then he comes on with this sort of sidelight to the story. Yes, I am the Messiah your right, but before I rain is a part of God's plan. You will have skipped over.

Remember, I'm gonna suffer the rejected and then killed and then after that rise again and it's computers that Jorge will go for part of Jesus had a few choice words were now for six days, you realize that he is kind of shifted the cost for six days you centipede what you think about the suffering jazz, not knowing anyone assigned gonna lift the fishing business and wait for my wife a lot and with a lot of sacrifice.

What is the suffering reject you see, give them six days to rummage with and struggle with it and ask and answer the question, are you doing this for good or just what you can get even as the miracles, the blessings are you loyal to this person who is actually God, and after six days he takes the inner three James, John and Peter and what he wants to do is take them up where their focus can change from on what they have to give up on to what they're going to get what they can share and so they go up on this high mountain, probably not Herman about 9000 feet there. It says he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white wider than anyone in the world can bleach them Matthew in the same account will save his face shone like light blue will tell us in the same account, but they fell on their face when it happened and it likely happened at night because Peter says was was kinda sleepy and then all these lights come and they appear before them. Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus and Peter in typical fashion, not knowing what to do.

Start talking and he says Rabbi it's good for us to be here me. This is also what experience let us put up three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah and this is a great deal of stepper forever did not know what to say they were so frightened then cloud appeared and enveloped them Shekinah glory cloud of God and a voice came from the cloud. This is my son. Imagine going to this point, my beloved son, listen to him.

The present comparative keep on listening to him obey his words, and then suddenly one looked around they no longer saw anyone with them except for Jesus to be little insight about what's happening here. They go up on the mountain. Luke tells us. They went up the price of these guys. All this is normal. They went up amounts to pray all the time you spend time with the Lord. Break the Niner down the ministry move up on the mountain to pray. Probably night by the time to get there and have a prayer meeting and as Peter and some of us struggle with at night, we pray, we fall asleep in her he's waffling a little bit and then it says he was transfigured you learn this warning ninth grade biology, metamorphosis, member of the little of warmth turns into a butterfly metamorphosis means a change from the inside that manifests itself on the outside.

See what happen is lights didn't shine from angels or spotlights on Jesus.

What happened was his true nature all man yes but all God what he did is keep open just a little bit and crack and he allow them to see his deity. Power is glory, and so all of a sudden instead of this itinerant preacher walked around in sandals and had apparels and lights and Moses shows up. Elijah shows up and then got them that the glorious shining bodies to and they are shaking in their boots on the side instead of there nothing about what we have to give up there realizing for the first time in their life who is the really following nursing Jesus in his power and Jesus and his glory, and then can you imagine being a Jew who was the most highly esteemed person in all Jewish history. Moses is the lawgiver and who is the king of the prophets Elijah, both of those men had known Dracula's ministries.

Both of those men had unusual ways of leaving member who buried Moses and what happened to Elijah, not talking to me these are heavyweights.

These are the guys that all Jewish history and Peter and James and John in 06 days early they were saying. Do we really want to get on board with the sky.

Should we give up home in life and future in dreams and submit them all to him and trust that he'll make our lives work out okay. What's not doing a San I want you to see me for who I am. I want you to get your focus.

Also what you getting up and into the promise or they might be wondering, it says that Elijah and Moses and Jesus were talking is interesting tense of the verb, it means they were talking and had a prolonged conversation and if you cross reference this with Matthew's account. He tells what they were talking about.

Matthew 17 says that they were talking about his and the word is his Exodus is death is checking out is going to the cross dealt what's the part of this whole plan that Peter and the disciples are him the biggest problem with they like the King idea. They like the glory idea not real big on the cross IDR the suffering and so you have here that the man who gave the law and the king, the prophets, the law and the prophets. The Old Testament summarized in these great men and their talking with Jesus, and I can't help but then thinking their affirming and saying all the prophecies are now coming together all the dream of God. All the power eternity past, and you are now going to do what you and the father the Holy Spirit and decided from eternity past, you are going to Exodus you going to the cross and as you study here. The reason he shows them powers he wants them to learn that the pathway to power is only through the door of the cross when wanting to learn is the theme of this section. The kingdom will only come in power when it goes through the cross. Now don't get that negative idea what the cross is all the crosses you know I get hurt here. This is the cross is the will of God. You and I and the disciples will only experience kingdom power like dynamite when we sign that blank check and say your will and steadily for Jesus and that death at times it will mean suffering rejection for us, but it also means, and so the disciples now the focus is totally changed and if that wasn't enough, you talk about confirmation. You know sometimes we asked Otto God, give me a sign. These guys are the three men with the weight of the church is in a follow-on later.

John is gonna write books and end up giving his revelation and a ripe old age. Peter is going to be the man who gets things going and then Paul takes it to the Gentiles. He wanted to convince them man you are in on the most fabulous opportunity if you human beings ever get ever and I want you to see who I really and that's his message to us today and so this clown just like the Shekinah glory comes down and they actually hear the voice of God, tell them this is right.

This is Jesus. Listen to him.

He's my son follow him regardless of the cost to get the affirmation now like us. They have a few questions and so after this experience, or walking down the hill they kept the matter to themselves discussing what rising from the dead meant Jesus as they were walking down the hill, gave orders that until they see the Son of Man rise from the dead, they should not tell this to anyone and they still can't figure out what all this resurrection terminology is about verse 11. Asking one of the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first to see that they're convinced his Messiah.

Peter knew before this experience, but now they've heard from Moses, Elijah, and the voice of God, but they got a couple nagging theological questions like you and I have sometimes sometimes God makes his will clear and you know what to do, but you've always been caught a couple things and they don't quite jive with what exactly you think God's will is and you need it cleared up and so this is what Jesus does.

During that day. They had a lot of lot of big I would say extra biblical ideas about Elijah and what he would do and when he came in.

What would look like.

So Jesus clears them up verse 12. Jesus replied, to be sure. Elijah comes first and restores all things. That's true most teaches the law the correct and then he adds a question gets back to the heart of the issue why that is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much be rejected. But I tell you Elijah has come, and they have done Tim everything they wished. Just as it is written about him still quick review group of men of been challenged to the core of their being for about six days. They sold the king and his glory and power. They saw as deity they heard from the founders of faith to affirm and confirm that Jesus was the Messiah they heard his methodology about the cross was confirmed by who law the prophets and the father they had to theological questions answered about Elijah and John the Baptist and they saw and heard God, not about you, but that be pretty one of those experiences you want to mark up and write down a Journal and read it every day. Question I have is why is this here every gospel. This transfiguration follows the great confession. Why think the answer is real simple. A great confession because the side of the coin of great demand great sacrifice follow Christ. No matter what. I think the Lord knows her humanness and knows the struggle and knows that we need to also build focus on who in the world following and is it worth it worth it in the answer she asked me can you imagine these guys if you can't trust him who can you trust that what I like to say is that this is it reserved for them is mounted transfiguration experiences. What they saw God for who he really wasn't what he was going to do and you and I have the spirit of God living in our life we got the word of God available. We in the fellowship with other believers in God can allow us to see him for who he is today and also begin to see that his will isn't so dark terrible scary. Oh no, I don't want to do that because it's the greatest opportunity see a lot of you like me I mean I was the black sheep of every Bible study.

I was in the first three years as a Christian leaders must memorize Scripture window that you're supposed to go to this meeting on and go are you and I was always in and out in NY at such a faulty view of God. I was convinced if I got committed to Christ and end up in Africa.

I'm serious, so you know I don't get too close to the sky. You only go to heaven but that's about it and then you know then when a single some of your this way if you think you're single, you really committed to Christ never get married. That's what I thought, so I don't get too close, then either and some of the seal we get married and start a career 120 committed Christ in my leg will never have anything committed Christians are poor see what God wants us to learn is his will is good and acceptable and perfect and that we can trustingly give you one verse, and I want you to write this down because this is the message you want. Psalm 8411 it says the Lord God is a strong combination of two names for God. The Lord God is a sun and a shield was the son, a source of power and shield, a source of protection will Lord authority sovereign one gives grace. What's that unmerited favor, blessing, encouragement and glory enhancement of one's reputation in life. The Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord gives grace and glory, and here's the killer no good thing will he withhold from those who walk upright, you will never get a raw deal going for broke with Christ.

You never miss the only way your life will turn out best is when you arrogantly like I have done in my life think that you can follow your agenda and it will make you more happy and more fulfilled in sacrificially following his agenda is there cost sure is there balance. Absolutely, you know, I'm convinced that in our day. We are so focused on a go to give this up. This will never work out and and and on the front and what I've learned to let go and it's real painful hard in my experiences God in six weeks. Doesn't make everything wonderful usually takes me through.

Of winning learning and trusting, and I look back over year two, three, four years and realize the greatest decision I ever made my life, but it sure was hard for me here now.

That's what he wants us to hear.

I want you to understand that God wants you to know his will for you individually is good and will require sacrifice and faith's message taste and see write back with his application for this teaching from a series real discipleship in recent times it seems like more and more Christians are falling into the traps of hypocrisy, scandal and corruption.

So how can we change that in the series chirp reveals that it comes down to two words real disciples as he teachers through Mark chapter 6 through 10 is sure so we can authentically follow after Jesus and avoid the obstacles and distractions that so easily entangle us. Don't miss how genuine disciples of Christ can radically change our world. For more information about our resources for this series go to LivingontheEdge.org or the chipping remap or call AAA 333-6003 trips with me in studio now in chip at the end of the program you quoted Psalm 8411 which says God is our song and shield that such an encouraging message and I think there's one group of people who need to hear that word. The most pastors would you take a minute and talk about what Living on the Edge is doing to support and encourage church leaders absolutely Dave. A recent Barna research found that there's a growing number of pastors that are struggling with burnout and discouragement. The study found an immense stress of the job, the loneliness, the political and cultural tension and the strain on their family were the top reasons. Many pastors and I'm talking tens of thousands are considering quitting the ministry as a pastor for almost 40 years. The challenges of leading a church today. I will tell you are greater and more difficult than anything I've ever seen and it Living on the Edge were committed to coming alongside those who shepherd the church we provide them with tools that help them navigate the increasingly difficult situation seeping into the church when to support them with a safe place to talk and face the challenges related to their marriage and their family their own walk with God and strengthen them in community to help them because they get weary and they get discouraged.

That's why Living on the Edge has launched what we call the art of survival.

These materials and training events of help renew the commitment of pastors literally all across the world. It started the Middle East and went to India than Africa Mexico. It's amazing what God is done. Here's my question. Will you help us bring hope and encouragement, and theological training to these church leaders. We believe will need to multiply our capacity literally by 10 times in the next two years with all the doors of the Lord is open. There's a real sense of urgency for this right now.

Would you prayerfully consider giving to Living on the Edge to help make this happen every dollar you give between now and July 7 to be double dollar for dollar and you double your impact as we help pastors here and across the world. Thank you for praying and doing whatever God leads you to do what you believe God is calling you to join that mission with us we be honored to have you on our team, and while were in our midyear match every gift we receive will be doubled.

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Thanks so much Dave and as we wrap up today's program.

Let me just ask a couple questions that Jesus was asking of all of us. If you count the cost of following Jesus in this new world that were living in. Have you thought about am I really willing to suffer rejection or hardship or even persecution, and then I think the big thing is is the risk worth the reward. And can I just kinda leaned back and wish I could sit across the table from you and have a couple coffee and you actually turned to me and say chip you know you're probably a lot older than I am. Could you tell me about your Lordship journey and what I would say is I struggled so much. I was so afraid I mean I was so afraid of missing out. And because of my insecurities and some issues in my early life.

I just so wanted people to like me and I was afraid if I was really bold for Jesus and one of those quote out. They are fully committed Christians that you know you wouldn't be with the in group what I can tell you, was it took me a while and I rudely struggled to come to that moment where I said to the Lord. What ever you want. God will do you fill in the top of the check. My names already signed at the bottom. I will do whatever you want me to do it and I was hoping he wouldn't send me to Africa, I was hoping you know he wasn't going to have me be single all my life because I wanted to be married, but I came to the point where I said I will do whatever because I came to this conviction that the Lord God Almighty really is a son and his shield that the Lord gives grace and glory, and that no good thing will he withhold from those who walk up rightly and now in my six decade. Let me tell you something.

When I look back.

The greatest danger is not what you will miss out on by allowing Jesus to be the Lord of your life. The greatest danger is not following them and allowing him to be the Lord of your life because what I've experienced is beyond anything I could've ever imagined.

His plan was so much better so much bigger.

Were there challenges yes but are you ready for this.

I don't care what you do with your life. There's going to be challenges and you're going to depend on something you put your hope in someone and you have a whole body in the plan that you think will quote either make you happy or deliver what you really want.

Can I just tell you, no one will ever be able to be to you, or give to you what Jesus already has and what he wants to do in your life. If you have never made Jesus the Lord of your life without question without reservation. Can I encourage you get alone somewhere tonight and before your head hits the pillow make the decision Jesus your Lord will follow you no matter what. And here's my promise, and far better God's promise. You will never ever regret it.

Just before we close. I want you to know that as a staff we asked the Lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is there's a way we can help.

We'd love to do that if you give us a call with AAA 333-6003 or connect with us@livingontheedge.org while you're there, take a second look through our resources on a variety of topics, many of them absolutely free will join us next time a strip continues a series real discipleship so venomously saying thanks for listening to this edition of living all the