Sermon number 3 on "Discipleship; living in the grace of God"

Third Sunday after Pentecost 6/17/12 Text: Mark 2:14; Luke 9:57-62 Title: Discipleship; Living In The Grace of God (sermon 3) While there are multiple scripture references concerning discipleship that I could read I am only going to take a look at three of them. In each passage Jesus is calling a person to become a disciple; that is to follow his teachings. While each scripture reference has the same call, “Follow me.” you will hear three different responses to Jesus’ call to follow him. Each one of these responses will help us to understand better just what it means to be a disciple of Jesus living in the grace of God. This morning we are going to look at the call of the rich young man, as it is recorded in Matthew 19:16-22. ..You will find it as an insert in your service folder so you can follow along, as I talk to you about it. He approaches Jesus with what appears to be a very sincere honest question, "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?" The question he asks while appearing to be a question concerning his salvation, as you will see later is really just asking Jesus’ opinion on the matter of salvation. There are two things going on in his question. First of all since the question is an important question concerning his salvation, he expects Jesus to have a meaningful answer or at the very least an opinion on the subject. Secondly, while he is expecting from Jesus, the esteemed Rabbi a meaningful answer or opinion, he was not expecting a divine command and there in is the problem. Jesus knowing where he is coming from in asking the question trips him up with his answer, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments." Jesus has tripped him up. The young man is not going to get a pat answer that would make him feel good or one in which he and Jesus could have a discussion concerning how he can be saved. Jesus in giving him his answer has directed the young man away from Jesus toward God and in doing so is showing the young man that Jesus is the obedient Son of God. This puts the young man in an awkward spot, for in asking the question he is showing dissatisfaction with God’s commandments which he professes to know frontwards and backwards. He knows them. He keeps them, but for him that is not enough. There must be more and Jesus with his answer exposes his belief to the light of God. Jesus is not doing this to be mean spirited or to put the man down. Jesus loves the man. He wants him to know what it means to be a disciple of God. Jesus tells him keep the commandments. The young man is trapped and the only way out is to ask, "Which ones?" He wants to know which commandment is meant for just him. He is not looking at God’s commandments as a whole way of life. God says keep my commandments. Jesus is pointing that out to him, but the young man is looking inward at his own needs, his own justification; the commandment that applies to him. For he replies, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” He doubts God’s Word, for in asking the question, “What do I still lack?” he is really asking Jesus is the same question that Satan asked of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden when he asked them, “Did God really say that?” According to Pastor Bonheoffer in his book on “Discipleship” he is looking for an ethical solution to a salvation problem. In other words the young man is saying that God’s commandments are not clear; that they are open to human interpretation depending on what is going on in his life. Human wisdom is trumping the Word of God and as you finish up the rest of this text you see the result. Jesus tells him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." He could not accept the call of Jesus. In this case he could not give up his riches, but this could apply to anyone Jesus is calling who will not give up the old way of life to be a disciple. There is only one way to be a disciple of Jesus. You must come to grips that as good as you or others might think you are you are a sinner in need of God’s grace. Then you are open to the call of Jesus. Christianity is not an ethical way of life. It is discipleship, following God’s commands as he has given them, not as we decide they should be obeyed. It is an amazing thing when you realize that and take it into your whole being, mind and heart, for all of a sudden you are not burdened with making ethical decisions like “What do I do in this particular circumstance” because all you have to do is obey God’s commands. Think about it, for a moment. What is missing in God’s commandments? What parts of your life do God’s commandments not apply to? None, absolutely none, of course. They are complete and good for us. There is no reason to ask “Did God really say?” when applying God’s Word to our lives. There are three points in this account that we must acknowledge and believe as true. Jesus’ commands are God’s commands. They carry the same authority, for as Jesus said “The Father and I are one.” To be a disciple you must obey his command, “Follow me.” for to obey that command is to obey God’s command. The second point that we must learn is that discipleship is not just, as some would say an ethical way of life, for to say discipleship is an ethical way of life implies that depending on the times and circumstances that a person could chose to obey or not obey Jesus’ commandments. That is not discipleship. The third point is that we must learn from this text this morning is when Jesus answered his question. "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Jesus is not adding a new commandment. That is what the young man heard, that is what we by our sinful nature we hear. But that is not what Jesus is saying. He is saying that nothing can stand between your following me. I demand your wholehearted attention and devotion. The rich young man couldn’t and left. There are only two choices when a person follows Jesus; obedience or disobedience. That is it. Obedience to Jesus’ commands is discipleship. It is a full time following. It does not ask whether his commands apply at this time or that time depending on the circumstances of one’s life. It is a life following Jesus. Now some hearing this or reading it later might be thinking, “I thought that my salvation totally depends on Jesus’ dying for us.” You are right. Your salvation, my salvation depends only on Jesus death in our place. It is a free gift of God, one that we cannot add anything to. That can never be denied. Concerning our salvation, faith and obedience must always be kept separate. Concerning our living as disciples faith and obedience can never be separated. In the book of James in God’s Word chapter 2:16-20 where James is writing to some Christians who thought that they did not have to live their lives following Jesus’ commands, “You say to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. 18 But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works. "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe--and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?” Discipleship is thus a commitment to Christ and no other. That is why Jesus has told us in his holy scriptures that if anything gets in the way of that discipleship, even family, we must hate whatever it is that gets in in the way. Pastor Bonheoffer says it best in his book “Discipleship” “Christianity without the living Jesus Christ remains necessarily a Christianity without discipleship; and a Christianity without discipleship is always a Christianity without Jesus Christ. Our Savior has called you to be a disciple of his whether he called you in your baptism or through God’s Word. In that calling you were reborn. You are not who you were before. Amen.