Kingdom Disciples Episode 1

[Music] hello i'm back to tony evans and i want to welcome you to this special study called kingdom disciples heaven's representatives on earth in this study you're going to discover what it means to be a disciple and the difference it makes when you are one we're going to discover the missing key you see while there are a lot of churches and programs buildings and people there is a missing key to the kingdom of god and that is the absence of visible verbal followers of christ which he calls disciples a kingdom disciple is a believer who is in the process of learning to progressively bring all of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ how do you get there and what difference does it make when you are there put on your seatbelt we're going on a journey a discipleship journey we're going on the trip that'll change your life on April 15th 1912 there was a great disaster to take place and it was called the sinking of the Titanic we're all familiar with that horrific event where over 1,500 people lost their lives most people know about that event being caused by an iceberg that the ship ran into but what many people are unaware of is the missing key David Blair was the second officer who was assigned to be on the Titanic but the day before it was about to set sail from Europe from Southampton England to the US across the Atlantic he was reassigned to another ship but David Blair being the second officer in command had in his pocket the key to the crow's nest Locker the crow's nest Locker is a locker that held the binoculars for the man who would be in the crow's nest to be able to look out and to see what was in front of the ship but because it was locked and David Blair did not leave the key the pinaka the binoculars were inaccessible and so the the gentlemen stood there on the crow's nest using his human sight and he didn't see in the fog the iceberg so while the iceberg is what opened up the hull of the ship to pour in the water to bring about the disaster it really was preceded by a missing key and that missing key opened the door for disaster there is a missing key today in our country and in our culture and that missing key is the absence of what I call Kingdom disciples this absenteeism of kingdom disciples has opened the floodgate to the deterioration within the culture the absenteeism of these visible verbal full-time followers of Jesus Christ has created a gap that has been filled with that which is not based on kingdom values a kingdom disciple may be defined as a believer in Christ who takes part in the spiritual development process of progressively learning how to live all of their lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ a kingdom disciple understands that Jesus Christ is king and that he rules and they come and they place themselves under his authority this absenteeism in spite of all the churches and all the the Christians and all the bookstores and all the activities and all the program this missing key has led to chaos in the culture when Jesus Christ rose from the dead he called a meeting it was the only scheduled meeting during the 40 days between his resurrection and his ascension he invited three groups of people to this meeting the first group of people we're told in Matthew 28 verse 16 were the eleven disciples because Judas is no longer with them so he has been invited to the meeting but then there is a second group that's been invited to the meeting because first Corinthians 15 says that more than 500 brethren met with the risen Christ so for five hundred to meet at one time in one place it had to have been scheduled so we have over 500 people who are at this meeting but then there's a third group that's been invited to the meeting because Jesus says that what he has to say it's good till the end of the age well the age has not ended yet so guess what you and I have been invited to the meeting so why don't we mosey on up the hill till the meeting since we've been invited to the meeting and find out what the meeting is about by the risen Christ Jesus Christ comes on the scene and they begin with a worship service it says they worshiped him worshipping God is the recognition of who he is for what he has done and what you are trusting him to do so they worship but some doubted it said some had question marks but their questions didn't keep him home that questions brought him out and so they were listening to the risen Christ and then after the worship part of the service it was time for him to dawn the pulpit and present the message his opening line was all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth all Authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth to put it in everyday language he's saying ladies and gentlemen I'm in charge now I'm not only in charge up there I'm in charge down here I'm not only in charge in the sweet by-and-by I'm in charge and the nasty here and now I'm not only in charge of eternity I'm in charge in time the Greek word ik Lucia translated Authority all authority is an interesting word that word means power in legitimate hands it's the difference between a policeman having a gun and a criminal having a gun well both have fire power but only one has a badge it has to do with legitimate use of authority and so Jesus Christ says I am the authority now who has been designated from heaven to history to rule on God's behalf in time and space I'm in charge now and because I'm in charge I want you to link into my authority so what he's about to say about discipleship has everything to do the issue of authority because he's in charge and so we call this kingdom discipleship because kingdoms have to do with rule and authority and being in charge all authority has been handed to him God's philosophy of history according to Ephesians chapter 1 verse 10 is that all things would be summed up under the rulership of Jesus Christ he says in Ephesians chapter 1 verses 22 and 23 that Jesus is the head over all things so what God does in history and wants to do in history is funneled through his eternal son the Lord Jesus Christ so having established the fact that he is in charge now that he is now calling the shots he says what I want now to happen through you the audience the the 11 the 500 and those who are to come which include you and me as I want you to make disciples that's an imperative Matthew 28 is called the Great Commission there are five Commission's in the New Testament Matthew Mark Luke John and acts all five of those books have a commission but only Matthew uses the word make disciples that's why it's called the Great Commission because it takes it to a whole nother level now the reason Matthew does that is because the purpose of the book of Matthew is to demonstrate that Jesus Christ is king all the way from the genealogy to show he has legal right to the throne of David all the way to this resurrected sermon the point is I'm King and I'm in charge now thus Authority so what I want you to do because I'm getting ready to leave and a sin and go be with my father what I'm wanting you to do is I want you to replicate me through the making of disciples now the word make disciples Mothe a taste is how pronounced has to do with replicating the image of something in Matthew 10 when Jesus was explaining discipleship to his disciples he says it is like a student being like his teacher or a slave being like his master it is the emulating well what does Jesus want us to emulate he want us to emulate not only his person but his authority because this point is all authority belongs to me which shouldn't surprise us then when he sent out his disciples in the New Testament he would regularly say and he gave them authority you see the reason I know we don't have a lot of disciples is because we're not exercising a lot of authority because if we were disciples and we were replicating Jesus Christ we would be demonstrating more authority in history but when you look at the breakdown in culture the breakdown in churches the breakdown in families even among Christians there is Authority missing that is not being transferred and that is because God transfers his authority through disciples not just to Christians in other words if you are a Christian but not yet a disciple you will be lacking in experiencing and executing divine authority because Jesus's point is all Authority has been given to me and I want to transfer it to you through the making of disciples now this word make disciples is an imperative which means it's a command it's not a request so God is commanding you to be one and you to turn other people into one he wants the replication of disciples that's why when you read in the book of Acts they multiplied disciples not just church members now just churchgoers but visible verbal followers of Christ who share in his authority and as such when they do so they are transformed people who transfer the values of the kingdom of God I remember when I was chaplain of the Cowboys and and then I've been chaplain of the Mavericks and and when I when I would go do the Mavericks Chapel they would give me four tickets to the game I get four tickets to the game and these four tickets would allow me to take other people from the church to the game I would tell them don't you drive don't don't don't drive because you'll have to pay 15 dollars or so a car depart I say come with me because as chaplain I have a parking space right in front of the arena for the game so you don't have to pay anything but that's not because of who you are that's because of Who I am because I'm the chaplain you get to piggyback on my right to park there then I would go through a private door not the general public door but if you were with me you got to go through the private door but they wouldn't let you in because of who you were they let you in because of who I am and I let them know you're with me so you got to piggyback on my authority then we would go downstairs where they would serve a four-course meal at no charge to me but because you are with me you got to eat for free not junk food but good food because you were piggybacking on my authority and when the game was over and everybody went their separate ways we're not rushing cuz we're not going the same way everybody else goes we're going up a private ramp to a private elevator out of private door to a private parking lot and we will be halfway home before most people have gotten to that cause and that whole day would have happened not because of who you are it would be because of Who I am you would be piggybacking on my authority Jesus says all authority belongs to me and I want you to write it piggyback on it so that I can transfer to you because you are a disciple I can transfer to you authority this concept making disciples means you're making representatives that's why its kingdom disciples heavens representatives on earth you have been duly deputized once you become a Christian to become a full-time representative of Jesus Christ you have been formally recognized like officials in a ball game whether it's an umpire in a baseball game or the officiating crew in a football game or a soccer game these are official representatives on the field but they belong to the league office they don't belong to the teams on the field they don't belong to the teams competing they belong to the league office and guess what they do they regulate what happens on the field by virtue of the authority they've been given by the team office sometimes the crowd is going to applaud them sometimes the crowd is going to boo them but they're not there for a popularity contest they are there to rule from the kingdom in the chaos on the field unfortunately too many Christians have joined teams on the field the Republican team or the Democratic team the White team or the Black team or the poor team or the rich team and we have allowed the kingdoms of this world to divide the family of the Living God nullifying our officiating responsibility officials all receive a book and in that book are the guidelines by which they are to govern the competition on the field Christians have been given a book and in this book all the decisions are on the field are to be regulated by what's in this book but when you switch books or join the teams competing on the field you have lost the authority of the king and his kingdom and so because we have not built disciples we have divided Christians divided churches impotent families because we're not representing the king and his kingdom now he gives three participles in this passage three ways that you make disciples three things that have to happen if you're serious about being a disciple and replicating discipleship the first thing he says is I need you to go go now you can study the word go in Hebrew Greek Ugaritic Sri Akal aramaic and go means go go beads don't stay in matthew chapter 10 he tells his disciples to go to the lost sheep of the house of israel what he means by that is to deliver the Messianic message that is to publicly represent the king we want you to go and deliver the fact that Jesus Christ has come and that he's come with authority we are God's post office delivering the mail that the king has come that is what we've been assigned to do and he says you must go the purpose of going to church is not for you to simply stay it's to equip you to go so that you can be a delivery service or on behalf of the king so the first thing he says is that I want you to take the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ has come that sins have been paid for and that faith alone in Christ alone will give you eternal life but then we'd want to go to the next step the second word he says is baptize them baptize them now I know for a lot of people to baptize them some of the means get them wet okay the problem is if that's all that it means you could be dunking dry sinners and bringing them up wet sinners because they not understand I understand what baptism fully means baptism is your place of identification it is me and it means I am now willing to be identified as a Christian he says that you are buried with him in Baptism so that you're raised to a newness of life so baptism means more than you got saved because you can be saved without being baptized big save has to do with your faith in Jesus Christ but to be baptized means I'm willing to be identified as being saved most people who are married have wedding rings the wedding ring is merely a symbol you can be married and not wear a ring but what the what the ring means and what it's supposed to mean is that you are identified as married meaning you're no longer available to the general public all right it means you have made a commitment to a relationship baptism is supposed to me I have made a commitment to a relationship and I'm willing to be known for that commitment notice the scope of the commitment baptize them in the name singular of the Father Son and Holy Spirit baptize them in the name singular but those are three pronouns Father Son Holy Spirit so actually it should read names plural but it doesn't it reads name why because these three are one the Trinity one God composed the three co-equal persons who are one in essence and yet distinct in personality the father is not the son the son is not the spirit but they all make up the one Godhead it's like a pressing with three holes the first hole is not the second hole second role is not the third hole but they all tie together by the same dough okay so is one God composed of three co-equal persons in other words trinit eyes them what does it mean to be trinit eyes it means to be so identified as a follower of Christ that people know that you're God's representatives and as they know that you're carrying with that divine authority as is representative so first of all you go that is you are declaring Jesus Christ second of all you're representing it by your identification and by the fact that you are transferred kingdoms out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light thirdly teach them notice he says teach them after baptizing them because the whole point of baptizing is to be identified teaching them is to understand what you're identified with so the purpose is to understand or to learn what it means to be a representative publicly representing it's like being hired at a company and then going through a training process they hire you you've been hired when you accepted christ baptism means I accept the responsibilities and now you need to learn what the Job Description expects and demands but notice he says teaching them to observe to observe means to to execute live out when football players go into training they are learning their plays but the point of learning the play is the execution on the field you need the learning to execute because if without the learning you don't know what you're supposed to be executing but you don't keep it in the classroom the point of it is to execute it that's why what a lot of people don't understand is until God sees you in the execution mode he will not empower you to pull off what the instructions demanded he must see movement which is why the Bible calls it walking by faith not talking by faith God must detect motion before you will see his authority being executed teach them to observe whatever I have commanded you so you're learning the Word of God in order to use the Word of God to express the authority of the word of God as the representative of the lordship of Jesus Christ as a kingdom disciple teach them to observe whatever I have commanded you now why is observation important well let's say you were sick and you were having a surgery that could save your life and so the doctor comes and he explains to you all the information about the surgery your illness and the life-or-death situation you're in he tells you what he's gonna do where he's gonna cut all the facts he says are there any questions you say yes I have a question how many times have you done this before his answer is what you the first one I've never done this before I know your life is on the line but trust me because I made aids in my class that I took on this surgery now I don't know about you but he's not cutting on me how about you he is not cutting on me because book knowledge is not enough for me I want to know effect I want to know two things I want to know how how many times have you done this before okay that's the first thing I want to know second thing I want to know is how didn't people do it cuz cuz if you if you did it and they didn't make it you're still not cutting on me okay observe it is the application in his information with application that brings down authority as Kingdom disciple representatives and when you do he makes a staggering statement I will be with you always even until the end of the a end of the age verse 20 I will be with you always even until the end of the age now I know we quote this verse a lot when it comes to God being with us in our suffering God being with us in our struggles God being with us in our trials and and that many verses that support that but that's not what this verse is talking about he says I will be with you always with you win when you are making disciples see the theme of this passage is making disciples he will be with us with what with his authority when we are disciples and when we're replicating disciples when you are a kingdom disciple and a kingdom disciple maker you get more experience of Jesus Christ than if you are not this is why in Saint John chapter 2 verses 23 to 25 it makes an astounding statement it says many believed in him so many got saved but then it says but he would not commit himself to them they believed in him all the way that always means get saved in the book of John but even though they believed in him he would not fully give himself to them and he says why because he knew what was in them in other words he knew they weren't ready yet he knew they weren't fully committed either because they were too new or they were not ready because as you recognized throughout the scripture many people even his disciples when it was time for him to die they scattered they went away from him they were not ready to be the proclaimers that they became in the book of Acts so God had to limit how much of his authority he shared with them the reason why we're not experiencing more power in prayer the reason why we're not Spoon experiencing more victory in our lives the reason why we're not seeing more of God operate in our churches and in our culture is because he is not fully free to give himself experientially we have all of him but to experience more of him he's not able to do that because we are not attached to him at the level of full commitment so what Jesus Christ is asking for is for you to change how you view your Christian life when you accept Christ you're on your way to heaven but when you become a kingdom disciple heaven is on its way to you when you are a believer in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of salvation means you're on your way to glory but when God can trust you with his authority that means glory is on its way to you God wants to share his authority with you but only if you are in sync and in connection with him and when you are you will be able to see God do things that you normally wouldn't see him do because he can trust you to use it to advance his kingdom program and his kingdom purpose 9/11 was a tragic time in the life of our country thousands of people lost their lives because 19 men from halfway around the world invaded our country flew planes into our buildings and brought the most powerful nation in the world to its knees 19 men in the name of their faith shook the United States of America and they did it because they infiltrated our country as representatives of a philosophy an ideology and a worldview 19 men shut us down and we will never travel again like we traveled before because 19 men brought their ideology here if 19 men could be so committed to their faith and their worldview to bring America to its knees what do you think thousands and millions of followers of Jesus Christ could do if they took seriously what it meant to go public and to represent our faith and our philosophy and our King and his kingdom in impacting a world desperately in need to see the kingdom of God and work may God equipped encourage and empower all of us to become Kingdom you you

Channel: Rosedale Baptist Church

Views: 15,570

Rating: 4.828877 out of 5

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Id: O_fX_3p5qoo

Length: 31min 34sec (1894 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 14 2018