Volume 7: Living the Way of Jesus
Summary of Volume 7
The most important decision in our life revolves around how we respond to the call to follow Jesus. As our Lord, Rabbi, and King, the call to follow is one of allegiance to Jesus. Our lives are radically different because of this decision. It is a decision of denying ourselves and taking up our own cross to follow Him wherever He will take us. Yet, in following Jesus, we have abundant life. Let’s journey together in learning what it means to live the way of Jesus.
Topics
-
The call of discipleship, is the same for us as it was for the 12 apostles. “Follow me.” Jesus, our rabbi, invites us to follow him so closely so that we can know his habits, rhythms, and mannerisms. Yet, this is not the kind of discipleship that is common for Christians today. How can we understand the invitation to follow Jesus intentionally here and now?
-
The invitation to Be With The Father is for all of today. To be a disciple of Jesus begins with the call “Come and Follow Me” from Jesus himself. To the first disciples, this meant come and spend time with me. Come and commune with me. Come and get to know me. Although we may not physically spend time with Jesus as the disciples did, through the Holy Spirit, God’s presence is everywhere. This means God wants to be with us on Sunday’s at church and also at our workplace, while we parent, while we go about our chores, while we are resting, and even while we are racing through our days. His desire is for His people to become aware of His presence in ordinary spaces, all the time. We know that the best way to see what the Father is like, is to look at the person of Jesus. To spend time with Jesus is to be with The Father and get to know His character and goodness. (“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”. Colossians 1:15) So let’s dive into this invitation to slow down, be present and learn to Be With the Father.
-
To become like Jesus not only means to do what He did, but to know & live out the sound of His heartbeat for others. Dane C. Ortlund emphasizes in his book, Gentle & Lowly, “It is one thing, as a child, to be told your father loves you. You believe him. You take him at his word. But it is another thing, unutterably more real, to be swept up in his embrace, to feel the warmth, to hear his beating heart within his chest, to instantly know the protective grip of his arms. It's one thing to hear he loves you; it's another thing to feel his love. This is the glorious work of the Spirit.” As we step into the journey of discipleship, our posture is one of stepping into Christ-likeness through both actions and heart. How can our hearts and minds become more like Jesus’?
-
If discipleship is being with the Father and becoming like Jesus, it can only be done through the transforming and empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.
