Real Discipleship - Dying for Change, Part 1

Growing up, my experience was following God was just a bunch of you know, like he was a strict parent that didn't want you to have any fun.

Have you ever wondered what is it breaks his heart.

That's what we can talk about today. State welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with her Bible teacher for this daily discipleship program motivating Christians to live like Christians in the middle of our series. Real discipleship chose to change the world before we begin I will remind you that this classic many years so little different than what you with today's talk. Dying to change to open your Bibles to Mark chapter 7 is a couple ways if we ever decide to follow someone you know two things. One, what breaks their heart because you need to find out what makes a person tender and the other what makes the backbone stand up because if you follow someone, you will know how tender they are, but you also want to know it when it gets tough, they stand for certain things as we've gone through this book. We've seen that this side of children hurting people. Women in distress people in pain when they break the heart of God. We see him reach out and feed people and touch people and heal people. Now to learn a little of the other side of God's character if you ever wondered if you could ask Jesus what really makes you mad. You want your hot button. This is what makes him mad as you see it you find it. It is the number one source of irritation here and throughout the book in his life, and you can see why open to Mark chapter 7 if you're not already there and let's start as we enter here. He's extremely popular.

I mean he can't go into a town now he's healed people whole people are bringing people out of the hills and he just walking through towns now and they touch the hem of his garment whole whole cities are being healed and now Herod the king is heard about it. He's got questions and outs made it down to Jerusalem and they realize they don't just have an itinerant preacher on their hands. They got a movement power when to stop this movement and so they do send a select group of Pharisees and lawyers are scribes and they're going to go examine the sky Jesus and find out what in the world is going on.

Basically to come up with a strategy to stop him. And now we begin the second opposition section in this book, the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come down from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and they saw some of his disciples eating with unclean that is ceremonially unwashed hands. The Pharisees and all the Jews do not even list they give their hands a ceremonial washing holding to get this phrase is gonna come up a lot.

The tradition of the elders when they come from the marketplace. They do not eat unless they wash. In this way and they observed many other traditions such as the washing of cups and pictures and cattle skip get the picture. St. this official delegation dressed in their priestly robes and castles in the whole bit. They want to see what's going on. First thing they notice the disciples they been the marketplace and the buy food and a good Orthodox Jew, there was this tradition of the elders was oral tradition hundreds of years of interpretations application interpretations Rabbi Paul Rabbi so by this time they Luna had hundreds of thousands of little rules that would tell you almost down to how to brush her teeth and part of the rules was that out of a genuine passage. Leviticus 11 Ludacris 15. The concept of the Old Testament is that if something is unclean and touches something that's clean now they're both unclean and they took this and ran with to the point that if they went to the market and brushed up against the Gentile. They went home and wash that was as close as their defiled unclean. If they bought a piece of fruit from a Gentile their hand touch their hand.

They went home and I'll show you a second, they would go wash their hands ceremonially every time before they ate, they would wash, not not to get their hands clean. This is because this whole world is defiled and they were special and they thought what defiled them was all the externals so what they would do and I mean this is how meticulous it was you or put you were to put in a basin, the amount of water is contained in two and half egg shells that get picky then you would hold your fingertips up toward heaven and you would pour the water down over the fingertips and had to run to the elbow and then with your fists you would scrub the obviously do not worry about dirt this is some way to get rid of all the Indo cooties that the Gentiles and then they would do the same thing with the other hand, and they would do this they would do this all day every day in every way.

Now they had rules down to fit was a picture that had an insight and a handle.

If a Gentile touch the outside you it's okay going to do anything if they touch the inside have to clean it if it was a tuber food made out of leather. He did one thing is made out of metal something else if it was a key made out of metal and wood. Depending on which part was wooden part was metal you had to clean it a certain way.

They had rules on top rules on top rules. So that's their mindset and they think see after all these years they've they have divided all these great teachers. This is how you get holy with God, and now they see this preacher with this power and these miracles disciples aren't even doing the basics. The ABCs or not he washing their hands so verse five Devon asked Jesus a question a buddy what's with these guys so the Pharisees and the teachers of the law asked Jesus why don't your disciples live according to the phrase again. These oral traditions. The tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with unclean hands.

By the way in passing 200 years after the time of Christ. They had so many thousand traditions that they codify the mall and put them in a book is called the mission of some good information there but it's it's it's a book about the book that tells you everything to do from a to Z now I wonder how Jesus will respond. This is the religious elite. These are the people that all the common people look to as godly. These are the Pharisees and these these lawyers expounds and apply, and they know the original languages and see how Jesus responds to the religious elite reply. Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written, the quotes Isaiah 29 the people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain in Philly.

Their teachings are but rules taught by men you have let go of the commands of God in your holding to the traditions of men get the idea.

This theme is the tradition of men is set against the truth of God, and they are on a collision course goes on verse nine he said to them, you, and you can hear his voice, you have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions, your man-made religion when he gives an example verse 10. I'm not just blowing smoke.

This is an and generalization.

I'll give you an example, verse 10 for Moses said fifth commandment.

Honor your father and mother.

In fact, let me pull another commandment out anyone who curses his father or mother should be put to death. How serious this is Old Testament law God we have a responsibility for our parents, especially when their aging, but you you say that the man says to his father or mother.

Whatever help that I might have otherwise received from a is for bond that is a designated gift or devoted to God, then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you handed down and you do many such things like this what it is doing this image is reaching right in first voice in your hypocrites word originally meant us person who gave judgment and did it behind a mask for you to know it was later the word evolved to mean someone who is a play actor eventually evolved into someone who is representing on the outside.

What's not true on the inside. We would call them only the religious beliefs is your follies is think of race.

Your plan is Isaiah was right. You say the right stuff. You pray the prayer you do the stuff you know something your hearts. Your hearts are so far away from the father and that he gives an example assist you in elevating the tradition so much that you, God's word is not going to give an example that he gives the word about honoring father mother in this little tradition.

This poor bond. What they could do is they could say take this money and they would put it like in a special line item on the accounts. Elvis is designated to God on the research I did. They didn't have to give it to the temple I could even spend it on himself but they can just put it in a special line item column if you will, and accounting terms and say this is designated to God and mom and dad would really like to help you but it's God's sorry it was basically a religious loophole so they can spend it on themselves and get out of the clear-cut command of God notices some restatement here. Verse 14 now is going to explain Jesus again called the crowd him and said and I like this it all open the book so far. He teaches and he just calls the disciples over. Now he's doing battle keys popular mean they don't dare touching where he's at everybody over here on similar say see the religious leaders to my disciples make some perfectly clear was set the record on what it means to be godly and holy okay guys what you say listen to me everyone and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make an unclean by going into him rather, it is what comes out of the man makes an inkling see he reaches back into the passage in Isaiah's people. There's no external thing that you can put in your body the mission clean is not rubbing up against the Gentile were drinking out of a cup and someone else touched you missed it, is what comes out of your heart is what makes you unclean before God is not a matter rules and regulations and following lists. It's not what you wear makeup or not or whether your dress is above the knee. Just a little quarrel about below the knee. A little is not when you play cards are not now when you dance and those who know timeliness to do part some of those things may be right for some abuse of those things may be wrong for some of you.

The issue isn't those things now listen as he develops in verse 17. After the crowded left. He has a group of people. I fear this too much like myself the disciples asking about the parable. Almost it excuse me, Lord, in the part about the inside outside thing is still unclear.

Are you so dull were being spiritually insensitive guys if you been with me this long for me to preach you see miracles and you still aren't on first base. You still don't understand yes that don't you see that nothing enters a man from the outside and making them clean for doesn't go into his heart. The heart is the seat of affections.

The will and the Jewish thinking and ours. The real use of the decisions your heart you but doesn't go to the Hardy cousin to the stomach. Now the body's digestive system guys in saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean out. We can't even grasp how radical that is weak, we can't mean what we don't have a relationship in our society right now that we can grasp how radical he just sitting all those dietary laws. All those were were laws guiding my people to protect them and help them.

He said they have become a rule and sentence themselves of people have lost me in the midst I said look, there's nothing you can eat pork. I can get you down both animals. Nothing you can eat can really defile you. It was only in the obedience to that from the heart that ever brought favor with God. I had a chance over years ago to be a missionary's home in Haiti. We went on this GP Ryden and along the way. The guy was with who was part of missions organizations that this families but haven't some struggling getting some counseling here in wordless if we can just encourage a little bit and just keep your eyes open. If you see something might be some insightful and let me know so we got there, Layton went to bed and got up next morning and so we ate breakfast and it was pretty normal type breakfast and then dad goes, it is time for family devotions and a voice like that and think is there is a speak of other people to show up in a Texas Bible you know 9' x 4'. No, you watch these two kids got a teenage girl and a preteen son, only to slink back in their chair like a brother. Here we go again and so he reaching a lot of first Chronicles or Leviticus or something. I mean forever. I mean I'm bored and many turns and no one says anything you don't discuss it. He didn't talk about what it means to's life is reason and I'm sure that you get to the whole Bible to where to go get and then he turns to his wife and says mother that was going to get me but mother it's time to pray and so she pulls out this notebook and I mean you know she's got list the numbers in Markson and and so she bows her head and you know guys were only hidden see what's going on here. I want to schedule and she prays for almost everyone on the side of this hemisphere and now I'm fighting sleep this point, you know, and they shut it, thus saith the Lord. May God bless the reading of his word and I'm thinking is a look at these two kids for you know if they don't embrace the Lord. It won't surprise me they were having major problems with her kids and other getting over the hill to Christian counselor in Port-au-Prince and say we don't understand on cost of the field every day when the Scriptures we pray with our kids. We had family emotions every day. Why is God allowing this to happen to our children up you know why because I miss you know I saw this couple relates about three days.

I think the last time he kissed his wife was about five years ago, honey, I'm not sure but that's the icicles in the home means that you called love and warmth and passion in life and encouragement. That's what kids catch you but they need some life empowering and I think that those 2 cup water look back on the came out of that unit was lemon juice in the morning and you prune juice at night and got me of what they had either see they were absolutely convinced they were convinced they were doing what God wanted him to do because you know what they did. They didn't have the mission of the oral tradition, but somewhere along the line they thought she was reading the Bible praying.

So often we got our list only those some of you feel regulate boys and revivals morning I'll have a flat tire may lose my job. Never know I gotta do this and we can make a different list will have these littlest traditions now. Those things need to be done with the right spirit from the heart. But there is a trap in the trap Jesus wants us to see is the tradition always has to do with the status quo. Tradition has to do with don't change their soul churches that operating on the further stationary says it's never been done that way before and it never will be. And under that on the letterhead.

It says don't rock the boat.

Nothing new. See tradition. We love it because it provides comfort because the status quo what you can find is truth liberates that it means what change truth demands I changed about you.

I don't like it. It makes me uncomfortable. It stretches me.

It makes me dependent.

I have to cry out to God. I can handle it. I'm in adequate. I know I can't do it. It's so big it takes too much faith in us as I know this is the kind of conversation I wanted to have with you. I love it when you come to me this way will empower you.

So when you get done you know I'd all see tradition strangles the truth but the truth is what liberates its tradition that builds political factions in churches is tradition that says these flowers. This way must always be here. You have an act of Congress and some churches to change the order of worship, let alone bring in a synthesizer and drums and all arrest and you know something I don't think God I don't think God is anymore pleased with drums and synthesizers and guitar and bass than he is with a beautiful huge organ and stained glass window think he could care less how you do it. What I think he cares about. If you're on your knees curing that beautiful organ music through stained-glass windows that your hearts filled with Christ and you wanted to do what he wants to do when you want to hear from him. And if that style of worship. That's all it is meets the need because you can hear it in bebop hearing comments and you are my rock and have your heart next door closer to God's going to write back with his application for the stitching 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 teaches 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 your world. For more information about our resources for this series go to LivingontheEdge.org or the chipping remap or call AAA 333-6003.

Culture joins me in studio knowing trip. We've got a lot of response from a newer resource. We've developed your Living on the Edge called daily discipleship with chip will tell us how this tool came about and maybe sure where your heart for discipling others came from.

I'd be glad to Dave.

I say this a lot, but I'll keep saying a lot. Bricklayer name Dave Marshall met with me individually, and he taught me how to study the Bible taught me how to hear God's voice. He taught me how to pray and do so during the pandemic.

We just literally tried an experiment I said I will meet with people one on one and I set up a couple cameras and literally just got a couple coffee and open my Bible and walked people through passages of Scripture, not so much just to teach them what it says but way more about how to study the Bible for themselves and so we started with one that was really applicable, overcoming difficult circumstances is called growing deeper with God and I went to the first couple chapters of Philippians and help people understand our circumstances can't define us and then we went to the book of Ephesians and that we talked about yes you can really change, and we walked verse by verse through Ephesians chapter 4 learning what it says and how to study it in and then we went back to Ephesians 1, two and three in a series called a discovering your true self and we just, I mean literally, paragraph by paragraph slowly went through learning our identity in Christ and then we went through Romans chapter 12, which everyone knows is a big favorite of mine about what true spirituality is and what it means to be a disciple and her latest series was in the book of James as we understood the art of survival and whatever study you pick. I think you will really grow from it. Let me encourage you to check them out.

Choose one and then join me one-on-one and let me mentor you. The way Dave Marshall mentored me. Here's how it works for each series, I begin with a short teaching video no longer than 10 minutes and then there's a little assignment that I'm gonna ask you to take 10 minutes on your own and do some study and here's what I know people that have done this with me who make it a habit just to spend 20 minutes with me day after day for somewhere between 10 days to a couple weeks they learn to hear God's voice, they learn to discern the spirit, God begins to change them from the inside out. This is a habit that you cannot afford not to develop fixture will if you're looking for a practical way to deepen your faith. Let me encourage you to sign up for daily discipleship with chip. This free video resource will really help you learn more about God and his word to sign up for any of our daily discipleship sessions.

Just go to LivingontheEdge.org app list or step discipleship will trip as we wrap up this program, your focus today was on the Pharisees opposition to Jesus ministry while he was more concerned about true holiness. The religious leaders only cared about their customs will impact out of it for us. While some of these stories sell little odd to us in our day. Dave about their traditions and you know we can kind of lean back and think Josh how how blind could they be in yet. During the pandemic received hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of emails as we prayed for people and I couldn't help but Dave was sorrow in my heart, seeing how many of the requests were about the division and families or pastors telling us that they were caught between the rock and the hard places church members who knew each other for years and years were attacking one another over secondary issues and don't get me wrong, there is a place to have convictions about safety and master no master vaccines and all the rest. But Jesus was teaching them and I think he's teaching us.

There can be no room for any of our traditions or our perspectives that are higher than our relationship with him at the end of the day. It's our love for one another.

It's our sacrificial commitment, it's accepting one another, the way Jesus excepts us doesn't mean we agree with people but it means we treat everyone with dignity.

It means we don't attack we don't post were not harsh. We don't blame we don't assume the worst. Jesus is teaching us that genuine holiness is a matter of the heart and then it gets expressed to our lips and our attitudes and our behaviors and what Jesus did with those who disagreed with him the most was he for gave them first and then he loved them right where they're at. That's my prayer for the church today great worship as we rub up this program.

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