1 00:00:02,160 --> 00:00:04,480 Hey, welcome to the City Point Church podcast. 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,280 Thanks for joining us. Every day is an opportunity to 3 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:10,280 take hold of. So we hope this message inspires 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,560 you and build your faith that it helps you have more of the God 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:15,880 perspective for your day. Enjoy. 6 00:00:17,880 --> 00:00:20,520 Who's ready to declare today? My heart is open. 7 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:29,920 My ears are alert to grow and change and never be the same. 8 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,520 Amen. And then once you take your 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,960 seat, Nicole, you are louder than everyone. 10 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:39,480 It's awesome. I love it. 11 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:45,400 So who knows that we exist to spiritually and for spiritual 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,000 and social transformation in our city. 13 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,240 This is the purpose of our life. This is the purpose of City 14 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:56,160 Point North and Bribie Island is we are here to not just see a 15 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:02,040 spiritual but also a social transformation in our city. 16 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,840 And I love that because spiritual, that's easy for the 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:07,720 church to go. Yeah, we want a spiritual 18 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,920 transformation, but we want more than just a spirit 19 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:15,440 transformation for you and I. We want to see a spiritual 20 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:19,640 transformation in society, in the world around us, in the 21 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:24,520 world that we live in now. Pastor Mel started the message 22 00:01:25,040 --> 00:01:29,280 that we're doing a little like a mini series for three weeks on 23 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,320 discipleship who enjoyed that last week and I hope you've all 24 00:01:33,320 --> 00:01:36,120 listened to the podcast. If you've never done that 25 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,600 before, there is an app out there called podcast. 26 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:43,320 You can download that or basically on all streaming 27 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:46,880 platforms, I think Apple and Google and and all of that. 28 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,640 And you go search City Point North and you can listen to 29 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,280 every Sunday's messages there and they're very good. 30 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:55,880 So I encourage you to do that from last week. 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,880 But we titled this mini series Believers to Followers. 32 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:06,160 From Believers to followers. Let me give you some thoughts 33 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:10,720 this morning. There is a start point and an 34 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:16,520 end point to discipleship. The start point is when you're 35 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:21,880 born and the finish point is when you die. 36 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,920 There is a context change that happens in a person's 37 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:31,920 discipleship journey. From birth, it's to be the best 38 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:35,720 you. From salvation, it's to become 39 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:39,240 more like Jesus. That's now our purpose. 40 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,360 Church, if you're a St. we should endeavour every day to 41 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:47,680 become more and more like Jesus. There are two purposes to 42 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:51,560 discipleship #1 personal discipleship. 43 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:56,440 So growing in one's own relationship with Jesus, but #2 44 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:02,160 making disciples, helping others grow in their faith with Jesus. 45 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,200 There is one goal of discipleship, to become more 46 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:11,600 like Jesus in character, in conduct, and in purpose. 47 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:17,400 There are two reasons for discipleship #1 righteous living 48 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:24,320 discipleship matures us, discipleship is designed to 49 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:30,960 mature us, and #2 mission living discipleship is designed to 50 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:38,080 equip us, discipleship is to mature us, and discipleship is 51 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:42,520 to equip us. Let me tell you, discipleship is 52 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:47,840 to mature you and discipleship is to equip you. 53 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:56,360 Discipleship is not planting flowers, it's not riding bikes, 54 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:04,200 it's not driving cars together. But I think God missed that one. 55 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:06,440 I think it should be driving cars together. 56 00:04:08,440 --> 00:04:13,440 There are many, many things in the church and in our lives that 57 00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:17,279 are parts of discipleship but are not discipleship wrapped up. 58 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:21,480 Let me give you a really good corporate idea of this is life 59 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:25,600 groups. Life groups does not allow us to 60 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:29,760 tick a box of discipleship because the life group is just 61 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:32,360 one small element of discipleship. 62 00:04:32,760 --> 00:04:35,240 You don't really want to know what discipleship is, so I'm not 63 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,520 going to tell you this morning. I'm just going to get to the 64 00:04:37,520 --> 00:04:42,560 word of God. You do Nicole though, don't you? 65 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:48,240 Nicole's my best friend today. He's not even take my jokes 66 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:54,280 anymore. So useful discipleship is when 67 00:04:54,320 --> 00:05:00,320 one person completely gives up their whole life and follows 68 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,560 another. And we get discipleship through 69 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,640 the early church now, I mean, before the Jesus Church in the 70 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:12,680 sense of Old Testament. I'm going all the way back to 71 00:05:12,680 --> 00:05:15,360 the Hebrews. All right, the Jews. 72 00:05:16,120 --> 00:05:20,840 See, when you turn 14 years old, mum and dad kicked you out of 73 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:25,360 the house and you became a disciple of a disciple or an 74 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:29,560 apostle or a, a, a, what's the word? 75 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:34,000 I'm looking for a rabbi. And so you would then live with 76 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,400 the rabbi. And the whole intention of this 77 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:40,480 discipleship was a lifelong journey. 78 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:41,880 I told you you didn't want to hear this. 79 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:46,240 And discipleship is a lifelong journey. 80 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:49,760 And the objective biblically, which we'll get to in a moment 81 00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:54,360 in discipleship, is that you would speak like your rabbi, 82 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:58,680 that you would think like your rabbi, that you would have the 83 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:02,440 same concept. You would even sleep as your 84 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,240 rabbi slept. This is crazy stuff, right? 85 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,080 This is why we don't talk about it much in the church anymore 86 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:09,720 because this is really out there. 87 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,720 But let me tell you, we need to be talking about this. 88 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:16,920 It's because I'm learning in my life. 89 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:22,560 I've been, I've been a Christian for 44 great, amazing years. 90 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:27,400 But let me tell you the the Christian journey has completely 91 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,640 transformed my life. But where I am today, I should 92 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:37,520 have been about 15 years ago if I had this understanding of what 93 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:40,760 real discipleship is. This is why I would be a 94 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,640 different man today. I'm just being honest, OK? 95 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:47,200 I hope this is OK. It's because the people that God 96 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:51,320 had brought into my life and I chose to follow, I would have 97 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:55,840 stopped judging them. I would have stopped criticizing 98 00:06:55,840 --> 00:07:01,360 the things I don't agree with. See, obedience isn't obedience 99 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:05,320 until you disagree and discipleship. 100 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:10,560 You want someone's disciple until they can challenge your 101 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:16,280 core and you are a disciple of this person when your core gets 102 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,840 challenged. But you say yes Sir. 103 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,320 And so This is why choosing correct disciples is so 104 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,280 important. Disciple is this or rabbis is so 105 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,480 important. It's because we need to look at 106 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:35,600 the person we're about to follow and say they have the fruits of 107 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:39,920 life. They have the fruits of Jesus 108 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:46,720 living that I want in my life. So I lay my life down before 109 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:50,160 you, Sir, and I say, would you take me on the journey? 110 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:57,200 Yes, and the more my core gets challenged, the more my core 111 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:01,200 belief system gets refining and the Bible's got this scripture 112 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:05,680 about iron sharpening iron. But whenever we see real strong, 113 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:10,080 determined God infused iron, we judge it. 114 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,560 Well, at least I judge it. I'm just going I'll be honest 115 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:14,720 today. I I judge it. 116 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:19,760 Does anyone else judge it? Like we look at these people, 117 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:26,960 Billy Graham and we judge him, but why would we judge him? 118 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,920 Now we're talking about Billy Graham, but you do this too. 119 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:34,640 You go, well, that's God's man for the hour. 120 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:38,679 This is awesome. I love it's like a candle in our 121 00:08:38,679 --> 00:08:44,320 midst, the iPad. We, we often say things like 122 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:50,640 that's God's man for the hour, but Jesus never taught us that. 123 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:56,040 That's not what he taught. He said. 124 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,240 He said whoever comes after he, he and he exampled it with his 125 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:05,440 12 disciples. He said go heal the sick, cast 126 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:09,320 out demons. He didn't say in history's time, 127 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:12,720 in the future to come, there will be a man. 128 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:18,840 His name's Billy Graham, and he's going to cast out demons, 129 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:21,040 heal the sick. No, no, no. 130 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:24,440 He sent his disciples. And then he said to his church, 131 00:09:24,800 --> 00:09:30,120 all of us, he said, I give you this power and authority just as 132 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,520 I rose from the dead. The same spirit is in you. 133 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:37,960 And so we have, we have this judgement thing. 134 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,480 But let me tell you, every time we're looking at people like 135 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:47,640 this and we're not allowing iron sharpen iron, it's us that gets 136 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:51,800 held back, not them, because they have the revelation. 137 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:54,320 It's us that are struggling with the revelation. 138 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,800 And so this is the journey of discipleship. 139 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:00,400 It's that I've had people in my life. 140 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:04,880 I remember Steve, my old music director, he would see things in 141 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:07,680 me and he would just speak life into those things. 142 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:09,880 Man, I wish I didn't judge his every word. 143 00:10:11,320 --> 00:10:14,800 I I just really wish his words just flooded over my life. 144 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,640 And I just said, if you see it, I'm going to see it because if 145 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:20,400 you speak it, I'm going to speak it. 146 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,480 If you behave that way, I'm going to behave that way. 147 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:26,680 You know, we did it in one area of our lives with housing. 148 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,720 You know, we allow them to disciple us with housing, Mel 149 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,040 and I've had six houses in our life already. 150 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,720 We've had investment properties at one point in our life, you 151 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,960 know, because iron was sharp and you know, that were teaching us 152 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:42,520 amazing things for our life. Amen. 153 00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:47,120 And so these are the purposes of discipleship. 154 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,920 Jesus said in the Holy Bible just before leaving planet earth 155 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:56,200 in the book of Matthew chapter 28, he said go therefore and 156 00:10:56,200 --> 00:10:58,440 make disciples of all the nations. 157 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:04,600 However, a year or so earlier than that, Jesus taught the 158 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:09,360 reason we need to be disciples, and this is found in the book of 159 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:13,640 Luke, and we're going to look at this now by understanding the 160 00:11:13,640 --> 00:11:19,480 reason we need to be disciples and we need to make disciples, 161 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,040 we can work out how best to be disciples. 162 00:11:23,920 --> 00:11:26,520 So let's look at the reason that he taught us. 163 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,640 If you've got your Bible, why don't you just turn turn to the 164 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:33,080 book of Luke and we're going to read from Chapter 9 this 165 00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:35,080 morning. It will be up on the screen, so 166 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:38,720 you can read from there as well. In the new King James Version, 167 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:42,680 Luke 91 to 6:00, we're going to read our fair few verses here. 168 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:48,040 It says this titled Sending out the 12. 169 00:11:48,680 --> 00:11:53,240 Then he called his 12 disciples together and gave them power and 170 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,320 authority over all demons. We already like this. 171 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,520 Hey, we're a Pentecostal church. We like this stuff over all 172 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:04,040 demons and to curse diseases. He sent them out to preach the 173 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,920 Kingdom of God and to heal the sick man. 174 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,400 I love this already. He and he said to them, take 175 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:14,080 nothing for the journey, neither staff nor bag or bread nor 176 00:12:14,080 --> 00:12:17,080 money, and do not have two tunics apiece. 177 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:22,560 Whatever house you went to, stay there and from there depart and 178 00:12:22,560 --> 00:12:26,080 whoever will not receive you when you go out of that city, 179 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:30,240 shake off the very dust from your feet as the testimony 180 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:33,080 against them. So they departed and went 181 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:37,760 through the towns preaching the gospel and healing everywhere. 182 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:41,160 And then the next title in the New King James Version is Herod 183 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:45,640 seeks to seek Jesus, followed by feeding the five thousands, 184 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:47,920 which was a an amazing mirror miracle. 185 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:52,160 And then we have Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, which is 186 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:54,080 all good. And then we're going to pick it 187 00:12:54,080 --> 00:12:58,120 up in verse 21. Jesus predicts his death. 188 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:00,000 Just hang with me. I'm going somewhere. 189 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:06,160 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. 21 And he strictly 190 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:11,600 warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, the 191 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,440 Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the 192 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:20,360 elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be 193 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:27,320 raised on the third day. Jesus has expressed that power, 194 00:13:27,440 --> 00:13:32,560 authority and blessing of living like Him is ours. 195 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,200 Then he expressed the surrender required to live such a life 196 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,560 brings transformation to a corrupt world. 197 00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:47,960 Then what Jesus says next is not only how disciples would be 198 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:54,280 sustained through Jesus death, but how we all will be sustained 199 00:13:54,400 --> 00:13:58,960 through our life. Verse 23 and 24 says this. 200 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:04,400 Then he said to them all, If anyone desires to come after me, 201 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:09,320 say come after me. If anyone desires to come after 202 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:15,640 me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and 203 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:20,640 follow me. For whoever desires to save his 204 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:26,440 life will lose it, but whoever desire loses his life for my 205 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:33,480 sake will save it. The point is surrender. 206 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:41,720 The disciples had power and authority over demons, to curse 207 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:47,240 diseases, to preach the gospel so that you and I to heal the 208 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,720 sick. But we need to understand 209 00:14:50,720 --> 00:14:56,480 church, that this will bring rejection from society when the 210 00:14:56,480 --> 00:15:00,960 church rises up, that we enter a spiritual battle. 211 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,840 It's not all just shouting in church on Sunday. 212 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,880 It's not all just, well, look what the Lord has done. 213 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,800 You know, it's not all just, you know, the joy, the joy of the 214 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,680 Lord. It's all of those things. 215 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:22,440 But it also brings rejection because there is a real enemy 216 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,880 out there. His name is the devil and he's a 217 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:30,200 deceiver and he's a liar. But for those who do not know 218 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:34,840 Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they come under that 219 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,480 that dark cloud of that society is under. 220 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:43,440 But as the church rises up in righteousness, the enemy gets 221 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:48,800 every weapon he has against us. Now, his weapons have no power 222 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:50,480 over us. This is the weird thing. 223 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:52,240 Like, you think he would just give up, right? 224 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,680 I would have just given up like a real long time ago. 225 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:59,120 But you know when, when in the Garden of Eden, when God said 226 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:01,720 that the serpent will be on under our heel, I would have 227 00:16:01,720 --> 00:16:03,800 just given up then, right? I would just be like, I'm not 228 00:16:03,800 --> 00:16:08,880 going to win this. But the reality is, is we human 229 00:16:08,880 --> 00:16:13,120 beings feel sometimes like we're under a dark clouds. 230 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,520 The pressure, the rejection of society in our schools, in our 231 00:16:17,520 --> 00:16:22,040 universities, there's like this. The world is coming against us. 232 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,240 No, the world's not really coming against us. 233 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:29,160 The church is rising up and showing what victory looks like. 234 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,560 But the reality is, is we have to fight for the souls of 235 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:37,080 humanity. We have to get into battle for 236 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:43,840 the souls of human humanity. Then Jesus said after that come 237 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:49,840 after me, church, deny yourself, follow me. 238 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:57,440 And then he said, this will give you life, this will give you 239 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:01,440 life. I think sometimes we can 240 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:08,000 struggle with the feelings of life, purpose of life, a new 241 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,839 breath of life, because we haven't yet come to the altar 242 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:19,760 and surrendered our all. And when you surrender your all, 243 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:22,960 your all, this will give you life. 244 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:30,680 Jesus is saying I have life and I have life abundant. 245 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:36,120 Who knows in this place that when Christ sets you free, you 246 00:17:36,120 --> 00:17:38,640 are free indeed. Who believes that? 247 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:44,720 I know we all do. Let me tell you this freedom is 248 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:50,680 the breath, fresh breath, the Holy Spirit breath of life. 249 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:58,360 But to walk in this breath, this newness, newness of life, to be 250 00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:04,640 a new creation constantly on the forming of new constantly of the 251 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:07,640 on the journey of I'm a new creation. 252 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:13,720 I have been born again into a new life as we surrender every 253 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:16,840 single day like a disciple with a rabbi. 254 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:21,600 And we we, we surrender ourselves, our will, our 255 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:27,200 desires, our passions as as God, as Jesus said in in the book of 256 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:31,720 Galatians, he said those who are in Christ crucify their flesh 257 00:18:31,720 --> 00:18:33,600 with their passions and the desires. 258 00:18:34,000 --> 00:18:38,080 And I, I used to read that and go, really, you want all of that 259 00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:41,000 from me. And I've learnt that the more I 260 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:45,200 give to him, the more breath of life I have inside of me, The 261 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:49,800 more that God feels me, the more that he sustains me, the more I 262 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:53,080 feel the the movings and The Walking in power. 263 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,560 Let me ask a question, what is your prayer life like, Church, 264 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:02,880 What is your prayer life like? Because there's no shortcuts. 265 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:07,480 If you want more, you pray more. If you want more, you read more. 266 00:19:08,120 --> 00:19:10,760 If you want more, you surrender more. 267 00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:15,280 In fact, the the the objective is surrender. 268 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:21,280 All the big idea here is surrender allows discipleship 269 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:29,040 and equals really living. Surrender allows discipleship. 270 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,600 Discipleship does not mean surrender. 271 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:38,480 And I think we've got this wrong. 272 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:44,680 I've had this wrong because I thought I'm being discipled. 273 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:51,920 That is my surrender. But I get discipled when I 274 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,960 surrender. That's true discipleship here. 275 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:01,400 I judge here. I've got nothing left to judge 276 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:09,960 with here. I'm my own restriction here. 277 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:15,000 I'm at surrender to my rabbi, my apostle, my apostle, my 278 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:18,760 disciple. Does this make sense? 279 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:25,920 And then let's take this to gospel here. 280 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,360 I'm under the will of Jesus because I've surrendered all. 281 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:38,760 Now He can mould me. Does this make sense? 282 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:46,720 But in the church, if we're too, not too focused, but only 283 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:54,040 focused on discipleship, we stop allowing Jesus into every room 284 00:20:54,040 --> 00:21:00,480 of our hearts of our lives. But As for me in my house, we 285 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:06,000 will serve the Lord. Not As for me in my entryway, As 286 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:10,480 for me in my lounge room where I sit and pray with Jesus. 287 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:17,120 As for me in my every room, every fibre, every part, all the 288 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:21,640 furniture, every dream of this house, we will serve the Lord. 289 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:25,360 Amen. And so surrender allows 290 00:21:25,360 --> 00:21:30,800 discipleship have its place. And when we get there, let me 291 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:35,280 tell you, church, the word of God inside of us comes alive and 292 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,400 that's where the really living happens. 293 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:40,840 That's when you walk out and you pray for someone and they get 294 00:21:40,840 --> 00:21:43,480 healed. Remember, He gave you the power 295 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,960 to cast out demons and to to cure diseases and to heal the 296 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:50,400 sick. He's given to preach the gospel. 297 00:21:50,480 --> 00:21:53,040 Who's preachers in this house? Lift your hands right now. 298 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,000 If you know that you've got a gift of preaching on your life, 299 00:21:56,520 --> 00:22:00,160 lift your get bold, get bold. I know there's people here that 300 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:03,960 know it, have never done it, never walked in it, never been 301 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,440 seen yet and you've got to. I just speak over you right now. 302 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:14,560 Would you allow your soul and your spirit man be discipled 303 00:22:15,240 --> 00:22:19,880 because your disciple will get you to the destiny that God has 304 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:21,120 on your life. Amen. 305 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:26,760 You know what I love about the idea of a rabbi is a rabbi or, 306 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:32,640 or the person that I'm being discipled by, They, they are so 307 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:37,640 invested in me that they will, they will move the world for me. 308 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:42,840 That makes life, it makes life so easy to walk in and to live 309 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,640 in. Amen, Luke 1427 says. 310 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,240 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot 311 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:57,840 be my disciple. Matthew 1038 And who? 312 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:02,400 He who does not take his cross and follow after me, is not 313 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:07,280 worthy of me. Can you see this Surrender 314 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:13,000 first, Mark 834 And whoever desires to come after me, let 315 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,960 him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 316 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:21,400 The denying is before the following because if you follow, 317 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,320 you're just following a person, but when you deny yourself, 318 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,000 you're actually following Jesus, not the person. 319 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,040 Amen. So through the lens of 320 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:34,040 discipleship, God is calling us to obedience but desires 321 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,120 surrender. I just dropped gold and no one 322 00:23:37,120 --> 00:23:38,520 got it. Oh my gosh, I'm just going to. 323 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:40,920 I just said it too far. Did I say it too far? 324 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:48,000 God is calling us to obedience, but He desires surrender. 325 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:52,920 Let me tell you something, obedience is what I do. 326 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,880 It's not what you call me too or require of me. 327 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:03,920 The obedience is the followers responsibility. 328 00:24:05,120 --> 00:24:08,880 When the leader requires obedience it's called 329 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:13,280 dictatorship. This needs to sink. 330 00:24:13,280 --> 00:24:14,680 Is this sinking? Is this good? 331 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:23,200 I have to come with a heart and a spirit of obedience, not 332 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:27,640 judgement, but the one that I am following. 333 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:33,080 Even Jesus didn't do this. If we are got people that we are 334 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:38,640 disciple in and we expect them to be obedience, that reminds me 335 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:40,800 of someone else in history. What's his name? 336 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:51,320 Hitler. It's true Jesus desires 337 00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:56,720 surrender, and when we can get ourselves to the place of 338 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:01,080 surrender, we want to do nothing more than obey. 339 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:07,560 Does this make sense? And sometimes we get more 340 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:13,600 focused on the obedience. But God doesn't just want blind 341 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,520 obedience, He wants everything. This is the New Testament. 342 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:22,080 The difference between tithes and generosity. 343 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:26,080 Tithes is 10%. It's law, generosity, 344 00:25:26,640 --> 00:25:30,880 everything, everything. It's everything. 345 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,680 God is calling us to obedience, but really he desires surrender. 346 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,560 Obedience is doing what God commands. 347 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:40,880 Surrender is yielding your will to God's will. 348 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:43,680 Obedience is behaviour and actions. 349 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:48,000 Surrender is heart and posture. Obedience is rooted in faith, 350 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:50,640 fear, and duty. Surrender is rooted in trust, 351 00:25:50,640 --> 00:25:54,160 love, and humility. Surrender desires 352 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:56,400 transformation, but obedience doesn't. 353 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:02,720 Surrender desires transformation, but obedience 354 00:26:02,720 --> 00:26:05,120 doesn't. The biblical objective of 355 00:26:05,120 --> 00:26:09,040 discipleship is to become like Christ and help others to do the 356 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,880 same. Discipleship is not just about 357 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,680 learning information or behaviour, but about 358 00:26:14,680 --> 00:26:18,720 transformation, becoming more like Jesus, and character, 359 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:24,640 conduct and mission. Surrender is the catalyst to 360 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,120 transformative discipleship. Amen. 361 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,680 You believe that today. And So what I would love to do 362 00:26:32,680 --> 00:26:37,280 right now, very unnormal in a church, but I want to open up 363 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:41,320 the altar this morning. And so I've asked some spirit 364 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,960 LED musos. I got like that because that's 365 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:47,760 the that's the spirit thing. The twinkling feels of the 366 00:26:47,760 --> 00:26:49,000 spirit. Is that all right? 367 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:50,560 Can everyone just do that right now? 368 00:26:53,680 --> 00:27:01,560 And so as these guys lead us in some atmosphere, can we just all 369 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:03,200 stand to our feet for just a moment? 370 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:09,600 I'm going to continue in the message, but I've asked just to 371 00:27:09,600 --> 00:27:14,920 sing a great song that I remember as a kid that is 372 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:20,440 appropriate in this very moment. You've been listening to this 373 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:26,600 and you're like, Pastor Gray. I'm not sure I've got myself to 374 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:35,040 that point where I surrender all I believe all I believe the word 375 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,480 of God, but I haven't really surrendered. 376 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:42,920 Pastor Grey. I can I can see right now that 377 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:47,840 when I read the word, even I judge it, I go, is this for me? 378 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,760 Can I do this? Do I want to how how does this 379 00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:55,200 happen? God and, and we're looking at 380 00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,120 the word and we're filtering the word of God instead of letting 381 00:27:58,120 --> 00:28:05,200 the word of God filter us. And so I know this can be bold 382 00:28:05,360 --> 00:28:09,160 right now, and I'm just going to open the altar. 383 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:14,160 We call this an altar because at an altar you sacrifice, we 384 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,520 surrender all. And so Tyron's just going to 385 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,480 sing that chorus for us a couple times. 386 00:28:20,080 --> 00:28:24,680 And if you'd like to come down and just say, God, I'm moving 387 00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,320 beyond rooms of my house, I'm going to give you the house. 388 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:35,280 I'm not just giving you hopes. I'm giving you my will. 389 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:59,720 I'm giving you my everything. Or to me, or bless the say girl. 390 00:28:59,800 --> 00:30:30,360 Or to me and do more. Or to heed my lessons that 391 00:30:33,400 --> 00:31:09,680 surrender. You know, I remember a song, 392 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:15,160 this song being sung when I was a kid and I remember the posture 393 00:31:15,160 --> 00:31:21,520 of my heart this particular day in Townsville where I did, I did 394 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,040 what these people are all doing and I do it all the time. 395 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:28,520 It's not a once off thing because the Bible says that we 396 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:32,400 wrestle against flesh and spirit daily. 397 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,600 There's this wrestle. The flesh wants to do what the 398 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:40,320 flesh wants to do, but the spirit is craving more of God, 399 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,120 more of righteousness, more of purity. 400 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:49,120 And so the surrender idea is a daily Christian walk. 401 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,320 It's part of our Christian journey. 402 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:55,840 And I know that there's people that aren't out here, but you 403 00:31:55,840 --> 00:32:00,880 are out here. I, I, this isn't any form of 404 00:32:00,880 --> 00:32:05,040 grading Christianity because I understand, because I didn't 405 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,320 come out the front. I, I sat right at the back as a 406 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:13,600 kid, teenager. But you know, sometimes the 407 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:24,760 action, remember, it's not about obedience as much as it is about 408 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:29,320 surrender. So if you were wishing you were 409 00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,760 out the front, could I just give you another little option? 410 00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:37,800 Why don't you just hop to your knees and surrender? 411 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:45,640 What a great noble thing to do. And I know that this can be 412 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:49,880 revealing for some of us. This is what I love about the 413 00:32:49,880 --> 00:32:54,880 Christian journey is when you gave your life to Jesus, you 414 00:32:54,880 --> 00:33:01,000 surrendered all, but it's just the journey of continually 415 00:33:01,000 --> 00:33:05,320 walking that which is just so powerful. 416 00:33:05,640 --> 00:33:09,920 Can I just pray? Holy Spirit, thank you for your 417 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:17,760 presence. Lord God, in this place right 418 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:22,280 now, there are people that have never given their lives to you. 419 00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:28,480 There are people that are fresh that gave their lives to you 420 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,560 maybe this year. And then there's some of us, 421 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:33,760 Lord God, that have grown up in the church. 422 00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:40,000 Father, wherever we're at, you don't see us like this. 423 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:48,120 We are all your children and so far they're in this place. 424 00:33:50,080 --> 00:33:53,800 I just pray that you do a transformative work inside of 425 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,920 us. Father, we want to go from being 426 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:07,320 soul LED to being spirit LED. We want to go from being flesh 427 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:14,320 LED to being spirit LED. Father, we want to move daily 428 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:19,960 from allowing the thoughts and the burdens of the enemy in our 429 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:26,639 minds dictating to our lives, but we want to be spirit LED. 430 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,800 And so, Father, I just pray, would you mould us, every one of 431 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:36,000 us in this place? Let it be done according to our 432 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:41,560 faith in Jesus mighty name, Amen. 433 00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:46,040 Amen. You know, I've got a little bit 434 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:50,199 more of my message and I didn't really think this through. 435 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:54,480 It's so I don't know if we want to do a little bit of a youth 436 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,280 rally concept where you stay at the front and I preach. 437 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:00,440 That's very exciting. Otherwise, feel free to take 438 00:35:00,440 --> 00:35:06,880 your seats. And we're just such a blessed 439 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,360 church, such a blessed church. Thank you Jesus. 440 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:23,200 I want to move the message now in just the last few moments 441 00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:27,320 that we got to some practical teaching for you and I. 442 00:35:28,040 --> 00:35:33,160 We now know the reason. But I want to give you 5 keys of 443 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:40,280 discipleship. Number one, desire and seek God 444 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:45,440 first before seeking a person to disciple you. 445 00:35:46,320 --> 00:35:50,040 Scripture shows that discipleship begins with the 446 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:56,200 heart surrendered to God. Proverbs 35 to six. 447 00:35:56,200 --> 00:35:59,080 It's not on the screen. It says trust in the Lord with 448 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:05,040 all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all 449 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:07,240 your ways. Acknowledge him and he will 450 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:11,880 direct our paths. You know, in giving our lives to 451 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:21,040 Jesus, I know that you remember that you did that because you, 452 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:26,040 you need guidance in your life. You knew that your way wasn't 453 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:31,320 the way. The way is Jesus Christ, and so 454 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,920 you surrendered. If you want to be discipled, 455 00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:38,000 first ask God to lead you to the right person. 456 00:36:39,320 --> 00:36:43,760 That's how discipleship works #2 be teachable and willing to 457 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,560 follow. In the Bible, those who were 458 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:52,440 discipled had a teachable spirit and a willingness to submit to 459 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:56,160 guidance. In Second Kings 2, we see Elijah 460 00:36:56,360 --> 00:37:00,200 and Elijah. Elijah refused to leave him 461 00:37:00,200 --> 00:37:03,000 alone. He needs to be discipled. 462 00:37:03,480 --> 00:37:07,760 In the the book of Luke, the disciples left everything and 463 00:37:07,760 --> 00:37:14,120 followed Jesus. In Acts, the Ethiopian eunuch 464 00:37:14,120 --> 00:37:18,240 says, how can I understand unless someone guides me? 465 00:37:20,080 --> 00:37:24,760 Are you ready to learn to serve and to be corrected? 466 00:37:28,520 --> 00:37:31,720 And then #3 we look within the body of Christ. 467 00:37:32,640 --> 00:37:36,920 Biblically, discipleship happens within the local church or the 468 00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:40,920 community of faith. In Titus, the older men and 469 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:45,520 women are to train the younger in the godly living. 470 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:50,520 Let me tell you something, discipleship isn't going to 471 00:37:50,520 --> 00:37:57,920 appear peer relationships that you feel safe in. 472 00:38:02,720 --> 00:38:06,440 That's not discipleship. You don't go to those people 473 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:08,720 just because they accept you the way you are. 474 00:38:09,880 --> 00:38:12,880 You want people that don't accept you the way you are 475 00:38:12,960 --> 00:38:15,400 because they see greater on your life. 476 00:38:16,080 --> 00:38:19,720 People that are going to call things out of you, not just 477 00:38:19,720 --> 00:38:23,200 accept your dysfunction. This is makes sense. 478 00:38:23,840 --> 00:38:29,040 So this is this. If you're older than 44, A 45 479 00:38:29,040 --> 00:38:30,840 man, I just had my birthday this year. 480 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:35,720 If you're older than 45, I need you. 481 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:39,520 I need you. I need your wisdom. 482 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:45,280 You know, I know, I know that I'm very, very young. 483 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:53,960 I get that, which makes you very young too. 484 00:38:54,320 --> 00:38:57,440 I'm very, very young and you're very young. 485 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:05,600 But here's the thing, if you're older than someone, they need 486 00:39:05,720 --> 00:39:14,360 you and they need you to continue growing so that you can 487 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:16,520 take them further than where you are now. 488 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:20,560 Does this make sense? This is the discipleship model 489 00:39:24,680 --> 00:39:30,040 #4 initiate, initiate relationship and ask humbling. 490 00:39:30,600 --> 00:39:35,600 Jesus called these 12 disciples, but we also see examples where 491 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:38,360 people pursued mentors like in Ruth. 492 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:45,040 Your people will be my people. What if she never said that? 493 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:52,040 And your God will be my God. Elijah left his family to follow 494 00:39:52,040 --> 00:39:56,680 Elijah and asked. Timothy joined Paul because he 495 00:39:56,680 --> 00:40:00,320 was well spoken of. He had a reputation. 496 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:07,160 Of a as a godly, well spoken man who knew his stuff, man, you've 497 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:11,560 got to disciple me. Mel and I are so desperate for 498 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:15,680 this. We paid someone this year to 499 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:20,200 disciple us. We were like, because they're 500 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,800 they're in a world greater than us. 501 00:40:23,320 --> 00:40:24,920 We're like, how do we get into that world? 502 00:40:24,920 --> 00:40:27,640 We'll just pay for their time now. 503 00:40:27,640 --> 00:40:29,840 They owe us. We've got them. 504 00:40:32,320 --> 00:40:35,040 You know. It's biblical and wise to ask 505 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:39,200 someone humbling, would you be willing to walk with me in faith 506 00:40:39,200 --> 00:40:45,520 and help me to grow in Christ #5 Watch their life before 507 00:40:45,520 --> 00:40:52,040 following their teaching. Don't desire the fruits of a 508 00:40:52,040 --> 00:40:55,200 dying tree. I just made that up on the spot. 509 00:40:55,200 --> 00:40:56,480 But that was the Holy Spirit. Thank you. 510 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:04,920 But often we do we we go, oh, don't do this. 511 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:10,120 Don't go. I love the fruits of your life. 512 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:16,920 And so please disciple me. Yet that person's not growing 513 00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:22,440 anymore, because what that will actually teach you is how to get 514 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:29,000 stagnant in your faith. Look for a tree that's got fruit 515 00:41:29,520 --> 00:41:33,240 and fruit and next year more fruit, next season, more fruit. 516 00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:36,960 They're growing. You thought that they were at at 517 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:40,240 the top of it and then the next year they go, would someone 518 00:41:40,240 --> 00:41:44,800 prune me because I've got my next leg, my next journey, the 519 00:41:44,800 --> 00:41:48,120 next part of my life to go. They want fruit. 520 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:51,560 Look for that person because they're going to take you places 521 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:55,640 to someone who models Christ, not just talks about him. 522 00:41:56,720 --> 00:41:59,520 There is no such thing as graduation day. 523 00:42:00,560 --> 00:42:04,800 Everyone at every stage and at every age needs discipleship. 524 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:10,360 And I want to equip us all in the church today with a great 525 00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:13,600 question. So I'd love you to repeat out 526 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:19,720 loud after me. Who's discipling you? 527 00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:26,720 Who's discipling you? Church Nicole, you're all over 528 00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:27,680 this. Was that you? 529 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:34,280 Listen, this is your Cafe question for today after church, 530 00:42:34,760 --> 00:42:37,920 when you go out in the Cafe, because you'll be talking about 531 00:42:37,920 --> 00:42:39,880 the message because that's what we do every Sunday. 532 00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:44,760 Why don't you ask this question of each other and ask it of 533 00:42:44,760 --> 00:42:47,680 yourself as well. Who's disciple in you? 534 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:52,160 If someone's, if someone's offering to be your disciple, 535 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:55,840 the question back is, but who's disciple in you? 536 00:42:56,640 --> 00:42:58,360 So we don't want a stagnant tree. 537 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,200 We don't want a tree on its last season and then it gets cut 538 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:03,800 down. We want a tree that wants 539 00:43:03,800 --> 00:43:06,720 pruning so that it can continue to grow. 540 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:09,880 So if they're growing, you're growing. 541 00:43:10,280 --> 00:43:12,360 And then let me tell you, Christian, there is a 542 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:16,040 responsibility on your life to continue to grow. 543 00:43:16,640 --> 00:43:18,680 No graduation days here at City Point. 544 00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:23,480 NO ma'am. So we all ask of ourselves and 545 00:43:23,480 --> 00:43:25,520 the one we want. The band can be with me. 546 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:27,360 I'm on literally my last sentence. 547 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,960 We also ask of ourselves and the one we want to disciple us. 548 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:39,480 So the reason we get disciple is because discipleship matures us 549 00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:44,640 and the discipleship equips you for what God has for your life. 550 00:43:44,640 --> 00:43:47,280 Amen. You know, becoming a follower of 551 00:43:47,360 --> 00:43:49,560 Jesus wasn't the end of our new life. 552 00:43:50,680 --> 00:43:53,160 It was the beginning of becoming new creations. 553 00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:55,960 You received that today, Church.