Category: Discipleship

What are the benefits of persecution?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Pastoral, Practical5 Comments

Christians will face persecution. It is not a matter of “if” but “when”. Our Lord was persecuted and suffered. All those who follow Him will experience the same. Believe it or not, persecution actually has benefits.

What are the benefits of persecution?

(1) Persecution forces us to turn to God and find hope in Him rather than the world.

Persecution serves to strengthens our faith in the Lord, as we are forced to turn to Him, rather than to our own abilities and the world. Steadfastness in persecution also acts as a witness to others.

(2) Persecution allows us to be a witness to the surrounding community.

While Paul doesn’t mention their witness to the surrounding pagan community, there steadfastness must have undergirded their gospel proclamation. Those who lived around them must have known that they were fully convinced of the gospel. They were suffering for it after all. They might not have agreed with them, but there was no doubt the Thessalonians believed what they proclaimed.

(3) Persecution allows us to be a witness to the church at large.

We are not sure of the impact the Thessalonians had in their city. Certainly, there were some who believed because of their steadfastness. What we do know is that their faithfulness served to strengthen churches outside of their city. Their witness — due their willingness to stand firm — spurred other churches on in the area to do the same, as they were encouraged in their faith by the Thessalonians.

The steadfastness of others should strengthen our faith as well. Right now, our brothers and sisters in China are suffering for their beliefs. We might not know them. We certainly aren’t experiencing the level of persecution they are experiencing. But knowing there are other believers who are suffering for their faith, and doing so with joy, should spur us on in our faith. It should strengthen and prepare us for times of suffering.

Jesus is worth more than anything the world can offer. He is infinitely valuable. As Christians, we are a part of His family. He is not a wise sage leading us to God, He is God who has come to rescue us. Not just rescue us but He adopts us into His family. The faithfulness of others through suffering reminds us of Jesus’ value and the relationship His suffering won for us, which should spur us on to greater joy and faithfulness.

(4) Persecution teaches us that our hope is not in this world but in the One who is to come.

This world and its idols cannot ultimately deliver us from the sinful acts of men. We might find protection in armed guards and fortresses for a time. Our money or abilities might buy us fame. We might be able to escape difficulty.

Even the wealthiest, most connected, and most likable people fall from the world’s graces.

Scroll through your Twitter feed and you are bound to find a once famous person being attacked. Even if someone makes it through life without difficulty, they haven’t ultimately escaped.

We need deliverance from the wrath of God

We are reminded in verse 10 that we not only need deliverance from the world but from the wrath of God. Money, abilities, and connections can’t help us escape God’s wrath. If we hope to stand on our own merit before God, we will fall. No one is good, no one is capable of representing themselves before God. We need someone to act as our advocate. We need someone who can deliver us. The only One who can provide deliverance is Jesus.

Jesus provides the deliverance we need

Jesus took the wrath of God in our place. We know His sacrifice was sufficient because God raised Him from the dead. He didn’t deserve the curse of death, so He was given life. All those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior are connected to Him, so that His death becomes their death and His resurrection becomes their resurrection.

Jesus’ deliverance begins in this life and continues into the next

We are resurrected now to new life in Christ, which is evidenced by steadfastness in the face of persecution. We will be ultimately resurrected to a brand new way of life in the future at Jesus’ return.

Jesus is our hope. He is our rescuer.

What is a disciple? – Part 3

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, PracticalLeave a comment

Many misunderstand church attendance for discipleship, thinking that if they come to church on a regular basis or every now and again, they are a disciple. Or they mistake their families church attendance for them being a disciple, they are in by connection. Some believe being connected to a social justice cause makes them a disciple. Still others believe discipleship is only for the super spiritual. Or that it is a program that we go through for a matter of weeks or months. There are many ways in which we can misunderstand discipleship. 

In my last two posts (Part 1 / Part 2) I sought to clear up any misunderstandings we might have. In this last post, we look at the final characteristic of a disciple.

What is a disciple?

(3) A disciple is a learner of Jesus

Look at the beginning of verse 29. Jesus says, 

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,”

Mt 11:29a

Here we see that we are to submit to Jesus’ authority so that we can learn from Him. 

There is a reason we live with Jesus as the King of our life. It is not because Jesus is on a power trip. Remember, He is gentle and lowly. Instead, we submit to Jesus as our authority so that we can learn a new way of life from Him. He is more than willing to teach us, so that we might find joy as we live as Kingdom citizens.

A whole new way of life in Jesus

In this way, we can say that when we come to Jesus, a whole new way of life opens up to us. A way of life that was closed to us before. That is because we were living in rebellion to Him. As rebels, we didn’t want Jesus’ way of life. We thought we knew what was good and right. 

But as those who are committed to following Jesus we should have repented of our rebellion. Our hearts should have been changed. We should desire a new way of life. One that Jesus provides.

Discipleship is learnership

Not only does Jesus call us to come to and learn from Him in these verses, but when we look at the term disciple, we discover it means a person who learns from another by instruction. Learning is at the core of what it means to be a disciple. As a result, we can say that discipleship is learnership.

Disciples are the who are constantly seeking to learn Jesus, to learn what it means to think and act like Jesus. 

Discipleship is not just for the academy

Discipleship as learnership doesn’t mean it is full on academic. We certainly need to gain knowledge, but discipleship is not just for knowledge sake. Discipleship involves us learning to live and think like Jesus so that we change the way that we live and think about life. It involves us stepping into a new way of doing life. One that should result in us valuing what Jesus values. Acting like Jesus acts. In other words, learning Jesus should result in us imitating Jesus. In Luke 6:40, we read:

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Lk 6:40)

Imitating Jesus is what we are after. We should not only desire to become more like Jesus, but as we continue in the Christian life, we should see ourselves becoming more like Jesus. 

You have to have the desire

In order to become more like Jesus, we must desire to be more like Jesus. For some of you, you have never become more like Jesus because the desire is not there. You are connected to the church, but only for the benefit it affords you in your personal life, not because you see it as a means to become more like Jesus. If we are going to make progress in the Christian life, if we are going to be a disciple, we have to start by realizing that a disciple is a learner of Jesus.

If you haven’t come to Jesus because you want to learn to think and live like Him, then you are not a disciple of Jesus. 

At the core of discipleship is learnership.

Discipleship is not an overnight endeavor

To be sure learning Jesus doesn’t happen overnight. We don’t come to faith in Christ one day and are immediately like Jesus the next. It takes a lifetime for us to become more like Jesus. 

While it takes time, the key to becoming more like Jesus is knowing that is what it means to be a disciple. Disciples follow Jesus into a whole new way of life. A way of life Jesus opens up for us.

Look at your life:

  • Are you more like Jesus today than when you first came to faith?
  • Do you find yourself thinking different?
  • Acting different?
  • Do you love God’s Word, reading it often?
  • Do you love God’s people, gathering together in a group to study and apply God’s Word?
  • Do you desire to know more about God’s character, seeking to understand some basic theological concepts?
  • Are you self-sacrificial, giving of yourself and your resources?
  • Are you missional, seeking to build relationships with your neighbors so you can talk with them about Jesus?
  • Are you ministry oriented, serving regularly in the local church? 

These are all activities that characterize Jesus in one way or another. They are activities that should characterize us as well as we seek to learn Jesus. 

As we move forward into this New Year, it is my hope that you will not only rest in Jesus, recognizing that He is the only One who can restore your relationship with the Father, that you will submit your life to Jesus, recognizing He is your King, but that you will also learn Jesus by becoming more like Him, thinking, acting, and caring about the things He cares about. 

If we are going to see growth as a church and reach the community in which we have been planted, we must be people who are learning Jesus. Not so that we can fill our heads with knowledge, but so that we live differently. 

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

Are you looking for a church?

Eastridge Baptist Church is a multi-generational thriving community of real people experiencing real life together. We seek to be the church every day and everywhere we go, as we live in community and on mission for Jesus. We are located in the heart of Red Oak, Texas. Our desire is to make Jesus’ name famous as we seek to make “disciple-making” disciples who prize community and Jesus’ mission.
Visit Our Website

What is a disciple? – Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical1 Comment

Misunderstanding discipleship is not an agree to disagree type of misunderstanding. It is a base level understanding that those who call themselves Christians need to understand. Likewise, if we are going to be a church that makes disciple-making disciples, we must all be on the same page as to what we are seeking to make. 

In my last post to open this series, I provided the first of three characteristics of a disciple. Today we explore characteristic number two. 

What is a disciple?

(2) A disciple is someone who submits to Jesus’ authority

Looking at Matthew 11:29 Jesus calls us to:

“Take [his] yoke upon [us], and learn from” him.

(Mt 11:29a)

A yoke is a piece of farm equipment that is attached to an animal such as an ox that allows them to pull farm equipment. It is usually associated with hard work. Imagine being an animal on a farm whose job is to pull a plough through hard soil day in and day out. Not an easy task.

A yoke is typically associated with hard work, but notice what Jesus tells us.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

(Mt 11:30)

That is not typical. Work on the farm is hard. It is labor some. But not so with Jesus. Jesus is not calling us to come to Him so that He can place a heavy burden on us. Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy. His burden is light. While Jesus flips the script on what it means to take on a yoke, we are still to take His yoke and put it on.

Taking Jesus’ yoke on us signifies submission to His authority in our life.

There is this idea (see Lordship Salvation Debate) in evangelical circles that we don’t have to submit our lives to Jesus. All we need to do is believe in Him and everything will be great. But Jesus is not calling us to mental assent. Instead, He is calling us to submit our entire lives to Him.

I know some want to argue otherwise, but if we think about salvation for a minute and why we need it. We need to be saved from the wrath of God because we rebelled against God. We thought we knew what was right and wrong. We followed our own will. As you look at the span of biblical history, it is clear that following our own will does not workout well for us.

If you just take the book of Genesis for instance, you see that man is good at rejecting God’s will. God offers blessing and life to the main characters in the book of Genesis and their default reaction is failure. God starts with Adam, who fails in a big way. Though God has given him dominion over the entire garden and earth, he rejects God’s way of doing things for his own. His failure plunges the human race into sin.

Next is Noah. God essentially restarts the world with Noah. But he can’t keep it together either. Nor can Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. His sons, grandsons and great grandsons fail as well.

Our default reaction is a rejection of God’s will for our own. Our default action doesn’t result in blessing, instead it results in a curse. Part of the salvation process, then, is to admit our failure, our rebellion, and to turn back to God, allowing Him to have the proper place in our life, as our King.

It is important we submit our lives to Jesus because there is no true salvation if we don’t allow Jesus to have authority in our life.

Jesus is the King of kings. To come to Jesus is to allow the King the authority He deserves.

True disciples submit to Jesus’ authority.

They don’t do this begrudgingly, instead they do it out of joy, recognizing that God’s will and wisdom is what is best for them. The book of Psalms opens with these two verses:

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”

(Ps 1:1–2)

If I am honest with you, when I first read those verses in my youth, I had trouble with them. I couldn’t understand why the Psalmist would delight in the Law of God. To my knowledge, at that point in my life, it was just a bunch of rules. It was a bunch of things you should and shouldn’t do. Up to that point in my life, I didn’t delight in rules. I didn’t like them. But as I matured, I eventually realized God’s Law represents His will and wisdom. It is based off His character, which is good.

When the Psalmist talks about delighting in God’s law, he is saying that he delights in all of who God is. He recognizes that God desires us to experience His goodness, which is why He provides us the Law.

True disciples recognize that as well. Instead of seeking ways to wiggle out from underneath Jesus’ authority, they submit to it, recognizing it is what is best for them.

True disciples submit to Jesus’ authority and they do so joyfully.

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

Are you looking for a church?

Eastridge Baptist Church is a multi-generational thriving community of real people experiencing real life together. We seek to be the church every day and everywhere we go, as we live in community and on mission for Jesus. We are located in the heart of Red Oak, Texas. Our desire is to make Jesus’ name famous as we seek to make “disciple-making” disciples who prize community and Jesus’ mission.
Visit Our Website

What is a disciple? – Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, Practical2 Comments

It is not uncommon for us to misunderstand what it means to be a disciple. We see this in Jesus’ own ministry. Those who followed Him missed that discipleship wasn’t about being the greatest or sitting in the most privileged position (Mark 9:33-37; 10:35-45). Some who followed Jesus early on did so because of what He could do for them not necessarily because He was the Christ (Mark 8:27-33). It is possible to misunderstand what it means to be a disciple. It happened in Jesus’ own ministry and it happens today. 

How do we misunderstand what it means to be a disciple?

Many misunderstand church attendance for discipleship, thinking that if they come to church on a regular basis or every now and again, they are a disciple. Or they mistake their families church attendance for them being a disciple, they are in by connection. Some believe being connected to a social justice cause makes them a disciple. Still others believe discipleship is only for the super spiritual. Or that it is a program that we go through for a matter of weeks or months. There are many ways in which we can misunderstand discipleship. 

Misunderstanding discipleship is not an agree to disagree type of misunderstanding. It is a base level understanding that those who call themselves Christians need to understand. Likewise, if we are going to be a church that makes disciple-making disciples, we must all be on the same page as to what we are seeking to make. 

What is a disciple?

Over the next several posts, I am going to provide you with three characteristics of a disciple. We can add more to this list, but these are the three things I see in Matthew 11:28-30. 

(1) A disciple is someone who seeks rest in Jesus

Look at Matthew 11:28-30 with me,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.””

Mt 11:28–30

I read and handed Gentle and Lowly out to my congregation this last year. The book is written as an extended explanation of these verses. 

I believe Gentle and Lowly is an important book because popular culture has a tendency to paint Jesus as hard and harsh, especially towards those who are sinners. But that is far from the truth. 

Jesus is Gentle

When we allow Jesus to tell us who He is, He reveals that He is gentle and lowly.In other words, He is not a hard and harsh taskmaster. He is not trigger happy, ready to smite us as soon as we sin. Instead, He is gentle. He is tender towards those who are caught up in sin. 

Jesus is Lowly

Not only is He gentle, but He is lowly, meaning He is accessible. We don’t have to jump through hoops. We don’t have to clean ourselves up before we come to Him. He is not tucked away in a white castle surrounded by an impassable mote. He is lowly, accessible. 

Jesus offers rest

We should come to Jesus, we should approach Him because He can offer us rest for our weary souls. Jesus is able to offer rest because He does what we can’t do.

I don’t know about you but sometimes as I am scrolling through Facebook, I come across these videos that highlight incredible workers. It is typically someone who is working with wood, stone, metal or tile. Their skillset is absolutely next level. They are able to make things out of these mediums that seem impossible. Sometimes I watch those videos in amazement. I find myself thinking, “I could never do that.” 

The same thing I think about those workers and what they are able to accomplish, we need to think about Jesus and what He has accomplished — we can never do what He has done. No amount of effort on our behalf could ever get us to the same level as Jesus. It is when we try that we wear ourselves out. 

When we compete with Jesus, what we are trying to do is earn our own salvation through our own self-effort. We need to stop seeking self-salvation. We need “to come” to Jesus for rest. 

True disciples rest in Jesus’ work on their behalf. 

Why we need to rest in Jesus

True Disciples recognize they are sinners. It is their sin that hinders their relationship with the Father. God is holy — He is set apart from us. We can’t come into His presence on our own because we are unholy. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves holy. There is nothing we can do to pay our debt with the Father. The wages of sin is death. That is what we deserve. We deserve eternal death. Eternal separation from God and all that is good. But Jesus has repaired our relationship by dying on our behalf. All those who believe in Jesus experience rest. 

True disciples come to Jesus for rest. Rest from the consequences of their sin and the burden of seeking self-salvation. 

If you are weary, know that the only way you are going to experience rest and relief is by turning to Jesus. Working longer and harder, trying to be a better person, and giving more will not ultimately result in release. Only Jesus can provide you the rest you desire. True disciples recognize that and they come to Jesus for rest. 

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

Are you looking for a church?

Eastridge Baptist Church is a multi-generational thriving community of real people experiencing real life together. We seek to be the church every day and everywhere we go, as we live in community and on mission for Jesus. We are located in the heart of Red Oak, Texas. Our desire is to make Jesus’ name famous as we seek to make “disciple-making” disciples who prize community and Jesus’ mission.
Visit Our Website

We Should Work for the Good of Our Cities

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship1 Comment

As Christians, we should work for the good of cities. The idea appears sound. It appears that working for the good of the city is something we should definitely do.

But some Christians struggle with the idea. They would rather retreat from the city than work towards its good.

There are many objections we could explore but the one I want to tackle today is that this world is not our home. We belong to Jesus’ kingdom. As citizens of Jesus’ heavenly kingdom, we should work for its good but not the good of an earthly kingdom. Instead, we should distance ourselves from the world so that we are not tainted by the evil found therein. 

While some make the above argument, it is not biblical. Instead, the biblical view is that we should do all we can to work to bring about change in our cities now. 

Why should we work to bring about change in our cities? 

For the same reason Judah was supposed to work to bring about change in Babylon. As you read through the history of Israel, one thing becomes apparent — they were a rebellious people. Instead of worshipping the Lord, they worshipped other gods and relied on other nations to fight their battles instead of the Lord. As punishment for their unfaithfulness, God allowed His people to be conquered and exiled from the Promised Land. Israel was taken first by the Assyrians, then later Judah was taken by the Babylonians.

Right before the Babylonian exile, a number of false prophets told the people that they would come back to Jerusalem in just two short years, but that wasn’t God’s plan. In fact, Judah wasn’t coming back anytime soon. Instead they were going to stay in Babylon for 70 years (Jer. 29:10). 

While they would ultimately come back to the Promised Land, God didn’t want Judah to live as exiles. Instead he wanted them to take root. Jeremiah tells them in chapter 29 starting in verse 5:

“Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf…” (Jer. 29:5-7a).

They were to take root — to have sons and daughters, to give them in marriage, and even to work for the good of the city. That might seem odd, but look at the rest of verse 7. It says, 

“for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jer. 29:7b).

In other words, as the city prospers, they will prosper. As the city flourishes, they will flourish. That same idea applies to us. While our home is the kingdom to come, we live here now. 

Instead of living as strangers, as exiles, we are to take root. We aren’t to live on the fringes, we aren’t to pull back. Instead, we are to work for the good of our country, city, and community. We are to work for good because as the city prospers, we prosper. As the city flourishes, we flourish.

While we are here, we are to work to make things better. We are to show the world a sliver of the kingdom to come. As we do so, we will not only enjoy a better life, but we will act as witnesses of the kingdom for which we find our hope. Hopefully, others will find their hope in the kingdom to come too.

Watch the sermon from which this post was developed.

Stop trying to create Jesus in your image!

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Discipleship, PastoralLeave a comment

Creating is in our DNA. It is built into us. God created the world and everything in it, including you and I — humans. We are created in His image — Male and Female alike. In Genesis 1:26-27 we read:

“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…

Just a little bit later you read:

” …So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Ge 1:26–27)

As those who are made in God’s image, we are gifted towards creating. Some of us are more gifted than others, but we are all designed to create.

Not only is creating built into us, but we are tasked to create by God.

In Genesis 2:15 we read:

“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Ge 2:15)

To “work it” carries the meaning, the idea, of creating, of making. To take the raw materials of the garden and work it to make something glorious. Creating itself is not a bad thing. It’s more of a neutral thing. It is the why and what we create that matters.

Not only does man create in order to make a name for themselves, but man also creates in order to make gods for themselves.

Idolatry is one of the oldest forms of rebellion.

Since the beginning, man has been fashioning gods in their own image. But God abhors idolatry. We know because in the first and second commandments of the 10 commandments God says,

““You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Ex 20:3–4)

God abhors idolatry!

Idols never provide us with that which we desire. Israel learned this through the prophets. One was Habakkuk, who asks:

““What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it, a metal image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation when he makes speechless idols! Woe to him who says to a wooden thing, Awake; to a silent stone, Arise! Can this teach? Behold, it is overlaid with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in it”” (Hab 2:18–19)

Other prophets such as Jeremiah and Isaiah, join with Habakkuk in condemning and pointing out the futility of creating and worshipping idols. But man continues to do it. Even those in Jesus’ day continued to manufacture idols.

More crooked than creating an idol from wood, hay, or straw was their desire to create Jesus in their own making.

We have a tendency to try to make Jesus into who we want Him to be.

Instead of believing and accepting Jesus’ message with joy, The religious and even the irreligious, they reject the Jesus of the Bible and seek to make Him into the god they want Him to be.

The religious seek to make Him into:

  • A rigid and hard figure whom we must work for in order to earn or keep our salvation.

The irreligious seek to make Jesus into:

  • A “woke Savior” or what you might refer to as “Hippie Jesus”. He would never say anything that hurts anyone’s feelings. No trigger words or actions come from Jesus. He is fully welcoming. Accepting everyone and anyone into the family no matter what they believe.
  • Or Jesus is made into: “A meek and mild figure”. One who doesn’t judge anyone. Hell is not a reality, except for the really bad people like Hitler. Everyone else is going to heaven. No one will suffer or experience judgment.
  • Still others seek to make Jesus into what I like to refer to as: “Genie in the bottle Jesus” He will give you whatever you want. Whatever your heart desires Jesus will provide. All you have to do is say the right thing and have enough faith and you can have whatever your heart desires.

The religious and even the irreligious, they reject the Jesus of the Bible and seek to make Him into the god they want Him to be.

Jesus doesn’t accept our image of Him. He is not an idol.

Jesus is not someone we can fashion and form any way that we like. He is not someone we can make in our own image. That is not who Jesus is. Instead, Jesus is the God sent Savior of the world.

Instead of becoming who we want Him to become, Jesus is who we need Him to be — a gracious God who calls us to repent of our sins and trust in His sacrifice on our behalf.

Idols can’t provide us salvation. They can’t provide us release from the bondage of sin, Satan and death. Idol’s can’t change us. Idols are what we make them to be.

If we make them, that means we make them in our image.

How do we know if we have made Jesus in our image?

I don’t know about you but I don’t make things that cause me to change. I make things that support me for who I am so that I can be who I want to be. That is how you know if you are worshipping an idol of Jesus or the true Jesus. The Jesus we make doesn’t disagree with us. He doesn’t hold us accountable because there is nothing we need to be held accountable for. We are good. We have it together. The Jesus of our own making affirms who we are. But that is not the real Jesus.

The real Jesus calls us to repentance.

He knows we are sinners who have rebelled against Him. He calls us to turn from our rebellion to follow Him.

The real Jesus also calls us to believe the joyous message of the gospel.

He offers us forgiveness, salvation, and a different way of life that reflects God’s wisdom.

That is who the real Jesus is. He is the God-sent Savior. He is not an idol. He is not someone we have fashioned. Instead, He is someone in whom we should find hope and salvation.

Stop trying to create Jesus in your image!