Tag: christianity

What is the best place for us to grow as disciples? – Part 3

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Practical2 Comments

Authentic is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days.  You have authentic clothes, shoes, bags, drinks, coffee, stores, etc. It seems everything and everyone wants to be authentic.

But have you ever thought about what it actually means to be authentic and why it matters that we are authentic disciples?

When you look authentic up in the dictionary, you’ll find that one of the definitions is genuine. Genuine is how I’m using authentic in this post. As Jesus’ disciples, we are to be genuine.

Disciples gather together in authentic community

How we know we are a part of an authentic community?

Acts 2:42 helps us understand what it means to be disciples who live in a genuine community.

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(Acts 2:42)

Authentic disciples don’t have ulterior motives. 

As we look at this verse, we learn authentic community occurs when we are genuinely sharing our lives with one another, so that we are all growing in Christ. Authentic people genuinely care about the lives of those around them. They genuinely want to see others built up in the faith. They genuinely want to use their God-given gifts to minister to one another.

Authentic disciples gather together in a transformative learning community because it is the best place for them and others to grow to be more like Christ.

Authentic disciples care about transformation, not comfort

Those who are authentic don’t hold back with one another. They press into difficult situations and conversations because they actually care about transformation, not just what another can do for them.

If you catch yourself saying or thinking, “I know I should talk with that person about what’s going on in their life, but I am not going to do it because it might hinder our relationship or they might react in a negative way.” If that is your mentality, your relationship is not authentic. You are in it for what you can get out of it. 

Authentic disciples share their lives with others

Authentic disciples are not only willing to speak the truth in love, but they are also willing to share their life with those in whom they are in community. When someone asks how they are doing, authentic disciples share how they are really doing. When someone asks how they can pray for them, authentic disciples share how others can really pray for them. 

Why are we afraid to share our struggles with others and ask for prayer?

It is because we value their opinion over our spiritual growth. But here is the thing, we ought to be able to share our struggles with one another because their acceptance of us shouldn’t ultimately matter.

Authentic disciples are gospel-centered

As Christians, we have the greatest acceptance we could ever want — that is the acceptance of Jesus. His acceptance is not conditional. It is not based on our appearance of having everything put together. Jesus knows we don’t have everything put together. Jesus knows our social media profile is not representative of actual life. 

Let’s just be real for a minute. We are all messed up, jacked up people. None of us really have it all together. To think you are the only one who is struggling with something is a lie from Satan. We are all struggling with something, which means we all need prayer. If that is true, we can and should ask others to pray for us in our time of need. 

Transformation doesn’t happen without teaching, it doesn’t happen without counsel, it doesn’t happen without prayer. Transformation doesn’t happen if we aren’t authentic with one another.

Next Time

Being authentic leads to interdependent relationships. We will talk about interdependent relationships next time. If you haven’t already, subscribe so you don’t miss the next element of a Christian community that contributes to growth in Christlikeness.

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

What is the best place for us to grow as disciples? – Part 2

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, PracticalLeave a comment

As Christians, we best grow in community. But we don’t need just any kind of community. We need a certain type of community. The community we need doesn’t mirror a country club. It doesn’t cater to our preferences. It is not one that won’t be real with us or confront us regarding sin. We need a community that is different than the world. One that will help us grow in Christlikeness.

A community I like to refer to as an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

Admittedly, that is a mouth full and can be a bit vague, so let’s break it down.

Disciples must be a part of a transformative learning community

Acts 2 is an amazing story of the power of the gospel and the work of the Spirit. Not only does the Spirit empower the disciples to witness to the people (vs 1-13). But their unique witness in the language of the people gave Peter a platform to speak the gospel to a large crowd (vs 14-36). The Spirit moved that day and about 3,000 were added to the church (vs 37-41).

That is simple amazing. Imagine your church growing by 3,000 people in one afternoon! That would be fantastic.

Notice what takes place after these folks are saved.

The church gathered together in community with one another to learn Christ.

Look at verse 42,

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

(Ac 2:42)

Notice what they did — they devoted themselves. When you devote yourself to something, you are giving yourself to an activity with an intense effort over a sustained period of time. One of the activities to which the first church devoted themselves was the apostles’ teaching about Jesus. These people went from being pagans and those wrapped up in Judaism to those who were devoted to learning a whole new way of life in Christ. As the apostles taught, they learned Christ. They learned how to think and act like Jesus.

These weren’t people who were out to get their fire insurance so that they could go to heaven one day. No, they saw the importance of stepping into a new way of life that Jesus opened up for them. The apostles’ teaching wasn’t forced on them. They didn’t go to church begrudgingly. They wanted it, so they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching.

The apostles’ teaching took place in several different settings.

Look at verse 46,

“And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,”

(Ac 2:46)

The apostles taught in a large gathered assemble, as well as in small groups. I don’t believe that one of these settings is better than the other. Instead, I believe we need both. We need to gather together in a large group where we hear the word preached. As well as we need to gather together in small groups where we are taught and able to discuss the Word.

Both of these settings are important as we seek transformation.

The church was transformed as they learned Jesus together in community.

That is the best place for transformation to take place — in community with one another. We can’t just get alone with Jesus and our Bible and expect to be transformed in the same way that we will be as we gather together with one another under and around God’s Word to learn Jesus.

We are transformed as we gather together in a learning community with other disciples who are passionately pursuing Christlikeness.

Can I just say — watching church online is not the same as being physically present with other brothers and sisters in Christ. A virtual service should not take the place of a physical service. It is helpful. It allows us to hear the Word when we otherwise would not be able to. I am thankful churches are able to offer it, especially during the unprecedented times in which we live. But it is not a substitute for gathering together in community with one another. Transformation occurs as we gather together in an authentic and interdependent learning community.

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

What is the best place for us to grow as disciples? – Part 1

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Practical2 Comments

In Armstrong Redwood National State Reserve just outside of San Francisco there are giant redwoods that extend skyward over a football field in length. They have stood for centuries despite the heavy storms that come through the region.

How can the giant redwoods remain upright against the fierce winds that batter them? They are able to face storm after storm after storm without toppling over because of their unique root system. Their roots are only 12 feet under the surface. While 12 foot is not shallow, it doesn’t seem deep enough to hold a tree that large in the ground. On its own those roots would probably be inadequate.But the giant Redwoods aren’t standing on their own. If you were to scrape back the earth, you would see an intertwined network of roots.

The Redwoods are able to stand because they live in community with one another, which allows them to depend on one another for strength. What they can’t do on their own, they are able to do in community. That’s how they have been able to stand for 100’s of years despite the storms that batter them.

Likewise, the only way we can endure the storms of life and learn Jesus as God has intended is by living in community with one another. Our spiritual roots must not just extend deep but wide. We must be connected to and depend on own another. We must see one another as a means to learn Christ and remain steadfast against the storms of life.

Our culture pulls us away from community

I believe this is one of the more difficult concepts for American Christians to get and to put into practice. The United States is the greatest country in the world. I love our country and thank God regularly that I am an American citizen. But here is the thing, we have to be aware that culture influences. Not only do we need to know that culture is a powerful influencer, but we need to know the ways the culture in which we live influences us. As citizens of the United States, we are influenced to be fiercely independent. We are taught to rely on ourselves and no one else. We are told time and time again all we need to be successful is self-effort, ingenuity with a bit of luck sprinkled on top.

While it is true no one is going to do it for you. You can’t expect others to make things happen on your behalf. There is no substitute for hard work. While all that is true, we can’t fall into the trap of believing we don’t need one another, we can do it on our own, and we don’t need Christian community. We need one another!

But we need to press into community

Over a decade of ministry, I have seen this hold true. I have seen both men and women come to the church. I have seen them grow in the faith and in their understanding of God’s Word. I have seen them begin to live like Jesus. But then something happens. Their work schedule changes. They have a family issue they are embarrassed about. The church burns them out. There is conflict that is not dealt with biblically. For one of those reasons or another, they begin to pull away from the church. Attend a little less often. Soon, a little less turns into a lot less. They quit answering your phone call. They turn down invitations to coffee, lunch or dinner. They begin to isolate themselves from Christian community.

The next thing you know they are having marital problems, they are abusing a substance, they are compromising in their business, they aren’t standing firm in their faith and living on mission for Jesus. They aren’t accomplishing their purpose in life — to bring glory to God. Instead, they are seeking self-glory!

If we are going to remain steadfast, we need Christian community. It is the only way we are going to grow. It’s the only way we are going to see transformation and stand against the myriad of storms that come at us in life. We need community.

Not just any type of community

But we don’t just need any kind of community. We need a certain type of community. We don’t need a community that mirrors a country club. We don’t need a community that caters to our preferences. We don’t need a community that won’t be real with us when we are in sin. We don’t need a community like that. We can get that type of community in the world. The church is supposed to be different than the world. It is supposed to offer a different type of community.

We need a specific type of community to grow in Christlikeness

The type of community the church should offer and the type of community we need to be a part of is an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

What does that type of community look like?

Over the next several posts, we are going to explore the characteristics of an authentic and interdependent transformative learning community.

Want to keep learning?

Watch the sermon this post is based on.

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