Summer Road Trip #6: Road to Discipleship

Introduction:  We are in a series entitled:  Summer Road Trip.  Today I want to discuss the idea:  Road of Discipleship.

Jesus told His disciples:  “Take up your cross and Come follow me…”  this is the same invitation we are given today…Come and follow Jesus.  To follow means there is a road we choose to travel…and that road isn’t always easy…oftentimes it is a road filled with adversity, criticism, and setbacks.   But it is a Road worth taking when Jesus is leading the Journey.  

Transition:  Let’s look at a Road Trip Jesus was on, and the Disciples had the opportunity to learn…

Mark 2:23-3:7

23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 

25 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him:  26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.  28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” 

3 And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.”  4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.  6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

NKJV

  1. Following Jesus
    1. It is interesting who claims to follow Jesus and who is actually following Jesus…
    2. In our text we see several people following Jesus…
      1. We have the 12 Disciples who have decided that Jesus is who they are following…
      2. We have people…who are following due to need
      3. But then we have a group of Pharisees following Jesus.
    3. We have three groups but not all are followers of Jesus as the Christ…
    4. Pharisees followed Just so they could criticize
      1. It’s funny who will follow you just so they can criticize you…
      2. Following, waiting on you to make a mistake so they can pounce
      3. Will send you a friend request and follow you on twitter…just so they can dog you…criticize you and be snarky with you…
      4. They Followed but didn’t take up the Cross
  2. Critical of His Disciples

Mark 2:24

24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 

NKJV

    1. Now get this…Jesus isn’t the one eating, his disciples were…
      1. But that’s what we do…we will criticize Jesus based on his followers…
      2. People will criticize the church based on those who attend that church
      3. People criticize God, because of Christians
      4. We’ll criticize Leadership, Pastors, company owners because of who attends or works for those companies…
    2. Jesus says, “Have you not read”
      1. This phrase is pretty funny…in essence Jesus is saying, “Are you stupid?” Have you not read…
      2. The withering intelligence among leadership creates crisis among people…
      3. Jesus doesn’t debate them on whether the disciples have eaten or not…
      4. He asks them “Have you not read” and he is referring to 1 Sam. 21
      5. Where David went in and ate the showbread because he was hungry unto death…but the showbread was only for the Priest…and David at the time was on the run from Saul…
      6. After the Priest Abiathar debated and discussed it…they fed David what was not permitted but because of Necessity…David was able to eat
    3. Jesus is showing Principles are present to serve people, not vice versa…
      1. Every commandment of the 10 Commandments is there for my preservation……
      2. I wasn’t made for the Laws of God…the Laws of God were made for me…
        1. Working for me
        2. Protecting me
        3. Keeping me
        4. “be ye not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 
        5. “Don’t Lie”…for my benefit
        6. “Don’t worship other Gods” my benefit
        7. “Don’t commit adultery” my benefit

Transition:  The question is “how do you demonstrate you are on a Road Trip of Faith” 

    1. Living Epistles
      1. Paul would say this in 2 Cor.
        1. 2 Cor 3:1-2

3 Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? 2 You are our epistle, known and read by all men.  

NKJV

      1. Paul was saying your life…is testimony of my work…the validation of my ministry…
      2. Paul says, “we are living letters to be read by men…”so what are people reading?
      3. Are we living Epistles that can be read of men…everyday…
      4. Is our lives Testimony of Jesus’ work?  
      5. Are there proofs of who we are in the Crowds who Follow Jesus…?

Transition:  Are we a Disciple, or someone just in need or are we Pharisaical?  

  1. To Church

Mark3 And He entered the synagogue again, 

  • What started in the field, Jesus rolls right up in the House, the Synagogue…in the Church
  • I think we like the passive Jesus more than we do the confrontational Jesus…
    • Jesus rolls up in the house looking for a confrontation…
    • Now the confrontation has a point…
      • He is confronting mindsets…that were addressed in the fields….
      • But he’s going to Confront by using His power to heal a man…

and a man was there who had a withered hand. 

  • Withered – to have shrunk back, to be in a dry place…
  • Let me phrase it this way…a dryness has led to a shrinking away or a recoiling back.

2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him.

  • Now the fight that was in the field has entered the House…
  • But this verse tells me they are looking, watching Him closely…
    • He hasn’t done anything yet…
    • But they are still looking at him with criticalness, skepticism.
    • Looking with eyes of accusation…
  • Jesus had just told them what scripture said…told them the story of David…that principles are to serve the people…the Law is for people’s benefit, not vice versa…
  • But it didn’t change their thinking one bit
  • They are seeking a reason to get aggravated
  • Looking for a reason to be offended, a reason to criticize, looking to pounce on Jesus…
  1. Hand

Mark 3:3

3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 

NKJV

    1. The hand is a symbol of 
      1. Power
      2. Reach
      3. Grasp
    2. Isn’t it interesting what can become withered in the House of the Lord…not in the field, but in the House?
      1. He’s in the House
      2. His heart isn’t withered
      3. His legs aren’t withered
      4. His eyes and ears seem good…
    3. But His hand has become withered…
      1. It is the only time in the Gospels that we read, among all the miracles Jesus did…this is the only withered hand we see Jesus heal….
    4. Sitting in the Synagogue
      1. He has lost his power
      2. He has lost his ability to reach
      3. Can’t grasp….
      4. The man outwardly is what the synagogue had become inwardly…
        1. Synagogue is still there….but powerless
        2. Synagogue is in the city…but has no reach
        3. Synagogue is still gathering but can’t even Grasp its purpose anymore…it’s mission has become out of reach, no longer in their grasp, rendering the (Church) I mean synagogue, Powerless to bring Change.
    5. The only time we read of a withering hand in Gospels, it “just happens to be” in a Synagogue which is withering…
      1. Withering Leadership
      2. Withering Intelligence
      3. Withering Ability to Bring Change
      4. Withering in their influence
      5. Withering in their mindsets to change and see from God’s Perspective…
    6. Evidence of Withering is seen in the fact that Leadership did not see the need of the man more important than the day in which he was being Healed…
      1. They’d rather keep their idea of what Sabbath was supposed to be and the man stay in his situation…
      2. Oh, we can condemn the Pharisees until we find our own issue…
    7. God was extending an Opportunity, yet their mindset, that was challenged in the field, hadn’t changed one bit…their mindset was simply withering away
      1. What is withering in us that is keeping us from the outreached arm of the Lord….
  2. Stretch

Mark 3:4-6

 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. 

NKJV

    1. Stretching
      1. Stretched beyond what was thought possible
      2. Stretch beyond the limitations
      3. Stretch your thinking
      4. Stretch your vision
      5. Stretch your perception of yourself…
    2. You’re holding it too close
      1. See to wither means to shrink back…when you do that you’re holding something to close…
      2. What are you holding to close this morning and God is saying…stretch it out…
    3. The Miracle happened because the man excepted the Challenge….
      1. Jesus healed him through a challenge, not a prayer per say….
      2. Jesus said, “Stretch forth thine hand” it was a challenge, but it was the challenge met…that brought about the healing
    4. Stretching is a Demonstration of Faith
      1. God is saying stretch out on my word
      2. God was giving him the opportunity to stretch….
      3. The Road of Discipleship requires a Stretching…
      4. Where is God giving you and me opportunities to stretch…
        1. Stretching in our faith
        2. In our hope
        3. In our giving
        4. In our love
        5. Stretching in our leadership…
        6. Stretching in our mindsets…
        7. Maybe stretching in our giving
  2. Stretching Hurts
    1. I don’t care who you are…stretching Hurts…
    2. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen”
      1. Faith is substantive, not conceptual, not intellectualism
      2. Faith is substantively demonstrated…
        1. James would say, “you say you have faith, demonstrate it…” 
        2. The road of Discipleship requires a stretching of Faith…
        3. Which demands a demonstration…
      3. I don’t have the resources, but God says, Stretch….
    3. The challenge is two fold
      1. The stretching is not just painful, now it is being done in the face of Criticism…
      2. The only thing that was in the man’s favor was who had asked him to stretch….
        1. The Pharisees are waiting to pounce…
        2. In the field they criticized Jesus’ disciples because they were eating corn…
        3. Now the man faces certain ridicule, possibly being excommunicated out of His synagogue…if He stretches on a sabbath…
      3. You’ve got to be willing to stretch in the midst of criticism
      4. When God says Stretch don’t wait for the approval of people
  3. Closing
    1. What’s withered in you that needs to be Healed
      1. Withered faith
      2. Withered hope
      3. Withered joy
      4. Withered vision
      5. Maybe your leadership has become withered 
    2. Are you ready to rise to the challenge…so you can experience the Miracle
      1. Something in you, on you or around you, God is wanting to stretch forth…
    3. It is amazing how many things can be going right
      1. Legs seem good
      2. Eyes are bright, clear and 2020
      3. Ears are pitch perfect
      4. But it is the place we are withered, that we allow to define us…
        1. Notice we don’t even know the man’s name…we simply know his condition…
        2. It’s a terrible day…when the areas of your witheredness has identified and labeled you…
        3. But when One Thing is withered in your life, that is how you will see everything else…
  4. Altar
    1. Now here me this morning…God is going to challenge you to function in the area of your disfunction…
    2. You Stretch Forth…God ain’t going to do it for you…
      1. It might be a financial withering
      2. An emotional withering
      3. Your confidence has withered…
    3. Anytime you stretch in an area you have reservations it’s going to hurt…
    4. Mark 3:6-7

 6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples 

NKJV

      1. After the man stretched forth his hand…Jesus withdrew…
      2. Don’t wait till Jesus withdrawals before you stretch out…
      3. The only reason Jesus came to that Synagogue was to cause that man to stretch in the place he had become withered…
      4. Could it be the only reason…
        1. We have come today, the only reason Jesus showed up today…WAS SO YOU AND I COULD STRETCH FORTH

 

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