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Message Notes
Jesus is incredible, and He’s worth following with your whole life.
What is Legalism?
“Legalism is looking to something besides Jesus Christ in order to be acceptable and clean before God. Legalism always results in pride and fear, psychologically, and exclusion and strife, socially.” —Tim Keller
Disciple = A Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus
West Ridge Mission Statement – Leading people to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Key Thought - We are called to be disciples that make disciples!
What are some challenges of being a disciple of Jesus?
“Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him.” —Mark 3:7-12
“And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.” —Mark 3:9-12
- The needs in people’s lives never let up or slow down.
- More people look to benefit from Jesus than to actually follow Him.
“The time promised by God has come at last! The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!” —Mark 1:15
- Being a disciple of Jesus is a personal journey, but it’s best done in community with other disciples.
Goal - The goal is to multiply the work by making more disciples.
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” —Matthew 28:19 -20
How does Jesus select and Prepare His Disciples?
“And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.” —Mark 3:13-19
- He calls them
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” —Ephesians 2:10
- He appoints them
Key Thought - Before we are called to ministry, we are called to intimacy.
- He empowers them
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” —John 14:26
- He sends them out.
What can we count on as disciples of Jesus?
- Fruitfulness
“Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat.” —Mark 3:20
- Opposition
“And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, ‘He is out of his mind.’” —Mark 3:21
- God’s Faithfulness
“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” —1 Thessalonians 5:23-24