Our Journey
What we do in the storm proves our values
Not in doctrines, but in action
 
WHAT WE LEAVE AND RECEIVE Matt 16:24-26 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake
shall find it.
26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what
shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

We’re finding out that we simply can’t fake it. Hypocrisy is dealt its death blow when we allow
Jesus’ Word to pierce the heart, when we don’t water it down, but rather take it as it is.
In summary so far, grace is earnestly sought when judgment is fully acknowledged.
Values are determined by our valuables. Valuables will determine our value and set us on our
journey with passion. Now that we are set on our journey we begin to find out what that journey
will look like.

Judgement has struck down our old value system. Now we are faced with the
impossibilities of losing our lives. Again we face the value of our life. We estimate the cost and
usually go away empty. Jesus said, “Go and sell what you have, give the money to the poor, and
come and follow Me. He that forsaketh not all that he hath can not be my disciple.”

Where is your profit? What will you give for your soul? An ATV? A motorcycle?
What will you give so that you can have your stuff? What will you become so busy for that your
mission journey will be sidetracked with the need for more money? What will you give my soul
for? The souls of other men for? What will you deny yourself so that you may follow Jesus?
The extras? Most of us who call ourselves Christians don’t tithe. Most of us don’t spend more
than 10 minutes a day in worship to God. Our value system has nothing to do with what we
believe about turning the other cheek. It’s all about if we do turn the other cheek or not. It’s
about if we do love our enemies or not. We will not be judged for our doctrines. We will be
judged for our actions. Our doctrines will never lead someone to heaven. It is our actions, our
love, our true value system, what we value, what is valuable to us, what we have freely received
that will lead us out to give our lives for someone else.

The journey is all about the trials and how we hang on or how we let go. It’s all about
how we are treated and how we love back or lash back. There is the person who is sick and tired
of the trials of life and throws his hands up in frustration, and there is the person who has let go
and, empty of himself, the river of life is flowing from the cross. Every wound is intended to be
an opening for the Holy Spirit to come through like a river, like a flood. But He only comes
through the cross experiences. He only comes through the weakness of the flesh, never good
flesh. Never accomplished, proud flesh. He comes through the wounds! He comes through the
life of the earthly man who is dying, deeply dying on a cross! He comes through the death of you
and all that this life brings in its desert experiences.

The journey for me is best seen in the storm. It is seen when I accept the suffering for
doing good and taking it patiently, because this is what I have been called to. A pastor who
broke down after the Columbine shooting said, “When you go into the ministry, you better be
prepared to have pain.” It is the pain that is the road sign to power with God! It is the trial
always intended to lead to triumph. “Through all these things we are more than conquerors.”
Matt. 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it.

Jesus had just said not to fear because you have found the source of your value. People
who have not found that source are afraid of other people because they are looking to those
people for their value. They will deny the Lord before men out of fear of being ridiculed or
persecuted. They will prove that they do not recognize the value, values or valuable nature of the
Kingdom of God. They are filled with insecurity, and they are dangerous to the Church. They
will not take up the cross.

A word on the connection between what we hold as valuable, and values and personal
value. If we do not hold valuable the Kingdom of God and then the God of that Kingdom,
whatever value is available from God will be proportionally diminished. “God says I’m
valuable? That’s like saying that Perez Hilton or Osama Bin Ladin thinks I’m of value. It means
little to me.”

The inability or unwillingness to bear pain is why most people have conflict. The pain
of fear for loss of identity, or other needs met comes into play. They forget that God will take
care of you. When I came out of court the other day, God spoke and simply said, “See, I am
with you in the battles of life.” The first thing I heard walking into that county court house was a
woman walking out of a courtroom, as an employee of the court, declaring, “This is the day that
the Lord has made!”

So with the hate crimes bill, there will come the prosecution of those deemed guilty of
hate speech. They will be arrested and indicted for harassment of gays. Then will we confess
Christ? For to confess Christ is to declare the truth of God’s Word at the precise point where
Satan is attacking, or we have denied Him with religious “ego speak.”
TRUST, Matt. 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or
what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat,
and the body than raiment?

OBEYING Matt 7:21-27 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

OUR MISSION, Matt. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you

EVIDENCE OF OUR DISCIPLESHIP Matt 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Luke 14:26-35 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and
children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple.

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Many want new birth, or a religious event w/o discipleship.
 
Cornerstone Magazine
Living Life on Purpose
Descipleship 5