The 5 Minute Discipleship Podcast

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#236: Why Easter Matters Apr 04, 2021

Show notes

A Sunday School teacher looked at the class of four-year olds and asked this question: ''Does anyone know what today is?'' A little girl waved her hand, ''I know. I know! Today is Palm Sunday.'' ''That's fantastic!'' the teacher replied.

''Does anyone know what next Sunday is?'' The same little girl held up her hand and said, ''Next Sunday is Easter Sunday.'' Again, the teacher replied, ''That's great!'' Then the teacher asked, ''Does anyone know what makes next Sunday Easter?'' The little girl again responded, ''Yes, next Sunday is Easter Sunday because Jesus rose from the grave.'' Before the teacher could congratulate her, the little girl added, ''And if he sees his shadow, he has to go back in for seven weeks!’'

It’s vital that we truly understand what Easter means and why it matters. Today we celebrate and proclaim the fact that Jesus is alive. He was crucified for our sins, buried, and on the third day arose from the dead. The tomb was empty. Death was defeated. He ascended to the right hand of the Father above. He is returning someday to judge the living and dead. All of that hinges on the truth we celebrate this day. Christ is alive!

the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians that if there is no resurrection then our faith is futile, it’s in vain. If Jesus isn’t alive today then we are worshipping and serving a dead guy. But the Bible clearly teaches us, and we believe that on the third day after his death, Jesus rose from the dead, that God brought him back to life. And because he lives, he offers us life.

Rasmussen poll: 64% of Americans believe the resurrection of Jesus is a fact. I’m in that number. It's an historical fact. It wasn't done in secret. The whole city of Jerusalem knew about it and eventually the whole Roman Empire. It was news. If CNN had been there, they would have had live coverage. There are at least 15 historical references to Jesus meeting people, touching people, talking with people. One time He cooked breakfast for some people. One time He talked to about 500 people after He had risen from the dead. A lot of people saw Him.

Easter matters because it tells us some things about Jesus.

The Resurrection shows that JESUS IS WHO HE CLAIMED TO BE

John 11:25 "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though He dies."

The resurrection validates this claim because only God has the power to raise the dead. The empty tomb is proof of Jesus’ divinity.

The resurrection shows that JESUS HE HAS THE POWER HE CLAIMED TO HAVE

He said "All power on earth and in heaven is given to me." In John 10:18 He says, "Nobody takes my life from me. I have the power to lay it down and I have the power to take it up again."

No force could keep Him in the tomb. The Romans killed Him, they put Him in a tomb, they put the big stone in front of the tomb and then sealed it with the Roman seal and they posted a 24-hour guard. They were only trying to prevent the inevitable.

This should encourage us today. If God has the power to raise the dead, then He has the power to save, the power to deliver and set free, the power to heal, and the power to meet all of your needs.

The resurrection shows that JESUS DOES WHAT HE PROMISES TO DO

Mark 10:34 "They will mock and flog and kill me but after three days I will come back to life." The cross was no surprise to Jesus. It was all part of God's plan.

Easter matters. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead matters. Our faith stands on this historical event.

Today’s Challenge: Let’s celebrate the risen savior. Let’s recognize the importance of this day to our faith and our relationship with God.

#235: Amazing Grace Apr 03, 2021

Show notes

Grace is a word we think we understand, especially if we have followed Christ for any length of time. But I’m discovering as I talk with people that grace is often misunderstood. And even if we understand it, grace can be hard for us to believe and receive.

The word grace finds its way into our vocabulary all the time. Many people “say grace” before meals, acknowledging daily bread as a gift from God. We are grateful for someone’s kindness, gratified by good news, congratulated when successful, gracious in hosting friends. When a person’s service pleases us, we leave a gratuity.

If you start to listen for it, you realize the word grace is used all the time in our world: a graceful athlete, a grace note (musical note), a grace period.

Grace is "the love and mercy given to us by God because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it.” Grace comes from the Greek Word “charis” literally meaning “free gift.”

Unmerited. Unearned. Undeserved.

Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more—no amount of spiritual disciplines, no amount of Bible knowledge gained, no amount of serving or helping the poor.

And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love.

“… But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Romans 5:20)

In my life I have struggled with grace. I believe in God’s grace. I want his grace. I desperately need God’s grace. But I’ve struggled in my life to understand it and to receive it.

Grace is not earned, it is offered.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Listen to what Paul is saying here…Grace is received as we acknowledge Jesus as God’s Son. It begins with faith. Grace is activated in our life when we place our faith in Jesus Christ – a decision to believe that Jesus is who he says he is. Grace begins with a decision to trust in his death on the cross for the payment of our sins.

It’s also important to know that grace is not an excuse to sin. It is not a license to sin. God’s Word gives us guidelines for living. The goal of the Christian life is to be like Jesus. Grace leads us to obedience. God’s grace accepts us as we are, but it doesn’t leave us there.

Today’s Challenge: We’ll spend a lifetime trying to understand the grace of God, but the best way to do so is to receive it. And if you know Jesus as your savior, take some time today to thank him for his Amazing Grace.

#234: Why Good Friday is Good Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

Today, as this episode of the podcast is being release, it is Good Friday. It’s the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus for our sins. But the question often arises: Why is it called Good Friday?

What the Jewish authorities and Romans did to Jesus was definitely not good. The suffering he endured was not good. The crown of thorns was not good. Execution by crucifixion was not good.

However, the results of Christ’s death are very good! Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

We should be continually aware of how important the cross is to our lives. Every single day we should give thanks for Jesus sacrifice on the cross. If it wasn’t for the cross, today you wouldn’t know God, you wouldn’t have forgiveness of sins, you would be lost, you would have no hope of eternal life, you would have no peace?

Today is a day to reflect, to remember, to recognize, to worship, and to give thanks for all Jesus did for us on the cross.

So let me remind you of what happened today, some 2,000 years ago.

History tells us a lot. Crucifixion is a method of execution that began with the Persians some 500 years before the birth of Jesus. And in the days of Jesus, it was the Romans that had perfected it. And the practice of crucifixion continued in the Roman Empire until the emperor Constantine, who we believe became a Christian, put an end to it.

Crucifixion – It is one of the worst means of execution ever invented. Today if a person receives capital punishment the methods used are designed for a quick death. But crucifixion was specifically designed a slow method of death. It was agonizing. Sometimes the Romans would leave a person on a cross until their bloated body actually fell off the cross and onto the ground.

What we know from those who have studied this from a biological standpoint is that crucifixion is slow painful death by asphyxiation. A man after he had been beaten unmercifully, perhaps even with a cat of nine tails, like Jesus was, would be hung on a cross, and his lungs would cease to fill with air, and he would very slowly and very painfully begin to die by asphyxiation.

This was done publicly. This was not done in obscurity. This was done in open public areas where crowds of people gathered. This was to shame you as much as possible and to publicly humiliate your family. This was more than just a death sentence. This was the stripping of all dignity. This enabled people to spit on you, to curse at you, to throw things at you, to mock you, to make fun of you, as you were crucified naked.

This is what happened to God. Of all the great sermons Jesus preached, of all the great miracles he did, of all the great healings he performed, the symbol of our faith is the cross.

I want us to remember that Jesus was a volunteer not a victim. He knew what needed to happen and He willing suffered and laid down His life so that we could experience true life and freedom in Him.

Because of the cross, sin no longer has power over us. Evil has no power over us. Sickness has no power over us. The world has no power over us. The cross of Jesus won our victory and our future is secure.

On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” The debt was paid, the work was accomplished, and the sacrifice was completed. The sacrifice of Jesus was sufficient to pay for the sins of every person who has ever lived, past, present, and future. This is why good Friday is a really good day.

Today’s Challenge: Spend some time today reflecting on the cross and what it means for your faith. Give God thanks and worship for the incredible gift of salvation that was purchased at the cross.

#233: Making Time for God Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

I don’t know if you are average or not, but I read today that the Average American will live 28,000 days (75 years). 23 years sleeping. 17 years working. 11 years watching TV (25 hours a week). 6 years traveling. 1 year in church.

I don’t know about you, but I often feel as if I don’t have enough time. The demands of life, family, and ministry run the limit of my time. In reality, we all have the same amount of time. We all have 24 hours in a day. By the way, that comes out to 1,440 minutes per day. It’s the same for all us, but how we spend our time is different for each of us.

If you are like most Christians I know, you recognize the importance of spending time with God. You know that we cannot grow spiritually and be strong in our faith without time with God. Jesus said in John 15…”apart from me you can do nothing.” There is a power and a strength gained when we spend time with God.

But if you are like most Christians, you feel you don’t spend enough time with God. Now, the Bible doesn’t give us a set amount of time we should spend in God’s Word and in prayer each day. So, we’ll leave it up to the Holy Spirit to lead and guide each of us.

In theory, we all know that time with God is important. Having a thriving quiet time is something we aspire to, but why don’t we do it?

Typically, the response we give is that we are busy.

We’re all busy, but truthfully, we could set aside some time. Why don’t we? Here’s an answer I’m wrestling with…maybe, we have lost our first love.

Sometimes, deep down, we lose sight of who God really is. When we view God as anything less than who He is, our hunger and motivation to spend time with Him diminishes.

I believe God longs for us to spend time with him. He is a good father and he wants to have a close relationship with us. God doesn’t have a chart on his wall where he keeps track of your devotional life, but his Holy Spirit is drawing us back to time with God, because it’s there we find everything we need.

So, how does this work? We must set our priorities. If you decided that the first purpose of your life is to know God then you will want to spend time with God every day. So when you get up tomorrow, you set aside some time for God. You put him first. Maybe you close the day with God. You don’t end the day without time with God.

Probably the greatest time management tool ever invented are the two middle letters of the alphabet: NO. You don’t have time for everything. You can’t do to everything. Just because others are, doesn’t mean you have to. You let your priorities win!

Put God first in your schedule. Whatever you want God to bless you put him first in that area. If you want God to bless your marriage, you put God first in your marriage. If you want God to bless your business, you put God first in your business. If you want God to bless your finances, tithe. Put him first in your finances. If you want God to bless your time, give him the first part of your day. Give him the first day of your week.

We are blessed today to have so many options when it comes to spiritual disciplines: We have Bible apps and worship music on our phones. We have podcast that encourage us. We have audio books to inspire us. We even have apps to help us create prayer lists and to memorize scripture.

Time is a gift. Your life is a gift. You and I are managers of the time God has give us. Will you and I choose to use the most valuable resource God has given us for his glory and for his purpose?

Today’s Challenge: Join me in making time with God a priority. Out of all the things you and I must do today, nothing is more important than spending time with God. Even a few minutes with God will provide the strength we need for today’s tasks.

#232: God's Word is Your Weapon Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

We can’t imagine sending a soldier into battle without a weapon. To do so would mean certain defeat. The soldier would have no way to defend himself and would be incapable of overthrowing the enemy.

As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle. The Bible is clear on this truth. Luke 4 tells us that even Jesus was tempted by the devil. Ephesians 6:12 says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. “

I’ve lived long enough to see how Satan attacks us as Christians. I’ve personally experienced many of these attacks. Listen to this list and see if you’ve ever experienced them: Discouragement, confusion, indifference, negativity, uncertainty, doubt, disillusionment, cynicism, bitterness, persecution, and more.

The question we are facing is, “What do you do as a Christian when these attacks occur?” And they will occur!

In Ephesians chapter 6, the Apostle Paul reveals the armor God has given us to withstand these spiritual attacks. Each piece of the armor is important.

But there is one more piece of equipment that is absolutely essential to winning spiritual battles. In fact, unless you use this piece of equipment you will not be victorious in your life. You will not be able to resist temptation. You will not be able to rise above discouragement. Without this equipment you will sink into defeat, which is right where Satan wants you to be.

What is this equipment? Paul called it the “sword of the spirit.” Which is the Word of God. The Bible.

So, how is God’s Word a weapon for fighting spiritual battles?

The Roman soldier’s sword was about two feet long and it was designed to be used in hand-to-hand combat. It had to be easily accessible and ready to use, plus the soldier had to train to become skillful and proficient in using it.

The sword was the only strategic weapon that could be used when the enemy was close, so these soldiers spent hours with it in their hands. They were familiar with it. They worked on their tactical ability to use the sword. It became second nature.

Think of a soldier or a gladiator in training, practicing sword thrusts, moves, and positions. He must practice them ahead of time so in the Battle he will instantly recall which thrust or which position will be effective in the moment. He will never be able to use the thrust in the fight if he has not first practiced it.

Similarly, if we are not familiar with the Word, if we haven’t prepared, if we haven’t trained, we shouldn’t be surprised that we were not victorious in the spiritual battle.

The sword of the Spirit, the word of God is only a weapon if we use it. If we use it, the sword will destroy Satan’s lie. God’s Word exposes Satan’s deception every time. He has perfected his craft. He knows exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Why does he continue to do this? Because much of the time he is successful. It often works! If you listen, if you give place to his lies in your mind, if you believe what he tells you, then he will keep doing it.

But when you have truth in your heart, when you have filled your mind, when you have scripture in your life everyday, the light of God’s Word exposes the darkness of Satan’s lies.

The believer who arms himself with this sword will never lack for a weapon in the battle. It answers all our doubts and all our discouragement. This is all we have and this is all we need.

Today’s Challenge: Recognize the powerful weapon God has given you. If you use this sword you will have victory in your life. Determine to make God’s Word a part of your daily life.

#231: The High Cost of Resentment Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

In one of his books, Dale Carnegie talks about his visit to Yellowstone National Park. One night he saw a grizzly bear in a campsite eating some food that had been left behind by campers. For several minutes the bear feasted alone. After a few minutes a skunk walked up to the campsite, took his place next to the bear, and began to eat. The bear did nothing. Carnegie said he knew why. “The grizzly knew the high cost of getting even.”

Getting even is expensive. It always costs more than we think it will. People who refuse to forgive, hurt themselves. Often, they can’t sleep. Ulcers line their stomachs. Their blood pressure rises. They become negative and critical. They are overcome by the pain, the hurt, and the offense.

I’ve seen personally what happens. Those who hold onto the pain are often filled with anger and resentment. They think they are punishing the other person by withholding forgiveness, but what’s actually happening is they are hurting themselves.

Forgiveness not only releases us physically and emotionally, it also releases us spiritually. One of the greatest barriers to effective prayer and a healthy spiritual life is an unforgiving heart.

Right in the middle of Jesus’ most famous sermon, The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus says something that makes us stop in our tracks: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

Jesus is telling us that there is a vital link between the way you treat other people and the way God in heaven is going to treat you. Let’s face it. We don’t like that. We’d much prefer if we could just have our relationship with God insulated so we could treat other people any way we like. Jesus says, You can’t have it that way." Unless you forgive you will not be forgiven. This is a hard word, isn’t it? But it is a hard word of grace.

Because we have experienced the forgiveness of God, we now have the power to forgive others.

In fact, one time Peter asks Jesus about the responsibility of believers to offer forgiveness to others. He asked Jesus, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you not seven times but seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22).

This is such an important topic for us to deal with because there is not a person listening today who hasn’t been hurt deeply. You need to know this truth: God wants to set you free. He wants you to overcome the hurt, the pain, the offense, the memories, and the burden of it all.

Jesus’ command to forgive is one of the most difficult commands for us to obey. A lot of times we simply don’t want to forgive. It feels to us that if we forgive, we are letting them get away with the injustice. “They don’t deserve forgiveness,” we say.

There is a high cost to resentment. Unforgivness locks us into a prison. Jesus has come to set us free. God makes a big deal about forgiveness because it releases us from the offense.

Unforgiveness is a burden. I think we all know what it feels like. But forgiveness is freedom. Where there was once sorrow, heaviness, and bitterness, is now comfort and peace. When we forgive we are release from the bondage. To me, forgiveness is like God opening the prison door and allowing us to walk away and leave it all behind.

Today’s Challenge: While your pain may be great, I hope you’ll recognize that through forgiveness God wants to bring healing and peace into your life. Determine not to live in the prison of resentment and unforgivness. Forgive as God has forgiven you.

#230: Showing Hospitality to Others Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

When I was growing up I church was our life. In addition to church services and ministries, people shared life with one another. I remember people in our home after Sunday evening services, sitting around the table. The menu was simple fare, usually just sandwiches, chips and iced tea. It wasn’t the food that was important, it was the fellowship. The act of opening your home, inviting others into your life, sharing together, and praying together, this is what was valued.

There is a Christ-like characteristic that I don’t hear talked about much any more. It is the character trait of hospitality.

It feels as if we might think of hospitality as an optional aspect of Christianity, but the Bible has a lot to say about it. Consider these verses:

1 Peter 4:9 - “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.”

Romans 12:13 - “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

Titus 1:8 - “Be hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.”

Hospitality is also included in the New Testament as a requirement for who serve in the ministry.

What is biblical hospitality? It is practical demonstrations of love for one another. It is practiced as we share our lives with one another. Hospitality going out of our way to meet a practical need. It can be providing a meal or opening our home. It can be babysitting for a single mother. It could be sharing resources with someone who is in need. The opportunities are endless.

As I pray about this biblical call to show hospitality, I realize that I am willing, I’m just not always aware. I’m willing to help others, but I recognize that I’m not always intentional in practicing hospitality. I’m not always looking for opportunities. It’s here that I need God’s help.

If you read the gospels, you see Jesus practicing hospitality. Jesus ate with sinners throughout His earthly ministry. He received children gladly. He taught us to invite the lowly to parties and to welcome strangers. He prepared breakfast for His wayward disciples, including Peter who had betrayed Him.

According to Jesus, discipleship demands dependence on hospitality. In Mark 6, Jesus sends out his disciples two by two to preach that people should repent. Jesus told them not to take any food, money, or even extra clothes. The expectation was that they would receive hospitality from those they ministered to.

What Jesus knew was that ministry is done in the context of personal relationships. As the disciples met with people, as they ate together in their homes, as they spent time together, the opportunity would present itself to share the message.

Today, we live in such an individualistic culture that it seems we rarely share our lives with one another. Hospitality is a thing of the past. Whether it’s busyness, selfishness, mistrust, or lack of interest, we are missing this critical part of the body of Christ.

I think it is natural to neglect hospitality. It is the path of least resistance. All we have to do is yield to the natural gravity of our self-centered life, and the result will be a life so full of self that there is no room for hospitality. We will forget about it. And we will neglect it.

God knew this would be our struggle. This is why we hear the biblical call to show hospitality to one another.

You see, most of us know what true hospitality feels like. It means being received openly, warmly, freely, without any need to prove ourselves. Hospitality makes us feel worthy, because our host assumes we are worthy. This is the kind of hospitality that we have experienced from God, and all that God asks is that we go and do likewise.”

Today’s Challenge: Let God’s Word sink into your heart today: “Show hospitality to others.” Ask God to give you this desire to practice this Christ-like trait. Look for opportunities to bless others through hospitality.

#229: Growing in the Grace of God Mar 28, 2021

Show notes

A group of tourists visiting a picturesque village walked by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked him, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies.”

How true. No one is born fully grown. We are all born as babies. The same is true in our spiritual lives.

Every person who is a born-again believer starts life as a baby in Christ. Whether the new convert is six or sixty, that person is still a new Christian and needs to grow in the Lord. A baby Christian who has been saved for forty years is a tragedy. God intends for us to grow and mature in our faith. Over time, and as we apply God’s Word to our lives, we are to grow in God’s grace to become spiritually mature.

2 Peter 3:18 - “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Charles Spurgeon once said, “There is a vast difference between grace growing and our growing in grace. God’s grace never increases; it is always infinite, so it cannot be more; it is always everlasting; it is always bottomless. It cannot be more; and, in the nature of God, it could not be less.

So we understand God’s grace is not growing. We already have all the grace we need. But we are to grow in his grace.

What are some evidences that we are growing in God’s grace? First, there will be an increased love for God and for others.

1 Thessalonians 3:12 - ““and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another”

A second evidence would be an increase of our knowledge of God. Colossians 1:10 says we are to “bear fruit in every good work and increase in the knowledge of God.

Third, we grow in grace as we see an increase of faith in God. The more we learn to trust him, the more we grow.

The question remains…how do we grow in grace? God has a lot of tools to help us grow. Since growth is his will for us, he will provide the opportunities and experience that will cause us to grow. Sometimes it is unpleasant. Sometimes it is even painful, but the end result is good because the circumstances caused us to grow in the grace of God.

We can grow as we use the Word of God. Bible knowledge alone doesn’t produce spiritual growth. There are many people who know lots of scripture, but they are dead spiritually. We grow as we use God’s Word. We grow as we obey it and apply it’s truths to our lives. It here that the Bible becomes a powerful agent for our spiritual growth.

We grow in grace through worship and fellowship with other believers. I believe Satan knows the strength we gain through gathering with other Christians and this is why he tries so hard to keep us from meeting together. He will provide obstacles, distractions, and hindrances to tempt you to miss gathering with other believers.

But when we worship together, when we fellowship together there are tremendous opportunities for spiritual growth.

Finally, we grow in grace through our trials and difficulties. Strong faith is tested faith. In adversity we learn first hand of God’s love, strength, wisdom, and peace. Had we not gone through the difficulties, we would not have experienced these blessings.

Grow in grace: All growth is by grace; it's God's gift. We must constantly ask him in prayer to make us grow. We need God's grace, not only when we first believe in Christ, but we need it again and again, to become the people God wants us to be.

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself a serious question: Am I growing in God’s grace? Am I becoming more spiritually mature? Am I more like Jesus today than I was a year ago? Ask God for the grace to grow to be all God desires you to be.

#228: Running Your Race Mar 27, 2021

Show notes

In my adult life I have been an on and off runner. I’ve had season where I ran consistently and seasons where I haven’t run at all. I don’t love running, but I love having ran, if you know what I mean. I do love the mental clarity I experience when I run.

Six times the New Testament talks about running. No, not physical running, but spiritual running. Six times the New Testament calls the life we are living for God a race.

In Acts 20:24 Paul says, “…my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.”

Years later in 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul is at the end of his ministry and he says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

But my favorite New Testament reference to the Christian life being a race is found in Hebrews 12:1. It says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Notice what he says. We are to throw off everything that hinders and gets in the way of our spiritual running.

I have two sisters who are avid runners. They have many medals to show for the races they have completed. Last year one of my sisters completed the New York City Marathon. I was impressed.

She could tell you about things that hinder your running. Whether it’s not having the proper shoes, or the weather, or dehydration, muscle cramps, or running at the wrong pace, there are many things that could hinder the successful completion of a race.

In the spiritual race there are sins and hindrances that entangle us and threaten our race. It could be temptation, discouragement, stress, problems, or other kinds of battles. The write of Hebrews says we are to throw this things off.

He says we are to run with perseverance. We began this race with great excitement. Do you remember when you first placed your faith in Jesus? Do you remember how excited you were about the things of God. Sometimes life has a ways wearing us down. For you and I to finish this spiritual race, perseverance is necessary.

If you have ever run a marathon you know how excited everyone is at the starting line. Somewhere around mile 20 you hit a wall. You are so fatigued you are tempted to quit. Your mind tells you that you cannot go any further. It takes great endurance and mental focus to keep going.

Your relationship with God is a marathon. Everyone is excited at the start. But you will hit a wall. What you choose to do in that moment determines your future.

In 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul says, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race…”

Paul didn’t say he won the race. He merely said that he had finished. He was proud that he had finished and had not given up. He kept running until the end.

When my sisters ran marathons neither of them ever entered the race to actually win it. Their goal was to finish. This is a picture of our journey of faith in Jesus. This life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon and it requires us to keep running until we cross the finish line.

There is one last thing you must see from this verse in Hebrews 12:1. It says we run the race marked out for us. God has a race marked out for each of us. None of us run the same race. Your life, it’s challenges, its opportunities, it’s difficulties, and it’s victories, is different than mine.

God has a race marked out for you to run. By his grace and through the power of the Holy Spirit you can finish this race.

Today’s Challenge: You might be listening to this podcast and lately you have been tempted to quit, to throw in the towel, and to give up this race. Today, receive this word from the Lord. Keep running. Don’t stop. For those who endure to the end there is a crown God has promised.

#227: Following Jesus Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

I was recently reading about the culture of Israel in the first century to understand what is was like for the 12 disciples who followed Jesus. In the first century a Jewish man who wanted to be a disciple of a rabbi (a teacher) was expected to leave family and job to join his rabbi. They would live together 24 hours a day—walking from place to place, teaching and learning, studying and working. They discussed and memorized the Scriptures and applied them to life.

The disciple’s calling, as described in early Jewish writings about basic ethics, was to “cover himself in the dust of [the rabbi’s] feet,” drinking in his every word. He followed his rabbi so closely that he would “walk in his dust.” In doing so, he became like the rabbi, his master.

When we read the four gospels, we see the twelve disciples of Jesus leaving their homes and their occupations to follow Jesus. For the next three years they would constantly be by his side. They would stay close to Him—listening to His teaching, watching His miracles, learning His principles, and walking in His dust.

One of my favorite disciples is Matthew. Out of the original 12 disciples, probably Matthew felt he was the most unqualified. No doubt Matthew (Levi) was a disappointment to his parents. They must have had much different plans for their son. To be given the name Levi meant your parents expected you to serve the Lord as the Levites did in the OT. To become a priest and a spiritual leader.

As he grew up he made his own decisions. Instead of serving the Lord, he decided to serve himself. He turned his back on his own people and became a tax collector for the Romans. Essentially his job description was to unfairly take money from his people and give it to the occupying Roman government.

In those days there was no such thing as an honest tax collector. They would cheat people and in doing so become rich. But, there was a price to pay. A tax collector was seen as a religious and social outcast. He was ceremonially unclean, he wasn’t even allowed to into the outer court of the tabernacle.

One day Matthew is at work and Jesus stops by and speaks to him. No one would have predicted what Jesus would say. It was only two words, but these two words changed everything for Matthew. Jesus said, “Follow me.” A Jewish rabbi asking a tax collector for the Romans oppressors to be one of his followers? It was unthinkable.

The other disciples would have been offended. A tax collector? He’s not only a sinner, he sins for a living. What’s happening here? It’s a picture of God’s grace. This is the person you didn’t think Jesus could save.

Matthew sits here in his tax collecting booth, thinking about Jesus’ offer. There is no doubt that Matthew knew what this invitation involved. He understood that it meant giving up everything. There was no way he would respond to it and stay the same.

Jesus says, “follow me.” Matthew got up and followed him. Jesus knew everything about Mathew and he still called him to follow.

"After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:27-28)

His response to Jesus was immediate and drastic. “Levi got up, left everything and followed him.” He makes a decisive break with his old life. For Matthew, following Jesus was a substantial financial sacrifice. He could never go back to his job. He made a clear decision.

Today’s Challenge: The call to follow was not just given to the 12 disciples, it is given to each of us. True believers are followers. We give up our old life to take on the new life of a disciple. It’s my prayer you will respond to this call today.

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