Cost of Discipleship - The Discipline of knowing How We Should Then Live - Introduction

Introduction Our world today, as we know it, is in such a chaotic and ungodly mess, and as someone said, “Going to hell in a hand basket.” A few Christian leaders have been bold enough to speak out and willing to lay the blame at the foot of Church. This is very sad but true, that the western Church has become “lukewarm” in its faith and zeal for Christ and doesn’t seek out the “down and outer,” but seeks out only the “up and outer” to witness to and befriend. It is neither “hot nor cold,” thinks it is rich and doesn’t need anything; not knowing that true riches is a zealous, genuine faith that has been tested by God’s fire of discipline, which results in being clothed with His “Robe of Righteous” (Rev.3:14-22). They plan social programs to draw in the crowd instead of planning days set aside for prayer, fasting, repenting and for revival, renewal and a fresh filling and anointing of the Holy Spirit. How sad, even when these rare times are planned very few will take part – they are too busy or unconcerned. Are we part of the real Church or the Laodicean church? The contemporary Church here in America so often compromise God’s principles and is willing to “go along to get along,” and is willing to overlook, excuse, and even sometimes condone blatant sins, instead of confronting and calling them out and practicing the discipline of Matthew 18. The western Church has lost its broken heart for the lost. It’s “heart” has become hard by refusing to “hear what the Spirit has said, and is saying to the Church, and repent,” (Rev.2:7, 11, 17, 29; ch.3:6, 13, 22). It is too busy to meet together and pray. It has become too full of pride to repent, even when God has told us, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, pray, seek My face and turn from their wicked way, then I will hear them from heaven, forgive their sins and heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14). In our pride we would probably say we have no wicked ways – what about our spiritual adulterous affair with the world? I believe the most grievous sin to God is the Christian’s idolatry. We love the world and the things of the world. We bow at the altar of fame, fortune and approval that the world offers, if we would follow them. There is nothing wrong with fame, fortune or approval unless it is the world’s we are seeking, and compromising our godly standard to get them – check your priorities. The first Psalm says we will be blessed if we don’t “walk in the counsel of the ungodly, stand in the way with sinners and sit in the seat of the scornful. But our delight will be in the Law of the Lord.” This is how we should live. It is no wonder our families, our churches, our government and our nation are in such disrepair, and even destroyed, in some cases. It is because the Church has permitted Satan to “steal, kill and destroy” our devotion to God and for His rightful and essential priority of first place in our lives. Satan wants to “steal” our testimony to the world by subtly persuading us to become Pharisees (hypocrites), claiming to be “Christian,” but living just like the world. There’s an old saying that speaks to this which says, “Your actions speak so loud that I can’t hear what you are saying.” The world may not recognize it, but it is hungry for Truth, for meaning to life, for joy, peace and hope. They don’t realize it but they are looking for Jesus. The true Church of Jesus Christ, the alive, moving, righteous Church has the only answer to the needs of this crying world. If this “sleeping Giant” would only wake up, shake itself, eat the Word, drink the “new wine,” and go forth revitalized and restored to newness of life, and have a new zeal to tell the world that Jesus is the only answer to their hunger and thirst, by living a faith-filled, overcoming, loving lifestyle before them, and as Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words”. John wrote, “Let us not love in Word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (I Jn.3:18). This is how we should live! In light of all of the “mess” in the world, Francis Schaeffer” wrote a book with the answers to, How Then Should We Live? (The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture.) His brief answer is: “By the divine power that is within us.” The Word of God, II Peter:1:3 says, “His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that are requisite and suited to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by and to his own glory and excellence.” My version is that God’s power (the Holy Spirit living within all believers) has given us all things we need to walk a godly life through the knowledge of Him Who has called us to His excellence. Jude 1:24 reiterates this thought, “He is able to keep us from falling and present us blameless in triumphal joy before the presence of His glory with unspeakable delight.” The Holy Spirit that lives within all believers gives us the power and ability to live triumphantly. The key to be able to live this triumphant life is to “be” and continue to be filled with the Holy Spirit, to submit to his teaching and leadership and eat, digest and disseminate God’s Word which tells us “how we should then live.”