Opening prayer - Pastor H. Biakson
Singspiration - Worship Team
Sharing - Rev. B.Chinkhengoupau, Child co-ordinator EBC)
Bible verse based- Luke 14:25-35
Topic - Discipleship
The Rev. started his speech with an introduction to what is sin, who are sinners on earth and who are included in sinners by God. To continue with, he mentioned that everyone who descended from Adam and did not receive Jesus are all sinners. Then he briefly spoke about his testimony and what his commitment was when he himself received Jesus in his life.
Coming down to his topic, he recited his chosen verse by verse and got into deeper communication with the congregations present.
- What according to the Bible is discipleship, or what is the right way in following Jesus ?
- Are you content in what you have, because everything is given to you by God according to your need as he sees.
Luke 14:25-26: And there went great multitudes with him and he turned and said unto them: 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 he cannot be my disciple.
The Rev. said that the real reason behind this verse is that a preset bar of discipleship is laid by Jesus that if you decided to follow Him, you have to put Him first and nothing else above. That we should be able to keep ourselves the life or job we live, the families we have or our love ones aside if needed for him. He then explained how Jesus paid for our sins and that salvation is an open call to everyone where discipleship is not. That Jesus himself mentioned it negatively in the Bible, following him might take everything and that one should be ready for that.
That there is no space for ‘I’ in discipleship. If one cannot keep oneself in Christ throughout the day and one’s actions are not as Christ is, he/she cannot follow Christ. No (SELF) can exist but with Christ alone.
Luke 14:27: And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple
The Rev. upon reading this verse explained how Jesus showed his human self for the first time on earth in the garden of Gethsemane while praying to his father just before the day of His crucifixion. The principle of discipleship is about carrying your own cross, and that is not about the pain, sufferings or problems in your life or your families but the ability to say ‘whatever is to happen God, let Your will be done, not mine.’ If we can welcome God to do His way in our lives, that is the true principle. Every day as we live, we commit mistakes, to be able to pray in the morning till you lay semi-conscious in your bed and committing yourself to do better than yesterday, this is carrying your own cross.
Discipleship is not an event but a PROCESS, never ending process. Let’s try to make our dedication to Christ an obsession, like breathing so we can be a good disciple. Going to church is a step in discipleship but the moment you wake up till the time you go to bed actually showed your true discipleship.
Luke 14:28-35
As the verses said, one should be ready to be a disciple. If you want to follow Jesus you cannot be unsure of yourself, you cannot turn back but be ready to pay the price. You cannot be a sideline Christian; there is no bargaining with God. We cannot choose to live the way we want but according to what God wants us to be. You cannot be afraid if you can do or not but you should be able to put Him first.
Luke 14:34-35
If you lose your zeal on the way or change your priority even for a second, you are useless in Christ. A great mind without Christ is still a useless man to God.
To end his speech, the Rev. cited a verse from James 1:23-24: For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightaway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Let us not just listen to the word of God but be a disciple in Christ.
Benediction- Upa. G. Damsomthang
NIANGNGAIHKIM
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