The Spaces and Places of Discipleship
Discipleship in Deuteronomy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Deuteronomy 6:1
1 “Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, 2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Discipleship is about disciples who make disciples (who make disciples)
Discipleship is about disciples who make disciples (who make disciples)
Slang Dictionary?
Rizz:
An abbreviation of the word "charisma", which means the ability to attract others
Sigma:
Can mean a dominant leader, lone wolf, cool and popular
Skibidi:
A term that comes from the YouTube videos of virtual heads singing in toilets.
It can be used to describe something as bad or cool, or as a filler word
Bussin: An exclamation used to indicate appreciation, usually to describe delicious food
Sus: Short for suspicious or suspect, used to express doubt about something or someone's intentions
Burn - Cook - Cap
Christianese Dictionary
Entry: Discipleship
Theological context to bring clarity to the passage
Discipleship is following Jesus by learning, living, and loving like Him and leading others to do the same.
Discipleship is both about how you follow Jesus as well as how you are leading others to follow Jesus.
ILLUST - two sides, one coin.
You can’t have one without the other.
Matt 28:18-20 - Jesus is speaking to. . . his disciples (18 - to them, cf. 16)
Jesus is calling them to . . . make disciples.
The call to make disciples is given to disciples, and to be a disciple means to make disciples.
ILLUST - I want to teach you to. . . ??? silly because I am not a . . . ???
(1) that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
that (purpose) you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son,
Moses was a disciple who was making disciples who make disciples. . .
The question is not if we are involved in discipleship, but who are we discipling?
*Who is before you? Who is behind you?
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.
Discipleship starts with GOD, YOU, and your heart. (4-6)
Discipleship starts with GOD, YOU, and your heart. (4-6)
Everything literally starts with God.
The fundamental truth of all reality is that GOD IS then (everything else)
Discipleship is about GOD and your relationship with Him. It is not primarily about God’s relationship TO you.
— semantics? NO. This is about the right ordering of relationships.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.
This is known as the Shema and is foundational for the Jewish faith and subsequently, the Christian faith
The Teacher’s Bible Commentary The Faith of Israel (6:1–25)
(the Shema, from the Hebrew for “Hear”) are regarded by Jews as the essence of their faith. They are quoted in every synagogue service, are taught Jewish children at an early age, and are repeated twice daily by the orthodox
שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃
v. 4 - The Shema
means “to listen”
listening assumed obeying.
The first space (ring) of discipleship is God and you.
We don’t begin with the outer ring (behavior modification) we begin with the inner ring — the heart.
*Do you expect a higher standard of Christ-likeness from your children, family, friends, or church than you do of yourself?
If it is not in your heart, it won’t be in your home.
If YOU do not love God with all your heart, soul, and strength it is unlikely your children will.
‘You’
Is singular.
‘you’ is singular in these two verses, but changes to plural in verse seven.
Your family’s discipleship starts with YOU
not the church
church is not a spectator sport
not your spouse
However, dads / husbands you (ideally) are expected to take the lead.
DADS - lead your wives to Jesus.
- lead y our children to Jesus.
- when you get to heaven and Jesus asks you how you led your family in discipleship - you can’t point to your wife or your church.
We want to help you, encourage you, resource you, cheer you, equip you.
‘Love. . .’
You do what you love (and you talk about what you do.)
Unless shown differently, most children will spend their lives trying to prove their worth to you by achieving what you deem worthwhile.
(This is why worshipping with our kids is so important!)
5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
‘heart, soul, and might’
Heart
the core of who we are
seat of will and emotions — not romance
Most people want to start on the outer ring, but that doesn’t work.
We’re not talking about only behavior modification or religion
Soul
the immaterial part of us
our being
Might
all that we can physically accomplish
lit, everything you have.
This is what Jesus calls the Greatest Commandment.
35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
— Jesus recites what Moses calls
Deuteronomy 6:1
1 “Now this is the commandment (singular) —the statutes and the rules — (referencing all of the Law) that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it,
Jesus answered with four components as the Greeks would have understood it as meaning the totality of the person.
Discipleship spreads to your family through your life. (7)
Discipleship spreads to your family through your life. (7)
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
to your children,
The Family is the Primary Place for Discipleship
Not the church! Not the school!
A Note to Empty-Nesters:
Just because your children may no longer live in your house (If your son is 42 and still playing video games in your basement, the influence you need to have is - Get a job!), does not mean your do not or can not have an influence.
A Note to Singles:
These rings of discipleship do not only apply to our immediate family, but to our workplaces, circle of friends, any sphere of influence.
The church is your family
The family is the primary place of influence but it is not the only place. Who is at your table?
ILLUST - Who is at your table? With whom do you have influence to speak into their lives?
The most meaningful thing you can do for the kingdom of God is to make a difference, right where he’s placed you and not look for spaces that you think you should be
Look around you to the family friends job neighborhood that God has you right now. These are the people he has called you to until he has called you to a new people.
Instead of worrying so much about how things might change for you, wait for God, and be the change around you
Teach your family as you do life.
You are already making disciples of your children, you are already teaching them.
You don’t need a seminary degree, or formal Bible training.
If Jesus is in your life and you are in your kids lives, you CAN disciple them.
Be ‘Jesus-first’ as you go.
If you are not sure if you are teaching your children Christ — ask them — they’re right next to you.
‘as you do life’
“You shall. . .” really is simply the verb.
LOVE the Lord your God
TEACH them
TALK
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children,
Has the imagery of chipping into stone
hard work but worth the effort.
and shall talk of them
(You do what you love) and you talk about what you do.
when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Literally all of life — in every action at every time.
Discipleship is about formation — shaping your life.
When you follow Christ and allow his spirit to shape you, you are shaped into the image of Christ and into the image of God that you were meant to display.
But the world is also trying to shape us with temptation with difficulties, and with problems
The world wants to conform us to the pattern of the world
2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
the world is offering.
Some of what the world gives us informs us in ways, other than what God would have for us some of our trials deform us in order to conform us to the ways of the world, but God cause us to transform us
ILLUST - Sticky notes - as you sit, walk, lie down, rise.
In the places you have influence:
Leverage the regular rhythms of your life.
Is your home a natural environment for discipleship to happen?
ILLUST — Testing the water of the aquarium. The nitrates are not visible, but the effect it has on the fish is. When you get the correct balance of chemicals, the fish are swimming in healthy water.
Ideas:
— Family devotions
ILLUST - my many failures at attempting family devotions during dinner.
— Playing worship music
— living like Jesus at home
Frame the many issues of life.
ILLUST - bringing the girls into foster parenting classes.
Using wisdom, bring your children / family into the issues the family or you personally are facing and show them how you trust Jesus with it.
— it’s ok if they see your screw-ups (they already know you’re not perfect)
*It is less important to hide your problems or mistakes from your children and more important that you show how you trust Jesus through them
(Of course, this assumes you are trusting Jesus through them - see how it starts again with the heart?)
** Note to parents: you are responsible to live and teach the faith. You are NOT responsible for how your children choose to live out the faith you’ve taught.
*Frame the issues of life with a biblical worldview and your family will see Jesus.
Discipleship spreads to your family through your life. (7)
Discipleship is displayed by your relationships everywhere. (8-9)
Discipleship is displayed by your relationships everywhere. (8-9)
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Sign on your hand. . . frontlets between your eyes.
These were externally visible expressions of God’s Word
The Jews would (and some still do) take this literally, and people would know they were the people of God.
*Is your status as a follower of Jesus abundantly obvious to those around you? How? Why not?
Your status as a follower of Jesus should be as obvious as if there were something between your eyes.
ILLUST - What would happen if a tv network filmed a reality show with cameras throughout your house filming on a daily basis? What would they call the show? Would people watch? Why?
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Doorposts - house
Gates - community
The world recognizes a healthy family - it’s RIGHT.
The family that is redeemed has the potential to redeem it’s neighborhood, community, city, nation.
When your circle (personal or family) interacts with another circle, they will see how you relate to each other and it will either speak about Jesus or against Jesus.
Ex. — being quick to forgive at work.
— How do you portray your spouse to others?
— How do you interact with your spouse in front of others?
None of us have a perfect family, but a family that is covered by the grace of God with parents that are walking in and teaching the ways of God display a flourishing that families that are not Jesus-first envy.
