Are You a Student of Christ

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 2:5

Encounter: Take a moment and breathe deeply for a couple of breaths and center your mind and heart on Jesus. Open your eyes, turn to Philippians 2 and read slowly the first five verses. Close your eyes once again and ask God to reveal His wisdom for you in these verses. Once again, read the first five verses and contemplate what the Holy Spirit may be stirring within you.

In the Gospels we read how Jesus called out to those who would become His disciples. “Jesus called out to them, ‘Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!’ And they left their nets at once and followed him.”

Those Jesus called, became students of the life of Jesus.

What did it mean to be a disciple or student of Jesus?

To be a disciple of a Rabbi, a student or disciple had three goals (from the book “Practicing the Way” by John Mark Comer).

1)     To be with the rabbi you believe would teach you best.

2)     To become like the rabbi, you chose to follow.

3)     To do as your rabbi did.

This means the disciples or students of Jesus were to be with him as much as they could. They were to learn how to be Jesus in the same way he was himself during all aspects of life. Finally, to do as Jesus did during his waking hours on earth.

What does this mean for us?

If we call ourselves Christian and desire to have the same mindset as Christ, we need to make sure we understand what the term means. Again, from John Mark Comer’s book, he states “Christian” as “little Christ” or Mini Messiah.” “The term Christian was originally used as a religious epithet or descriptive word to mock followers of the Way. But over time, our spiritual ancestors embraced the slur and used it to self-identify as those devoted to the imitation of Christ (become like Jesus).”

The question we face is this; do we want to self-identify as imitations of Christ?

Many choose to call themselves Christian, but their actions have made it challenging or questionable to be labeled Christian.

Why have their actions been so detrimental?

It has not been at the fault of imperfections as much as it has been due to a lack of the study of Christ, the desire to be like Christ, and to do as Christ lived.

This week’s message will challenge us to consider this one big question; “Do you want to be a student of Christ?”

We will begin on a sermon series that follows the book written by John Mark Comer, “Practicing the Way, Be with Jesus, Become like Him, Do as he did.” The intent behind this series will be to push us to be more like Jesus in a world that desperately needs him now more than ever.

Reflect: Take some time and consider your life and how it emulates the life of Jesus: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” Are you a light that draws others to Him or to yourself?

Take time to reflect on your knowledge of Christ and your relationship with Him. Remember in Matthew 28 verse 20; “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

One of the goals of a disciple was to become a teacher or leader of future rabbis by being with the rabbi, becoming like the rabbi, and then doing as the rabbi did.

Spiritual Practice: Often, Jesus would withdraw from the people, including his disciples and seek to be alone with the Father. This was part of His rhythm of life. Take some time and find a place where you can withdraw from the world around you and seek the Father with all that you are.

When you find that place, simply breathe and allow your focus to center upon God’s presence. As distractions pop into your mind, write them down to address later, if need be. Then return to focusing on your breath and God’s presence. Read a small section of scripture, pray for guidance of what you read, and then write down what the Holy Spirit prompts within you. This will allow you return to your notes and reflect on what you have learned about Jesus, yourself, and your relationships.

Gather: In your small groups, discuss the following questions;

1)     Based upon reading above and your own knowledge, has the term Christian become a bad label? Are you still willing to carry that label yourself?

2)     Do you want to be a student of Christ? Why or why not?

3)     What do you need to grow in your knowledge of the life of Christ?

4)     What do you need to feel confident in becoming more like Christ?

5)     What do you need to “Go and Do as He Did?”