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February 3, 2008AM
1 Corinthians 6:15-20
The articulation of a disciple
We have been looking at who we are in Christ.
When we are in Christ we are a disciple.
When we have entered a personal relationship with Jesus we are a disciple.
This is not an option.
Being a disciple is a natural outcome of being in Christ.
We do not have a choice.
As Jesus washed His disciples’ feet Peter resisted His washing.
Jesus’ response separates the disciple from the follower.
Let me paraphrase His response to Peter’s resistance.
“If you refuse my work in your life Peter you have no part in me.”
“Anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” (Matthew 10:38)
If you reject the life of being a disciple you don’t know Jesus.
You are not worthy of being identified with Jesus.
You are not worthy of being called a disciple.
You might be part of the crowd that tags along.
But that does not make you a disciple.
Those in a crowd do not expose themselves to the life of Jesus.
If things get uncomfortable the crowd wiggles away.
If the cost is too high they abandon ship.
If sacrifice is demanded the call is squelched.
Let me speak candidly.
We have a good sized crowd following Jesus today in our church.
But we have few disciples.
Last Sunday’s response to our Youth Promise Day is just another example.
For a congregation our size the challenge presented did not require great faith.
$3.00/week is not sacrifice.
If we think that is sacrifice we had better look at the cross again.
I read the following quotation months ago and it has haunted me ever since.
“I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please. Not enough to explode my soul or disturb my sleep, but just enough to equal a cup of warm milk or a snooze in the sunshine. I don’t want enough of Him to make me love a black man or pick beets with a migrant. I want ecstasy, not transformation; I want the warmth of the womb, not a new birth. I want a pound of the Eternal in a paper sack. I would like to buy $3.00 worth of God, please.” (Wilbur Rees, from When I Relax I Feel Guilty by Tim Hansel)
Instead of experiencing the articulation of a disciple too many are inoculated.
Just a taste of Jesus is all they want.
They want just enough of Jesus’ presence to feel respectable.
They will tolerate just enough to get by but not experience the real thing.
Is that you today?
At the ministerial breakfast this week Pastor Andrew Bryce shared of his recent
trip to Tibet.
The Christian Church in Tibet is exploding with growth.
The government estimates there are now over 1,000,000 Christians in Tibet.
It is a government that is not sympathetic to Christianity.
Pastor Andrew spoke with one of the pastors he met while in Tibet.
This pastor was a converted Hindu priest.
When he announced his decision to follow Jesus he was persecuted.
They stripped him of all his clothing.
They then hung him from a tree by his ankles.
He was beaten until every part of his body was bleeding.
From the soles of his feet to his head were open, bleeding wounds.
They transported his unconscious body into the mountains.
They carried him several more miles and dumped his body by a river.
They expected the bears or lions would eat what was left of him.
Miraculously he survived.
He recounted that God revealed to him how to sleep in trees.
He still had to survive the presence of monkeys.
But he made his way home.
And now he is articulating the Gospel to his people.
He pastors several hundred Christians.
He is sold out for Jesus.
When the church explodes with growth we are tempted to say something is wrong.
They must be watering down the message.
They must be making it easy to be a disciple of Christ.
If any one is guilty of doing that it is us.
We try to make it so easy to follow Jesus.
We dumb down the meaning of cross bearing.
We reduce it to a chain we wear around our necks.
“I’ll take $3.00 worth of God please” as if we are buying penny candy.
But I won’t part with $3.00/week for the sake of reaching our youth.
What are we articulating about our faith in Jesus?
What does it mean to articulate?
The most common meaning is to speak well, expressively, clearly.
But the articulation of a disciple goes far beyond speaking skills.
If something is articulated it means it is joined together.
Several scriptures speak about being joined with Jesus.
“And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” (Romans 8:17 NLT)
We are heirs with Jesus, joint heirs specifically.
The Greek word used begins with the prefix “sun” or “sum”.
That prefix means an association, a companionship, closeness, completeness.
It is used for other Greek words some of which we recognize in English.
Symphony – a togetherness of sound.
Synagogue – an assembly or congregation united in action and purpose.
“He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” (Ephesians 4:16 NLT)
Jesus makes the body fit perfectly or makes the body joined together.
He gives ligaments or fastening agents, or joints.
The Greek word used here is different than in Romans 8:17.
Its root word means to set on fire, to kindle or to light.
We are all set ablaze in Jesus.
His work is ignited in our lives.
We are His articulation.
Jesus does not say one thing and we live something else.
That is not possible when we are joined with Him.
Every disciple is this whole body that is joined together perfectly.
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT)
God’s word is designed to show the articulation of the disciple.
The Greek word for joint is “harmos” from which we have harmony and harmonize.
If something harmonizes it sounds suitable, agreeable.
It can survive the scrutiny of God’s word.
The articulation of a disciple is consistent with God’s word.
The Corinthian Church struggled with harmony.
Consequently their discipleship with Jesus struggled.
They were not bringing others to Him because they were fragmented.
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” (1 Cor. 1:10 NLT)
Let there be no divisions or, be perfectly joined together.
“katartidzo” is to be complete, thorough, in perfect repair.
Our entire life is framed in Christ.
We are restored into His image and therefore have the same mind.
All these verses combine together to show what is involved in the
Articulation of a Disciple.
Now let’s look at our text this morning.
It shows us how we can articulate as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I God’s Power (v. 14).
II United to the Lord (v. 17)
III The temple of the Holy Spirit (v. 19)
Articulation is how the Kingdom of God spreads in this world.
Friends talk to friends about Jesus.
Steps are taken in following Jesus and becoming more Christ-like.
His Kingdom oozes into more and more of human life.
The Holy Spirit is conquering new territory all the time.
It is our articulation that makes this happen.
It is not something we do on our own.
We must be completely immersed in Jesus.
We must be dominated by Him.
We must be saturated by Him.
We see the indwelling work of the Father – God’s Power.
We see the indwelling work of the Son – United to the Lord.
We see the indwelling work of the Spirit – Temple of the Holy Spirit.
The Disciple articulates Jesus to this world through God’s power.
Michael Henderson tells a story about a vacuum cleaner salesman.
He ended up in the mountains of eastern Kentucky.
Spotting a cabin in the woods he knocked on its door.
When the lady opened the door he pushed his way into the cabin.
Without warning he dumped a large bag of dirt on her floor.
“Madam”, he announced, “if my Ace Vacuum Cleaner can’t suck all this dirt up in
one minute, I’ll give you $20.00!”
To this the woman replied, “Good luck, Sonny.
“We ain’t go no ’lectric.”
The Articulation of the Disciple is completely dependent on God’s indwelling power.
When we articulate we are not just speaking.
We are living in connection with God through the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
By our living we are connecting others to Jesus.
We glorify Him with everything we do because we do it in His power.
“We are one spirit with Him.”
The Holy Spirit is within us and enthroned in our lives.
Is that the relationship you have with Jesus today?
Are you raised in His power?
Is the breath of God’s Holy Spirit empowering you to articulate Jesus?
If we are going to articulate Christ our lives must express His presence.
Closing song Breathing the Breath