The Apprentice – Learning the Art of Living Purity 1375

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.com or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Good morning. Today's photo of a sunset view of Lake Ontario from a vantage point that could cause you to think you're looking at the tops of palm trees in some tropical paradise comes to us from Celestial Blue Photography as Rocco Seja shared this Oswego, New York sunset sunset on social media back on June 6th. Well, it's Friday, thank God, and as I enter into the last day of another busy week of study, work, and ministry, I'm really looking forward to being reunited with my wife this evening and the prospect of finding some rest. Currently, I am in the midst of two book studies: Eldredge's Wild at Heart on Mondays and Gary Thomas's Sacred Marriage on Tuesdays, and with recovery ministry on Wednesdays and life coaching appointments on Thursdays, by the time Friday rolls around, I wonder how I can get it all done. But the thing is, although my schedule is full, I am extremely happy with the way my— I live my life because it is centered around the things of God. And just like his nature is infinite, there seems to be no limits to what we can learn about him and ourselves in relationship to him or to the blessings we receive when we keep in his presence. I was positively blessed by each night, each night this week, uh, with Christian fellowship, stirring testimonies of God's goodness, and a deep appreciation for my life, both for what I have walked through in the past, what I have in it right now. And I have a real sense of joy and adventure as I contemplate the what's next, uh, for the rest of the year and beyond. Life in the Spirit is so deep, so wide, and so good, and the peace and joy I have from living in it makes me want to shout it from the rooftops. And that's why we blog and podcast, to share the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, of course, but also to introduce people to the very real possibility of of living the abundant life that Jesus talked about in John 10:10, where he said in the NKJV version, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Now the first part of that verse is a warning that we should take seriously, and if we aren't experiencing the second part, having life and having it more abundantly, that's joy. Or as the NLT puts it, a rich and satisfying life. We have to realize that the enemy in the forms of the world, the flesh, or the devil and his spiritual forces of darkness have effectively stolen it from us. So what do we do to live an abundant life? We learn how to from Jesus. We become students of his way. Or as the Get Used to a Different Student guy from the team at The Chosen puts it, we become his apprentice. I read this passage from the— from that devotional study geared towards a younger generation and the show's fans yesterday and was really impressed by how it describes just what it is we are supposed to be doing as followers of Jesus Christ. So I'm sharing it today. And the passage, or the chapter, is called "Apprentice." And the team at Chosen writes: When Jesus says, "Follow me," it's not about following him to heaven—at least not yet. It's about living life in a way that allows you to see heaven here and now. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" . It's about living a life of purpose. "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" Matthew 4:19. It's about living a life of meaning. I chose you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide. These things I command you, so that you will love one another. John 15:16-17. It's about living a life that moves you from darkness to light. Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12. It's about living a life as Jesus's apprentice. Jesus's teachings show us how to choose a different kind of life, different at home and at school, different in our relationships and rivalries, different in our fears and hopes and hearts and dreams. No doubt the disciples began to experience those differences, not by following Jesus for a day or two, but by choosing to follow him in everything for the rest of their lives. That said, there's nothing magical about the word disciple, even though when we consider the heroes of the Christian faith, we often give the word extra weight and clout. When people in the first century heard that title, they would picture a student, or more accurately, an apprentice. The dictionary defines an apprentice as one who is learning a trade, art, or calling through practical experience under a skilled worker. Jesus is the skilled worker, and he wants to teach you the art of living in the world. And if finding your identity in Jesus is the way off the hamster wheel of self-centeredness, Living as his apprentice is the way to keep you from getting back on. It helps you walk, not in darkness, but alongside the light of life. So how can you get your apprenticeship started? Here are 3 simple things you can do: Be patient with yourself, because Jesus is. It's okay to ask him for help. You can't be his apprentice in your own strength. That's the the whole point. It's easy to get discouraged and let a mistake or outright failure knock you off course. So be honest with Jesus in prayer when it happens. He'll be right there to pick you up and help you get going again. Practice. Think about your favorite pro athlete or band. Chances are they didn't wake up one morning with the ability to throw a perfect curveball or play a killer riff. In our next devotion, we'll start looking at some of the spiritual exercises that'll help you train so you can live the kind of life Jesus lived. In other words, you're going— you're gonna need to practice. Choose. Most of us want what's best, at least in theory, but there's a distinct difference between wanting and doing. In fact, they actually waste a lot of time trying to avoid the kind of life we know is best. It takes conscious choices every day to follow Jesus in his way of life, which means living as his apprentice starts with choosing to do so. Are you ready to choose? And that was from the team at, uh, The Chosen. And I just love how The Chosen team make it very very clear that being a Christian goes beyond just believing and how we are meant to live in an entirely different way, a way that is taught to us through God's Word and through the example of Jesus Christ. So, are you ready to choose to be Jesus's apprentice? If so, The Chosen team offers the following prayer to get you started, and it says says: pray. Jesus, thank you for showing me how to live. Thank you for providing ways to stay on the path to God and away from sin. Thank you for choosing me as your apprentice and for teaching me through your words and your life how to follow. Thank you for not only offering me an eternity spent with you, but also a life lived here and now with you. Amen. A life lived here and now with God and for God is the way to peace, joy, and purpose. So follow Jesus and learn the best way to live from the Master himself. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Cruis. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on divorce. And today's verses are Matthew 19:3-9, and the Word of God says, and the Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause? He answered, have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two 2 shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. They said to him, why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and send her away? He said to them, because of your hardness of heart, Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not So, and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. Today's verses are the second of two passages of scripture that fall under the fourth point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on divorce. And that fourth point is: Jesus says no divorce except in case of adultery. Today's verses document Jesus' clear teaching on the definition of marriage between one man and one woman as from the beginning, and, and, and one of the few acceptable reasons for divorce, sexual immorality. These verses, along with Matthew 5:27-30, clearly teaches God's standards for sex, marriage, and divorce. Sex is meant for marriage. Any sexual activity, or even lust in our minds, outside of marriage is considered adultery, or sexual immorality, and is so serious that when an unfaithful spouse betrays their marriage covenant with adultery, it is cause enough, according to Jesus, to divorce. God hates divorce, but he permits it in certain instances, probably because of his mercy and wisdom, knowing how wicked an adulterous person can be. Rather than leaving us at the hands of unrepentant adulterer and suffering further abuse, Jesus allows us to divorce. This was a great comfort for me and many others who have felt the pain of betrayal and had to make the hard decision to divorce. God is merciful and allows for freedom from abuse and abandonment. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.com, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Stephen F. Alford. And in Alford's devotion, he prompts us to read a chapter of Scripture from the New Testament. Today's chapter is 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and from, from that chapter he quotes a portion of 1 Corinthians 2:16, which says, 'We have the mind of Christ.' And Stephen Alford writes, 'What an assertion for Paul to make, and yet it was true. For further up in the chapter, he says, we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God.' Verse 12, 'The same Holy Spirit which reveals all things.' The Spirit searches all things. Yes, the the deep things of God. In another place Paul says, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus . The context then reveals that it is the mind of humility, which is the beauty of holiness, without which no man can see God. Peter says, looking back on the occasion which is recorded in John 13, Gird up your minds with the towel of humility, humility. The words of Christ himself were, "Learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart" . This is the mind of Christ. And Stephen Alford ends this devotion by praying, "Oh, to be filled and controlled by the searching spirit! Only thus can I hope to know the mind of God and Christ." Amen. And yeah, we're to learn from me, for Jesus is low, gentle, and lowly in heart. And, um, yeah, so that just goes with the apprentice theme today, uh, the discipleship theme. That's the theme of this blog, um, you know, to find— I'm here to give you encouragement on the path of Christian discipleship. Um, and why do we walk this path? Why do we practice this? Why do we do the spiritual disciplines of prayer and Bible study on a daily basis and try to live by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit? Because it is the means, you know, not only is it pleasing to God, but it's pleasing to our lives. You know, it's the means to experiencing fruit of the Spirit in our lives: goodness, faithfulness, kindness, peace, joy, love, and Patience and self-control, you know, flow from this way, and Jesus taught us the way. His teachings are contrary to the way people used to live. You know, they were, they went contrary to, you know, the way people thought about walking through this world, and he shows us a different way, a better way. His way, God's way, and when we follow it, we experience joy. So I had to do a second take because I really messed up the podcast today because of a typo, and I just stumbled and fumbled. So we all make mistakes, and the good thing is sometimes we get a second chance. Sometimes you get to hear the mistake itself. Sometimes there's not time to do a second take. Take, but because I took that second take today, um, because I condemn myself for my failure, um, I'm out of time. So, um, let's pray and thank God it's Friday. Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. We thank you so much for another end of the work week. We pray for you to get us through this work day so we can enjoy a weekend of peace as we enter into Father's Day. Oh, we know you're a good, good Father, Lord, and, um, we keep receiving from you and we, and we love it. And we just want to follow you in your way wherever we go. We pray for anyone who's listening or reading today's message, Lord, that you come alongside them and their prayer requests, their walk of faith, because we all need your help, um, and me most of all, uh, Lord. So I also pray for you to go before me today Show us how to, well, show us how to live. Open our eyes to the things we need to see and teach us the things we need to learn and, you know, lead us into the things you would have us do today. Lord, we thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.