PRACTICING THE WAY SERMON RECAP

Summary: The “Practicing the Way” sermon series emphasizes the importance of adopting spiritual practices to live a life of discipleship, or apprenticeship, to Jesus. It is a series meant to reshape the way we live as followers of Jesus. Becoming an apprentice of Jesus requires that we actively work to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and carry out His Kingdom vision for the world.

Throughout the New Testament, a pattern emerges. Jesus calls His disciples to follow me. Follow me. Be my disciple. A better word would be “apprentice.” Discipleship may mean “being a student,” but it doesn’t mean attending a course once a week. It’s not an intermittent state; it’s a relationship that continues. Now, to be an apprentice in Jesus’ day was more than some intellectual belief. It was about leaving behind this other life and following the rabbi teacher. It was about staying with them non-stop, every moment. To listen and learn, to orient and reorient. And being with the rabbi, you would become like the rabbi. Taking on the rabbi’s characteristics and eventually being released to go and do what the rabbi did in the world. Translating that to today, to be an apprentice of Jesus, we need to be with Jesus, become like Jesus, and do what Jesus did.

What does it mean to be with Jesus? Being with Jesus in a spiritual sense means actively seeking a close, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, encompassing belief, faith, love, and obedience to His teachings. It’s a conscious choice to connect with Him through prayer, scripture, and living a life that reflects His values and teachings.

Become like Jesus: As you follow the teacher around, hopefully, you become like them. You develop the skills and vision that they do. Except as Christians, we believe this is not just a metaphorical expression, but that we can become like Christ. That as we are joined to Him, it emphasizes the importance of seeking God’s will in our lives and living with the same attitude and mindset as Jesus. Becoming like Jesus is less flashy than we think. It looks more like taking groceries to our elderly mother or making a phone call to someone who is hurting in your small group, and becoming like Jesus means caring for those who won’t or can’t ever repay us. Jesus Himself instructed us in this way: “… Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,   and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:26-28).

Do as Jesus did: As we become like Him, then we can do His work in the world. To do that, we must actively mirror Jesus’ life and actions, prioritizing love, compassion, service to others, and complete submission to God’s will, essentially living a life that reflects His teachings and character in everyday situations. That starts with imitating Jesus’ character and actions. Consider how Jesus interacted with those considered lower in society and strived to approach others with the same humility and respect. Reflect on Jesus’ actions towards the sick, the marginalized, and the suffering, and actively seek opportunities to show similar compassion in your own life. Examine how Jesus forgave those who wronged Him and practiced extending forgiveness to others, even when it’s difficult.  Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love God and love others as you love yourself.

Practicing the way of Jesus is not easy, but we can be with Jesus, become more like Jesus, and we can do what He did in the world.

Discussion Questions:

1. Can you think of any transformations you’ve witnessed in your own life or the lives of others as a result of being in a relationship with Jesus? 
2. What specific attributes of Jesus’ character or His actions do you want to grow in, and how can you cultivate them?