May the mumbling commence!
What does it mean to please our Lord Jesus? What does it mean to be a true disciple of Jesus? Jesus tells us that a prophet will be known by his (or her) fruit (Matthew 7:16ff). But what is the process of bearing that fruit. Read from the end of Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount”.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Verses 21-27)
Pleasing Jesus is about more than prophesying and performing miracles in Jesus’ name. That is not the way to please Jesus. To please Jesus means a solid relationship. He told these false disciples that he did not know them.
What does it mean to really know Jesus and not only know about him? It means to do more than merely sit and his feet and listen to his teachings. Listening is important; but, without doing, it is not enough. We will really learn to know Jesus as we practice what Jesus preached – just as Jesus did.
What does this teaching mean to us? It is not enough to attend all of the worship gatherings, Sunday school sessions, meetings, and pot lucks of the church. It is not enough to truly listen to all of the sermons and Sunday school lectures and discussions. It is not enough to dutifully take notes so that we might better remember the lessons we learned.
No, to be a true disciple of Jesus, we must put these things into practice daily. Use those teachings to guide our lives or we will lose the chance at being a true disciple of Christ Jesus – one that works as a beacon to attract other people to the feet of Jesus.
When we start the journey to this Christ-like destination, Jesus walks right alongside us. It is in these types of work and service that we get to know Jesus. We get to know Jesus in the people we serve alongside. We get to know Jesus in the people that we serve. We get to know Jesus in the people who serve us.
On this journey to know Jesus, we will get to know ourselves so much better. And that is hard work digging into and knowing that rock – Christ Jesus! But, we will learn to weather the fiercest of storms that life can throw at us.
Let us listen, learn, and act on what we have learned. Then we will be on the path to be fully known and to fully know. We will stand firm. God has our back – our “6” as the military puts it… and God also has our 12, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and all points in between!
Praise God with godly action!
Enough mumbling for now…
Peace Out
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