THE FIRST LESSON IN DISCIPLESHIP - II

WBS.005

DISCIPLESHIP 101

THE FIRST LESSON IN DISCIPLESHIP - II

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Last week’s study established the case for genuine discipleship beginning when a person chooses Yahushua Messiah to be his Master, and voluntarily submits to take upon himself His yoke, knowing that once inside the yoke, 1) he is no longer his own person, 2) he belongs to the Master, 3) his life is resolved to serve only the Master’s will, because 4) there is no freedom inside the yoke to pursue his own will.  Another term for this transaction is ”repentance,” the first legitimate response to the gospel.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

It is important to realize that the Master’s yoke is a double yoke.  Messiah is not holding the reins.  He is in the other side of the yoke.  The Greek word for “yoke” is derived from the word meaning “to join.”  Yahushua invites us to join him in the yoke that he had already chosen for himself.  If you will recall, throughout the record of his life, he said that he came to do the Father’s will.  The works that he did were the Father’s works.  He did nothing without the Father first revealing to him what to do.  He did always the things that pleased the Father.  In fact, the only place in the Scripture where the will of Yahushua is ever exposed was in the Garden before his crucifixion when he asked if there was another way that he could accomplish the redemption of man.  Even facing a horrible and humiliating death he said, “Not my will, but thine be done.”  Yahushua relinquished the right of self-rule, of self-determination, to be mastered by Elohim, and to learn of Him…to become like Him in every way.  In the last meeting with his disciples, he told Philip, “He that has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).  So, when Yahushua invites us to take his yoke, he is inviting us to join him in the yoke he wears, to let him teach us how to be like the one he is like; to do the will of the one whose will he performs…to become the servants of Elohim.

Once we have chosen to join Yahushua in his yoke, the learning begins.  Discipleship is about becoming like the Master in every possible way.  The first thing the Master instructs us to learn of him is that he is meek and lowly in heart.  Looking around at the masses in the church world, would you have guessed this was lesson #1?  Do you think the world looks at professing Christians and observes this as the most obvious characteristic of those who profess to know the Master?  The truth is this attribute is contrary to the way of contemporary Christianity. Its glaring absence is one of the reasons why “the few” sit in the pews on Sunday and feel like they cannot breath…like a fish out of water.  Church is an alien environment to the yoked life.

True discipleship begins with learning in what way Messiah is meek and lowly in heart.  Meekness is regarded as a weakness in today’s society.  A meek person is perceived to be timid, shy, a pushover.  This is not the scriptural form of meekness.  True meekness is “power under control.”  What is the first purpose of a yoke?  It is to harness the power of the beast.  A stallion is full of strength and self-will.  Freedom and independence runs through its veins.  It is unruly and undisciplined; but once it has been captured (drawn by the revelation of the Truth), broken (brought to repentance) and yoked (submitted to the mastery of another), the stallion’s strength can become harnessed and useful to its master.  Like the stallion, when we join the yoke of the Master, our independence and self-will must be forfeited before we can become useful.

Picture a man sitting at the bar in a cafe who is accosted by another man who is out to pick a fight.  He is pushed then challenged to do something about it.  The man, however, simply gets up and walks out of the café.  He appears to be cowardly to all who are watching the event unfold; but our man, unknown to all in the café, is a third degree black belt martial artist who knows it would take mere seconds to subdue the bully.  He has no need to assert or to demonstrate his superior position; and he is willing to appear to be a coward in order to spare the bully. This is an example of scriptural “meekness” (power under control).  Like the harnessed stallion, he no longer has the freedom to prove himself.  He belongs to another; and he is okay with this.

You may envision several other examples of this.  The thing to observe is your own heart’s reaction to such scenarios.  Do you feel you would be at peace with others thinking you a coward?  Would your inner man be screaming to prove you could beat up the bully very easily?  True meekness has no such inner screaming.  There is as much peace within the meek when he walks away as there is before the bully ever showed up.  Why is this?  It is because the yoked life is not about us?  It is no longer our desire to protect our own image, defend ourselves or stand up for our own selfish interests.  The yoked life is about being harnessed by another, and He is capable of defending Himself.

Meekness is the attribute that Messiah would teach us so the yoke does not sit uncomfortably upon our shoulder. It is in our resistance to the yoke that we feel it at all.  The meek is content to be under the control of another.  The meek knows that when life is no longer about himself, he is actually liberated from all responsibilities except one---doing the will of the Master.  Everything else is the Master’s responsibility.

The second attribute of Messiah a disciple is to learn of him is lowliness of heart.  One may feel he has gotten a handle on meekness, not allowing any circumstances to rile or agitate, and all the while feeling quite proud about his success.  This is why meekness and lowliness of heart go hand in hand.  Being quiet on the outside is not the same as being quiet on the inside.  The outward expression of meekness without lowliness of heart is not unlike keeping the law without experiencing the objective of the law.

A man could refrain from committing adultery and thus keep the law; but keeping the law alone could not prevent man’s heart from desiring another woman.  A man could refrain from stealing and thus keep the law; but the law alone could not prevent the man from desiring another man’s possessions.  The law could only regulate outward behavior.  It had no power to control the inner man of the heart.  Meekness by itself does not affect the attitude of the heart; thus a lowly heart provides the balance required to become like Messiah.

What is lowliness of heart?  Literally, it means a bowed or lowered head.  It refers to the conviction that one is not better than any other person.  I remember, years ago, reading:

Philippians 2:3  Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 

I put my bible down and spoke out loud, “How can I do that when I am better than some?”  I remember comparing myself with many who refuse to study the Scriptures, with those who have no passion for IAUE, with those who have never ministered supernaturally in Messiah’s name.  I was able to come up with all sorts of reasons why this verse seemed unreasonable to me.  Then the Spirit sent me to:

2 Cor 10:12  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

and

1 Cor 3:7   So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but Elohim that giveth the increase.

Painfully, I learned that I am nothing special.  No matter what I may have learned, it was all revealed by the Father.  No matter what giftings I had, they were all given to me by the Father.  No matter what experiences I have had, they were permitted by the Father.  Even those who walk in abject darkness are only different from me because they have not yet received the Father’s enlightenment.  This experience was my introduction to lowliness of heart.  It wasn’t an easy lesson to learn; but it was imperative in order to progress in my walk in the Spirit.

Meekness without lowliness of heart is like being satisfied with doctrine without the revelation of the Truth; being satisfied with the commercial without purchasing the product.  The pursuit of meekness will manifest your need for lowliness of heart, like dross surfacing exposing your pride.  Pride is the evidence of the importance of self; and self-importance is the enemy of the yoked life.

So, that is the initial play.  If you want to pursue genuine discipleship, you must earnestly seek the face of Messiah to let him teach you how HE is meek and lowly in heart.  He will surely do it.  It is not within my skill-set to “reveal” this to anyone.  I can only present the information, market the product.  To acquire the product, one must go to the Master and pay the price for the Truth.

THE FIRST LESSON IN DISCIPLESHIP - 1

WBS.004

DISCIPLESHIP 101

THE FIRST LESSON IN DISCIPLESHIP -  I

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

A person who embraces the teaching of one and passes that instruction on to others is called a disciple.  That which we call “the Great Commission” (Matthew 28:19-20) charged the apostles with the responsibility of making disciples.  Today, however, the church seems content only to make believers.

Discipleship is predicated upon a relationship.  A disciple is known by the master he obeys.  No master---no discipleship. The masses of church-goers are divided into three primary camps:

1.    Those who attend church and never open a Bible and never attend a Bible study.  They basically warm a pew on Sunday and that is the sum total of their “Christian” experience.

2.    Those who attend church at every meeting opportunity available.  They genuinely pay attention to the sermon, surround themselves with friends comprised of members of their church; and they spend at least a few minutes reading the Scriptures on their own during the week.

3.    Those who attend church regularly and who aggressively study the Scriptures.  They may have special teachers they follow on television or in camp meetings and conventions.  They may focus on a particular venue of teachers, i.e., faith teachers, healing ministers, evangelical preachers, and Bible study teachers.

Do you notice what is missing from these three categories?  Where is the one who is known by his servanthood to Master Yahushua?  All three of the above categories of church-goers are “believers.”  They all subscribe to the Christian message and “culture,” but none would appear to have bowed their knees to a master.  Even the most aggressive student of the Scriptures is content to learn from multiple sources, retaining total control of his own life. 

When one chooses to learn a form of martial arts, one willingly takes on a master; and without resistance, obeys everything the master says to do because the objective is to become as proficient as the master at what he knows and what he does.  The instruction of the master is not questioned because a student does not necessarily understand the reasons behind the instruction until he has matured under his master’s teaching. I am reminded of a scene in the movie, The Karate Kid.  The aging master told his young student to wax his cars.  He showed him how to rub in the wax with a clock-wise circular motion with the right hand, then remove the wax to a fine polished shine with a counter-clockwise circular motion with the left hand.  “Wax on.  Wax off.”  The student did this begrudgingly thinking his master was taking advantage of him.  After waxing the cars, the master showed him that those two moves with his hands were fundamental in karate, and the exercise had provided him with the muscle memory to begin to develop the skill. 

Until one embraces a master, one may not be called a disciple.  Simply studying martial arts or any subject matter on one’s own, even if one has a singular source for information does not make one a disciple. 

Enter…the yoke.

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

A yoke is an implement used to harness a beast and remove from it the option of self-will in order to accomplish a task that is desired by the owner of the yoke.  Notice that this yoke is forced upon no one.  Messiah said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me.”  It is for you to choose Messiah to be your Master and you to be his servant; and to willingly take his yoke upon you.  Once inside the yoke, you are no longer your own.  You no longer have the right of self-determination.  Your life is given to fulfill the purpose of the one holding the reins. 

2 Corinthians 5:14  For the love of Messiah constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

1 Corinthians 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify Elohim in your body, and in your spirit, which are Elohim’s.

1 Corinthians 7:23  Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

1 Peter 4:1 Forasmuch then as Messiah hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;

2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of Elohim.

The truth of the gospel is that Messiah paid the penalty for our sins.  He died for us, in our place.  We can recognize that he has purchased us with his blood and embrace his yoke, now, and become his disciple and live the remainder of our life as his possession; or we can reject his yoke and merely believe in what he has done for us, and live our lives according to our own will. 

Knowing Messiah’s call to take up his yoke and learn of him and refusing to succumb to it comes with a price.

Acts 9:5, 26:14 "…it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."

This was the Master’s message to Paul on the road to Damascus. The "pricks" refers to boards that were placed upon a plow behind the horse, mule or donkey that was yoked into the plow.  The boards had nails driven through them so that the sharp points (the pricks) extended through the side facing the animal.  When the animal would kick in resistance to pulling the plow, its hooves would strike against the pricks which would inflict pain.  It was a simple device installed to overcome the animal's rebellion against performing the task for which it was yoked.

Once one embraces the yoke of the Master, there is no more provision for resistance against the will of the Master without experiencing his discipline.  All such rebellious exercise only hurts us and diminishes our reward. Messiah explained this taking up his yoke in another way:

Matthew 16:24 Then said Yahushua unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

27  For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

Crucifixion was a statement.  It was a death penalty that communicated the guilty one was cursed of Elohim.  He was unworthy even to be put to death within the city.  When we take up the cross to come after Yahushua, we acknowledge the justness of the Father’s condemnation and sentence of death upon our natural lives.  It serves as ample motivation to “deny” ourself the luxury of following our own will.

Taking upon the yoke of Yahushua establishes the discipleship relationship.  The student bows to his Master and accepts servanthood as the cost of learning from the Master.  So, what is the first lesson of discipleship?

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

The first thing we are to learn when we come under the yoke of Messiah is his meek and lowly heart.  This we will discuss next time.

REVERENTIAL AWE VS. HOLY TERROR

WBS.003

THE FEAR OF IAUE

REVERENTIAL AWE VS. HOLY TERROR

Proverb 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of IAUE men depart from evil.

Many times in my 40+ year walk in the Spirit, I have heard many preachers and teachers speak on “the fear of the LORD,” and absolutely every one of them defined it as the “reverential awe” of “the LORD.”

As I stated in my last study, “the fear of the LORD” does not exist; because that is NOT what the Scripture actually says in ANY of the verses where this phrase is found in English translations.  It should be rendered, “the fear of IAUE.”  Why is this important?  For starters, if the Scripture does not call it the fear of the LORD, then neither should we.  Secondly, if we wrongly call it, and study it as the fear of the LORD, we will arrive at wrong conclusions, like “reverential awe.”

Reverential awe does not cause men to depart from evil.  Awe is what one experiences when one looks at a mountain range, or the sea shore, or an expansive view.  We are amazed at the wonder and greatness; but it does not change our lives.  By the fear of IAUE, men depart from evil.  When we recognize the omniscience, the omnipresence and the omnipotence of our Creator, and we are aware that He not only cares about how we live our lives; but we understand that He holds us accountable for our actions, words and even our thoughts, the knowledge of His unlimited ability to discipline us to correct our choices in life changes us.  It makes us think twice before we consider departing from the path of Truth to act selfishly. 

You might say, “That sounds good; but it has not been my experience that He disciplines me so quickly in response to my misbehavior.”  There is a reason for that.

2 Cor 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of Elohim, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Messiah;

6  And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.

Genuine discipleship is not promoted in the contemporary Christian world nearly as much as is having a better life.  The result is we tend to be more focused on ourselves than on our Master.  The intimate attention and discipline of the Master is reserved for those who have actually bowed their knee to Him.  Once you reach that place of rejecting your own importance and you realize that Messiah died for you as an exchange of life; you know that you are no longer your own.  You have been bought with a price, and the life you now live is not your own.  That purpose of heart will initiate your adventure into genuine discipleship.  It is then that your every act of disobedience will be answered. 

While we are concerned about the affairs of our own lives instead of knowing and doing His will, we are still living for the advancement of our own kingdom instead of His.  The very first lesson of discipleship is:

Matthew 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

No yoke.  No discipleship.  Once in the yoke, you are no longer in control; and your life is harnessed to live for the will of the Master.  While you retain control of your life, you are still your own “god.”  The fear of IAUE becomes alive within the one who realizes that there is no one beside IAUE, none like Him; and none other before whom you will have to give an account of your life. 

Before we can make true advances in our discipleship, it is critical that we understand a fundamental truth.  Many believers acquire extensive academic information from teachers and preachers and from their own study of the Scripture.  The Scripture itself says it is good for doctrine; but that is not the be-all and end-all of the purpose of the Scripture.  The increase of knowledge is like watching commercials on television.  It is the marketing phase that creates in one the desire to obtain the product.  In this case, the Scripture is the “letter” (doctrine, or teaching) which points toward the “spirit,” which is the life. The letter alone produces death; but the spirit produces life; and the life is the objective. 

2 Corinthians 3:6  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

The problem is, most believers are satisfied with the marketing, and never obtain the actual product being advertised.  Messiah made this point to the Jews who opposed him.

John 5:37  And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.

38  And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

39  Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40  And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.

The Hebrews studied the Scriptures thinking they were an end unto themselves, that knowing the Scripture produced life; but the Scripture’s purpose is to reveal Messiah; and they rejected Him.  They missed the point entirely. All they had was death. 

The spreading of the marketing of any product is not the goal.  If no one actually buys the product, the marketing is useless.  Becoming an expert on the marketing is what advances ministries, today.  It is the reason why the world looks at the church and sees nothing to desire.  It is like observing an assembly that proclaims the wonder of a picture of a sizzling steak.  The world needs to see the change in a life that has actually tasted the steak, so the steak becomes desirable, and not the picture of the steak. 

Proverbs 23:23   Buy the truth, and sell it not…

Truth has a purchase price.  The real purpose of all marketing is to get you to pay for the product.  The masses are not paying the price to possess truth, which is why they only have the shadow and not the substance of the doctrines they believe.  This is why you, the reader, have been sitting in the middle of the congregation Sunday after Sunday knowing inside yourself that there has to be more than what has contented the masses. It is why the Sunday “worship service” tends to focus more on exciting your emotions than your spirit, to renew your enthusiasm over the marketing.  If you possessed the actual product, you would not need a cheerleader.

The problem is, I cannot give you the product.  All I can do is to attempt to create the desire within you for the product.  It is your responsibility to draw unto the Father to seek the revelation that can only be given from Him; discover what the cost is to possess the Truth (“He must increase, and I must decrease.”), pay the price, then trust in IAUE to give birth to the life within you.  This is the process for absolutely everything you learn from the Scriptures; and if you do not understand this; then following this blog will not benefit you any more than will attending church. 

This brings us back to the fear of IAUE.  It is the beginning of knowledge and the beginning of wisdom, and by it, men depart from evil.  If you only have the marketing of the fear of IAUE, you do not tremble at the thought of disobeying His will. Your academic understanding does not have the power to change your life. When the Father reveals His fear to you, you will never be the same.