THE NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING ON DISCIPLESHIP

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A DISCIPLE

1. Come to the lord Messiah Jesus, and follow him to God- Yehovah

The first thing the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua said to these four men that he called by the Lake of Galilee was: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” (Matthew 4:19) Imagine yourself hearing the voice of the lord Messiah Jesus saying, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” The first step in discipleship is to follow the Lord Jesus Messiah and become a fisher of people. You cannot be a fisher of men/women and stand on the sidelines.

Jesus says, “Follow me! I have entered into a battle for the salvation of the world – a fight to the death. I’m going to be crucified, becoming a sin-offering sacrifice. I’m going to lay down my life. Follow me!” And you say, “Jesus, you go ahead! You die for the sins of the world. Just leave me on the sidelines. I’ll cheer for you.” The one word we dread is “Follow.” The lord Messiah Jesus says, “Follow me, take up your cross [die to self].” Do you say, “What if I take my hiking boots? I don’t mind taking them. What about my umbrella as well, in case it rains?” No, the lord Messiah Jesus said, “Take up your cross – die to self and follow me.”

If you don’t want to come, you can be a 'believer' till the end of this age, but that’s not going to save you. The lord Messiah Jesus said: “Come behind me.” This is the word. He uses exactly the same Greek imperative in Matthew 11:28: “Come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” “Come!” Do you want rest? Do you want to be freed from the bondage of sin? Don’t stand there in the distance and say, “I believe in God.” You are not going to get rest, to be freed from your bondage to sin, that way. “Come, and I will give you rest.” The lord Messiah Jesus doesn’t throw his rest to you like a baseball, saying, “Catch it!” No. Do you want deliverance from sin? Do you want rest? Come! Coming behind him means going to where the lord Messiah Jesus is to follow God- Yehovah.

“Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and you shall find rest to your soul [inner being].” How can you learn if you don’t come? How can you get the rest? We like to be Christians at a distance. But this word “come” is the first word that Jesus speaks to any disciple. Matthew 11:28 is not addressed to the twelve, but to everyone. He addresses everyone with the same word that he addressed these four disciples: “Come behind me.” That is the first thing we must understand about being a disciple. You must be involved. You must follow the lord Messiah Jesus, wherever he leads you.

Salvation is not to be obtained at a distance by remote faith: Stand in the distance and believe. Let me emphasize this point very, very clearly to you based on God’s Word. If anyone tells you anything differently, that is not Jesus’ teaching. Otherwise, your hope for salvation is based on sand that will be washed away. And let no man or woman, no brother or sister who sit here today, stand before the lord Messiah Jesus on that Day of Judgment and say, “I didn’t know I had to come, but I believed in you.” And he will say, “Depart from me! I don’t know who you are!” The only way Jesus can know who you are is if you come to him and follow him wherever he leads. He doesn’t know people who look at him through a telescope. You either come to him, or you are not going to be saved.

2. Be yoked with the lord Messiah Jesus to obey God- Yehovah unconditionally

“Come behind me” involves the second thing: Take the lord Messiah Jesus’ yoke on yourself in order to follow him, as in Matthew 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you.” A yoke on the lord Messiah Jesus’ neck is put on your neck, and in that way, you come under God’s – Yehovah’s Kingship through the lord Messiah Jesus. He also said in verse 30, “My yoke is easy, my burden is light.” Although a yoke is a burden, it is much lighter than the burden of sin, being in bondage to sin.

The lord Messiah Jesus isn’t like the evangelist who dishes out sweets and says, “Come to God, and everything will be fine. You will pass all your exams! Your business will succeed! You’re going to have a wonderful time when you come to God!” The lord Messiah Jesus says, “Come and take my yoke upon you, then you will know peace. But without this yoke, I promise you no peace whatsoever.” You must learn to live under the lord Messiah Jesus’ kingship just as the lord Messiah Jesus lives under God’s-Yehovah’s Kingship. In other words, “yoke” means obedience. Who is in charge of the yoke? The yoke is placed on the necks of the two oxen in front of the plough. When the ploughman pulls the yoke in one direction, the oxen turn around. When he pulls the yoke in the opposite direction, the oxen turn that way. In other words, you are going to live a life under the sovereignty and control of God- Yehovah together with the lord Messiah Jesus.

If you find that unacceptable, then don’t think about salvation. I am being straightforward as the lord Messiah Jesus is. There are no cheap, easy bargains. Salvation comes at a great cost! It cost the lord Messiah Jesus his life when he gave himself up to his God and his Father, Yehovah, as a sin-offering sacrifice, so that you could be reconciled [brought back] to God. If you think that your self-centeredness is worth more than your salvation, keep it. You will have the chance to keep it all the way into being thrown into the Lake of Fire on the Day of Judgement. It won’t do you any good there. That sounds harsh, but believe me, those words are spoken in love. The truth is hard to receive, but it is the truth. The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua said, “Take my yoke upon you and follow me as I follow God. Live a life in obedience to God- Yehovah, just as I do.”

Here is a quote from a New Testament authority, the three-volume Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Read a passage under the article of “Discipleship:

“Following Jesus as a disciple means the unconditional sacrifice of the disciple’s whole life for the whole of his life.”

Being a disciple means being bound to the lord Messiah Jesus, similar to the yoke, and doing God’s will. It is, as the Dictionary of New Testament Theology says, “unconditional sacrifice of a disciple’s whole life.” Notice the word “unconditional. Is it any wonder ministers dare not use the term “disciple” in their churches today? How many dare to say that their life is unconditionally under God’s control?

Satan can possess a “believer”

Let me also say to you that if you only want to be 'a believer' and not a disciple, you are going to run into spiritual trouble that you will wish you were never a believer at all, because God’s protection and care are not guaranteed for you; Satan will bring you down to failure.

I state unequivocally that a disciple will never be possessed by any evil spirit as long as he walks with God- Yehovah. There is absolutely no possibility of a disciple being demon-possessed. However, if you are a so-called “believer,” or even a 'believer' who sincerely believes in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, I cannot guarantee your safety, because Satan will bring you down one way or another. We have seen 90% or more of the people who come to God at Billy Graham’s meetings fall away within the first year. This is a well-known statistic. Satan takes them down. I dare not be a 'believer.' I only dare be a disciple by the grace of God- Yehovah, because to be a 'believer' means that Satan will turn his power upon me.

You need to understand why the lord Messiah Jesus said: “Take my yoke upon you.” Powerful spiritual forces are at play, surpassing the strength of both you and me, as we engage in this battle. If you leave even a small gap in your life, Satan will come in like a flood. I’m not suggesting he will possess you; he works in various ways with different people. He can sow doubts in your mind and push you to the brink of despair. Some of you have already tasted how Satan can drive you into depression, discouragement, and joylessness until you say, “What’s the point of being a Christian? I give up!”

That is why, out of all these people who make so-called “decisions” at winter and summer conferences, and at evangelistic campaigns, 90% will fall away within the first year. Only that small number who have taken the yoke of Jesus- Yeshua, and who, like the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua, have said, “O God, you are my King in every part of my life; I will go forward according to your will,” these will not fall.

Examine your life before God- Yehovah to make sure that every part of your life is under His lordship and the lordship of the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua.

We are referring to spiritual forces at work. As Paul said in Ephesians 6:12: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [Referring to Satan and the fallen angels]

I say to you with love, “Please, either fully commit as a disciple or refrain from claiming to be a 'believer;' otherwise, Satan will bring you down to failure.” And God won’t do anything for you because you have not obeyed the lord Messiah Jesus’ teaching, the words that his God and his Father, Yehovah, gave to him to give to the world. The message of salvation contained in the gospel – good news about the coming Kingdom of God. 

3. Become like the lord Messiah Jesus by imitating him, so it will be true, as it says in 1 John 4:17: Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because AS HE IS, EVEN SO ARE WE IN THIS WORLD.

First, come to lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua to follow him.

Secondly, take his yoke upon you, that is, unconditionally obey God as the lord Messiah Jesus does. 

Thirdly, the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua says, “Learn of me” (Matthew 11:29).

A disciple is a student of Jesus- Yeshua. When the lord Messiah Jesus talks about learning, he isn’t referring to cramming a lot of information into your brain. The New Testament does not associate learning with pursuing a theological education to gain knowledge in areas such as church history and systematic theology. We train people in seminaries today who are incapable of spiritual warfare because all they have is book knowledge in their heads.

You cannot prepare a generation of spiritual soldiers by studying church history, systematic theology, and hermeneutics. WHAT WE NEED IS SPIRITUAL POWER, THE POWER OF GOD'S INDWELLING PRESENCE! You don’t come to know God- Yehovah through a theological seminary. Rather, you come to know God by walking with him according to His will, day by day, just as the lord Messiah Jesus did. Therefore, by imitating Jesus’ behavior and lifestyle (1Corinthians 11:1), you will develop a deep relationship with God- Yehovah and be gradually transformed into his likeness. The apostle Paul uses the word “imitate,” as learning involves a process of imitation.

A disciple learns to walk with the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua- to imitate him. The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua says, “Learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart” (Matthew 11:29). It is learning a lifestyle, becoming a kind of person, not cramming knowledge into your brain to write an exam and get a Bachelor of Theology. “Learn of me” means to become like the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua.

4. Follow Jesus immediately

This takes us to the fourth point. In order to become like the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua, we must follow and obey him. That’s very costly. The lord Messiah Jesus said, “Follow me,” and what do these disciples do? What do you read in Matthew 4:20, 22?

Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Immediately they left their boats, nets, and father. Certainly, they loved their father! They loved their boats and nets – their profession as fishermen. But when the lord Messiah Jesus said, “Come behind me,” they left their father whom they loved; they left their boats and home immediately. The Greek word for “immediately” is euthos, which signifies acting promptly and without hesitation or doubt, and it appears twice in this passage. The first four disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus immediately left their nets.

When the Spirit of God- Yehovah moves in a person, he/she either responds, “Yes, Lord!” or “No.” Any person who feels the powerful moving of God’s- Yehovah's Spirit in his heart goes through a struggle. But if anyone hesitates between two opinions: “I will follow, I will not follow,” he should not follow. When Jesus called his disciples, and if they had hesitated, he would have said, “Forget it.” Do you remember the person who said, “I will follow you, lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home” (cf. Luke 9:61-62)? And Jesus said: But Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. 

The first four disciples who immediately left their nets are the kind of people that the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua calls out. They didn’t go back to their house and say: “Wait a minute lord, I’m coming.” Or “I have to get my favorite baseball glove at home.” Or “I’ve got to arrange for somebody to look after my canary.” You either follow, or you don’t. That’s how it is with the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua. He is very demanding of high standards because the battle ahead is so tough. Therefore, those who follow must not hesitate. He says, “No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The lord Messiah Jesus tells us that God- Yehovah doesn’t want soldiers who, when faced with a challenging battle, question their position and express reluctance, saying, “Am I really meant to be here? This battle is becoming too intense! I should retreat, give up!” Those who follow must resolve clearly and without hesitation, even though they are weak. 

5. Serve to bring people into the kingdom of God

Let us press on to the fifth point. A disciple is not only one who learns and follows, but also one who serves: “I will make you to be fishers of men.” Notice: “I will make you.” It is not we who make ourselves fishers of men/women, but the lord Messiah Jesus, speaking what God, his Father, shows him (John 12:50: I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.), Jesus declares that God- Yehovah will make us fishers of men/women. That’s wonderful! I have hope! I am willing to learn, and God will make me a fisher of men/women. God- Yehovah can transform every person who is willing to learn and follow the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua.

The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua calls us, as he called the first of the four disciples, Peter, Andrew, James, and John, to himself. He said to them in Matthew 4:19, “Come behind me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They were fishers of fish so far, and now Jesus told them that God was going to make them fishers of men/women. The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua is saying to us now: “God- Yehovah will change you and make you fishers of people when you follow me.”

Note: To follow means to repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus-Yeshua. When you are immersed in the waters of baptism, you die to self, are crucified with the lord Messiah Jesus, and rise up out of the water in newness of life. You become a "new creation" in the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua. A member of the New Humanity that will be in the coming New Earth and New Heavens God- Yehovah will create after He cleanses the earth after the White Throne Judgement with fire.

It is amazing how God- Yehovah has changed so many people. Numerous individuals who were medical doctors, specializing in physical health, were transformed by God to become healers of the inner being of men/women, spiritual physicians. God has transformed some individuals who were once civil engineers, in charge of constructing roads and bridges, into those who help others in constructing humble and repentant hearts. Similarly, some who were electrical engineers, communicating through electronic systems, have now learned to convey spiritually through the gospel. The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua declares, “Come behind me, and I will make you into fishers of men/women.” God’s- Yehovah's power in the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua changes the person, whoever they may be, whatever they may do, to become spiritual engineers, doctors, and lawyers, leading people to come to know God- Yehovah through his word. This is what discipleship is about.

The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua said: “I will make you become fishers of men/women” (Mark 1:17). It is so wonderful that God- Yehovah changes the weak ones of this world, equips them with power, and turns the world upside down when they respond to his call through the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua. So, we, as disciples, are called to serve, to become fishers of men/women, and just as fishermen bring the fish out of the sea, so we are to bring people out of the world into the Kingdom of God.

Note: A follower of the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua is in this world, but not of this world, which is filled with people in bondage to sin. 

6. Be sent forth

Sixthly, to be a disciple is to be sent forth. How can you catch fish if you don’t launch out? Once you become a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua, and God- Yehovah has made you to be fishers of men/women; He sends you forth. As the lord Messiah Jesus says in John 20:21: “As the Father [Yehovah] has sent me, even so I am sending you.” Jesus is saying: “Go into the world and preach the message I preached about the coming kingdom of God.” 

7. Become the representatives of God- Yehovah and the lord Messiah Jesus – Yeshua.

Finally, God’s power in the lord Messiah Jesus makes us to be the lord Messiah Jesus’ representatives in the world. How amazing it is to be a disciple!

The lord Messiah Jesus says: “He who receives you, receives me.” (Matthew 10:40). By the same token, he is saying: “He who rejects you, rejects me.” Can you say that of the average Christian? No, but you can say that of a disciple, because he fully represents the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua and God- Yehovah. The lord Messiah Jesus empowers his disciples by his indwelling Spirit to represent both him and God with God-given authority. Anyone who dares to reject a disciple has rejected the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua as well as God- Yehovah. But any man who accepts a disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus has accepted the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua and God.- Yehovah.

This is why the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua declared in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world,” and instructed his disciples in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world.” Just as he is the light, we also shine as his representatives in the world. The apostle Paul similarly affirms in Ephesians 5:8, “You are light.” What a marvelous truth!

This article points out what a disciple is through these seven points. Examine yourself in the light of these seven points, and ask, “Am I a disciple?” If you are not a disciple, you are not entitled to be called a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus in the biblical sense of the word.

Is the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua lord of your life? Do you follow the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua as he follows God- Yehovah? Are you learning to become like the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua? Have you taken his yoke to obey God- Yehovah unconditionally as he does? Is God’s- Yehovah's power in the lord Messiah Jesus transforming your life to become a fisher of men/women? Do you live for yourself, or do you serve God- Yehovah and the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua, by bringing others into the kingdom of God? Ponder these things carefully.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD COMES WITH POWER

Matthew 11:12: “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.”

Note the words: “The kingdom of heaven has been coming violently,” but “violently” is a poor translation. In the Greek, it really means “pressing forward with great power.”

The kingdom of God has been pressing forward with great power.

Jesus is saying, “The kingdom of God has been pressing forward with great power since the days of John the Baptist until now.”

The point is that when the kingdom of God was preached by John the Baptist and by the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshu, no one could ignore it, because it was delivered with great spiritual power.

John the Baptist and the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua preached with the power of God’s Spirit working in them and through them.

People flocked out to John the Baptist from all over Judea and Jerusalem to hear John the Baptist preaching about the coming Kingdom of God. There was a tremendous power of God’s Spirit in this man. And when the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua preached, the power of the Spirit of God worked through him in an ever greater measure than it did in John the Baptist.

Three characteristics about the kingdom emerge from this verse as the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua preached.

1.The kingdom is distinctive when delivered by the power of God’s Spirit.

A servant of God- Yehovah carries a distinctive power. The power of the Spirit of God- Yehovah.

2. Power only comes from a 100% response to Jesus’ teaching, which God gave him to give to the world.

There needs to be a 100% response to the word of God before one can receive the power of His indwelling Spirit! Every man/woman of God needs to understand and to practice a 100% response to the word of God to obtain the power of His indwelling Spirit working in them and through them.

We are speaking about response on a basic level. From where does the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua- receive this kind of power? The power of the Spirit comes from God, his Father, Yehovah. God has the power, but if you don’t have the power, then how does it come to you? God has the life, but if you don’t have the life, then how do you get that life? God has fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11 says, “At your right hand is fullness of joy,” but if you don’t have joy, then how can you receive it? To receive the power of God’s Spirit is a matter of communication, and communication is a matter of how you respond to God’s word. Where there is no response, there cannot be communication with God- Yehovah..

The lord Messiah Jesus - Yeshua has spoken to us; but the question is: how have you responded?

Where there is the power of the Spirit of God- Yehovah in a man/woman preaching about the coming kingdom of God - there is life.

We, as followers of the lord Messiah Jesus-Yeshua, will receive the power of his Spirit in us when we obey all the words his God and Father, Yehovah, gave to him to give to the world.

The kingdom of God has been pressing forward with power since the days of John the Baptist, and people respond­ either favorably or unfavorably. The greater the power, the more vigorous is the response either for or against.

3. Where the power of God’s Spirit is behind the preaching of the gospel – good news about the coming kingdom of God, people may respond antagonistically.

When people listened to Jesus, there were some who responded and yielded their lives, became totally committed to obeying his words, and others hated him. People just cannot remain neutral when you preach the words of the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua. His words are going to draw them or confront them. That is important to realize.

Matthew 10:24-25: A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a bondservant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the bondservant as his lord.

Two things you must do to become a disciple

1. You must respond 100% by dying to your old way of life to be a disciple of the Messiah.

Matthew 10:38: “And he who does not take his cross [die to self] and follow me is not worthy of me.”

Luke 14:27: “Whoever does not bear his own cross [die to self] and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

It’s either 100% commitment to the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua, or nothing.

What does it mean to die to self?

Note: Romans 6:3-14: … do you not know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into union with his death? Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into union with his death, in order that just as the Messiah was raised from among the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also can walk in a new way of life. For if we have become united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that our body of sin would be rendered powerless, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now since we have died with the Messiah, we believe that we will also live with him, because we know that the Messiah, having been raised from among the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death that he died, he died once and for all with respect to the power of sin, but the life that he lives, he lives in relation to God. So you also must consider yourselves to be dead with respect to the power of sin, but in union with the Messiah Jesus, alive in relation to God. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you then obey its desires, and do not offer any parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but offer yourselves to God as those who are alive from among the dead, and offer the parts of your body to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin must not have dominion over you, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

You are either prepared to die with him, or you are not. There is no middle ground between living for yourself or dying with the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua.

Matthew 12:30: Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.

A disciple of the lord Messiah Jesus-Yeshua accepts the hatred of other people for the sake of righteousness, for the sake of preaching the truth about the coming kingdom of God, which is the message of salvation!

2. Follow Jesus

The lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua said: “Follow me.” You must follow him to be a disciple.

Jesus said: “If any man come after me, let him take up his cross and follow me” (cf. Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34). These words are addressed to everyone.

John 12:26: If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, my Father [Yehovah] will honor him.

If you want to be where Jesus is, you must follow him. There is no other way. That is the Scriptural understanding of what salvation is all about.

It is Jesus who said: if any man serves me, he must follow me.” And the only way you can follow him is to take up your cross [die to self]. It is the end of your self, the end of your whole old way of life.

Believing in Jesus is: Entrusting your life to him

When you say, “I believe,” it doesn’t mean you just believe it’s true that Jesus died on the cross, and it isn’t just to say, “I believe Jesus rose from the dead, or I believe Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father.

To be a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua means to live the kind of life that he lived, to do the things he did, to say the things he said. That means you become like the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua. When you believe in the lord Messiah Jesus- Yeshua in faithful commitment, you entrust your life to him. Those who prove to be worthy of him on the Day of Judgment are those who have followed him to the end of their lives, or the end of this age. Those who hold fast to the end!

Notice what Paul says in Philippians 3:8: “I have suffered the loss of everything and count it as rubbish to follow him, to pursue the Messiah.

Paul doesn’t just follow; he pursues, running with all his might.

In Philippians 3:15, he goes on to say, “Let those who are mature (perfect) have the same kind of mentality as I have.”

Jesus commands us to “be perfect” in commitment to obey

Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect.” 

This is not perfect in the sense of sinless, but perfect in our absolute obedience to God’s will; it is perfection of commitment. It means “As your Father, Yehovah is perfect in His commitment to you, you must also be perfect in your commitment to Him.”

Notice that Jesus- Yeshua is not asking for your promise that you will be perfect. It’s a command: Be perfect, be totally committed to obeying the will of your God and Father, Yehovah!

“If you want to be perfect in your commitment to God, follow the lord Messiah Jesus.”

Paul is very careful to say this is not a perfection of sinlessness. He says that in Philippians 3:12, “Not that I am already perfect” in the sense of being sinless, but perfect in my commitment to God- Yehovah.

In 1 Peter 2:21, he says, “You have been called to follow in his steps [the steps of the lord Messiah Jesus-Yeshua.”

Revelation 14:4: “they follow the Lamb [of God] wherever he goes,” which is the definition of a servant of God and of the lord Messiah Jesus.

Ask yourself, “Am I honestly following Jesus?” Don’t deceive yourself.

The followers of the lord Messiah Jesus-Yeshua have God’s-Yehovah’s indwelling power because their lives are Messiah-like. They also have God’s peace and joy. They live the abundant life.

ALL OF GOD’S-YEHOVAH’S DEALINGS WITH THE FOLLOWERS OF THE LORD MESSIAH JESUS ARE ON THE BASIS OF HOLINESS

When God- Yehovah deals with us, it has to be based on holiness. You don’t have to be an Old Testament theologian to notice this point emerging clearly throughout the Old Testament.

NOTICE THE FOLLOWING EIGHT POINTS 

1) God separates His people from all uncleanness

First, you will notice that whenever a person turns to God, God invariably sets him apart from the world. He called Israel out of Egypt, that is, to come out from that type of the world, as Egypt represents the world in the Old Testament. He separates His people from the world because only then can they serve Him. Paul applies the Old Testament verse in Isaiah 52:11: Depart, depart, go out from there! You must not touch any unclean thing. Go out from the midst of it, keep clean, you who carry the vessels of Yehovah - of Israel’s separation from the uncleanness of the world to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:17: Therefore “come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord- Yehovah, “and do not touch what is unclean, and I will welcome you [A paraphrased quotation from Ezekiel 20:41]

Therefore, separation from all uncleanness is what holiness is 

2) God redeems His people from their old way of life

Second, the Israelites are spoken of as God’s-Yehovah’s redeemed people. He redeems His people from their old way of life. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Paul says: “You are not your own; you were bought with a price.” To be holy means to belong to God- Yehovah in the sense of being His possession, His slave. He bought you with an invaluable price of the blood of His anointed one, the Messiah, and once He has bought you, you belong to Him. You are no longer your own. You must serve Him as His slave. You must live for Him. You no longer live for yourselves. “So, use your whole being for the glory of God” (v. 20). 

3) God calls His people to holiness

Thirdly, the call to holiness is given in the Ten Commandments, the Decalogue, and the command, “Be holy as I am holy,” in Leviticus 11:44 is repeated in 19:2, 20:7, and 26. As well, in Leviticus 19:8 and Exodus 31:13, God said, “I, the Lord- Yehovah, sanctify you.” “Sanctify” means to make holy. 

4) God lives in His redeemed who obey His command to holiness

The fourth point: God dwells with His redeemed people, who now live under His covenant and command to holiness. They are holy because of the indwelling of His Spirit, His temple, individually and collectively. This is the point that Paul is making, and he applies it to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in 2 Corinthians 6:16: “For we are the temple of the living God.” He repeats this in 1 Corinthians 6:19: “Do you not realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in you that you received from God?” So, we are holy because God lives in us by His Spirit, and we belong to Him as a purchased possession. 

5) God teaches His holy people through His holy prophets

Fifth, we see that the holy people of God are constantly led and instructed by God’s servants, the holy prophets. The terms used of the prophets in the Old Testament are “a prophet of the Lord- Yehovah,” “the Lord’s- Yehovah’s prophets,” “God’s prophets” and “My servants, the prophets” (1 Samuel 3:20; 1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 9:7; Ezra 5:2; Jeremiah 29:19, 44:4; Hosah 12:13; Zechariah 1:6). Therefore, as God is holy, so are His servants, the prophets. The term “holy prophets” is used in the New Testament (Acts 3:21, Ephesians 3:5, 2 Peter 3:2, Revelation 22:6).

And it is very interesting that the same concern is found in Paul. Paul is very concerned that the called-out Assembly should be led by prophets. We read in Acts 13:1 that there were prophets in the called-out Assembly, and it was through them that Paul and Barnabas were separated and sent forth to the ministry on their first missionary journey. Paul is very concerned that there should not only be prophets but also that all God’s people should desire the gift of prophecy. The whole of First Corinthians chapter 14 is about prophecy, because a prophet has to be a person who meets with God at a very deep level.

We have very few prophets in the called-out Assembly today. I share Paul’s deep concern that the called-out Assembly should have prophets. And I would pray to God that every one of those who are leaders in the called-out Assembly become a prophet and a prophetess in this generation, that they enter into an ever-deeper experience of God spiritually, and so be anointed to become God’s prophets. 

6) God judges His holy people if they do not remain holy

Sixth point, God’s holiness will be expressed also in judgment upon His holy people if they do not remain holy. It is very important to grasp this. Being a saint does not exempt you from judgment. On the contrary, you will come under judgment even more severely if you fail to live the kind of life to which God has called you. He called us to holiness to glorify His name in this age. Similarly, in the Old Testament, the people of Israel, God’s chosen people, came under God’s severe judgment when they failed to live holy lives. In Ezekiel 18:30, the Lord- Yehovah spoke very specifically through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will judge you, O house of Israel, everyone according to his ways,” says the Lord - Yehovah. “Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin.”

There is a strange teaching that goes around today, which is purely heretical as far as the Bible is concerned, that Christians can avoid any form of judgment no matter how they sin. This is utterly ridiculous. There is no basis either in the Old Testament or in the New. And anyone who has ever read the Old Testament can never speak such nonsense because everyone sees that the Israelites were constantly under God’s judgment. In Ezekiel 18:31-32, the Lord- Jehovah God said:

“Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed against me and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies. Therefore, turn and live!”

But Israel would not repent, and they were “broken off,” as Paul says in Romans 11:17. In verse 22, he says to the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus in Rome: “Note then the kindness and the severity of God; severity towards those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness; otherwise, you too will be cut off.” 

7) God makes His people new to fulfill His requirements

In the seventh point, we see that throughout the Old and New Testaments, God’s- Yehovah’s holiness is expressed in the concern to impart His holiness to His people by the power of His Holy Spirit, making them new people so that they can fulfill His requirements. We focus on references from the book of Ezekiel, specifically chapters 11:19, 36:26-27, and 37:13-14. This theme resonates throughout the Old Testament.

Additionally, let us consider one example from the New Testament, Ephesians 4:24, where Paul instructs the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus to: “put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.”

By now, I trust it’s quite clear why Paul employs the term “saint” and why he consistently emphasizes in his letters how these “saints” ought to live. His concern stems from the importance of the followers of the lord Messiah Jesus recognizing themselves as God’s “holy ones,” meaning they are set apart from the world, redeemed, and entrusted with his commandments.

Note: The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology Volume 2, just to illustrate that the same point is made there. Under the article “Holy” on page 230, it says:

“Holiness is a condition of acceptance at the Parousia (the theological term for the Second Coming of the Messiah), and of enter­ing upon the inheritance of his people – Colossians 1:12; Acts 20:32, 26:18. In all these cases, holiness implies a relationship with God- Yehovah, which is expressed not primarily through the cultus (the outward form of worship), but through the fact that believers are led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). As in the Old Testament, it demands a behavior which rightly responds to the Holy Spirit.”

I think by now the whole point is very clear to us. When Paul says we are the “holy ones,” we are “saints”; he does not mean we just have a special position called “holiness.” He means also that our conduct must befit those who are called “saints”, as he repeatedly says, for example, in Ephesians 4:1: “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” 

8) Discipleship is connected with holiness

Finally, being the Old Testament scholar that Paul was, he was also well aware that where the term “saints” of God, ‘holy ones,’ is applied in the Old Testament, it is often used in connection with following God- Yehovah. Jeremiah 2:2-3 is a beautiful instance where we see the connection between discipleship and holiness. Yehovah tells Jeremiah to speak to the people in Jerusalem: “Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, ‘Thus says Yehovah, I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Israel was holy to Yehovah, the first fruits of his harvest.’”

“How you followed me” – their following is discipleship. Israel was once God’s- Yehovah’s disciple. They followed him in the wilderness. Notice the past tense – “Israel was holy to Yehovah, the first fruits of his harvest.”

In Deuteronomy 33:3, again, following God- Yehhovah and holiness is connected: “Yes, He loved His people; all his holy ones are in His hand; so they followed in your steps, receiving direction from you.

“His holy ones” refer to “saints.” Therefore, we understand why Paul emphasizes not just the external manner of following, but the spiritual manner of following in holiness. 

A follower of the lord Messiah Jesus is “a saint” who has experienced God’s- Yehovah’s transforming power

Let us conclude by realizing this one essential point: We followers of the lord Messiah Jesus are “saints.” You can only grasp the concept of holiness if you have a spiritual experience of God's indwelling Spirit. If not, then all that we have been talking about today will just be water running off your backs, and wind flowing past your ears. You will not understand what we have been talking about if you have not experienced God’s indwelling Spirit. It also means you will not know what it means to be a saint, a disciple, and a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus in the New Testament sense of the word.

Your baptism and adherence to correct doctrines are commendable, but they won’t be truly effective until you experience the transformative power of God’s indwelling Spirit in your life, until you have a genuine encounter with Him. And when that encounter happens, it changes you profoundly, and you will understand, “Ah, God is holy!” You will be filled with a profound sense of reverent awe when you feel His presence. You will find joy and empowerment to fulfill His will to bring salvation to others through the cleansing power of the lord Messiah Jesus’ blood. At that point, you transition into being a disciple, a saint, a follower of the lord Messiah Jesus in the Biblical sense of the term.

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Matthew 13:2-23: And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying:

“A Sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.

Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away.

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.

Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

He who has ears, let him hear.”

The Purpose of the Parables

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”

And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven [God], but to them it has not been given.

For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

"You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them."

But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained

“Hear then the parable of the Sower:

When anyone hears the word of the kingdom [the good news about the Kingdom of God] and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.

As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Luke 8:4-15: When many people were gathered together, and were come unto him out of all cities, he spake by a parable.

A Sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden under feet, and the fowls of heaven devoured it up.

And some fell on the stones, and when it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

And some fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit, a hundredfold. And as he said these things, he cried, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.

Then his disciples asked him, what parable that was.

And he said, unto you it is given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but to others in parables, that when they see, they should not see [spiritually], and when they hear, they should not understand.

The Parable of the Sower explained

The parable is this: The seed is the word of God [the good news about the coming kingdom of God].

And they that are beside the way, are they that hear: afterward comes the devil, and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe, and be saved.

Note: If a person does not believe in the coming Kingdom of God, he cannot be saved.

But they that are on the stones, are they which when they have heard, receive the word [about the coming Kingdom of God] with joy: but they have no roots: that for a while believe, but in the time of temptation go away.

And that which fell among thorns, are they which have heard [the word about the Kingdom of God], and after their departure [After hearing the word, they go about their business], are choked with cares and with riches, and voluptuous living, and bring forth no fruit.

But that [seeds] which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart hear the word, and keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Note: Acts 8:12: When they believed Philip’s preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, both men and women.

Note: When you preach about the name of Jesus the Messiah, that includes everything he did during his ministry on this earth, and when he offered himself up to his God and his Father Yehovah, as a sin-offering sacrifice so that God - Yehovah, could reconcile humanity to Himself. It also includes the position the lord Messiah Jesus now has at the right hand of God, as lord and Messiah with power over all creation, with only God excluded!

WHAT ARE THE ESSENTIALS OF THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL?

Acts 8:12: But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus the anointed one, they were baptized, both men and women.

Notice: Luke 8:12: Those by the wayside are they that hear; then comes the devil and takes away the word [about the kingdom of God] out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Notice that Matthew 13:19: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understands it, then comes the wicked one, and catches away that which was sown in his heart....

So, we understand from these verses that Satan is the enemy of the preaching of ‘the word’ about the coming kingdom of God. Why? Because one needs to understand what the message about the kingdom of God is, which is the message of salvation! (Luke 8:12)

So, first and foremost, the essentials of the good news message Jesus brought are the preaching of the good news about the coming kingdom of God and about his name, which is Jesus, who is the anointed one, the Messiah, the coming King of Israel. And since we have been grafted into the Israel of God (Romans 11), he is our King.

We need to realize that Jesus and his disciples preached the gospel about the kingdom of God long before there was any mention of Jesus' death and resurrection, and after his resurrection that same message continued to be preached to the world even as he commanded.

Notice Acts 28:30-31: And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the things concerning Jesus about his death, resurrection, and looking forward to the time when he will return to sit on the throne of David at Jerusalem ruling over all the nations and Israel as a glorified immortal man and doing so with all those who have been resurrected to co-rule and co-inherit all things with him.

Unfortunately, that good news message is not now being preached completely. We only hear about the death and resurrection of Jesus and nothing about the soon-coming Kingdom of God. The message one has to understand in order to be saved... Luke 8:12. Why are no preachers today constantly preaching about the kingdom of God as Jesus did throughout his whole ministry? Why are we not being taught more about how the Sermon on the Mount was given to help us know how to prepare to be a co-ruler in that soon-coming Kingdom of God? When the Kingdom of God arrives, it will be the establishment of the Theocratic Government of God set up at Zion, where Jesus will reign as King of Israel and King of Kings and Lord of lords over all the nations of the world who will come up to pay homage to him at the Feast of Tabernacles every year.

Zechariah14:16: And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, [Jesus, acting as the agent of] Yehovah of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Yehovah of armies of heaven, even upon them shall be no rain.

Again, where is the gospel of the Kingdom of God being preached to-day?

Why is it not the emphasis of preachers today? It was at the forefront of the message Jesus brought to Israel and that he wanted preached to the world!

The whole of Scripture is about God's redemption plan starting at Genesis 3:15, where God prophesies that a man born of a woman will have a son who will defeat the Adversary - Serpent - Satan and thus bring about a restoration of all things as they were at the beginning. So we know that the one predicted in Genesis3:15 is the Son of God, the lord Messiah Jesus, who defeated Satan on the tree and, by his shed blood - the sin-offending sacrifice he offered up to his God and his Father Yehovah reconciled all of humanity to his God and his Father Yehovah.

Now, all anyone in the world needs to do to be delivered from God's Wrath is to believe in the one He has sent and, believing in him, to obey his command to repent and be baptized, immersed completely in water. When we enter into the water, we are saying before our God that we are reckoning ourselves as dead to self, and coming out of the water, we realize a newness of life, become a new creation, filled with the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah. At that moment, we have gone through a regeneration process. But that is just the beginning; now we need to be renewed in our hearts and minds to become as our elder brother, the lord Messiah Jesus. Our God enables us to do that by the power of His Spirit - Breath - Love indwelling us.

At that time we have been grafted into the Israel of Yehovah - God, become members of His household, members of His congregation, members of the body of His anointed one, and members of His called-out Assembly. We are also recognized by our God as His temples individually and collectively because of His indwelling Spirit - Breath - Love in us. We also become heirs of the promises made to Abraham and his "seed," Jesus, God's anointed one. And we look forward to co-ruling with the lord Messiah Jesus in the coming kingdom of God, when he will rule over all the nations as King of kings and Lord of lords at that time, all the nations' representatives will come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles at Jerusalem - Zion... see Zechariah 14.

Jesus also ratified the New Covenant by his shed blood as a sin-offering sacrifice, which he said he would do as that prophet, the one Moses spoke about – Deuteronomy 18:15; Acts 3:2; Acts 7:37

So, as those who are under the New Covenant, what are we to do? We are to live according to the CREED OF JESUS: Mark 12:26-34.... His creed says we are to love God totally committed to him in obedience, and to love our neighbors as ourselves! That is impossible for us to do unless we are enabled by the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah indwelling us. As we submit to His indwelling Spirit - Breath - Love, we will become servants towards all our neighbors, even as Jesus was the greatest servant of all and still is at this very moment, interceding for us as our High Priest and coming alongside us to help and assist us as we walk on the narrow road towards the coming kingdom of God, which is all that Jesus talked and preached about.

WE are all destined at the resurrection to enter into the coming new age, ruling in the Theocratic Government that Jesus will establish and co-rule over all the surviving nations during the 1,000-year rule.

What an amazing opportunity our God and Father has envisioned for us, and to get where He wants us to be, all we need to do is submit to the guidance of His Spirit - Breath - Love, which enables us to obey the words that He gave Jesus to give to us.

Notice what Jesus says: Matthew 7:21: "Not every one that says unto me, ‘lord, lord,’ shall enter into the Kingdom of God, but he that does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Again: If we don't obey the words that Yehovah gave to His anointed one, the lord Messiah Jesus, then you won't be in the kingdom of God. Luke 6:46: "And why do you call me, ‘lord, lord,’ and do not the things which I say? So believing in Jesus isn't all there is; after believing that he is the one whom God has sent and being baptized, we all now need to go forward, keeping the creed of the lord Messiah Jesus, enabled by his indwelling Spirit and the Spirit - Breath - Love of Yehovah, and preach about the soon-coming kingdom of God. This is what the disciples of the lord Messiah Jesus are called upon to do continually!