Apprentice To Jesus

Jesus

• Was a Rabbi
• Many of us don’t take him seriously as a spiritual leader
• He came to die, but also to live
• Did not invent discipleship
• Invites us to “follow him” and adopt his way of life to experience an abundant life

How do you become a rabbi?

The Educational System:

• At 5 years old you go to “the house of the book” (elementary school)
• By 12-13 years old most had memorized the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
• Most students went home here
• Best and brightest went on to second level, “the house of learning”
• By 17 years old most had memorized the entire Old Testament
• The overwhelming majority stop here
• The best of the best apply to apprentice under a rabbi

It’s important that Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi - Jewish people believed that becoming a great scholar of the scriptures represented life’s supreme achievement. If Jesus wasn’t a rabbi, they wouldn’t have trusted him.

What is discipleship (apprenticeship)?

Disciple

(Talmid in Hebew): a “student of a teacher or philosopher”

• Apprenticeship to Jesus is a whole life process of becoming him
• Disciple is a noun (something you are or are not) and not a verb (something done to you)
• A disciple is not a learner but a practitioner
• Following Jesus means:
  • Listening
  • learning
  • Observing
  • Obedience
  • Imitation
• The goal is not to pass a test, but to master the art of living to make steady progress into the kingdom of God
• Someone can’t force you to become their disciple, you have to choose to become one
• Jesus invites us to “Follow Him” - to be a disciple to him, not to merely believe in him

Are you a Christian or an Apprentice?

• “Christian” is used 3 times in the New Testament
• “Disciple” or “Apprentice” is used 269 times
• “Christian” was a term used to describe followers of Jesus who looked and acted like him (mini Christ’s)
• “Christian” no longer carries the same significance today
• We made it possible to become a Christian without becoming an Apprentice of Jesus
  • We think of “following Jesus” as going the extra mile or as an option for those that want to be “super Christians”
• Jesus is not looking for more people who believe in him (even the demons believe in Jesus). He’s looking for people who want to be with him and want to become like him

Three Goals of an Apprentice

1. You were to be with your rabbi
   • 24/7, you left everything
2. You were to become your rabbi
   • You wanted to BE him
3. You were to do as your rabbi did
   • You slept, ate, worked like them

What are we saved to?

• Evangelicalism likely caused a discipleship crisis
  • We told people to just accept the free gift of salvation but didn’t tell them they had to “deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus”
• How we understand the gospel will determine how we approach (or don’t approach) discipleship
  • Saying yes to Jesus doesn’t make you a disciple
• For Jesus, salvation is less about getting you into heaven and more about getting heaven into you
• Salvation isn’t a transaction, it’s a transformation
• We can’t earn or work our way to salvation but… grace is not opposed to effort, it’s opposed to earning
• Jesus’ invitation: adopt my overall way of life to experience the life I have on offer
• The Jesus Way + The Jesus Truth = The Jesus Life
• “Jesus as the Truth” gets far more attention than “Jesus as The Way”

Definitions

Rabbi

Spiritual leaders of Israel. They each had their own yoke. Would call their own disciples at around age 30. Relied on the hospitality of others.

Disciple

(Talmid in Hebew): a “student of a teacher or philosopher”

Way

Hodos (Greek): literally means a road or path

References

• Mark 1:17-18
• Matthew 22:33
• Mark 9:15
• Luke 4:22
• Mark 1:22
• Matthew 13:54
• John 7:46
• John 10:33
• Mark 3:14
• Luke 6:40
• Matthew 7:21
• Luke 19:10
• Mark 1:15
• Matthew 11:25
• Matthew 7:26-27
• John 10:10
• Psalm 23:5
• Mark 8:34