Are you a Christian or a Disciple?

We have been working our way through the book of Luke this year in Church. Today's sermon was on Luke 6. Randy started out with a tongue in cheek statement, that there were too many Christians and not enough Disciples. Christians promote a "follow this" attitude. Meaning do this, don't do that. A list that they don't follow very well themselves, and leave the world wondering why would I want to be a Christian. There are many more groups/clubs that I can join that have easier "rules" to play by. Disciples on the other hand have a follow me approach, where the me of course is Jesus. To understand better what is meant by follow me, one needs to understand a little about the Jewish Community of the time. Both boys and girls would be educated until about age 12. At that time the girls would go back to the home to help there. Most of the boys would go back to work with their dads and learn the family business, but the best and the brightest would have an opportunity to continue their training. However to continue their education they had to be attached to a Rabi. This was no simple task. They would have to seek after, beg, plead to find one to take them. And this wasn't a normal teacher/student situation like today. These students would pledge themselves to the Rabi, the Rabi would take them in like family. And they would learn and mimic everything that the Rabi did. It was a close, life long relationship. In fact Rabi's often said their students knew them better than their own children. In Luke 6:40, it says, "A pupil is not above his teacher, but everyone, after he has been fully trained will be like his teacher." Jesus is our teach, we are to pledge ourselves to him, learn to be like him. The things that are important to Him should be what is important to us. The way he treats other people, is how we should treat other people. In other words, we are giving up who we are, to be who He is. Why would I give up my life to follow a 2000 year old Galilean Teacher if all he has is bunch of rules to follow? You wouldn't. But if Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God, then that changes everything. Luke 6:46 says, "And why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" Cultural Christians have their lists of rules, and are very quick to point out others who violate the rules, but most fail to follow those same rules. We don't always practice what we preach. The world sees us as hypocrites, how can we avoid that. Jesus wasn't about rule followers, in fact the religious leaders of the time were experts, and Jesus had some choice words to say about them. Jesus on the other hand was compassionate, Gentle, Loving. He was interested in building relationships with the people. Because he had the relationship, people were more open to what he had to say about what was right and wrong, and why they needed to change. Three things we can do to live like a disciple. 1. We need to be accountable - Everyone should have 2-3 people they meet with regularly that hold us accountable. Asking the tough questions. One idea was texting them what scripture you studied that particular day, and if you didn't text anything, they would know you didn't that day. Everyone misses, but if it becomes a pattern then they can get involved to see what's going on. 2. Admit that we struggle and talk about what we struggle with. 3. Realize that the power to be what Christ calls us to is not from ourselves, but from the Holy Spirit working through us.