Sermon Series: Steps of a Disciple - Being Shaped

Sermon Series
"Steps of a Disciple: Being Shaped"
Jeremiah 18: 1-11; Luke 14: 25-33 by Rev. Carson Overstreet
Van Wyck Presbyterian Church
September 4, 2016

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ‘Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.’ So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him.

Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. At one moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, but if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will change my mind about the disaster that I intended to bring on it. And at another moment I may declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, but if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will change my mind about the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: Thus says the Lord: Look, I am a potter shaping evil against you and devising a plan against you. Turn now, all of you from your evil way, and amend your ways and your doings. - Jeremiah 18: 1-11

Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions. - Luke 14: 25-33

Her goal was to focus on the mission. At the age of 21, Jennifer Pharr Davis felt called to hike 2,175 miles along the Appalachian Trail. My family met Jennifer two years ago when her speaking tour led her to Tupelo, Mississippi to share her story. Jennifer prepared for the long journey by studying under Dr. Warren Doyle, the teacher of mastering the Appalachian Trail. As she planned her strategy to hike from Georgia to Maine, she had to acknowledge her limitations, pack smart, and trust the words of her teacher. The most important words that Dr. Doyle shared were these: The trail will ultimately change you.

Jennifer took the trail name of Odyssa, the feminine take on Odysseus from Homer’s book “The Oddesy.” Odyssa left the comforts and security of her life, family, and friends. Although she hiked much of the trail alone, Odyssa found a home on the trail among a community of hikers. She began the trail path believing she would have so much time to reflect upon her life and what she wanted to do in her future. But Odyssa quickly realized that the trail was not just a new home or even a recreational pastime. The trail required her to live in the present and to focus and discern her mission with each passing day to move forward.

With each step, the Appalachian Trail was re-shaping Odyssa – not just physically but also emotionally and spiritually. Hiking between 25-40 miles a day, she found her mission was filled with a lot of discomfort. Odyssa encountered physical hardships, emotional distress, and spiritual unrest [1]. But her deep commitment to prepare for the hike and her willingness to be shaped by the adventure empowered Odyssa to follow her call.

The steps that we take to follow Christ in the journey of discipleship require some preparation as well. That word, “disciple” in the Greek means to be a learner, a student of the teacher. To be a disciple means that one needs to acquire the mental effort to think something through. More specifically a disciple learns to follow the teacher so closely that they strive to be like the teacher in every way.

Luke tells us that being a disciple of Jesus Christ was not for the faint of heart. While the disciples grew in their relationships with God’s ways, with Jesus as Teacher, and also with one another in community, the disciples were being prepared for the difficult journey ahead. Jesus did not call a person to follow him perfectly, for none of us can. Jesus knows the limitations that our humanity brings. Jesus knew that his disciples would need to be shaped by the very hands of God and by the shape of the cross.

From the very beginning the hands of God proclaim he is our Maker and we are the works of God’s hands. As I mentioned in our children’s sermon this morning, you and I are like Play-Dough. We are all beautifully different regarding our ethnicities, personalities, and unique talents. God continues to shape us as we grow. While our decisions and life experiences can make the shape of our clay glorious and purposeful, they can also shape our clay to be rough, chipped, or even spoiled. But God is not satisfied leaving us in that condition.

Like a potter God adds life-giving water to our being and begins smoothing out the rough edges and reshaping our lives as God pleases. God works through all our life experiences for good– the ones we are proud of and the ones we would rather delete from memory. Nothing is wasted for God can use anything and everything to reveal the strength of God’s hands. Being shaped by the hands of God is to embody God’s promise of being a new creation. We can trust God’s hands to mold us and make us according to God’s will.

I have a dear friend who is a minister and a potter. A number of years ago we sat in her garage at the potter’s wheel. I had never potted clay before but I had a particular piece in mind that I wanted to create. It was a plate size prayer labyrinth to use in my prayer time.

I loved the process of shaping the clay but it was difficult to trust my hands with no previous experience. Jill taught me how to move the clay and when to add the water to give the clay adaptability and new life. We shaped the grooves for the labyrinth so that my finger could trace along the lines for a path of prayer. After the clay dried I glazed it and we fired it in the kiln. Once clay is fired it cannot be reshaped. Rather the clay prayer labyrinth would be reshaping me.

The final creation amazes me. I close my eyes and allow my finger to slowly trace along the path to the center of the plate and then back out. As my finger moves I pray and allow God’s Spirit to guide me. There are places where the clay has a bump or a rough patch. It brings to mind the current rough places in my life and that God is at work there. There are places where the grooves of clay get quite narrow and they squeeze my finger. It brings to mind those situations that are bringing stress to me or to others I am praying for and that God is at work there too. God is always in a process of reshaping us on the journey of faith if we are open to a deeper awareness to it.

The shape of the cross also guides us to follow God’s ways. As Jesus ultimately faced the cross to faithfully obey God’s plan for salvation, so a disciple must be willing to devote himself or herself to Jesus Christ to walk in God’s ways. Being a disciple costs something of us because it cost Jesus everything for the sake of God’s redemption. Remember that Jesus called ordinary people like you and me to walk in the ways of God’s extraordinary love. Jesus knew that we could not do this perfectly but Jesus did and does want disciples to consider the commitment to follow. The shape of the cross prepares us to know the steps of a disciple.

The shape of the cross is both vertical and horizontal. The cross helps us to visualize our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationships through life.

Our vertical relationship with God is the most important one we will ever have. God is our Maker, Redeemer, and Sustainer. We connect with God out in the world hiking the trails, fishing along the water’s edge, and seeing God show off with those gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. But nothing compares to an intimate connection with God’s Word. God longs to speak into our lives to remind us who God is creating us to be. We hear the voice of God as a student of Scripture. We learn there how to take the next right step both personally and communally. Daily devotions and group Bible studies are spaces to gain spiritual maturity as well as to prepare for the uphill climbs of life. Nothing centers us more than prayerfully contemplating God's Word.

Our horizontal relationships through life are redefined by the cross as well. The cross questions our loyalty to extend God’s love to others. It is a compass that guides us in the directions of compassion and humility instead of judgment and pride as we walk beside others. The cross is a lens to consider the standards of our decisions and how they affect others. The cross is like a tether that channels our energy into God’s greater purposes at school, at work, and in the community. Jesus asks every disciple to carry the cross every day into every situation of life because the cross touches every area of our lives. You see the cross chips away the walls we build to compartmentalize our life and faith. We carry the cross not out of obligation but with a deep and grateful reverence for all God has done, is doing, and will do among us, through us, and in us.

The life-long journey of being Jesus’ disciple will ultimately change you and me. That is the hope. As we begin this 8 week journey of considering the steps of a disciple we are learning what to pack, what our limitations are, and how the Teacher is preparing us.

So I invite you to do some reflection today and into this week:

How are you living your life differently because of Jesus Christ?
How are your identity and self-worth being redefined as a child of God?
How is your commitment to be a student in the school of faith being nurtured and strengthened?
How are your ethics at school and work being thought through in light of the Gospel?
How is God working through your unique skill sets and endeavors to touch others’ lives for the common good of God’s kingdom?

The first step of a disciple is to have a willingness to be shaped by the Teacher. May it be so for you and me.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Source Referenced:

[1] Jennifer Pharr Davis, “Becoming Odyssa: Adventures on the Appalachian Trail (New York: Beaufort Books, 2010), p. 3