Gathering in Discipleship
Engaging with God's word transforms our lives. As Pastor Mark Carlson reminds us, 'The word of the Lord remains forever.' This powerful truth encourages us to seek spiritual growth and new birth through daily discipleship.
Watch the full sermonThe Power of God's Word
God's word is a powerful seed sown into our hearts, bringing about new birth and transformation. As stated in 1 Peter 1:23, 'Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.' This highlights the importance of engaging with scripture, as it is through God's word that we experience spiritual growth and renewal. When we allow the word to dwell in us richly, we can see the world through the eyes of faith, impacting our daily lives and interactions.
Plan a VisitDaily Discipleship Practices
Engaging with God's word daily is essential for spiritual growth. We can incorporate scripture into our lives by reading, marking, learning, and inwardly digesting it. This practice not only shapes our thoughts but also influences our actions. As we engage with God's word, we can experience the activation of the rhema word, which brings the scriptures to life in our hearts. This daily discipleship is a journey that requires commitment and intentionality, allowing us to grow closer to God and understand His will for our lives.
Parental Responsibility in Faith
Parents play a crucial role in fostering a culture of discipleship at home. By modeling a hunger for God's word and actively praying for their children, parents can encourage their kids to embrace their faith. As highlighted in the sermon, 'Children need to see parents who are hungering and thirsting for God’s word.' This commitment to spiritual growth not only impacts the family but also the wider community, as children grow up to become leaders in faith.
The word of the Lord remains forever.
You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable.
Scripture Highlights
1 Peter 1:23 - Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.
1 Peter 1:24-25 - For all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to be born again?
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What is the role of parents in discipleship?
Content Transcript
Introduction
Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. You may be seated.
A Missional Moment
A few days ago, I went to the Green Velvet, it's formerly known, I don't know the name of offhand, that is chosen as a place for grass seed. I went there to get some grass seed to reseed my front and back yards. That tall fescue, that I went to purchase a big bag of it. As I was having the employee load up the bag into the back end of my car, we started talking a little bit. We were discussing seed because I’d started meditating upon and reflecting upon these words from 1 Peter: "Since you’ve been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. For all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever."
These words were on my mind, and I had a missional moment with the employee. I said, "You know, this seed thing is pretty interesting because seeds can last a long, long, long, long time. In fact, thousands of years is documented that certain seeds, unless they’ve been watered, they’ll just remain in a cool and dry place. They will never perish; they’ll just keep living right on for thousands of years."
The Word of God as Seed
It made me think about the ways in which the word of God is like this seed and how it is so powerful. The word of God goes beyond the seeds because they do perish eventually, as we understand and we consider the nature of all of life. But this is a profound truth that the word of God is as a seed sown into our hearts, and it is a powerful seed. It goes forth from God to accomplish the purpose for which He sends it, as Isaiah says.
As the seed of God’s word goes forth, it’s at work in us to bring a new birth. It’s so powerful in its impact. We’re born again anew and above from the word and the water and the work of the Holy Spirit, starting in baptism and continuing on in each and every one of our lives.
There is an interesting element to this passage of scripture as Peter is a person calling attention to not only the written word, the objective word of God, the logos, but he’s also calling attention to the activated and alive word of God, the rhema. So there’s a transition in this passage from the abiding logos and the word of the Lord in terms of the rhema that goes forth. This is the good news that was preached to you, this word that is activated and alive and is this seed that goes to work in us.
Peter's Experience
Peter understood these principles. Peter himself experienced both the written words of God and the living word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he experienced the rhema of God, also the activated and alive word. Let me just share with you a few moments in Peter’s life where this was happening.
They were out fishing all night long, these experienced fishermen, and they haven’t caught anything. Jesus stands on the shoreline and He tells them where to cast their nets. We’ve been fishing all night long, haven’t caught a thing, and He speaks a rhema word, a word activated and alive into their lives. They cast their nets and they catch a big batch. Wow!
As Peter experienced also this moment when Jesus tells him, "You are going to deny me three times. You’re going to deny me three times, and the rooster’s going to crow." As the scriptures in Matthew and Mark record for us, when Peter is walking through the courtyard and the rooster crows, he remembers the words Jesus spoke to him. It is activated and quickened in his heart, and it brings him to repentance.
The Activation of the Word
So when the word goes forth and it’s working like this, it’s happening in your life and it’s happening in mine. Whenever you read the same passage of scripture over and over and over again, and you get to whatever number of times you’ve read, all of a sudden, bang! The light bulb goes on, and the passage just seems to jump out of the pages. A heavenly Holy Spirit highlighting pen is on that passage. That’s when the written word is activated and made alive, and you have this thing called the rhema happen for you.
It flows out of the written word of God in a powerful way. It happens in baptism, it happens in communion, it happens in absolution when the word of God is being declared and pronounced, and we’re consecrating. It’s a word that’s working and making things happen according to the promise of God.
Peter understood these things. In fact, as we look into other passages, when he said to Jesus, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words that are alive and active, the words of eternal life." That’s the word rhema right there.
Mary said, "According to your word, may it happen to me." Luke records for us, Simeon, "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word." As the nunc dimittis was just shared with our dear brother Bob Andrus in his commendation of the sick and dying, the word was working. "Lord, now let your servant depart in peace according to your word." It’s an active and alive word at work in us.
Daily Discipleship
As you hear Peter say, "You have the words," when Jesus told the disciples the Holy Spirit is going to fall upon people after I ascend, the Spirit of God is going to start falling on Jew and Gentile, and they’re going to be baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit.
In the book of Acts, in chapter 10, when Cornelius is being brought to faith, Peter speaks of the fact that the word was working in that powerful way in Cornelius’s life. In chapter 11, he goes on to say, "I remember, I the word of the Lord told me this was going to happen like this," and he’s so excited, activated in life.
You and I need to let the word of God dwell in us richly. If you’ll only give the word more opportunity to work in your life as Christians, open their hearts up to receive the word. It’s sitting right here. Is it going to do anything sitting on the altar railing? Well, I could put it under my pillow at night and I could sleep on it. I can put it on my nightstand. I can put it on the end table. But I’m telling you, you have to put it here. You have to take it into your heart.
You have to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest God’s holy word. You’re here hearing this next Sunday about, "As newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk that by it you may grow up into salvation."
So there’s a justification and sanctification element, and if we’re going to be daily disciples, it’s going to involve a daily conversation, a daily walk, a daily hearing from God, a daily praying to the Lord. It’s a daily discipleship.
When you get yourself into the word and the word is getting into you, I’m going to tell you, you’re going to start seeing your neighbors differently. You’re going to start seeing them through the eyes of faith, and you’re going to start seeing the people in the grocery stores differently. You’re going to be seeing the people who drive the cars around you differently.
I cannot for the life of me have someone in front of me with a coexist bumper sticker without my prayers for that person. It’s a lie from hell, these untruths that people want to put on their bumper stickers and wear on their shirts and put on the tops of their hats. You can see the lies, but you know the truth.
The Need for Discipleship
It’s time for us. You know the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod has a pastoral shortage. They’re trying to figure out what the problem is. What is the problem? Is it because of our seminaries lacking in what they’re doing? Well, they don’t even get to the seminaries. That’s not where the problem is. The problem starts a lot earlier in life than that.
It’s not the seminary formation process because they’ve got to get there. It’s the congregational problem. It’s the individual disciples problem. How many parents are praying for their children to become pastors and church workers? In fact, who wants to pray for their son or daughter to be a church worker?
I’ve actually had a father say, "Stop talking to my son about becoming a pastor or a teacher. He’s supposed to be a lawyer or a doctor." I’ve been putting a lot of energy and effort into raising this boy to be something more than a pastor or a teacher. Fortunately, this young man from St. James in Marion went to become an LCMS teacher. His parents disowned him and would not support him financially, but others did.
So we have a discipleship problem. Children need to see parents who are hungering and thirsting for God’s word, who are living it out in their daily lives. When we don’t see that happening, it’s time for us to allow the word of God to bring us to repentance and to go to our children and say, "I’m sorry I’ve been such a poor model and example of discipleship for you."
We are in a daily discipleship every day. So as you look at this passage, it says...