We’re in the middle of a message series called The Jesus Way. And we’re talking about what it means to be a disciple, or apprentice, of Jesus. At the heart of being apprentices to Jesus, we have three goals…
Be with Jesus
Become Like Jesus
Do what Jesus did
Let’s talk about what it looks like to become like Jesus.
In Luke chapter 6, Jesus shares what is probably his shortest parable. It’s just two verses.
Jesus says…
39 …“Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit?”
Now, the blind guides Jesus is talking about here are the religious leaders. Unfortunately, there are some blind disciples out there following blind rabbis.
But look at verse 40. Jesus says…
40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Now, I want you to notice a few things here.
One, the whole point of apprenticeship is not just to know a lot about the Bible, but to become like our rabbi or teacher.
Two, it takes training. Notice that Jesus says fully trained, which means we could be partially trained. Our goal is to become fully trained, which doesn’t come automatically.
And three, it takes time.
So, if I’m an apprentice to Jesus, and my goal is to be with Jesus and then to become like Jesus, I might have a little problem here. The problem is that I most likely need to change. In order to become like Jesus, I most likely need to make some major changes in my lifestyle.
Be with Jesus? Done! I’ve got this. It’s like Monday morning stuff for me. But how many of us make it to Monday afternoon? For some of us, it might require some major changes in our lifestyle, like a radical overhaul of our entire person from the inside out, to become like Jesus. The New Testament uses the word transformation.
Look at 2 Corinthians 3:18…
18 We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…
The word for the phrase being transformed comes from the Greek word μεταμορφόω, which describes a caterpillar going through metamorphosis and changing into a butterfly. The question is: Is this kind of change possible in our lives? And before you jump in and say, “Yes, it is,” slow down for a second and think about that. Is this kind of radical, from the inside out, transformation possible? And if so, how?
Well, the key to transformation is found in spiritual formation. Dallas Willard defines it this way:
Spiritual formation in the Christian tradition is a process of increasingly being possessed and permeated by the character traits (of Jesus) as we walk in the easy yoke of discipleship with Jesus, our teacher.
We said a couple of weeks ago that we’re all disciples of someone or something. We’re being shaped into someone or something.
So, the question is: Who or what am I an apprentice of, and what am I being shaped into?