What Would Jesus Do? Part 6: Concerning Discipling - 1 of 2

We're gonna turn if you would to Matthew chapter eight. Matthew chapter eight. We've been spending time on Wednesday nights looking at different aspects of Jesus's ministry and personal life on Earth. Asking the question, what would Jesus do? What would Jesus do in several situations?

The last one, how would Jesus deal with how did Jesus deal with his adversaries and how do we deal with those who are adversarial towards us and we saw several ways that Jesus dealt with his adversaries which teaches us how to deal with those who maybe don't like us or or maybe stand in our way do things that are contrary or say things that are hurtful. How do we deal with those people? Well, Jesus left many examples in his life of how to deal with those who were were not his friends, but in a manner of speaking, enemies. He said to pray for your enemies. He said to do good for them, to not return evil with evil, but evil with good.

And so, that isn't human nature, that's divine nature. And that's the example that Jesus left us. This evening, we're going to look at at being a mentor, teaching, and training others. Jesus did a lot of that in this three year ministry on Earth. He spent a matter of fact, the majority of his time teaching, training, and mentoring 12 young men.

And so, there is a a ton of examples and illustrations in God's word and and instructions for that matter on how to teach, train, and mentor others. And so we're going to look at a few of those this evening. We're going look at those few of those next Sunday evening. And if we're done then, then we'll move on to something else. Then, if not, we'll finish up in a couple of weeks but there's much here for us to learn.

What would Jesus do If he had someone to train and teach and mentor, disciple, so to speak. Well, let's pray and then we'll look in the scriptures. Lord, we thank you this evening for the example that you've left us. Lord, I pray that you would help us to learn from it. That we might be good disciplers, good mentors, good teachers of those who come after us, Lord.

Who need to be taught and trained in the word of God. And encouraged and exhorted and helped along the path. That they in turn might do the work of the ministry and teach others also. Lord, help us to be faithful and entrust to others who are faithful to carry on that ministry. Give us wisdom.

Teach us in the next few weeks. How we can better be teachers to others, Lord. In training them to be more like Jesus Christ. For it's in Jesus precious name we pray. Amen.

We can start in in many different places. As a matter of fact, I told brother Marvin when he came up here, I said, he commented on the hieroglyphics on my on my page here, my outline I call writing And I said, well, I decided at the last minute to switch my switch my points around. So, point number two is now one and point number one is now four. So, we'll see if we get to four this evening. We're going to start with our new point number one this morning and this that is this, Jesus always told the truth.

He always told the truth even when it hurt. He didn't hide the truth from those he was teaching. He didn't sugarcoat the truth for those he was teaching. He told them the way it was and he told them the way it would be. That he might prepare them to face those challenges.

We do not do people a lot of good. As sometimes we think we do when we sugarcoat the difficulties that they may face in the Christian life and in serving the Lord. In Matthew sixteen twenty four, Jesus said, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me and in saying this, Jesus is indicating to his disciples and to others around him that want to follow him that serving the Lord is not the easiest path. It it's not always going to be a bed of roses. It's not always going to be easygoing.

A matter of fact, it comes with a cost and with a price and it is at times a very difficult road because you will be swimming upstream. But you won't be swimming upstream alone for the Lord Jesus will be with us. But we must realize, if we are going to serve the Lord and bring honor to Him, we do need to deny ourselves worldly pleasures and our ambitions and lust. And we need to embrace the will of the Lord and his ambitions for us. Though they will cost us at times.

Jesus always told the truth. Look if you would in Matthew chapter eight. Matthew chapter eight beginning in verse 18. Matthew eight eighteen. It says, now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side and a certain scribe came and said unto him, master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Jesus say it unto him, the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the son of man hath not where to lay his head And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, follow me and let the dead bury the dead. These were not one of the 12 disciples. These were some of the multitude of followers that were following Jesus around particularly in Galilee. They were in at different levels in their faith.

Some of them were just very curious about the miracles. Some of them were following him kind of selfishly. They wanted only were interested in what he could do for them, for their physical needs or something else. Others were were thinking that there was something very special about this great teacher and they wanted to hear more what he had to say but they had not yet come to the faith that he was the son of God and the Messiah of Israel. Others believed who he was.

But yet, selling out and following him. Was not something they were necessarily yet. At the point prepared to do and so when they came to Jesus and they said, we'll follow you, we'll be your disciples, you would think Jesus would have said, okay, yeah, come on. The more the better. But that's not what he said here.

These people that came to him were not his adversaries. These were people who were following him. People who were listening to him. People who had at least some matter of faith and interest in him. But rather than saying, oh yeah, it's going to be great.

Come join me. Jesus told them very plainly and very honestly. If you follow me, you're not going to have a regular place to call home. Not in this ministry. And indeed, even we who are followers of Christ today, this world is not what?

This world is not our home. We're just passing through. Our home is our home is up there. And another one said, well, I'll follow you, just let me bury my father first. Now, in Jewish society, that probably didn't mean that his father had died and he just needed a day to bury him.

What that probably meant is his father had not yet passed away and he wanted to wait until the time in which he did pass away and then after that, he would follow him. Well, that could be weeks, months, years. Jesus said, no. You follow me. Make a choice.

Follow me or don't follow me but don't say you're going to follow me and say, well, but but wait a second, there's a stipulation. Paul reminds us in Romans 12, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a what? Living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. We should never be putting stipulations on our service and obedience and following the Lord. We should just say, yes, Lord.

I will follow you. Recognizing that there is a cost to following and serving and doing the will of God in our life. In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus told his disciples as he sent them out to preach the gospel of the kingdom and to heal others. He said, you will be a sheep among wolves. He told them, they aren't necessarily going to embrace you.

No. Matter of fact, the very opposite is likely to be the case. So, prepare yourself and trust in the Lord. In John chapter 10, turn if you would to John chapter 15. Sorry, John chapter 15.

John 15. And verse 18 Jesus speaking to his disciples says in John fifteen eighteen, it says, if the world hate, excuse me, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore, the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

Jesus said to his disciples, as you go out to do the work of the Lord, don't be shocked if you find out that the world doesn't accept it and doesn't love you for it. If they hated me, they're going to what? They're going to hate you. He said, if they receive my word, then they'll receive your word but if they reject it, my word, they're going to reject your word. It isn't you so much they're rejecting.

Jesus said, it's me. But be prepared because serving the Lord in a wicked world is not often going to be met with paths on the back. By those to whom we minister to in the world. Those to whom we proclaim the gospel. Because the fact is most of the time, not all of the time, but most of the time, they don't want to hear it.

Because they want to continue on the Broadway because it's the easy way. It's the way that I do what I want and nobody tells me what to do. It's the way that I don't have to humble myself and repent of my sin or deal with eternity and that's where people like to be. And so, Jesus said to his disciples, they're going to hate you. Now, what is he being?

He's being honest and he's being truthful with them. And as we train and teach others, we need to be honest and truthful with them. We need to be careful not to sugarcoat the truth. Now, there is great reward in serving Jesus, is there not? And that's also part of the truth.

Jesus said he came not to just give us life but to give it to us what? More abundantly. Those rewards don't begin when we get to heaven. They start here now. There is joy in serving Jesus.

And there's even greater rewards in heaven. But persecution will come. Paul flatly states it to Timothy. If you follow and serve the Lord, you will face persecution. Turn if you would to Matthew chapter 19.

Matthew chapter 19. Let's look in verse 16. This is another one of those passages where somebody comes to Jesus and you get a different answer than you would expect if you're not familiar with the passage. In Matthew chapter 19 and verse 16, it says, and behold one came and said unto him, good master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? Your our first conclusion is that Jesus is going to say something similar to what Paul said in Acts chapter sixteen thirty one.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved but Jesus knew the heart of this young man better than any of us ever could or he himself even knew and so Jesus went right to the heart of the matter and he said to the young man, verse 17, he said unto him, why callest thou me good? There is none good but one that is God. But if thou will enter into life, keep the commandments. Jesus' statement in verse 17 is indicating to the young man two things. First of all, that he is a what?

That he's a sinner because no one's good but who? But God. The second thing Jesus is indicating is that he is God and that he is good, okay? He's not by any means saying that he's not. He's indicate, he didn't tell the young man, I'm not good.

So, therefore, he's accepting the reference there for he is God and he is good but he goes on to say to the young man, to keep the commandments. He say it unto him verse 18, which Jesus said, thou shalt do no murder, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, honor thy father and thy mother, and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. The young man say it unto him, all these things have I kept from my youth up. What lack I yet? Jesus said, said unto him, if thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me but when the young man heard the saying, he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions.

You see, there was one at least two or three of the commandments he broke simply by having an idol in his life. What was his idol? His idol was his possessions and Jesus knew it was an idol and so Jesus went right to the heart of the matter and he told him the truth. If you think you're going to get to heaven by keeping the commandments, you're not. Because you haven't kept them.

There's an idol in your life. Are you aware of that? And the young man walked away sorrowful. Why? Because he wasn't willing to part with the idol that was in his life.

For knowing the truth of the gospel of how to get to heaven. And therefore, rather than continuing the conversation, he just walked away. Now, maybe there was another opportunity, maybe down the line, he rethought, maybe down the line, he got saved. We're not told that story but Jesus continues in verse 23. It says, then said Jesus unto his disciples, verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.

And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. What is Jesus doing? He's telling them the truth. He's saying this honestly. It's very difficult for someone who is very wealthy and rich and has many possessions and feels secure in those possessions to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

You're going to find this to be the case as you minister. Because they don't think they need the Lord. Because they think they've got it all taken care of themselves. And the God of their heart, their possessions, which they have a very difficult time in many cases parting with for the sake of eternity. He goes on to say though, look if you would in verse 25, when his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed saying, who then can be saved?

But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, with men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. It's impossible to push a camel through the eye of the needle. And I personally don't think it's talking about the small door in the gate of the wall in Jerusalem, though some commentators have tried to equate it to that. I think he's talking about the eye of a needle. And that's why they acted with such astonishment.

Well, a camel can't fit through the eye of a needle, So, therefore, it's not possible for the wealthy to be saved but Jesus said, with God, all things are what? All things are possible. What is he doing? He's teaching them. How did he start?

He started with the truth. He confronted a young man with the truth. He was a sinner and he had an idol. And he confronted, used that to teach his disciples. In John 13 and a couple other places in scripture, it records Peter and the other disciples saying, Lord, I'm going to stick with you till the end.

Lord, I won't leave you. Lord, I won't deny you and what did Jesus tell him? He said, you will. And what did he tell Peter? He said, before the cock crows what?

Third third time? I think twice. Right. For the cock crows twice, you'll deny me thrice, three times. What happened?

Well, obviously, we know what happened. Peter did exactly as Jesus said would happen. He told Peter the truth. He didn't bother them say, oh no, you can handle it. You're going to do this.

You're going to know. He said, you're not ready to handle this yet. But later on in Acts chapter one when he ascended up into heaven, he said, I want you to go back to Jerusalem. I'm going to wait you to wait there for the what? For the Holy Spirit.

When the Holy Ghost has come upon you, then, you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria unto the uttermost part of the earth. These men changed when the Holy Spirit came. The Holy Spirit that indwells everyone of us, our hearts that knows Jesus Christ as savior and empowers us as it did them. Jesus, when he taught and he mentored his disciples and we could pull out many examples. He told them the truth.

He didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't speak diplomatically. He confronted them with the truth that the decisions they would make was not based upon manipulation, but was based upon receiving and believing the truth. You shall know the truth and the truth shall what? Set you free.

Second of all, he gave his disciples assignments and responsibilities. As he taught them, he would teach them and then he would send them out. In Matthew chapter 10, he gave them tools to perform ministry that he had called them to and then he sent them out to perform that ministry. Matthew 10 verse one and when he had called unto him his 12 disciples and gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out and heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease and then in verse two and three, and four gives the names of the disciples. In verse five, it says, these 12, Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying, go not into the way of the Gentiles and and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and as you go preach saying the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out the devils freely, you have received freely in. Jesus not only instructed them and taught them but Jesus then gave them the tools that they needed and told them to go out and use what they had learned. He delegated and he tested them. And part of learning is delegating and testing. It's taking on tasks, it's taking on projects, and it's being tested to see what we have learned.

Testing, as a kid, you think a test is a what? It's a bad thing. You don't look forward to test. In life, as adults, honestly, our tests are different but sometimes we feel the same way. You know, we would rather not learn patience by going through that test, okay?

Tests are still bad things. But tests are actually what? They're good things. And so as we disciple and train and teach others whether they be our children or those in our Sunday school class or or some other person in the church or neighbor or friend that we're trying to encourage in the path. We need to help them instruct them, give them the tools they need, and give them opportunity to use those, to test them, to to use them, to succeed or to fail.

And thus, Jesus delegated to his disciples. Look if you would in Matthew 14. Matthew 14. You know, that's actually a scary thing. It's much easier to do everything yourself.

It's much easier just to do the instruction. It's a lot harder to entrust them to take it and use what they have learned but somewhere along the line that has to happen and Jesus understood that. His disciples were not ready for everything and some of the test they would fail but what happened when they failed? They learned. Look if you would in Matthew again, I said, Matthew chapter 14.

Look if you would in verse 22. And straightway, Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship and to go before him into the other side. Well, he sent the multitudes away and when he had sent the disciples away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come, he was there alone but the ship was now in the midst of the sea tossed with waves for the wind was contrary. So, Jesus told them, he said, you go get a boat and you go out there. I'll I'll catch up And they got a boat, they went out in the sea and a storm came up and the Sea Of Galilee, I'm told, it the the beautiful, peaceful, tranquil Sea Of Galilee can turn into a very mean, tempestuous, stormy sea in a very brief amount of time and so they were out there in the middle of the night and the waves were contrary to them and they just, you you know, you've you ever tried to paddle upstream?

You don't get anywhere very fast and that's that's they were fighting contrary to the wind. It was pushing them one direction. They were trying to go the other. So, they were frustrated. Verse 25 and the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea and when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled saying it is a spirit and they cried out for fear.

Boy, they've got a lot to learn yet, don't they? So, they're they're pouring their mic trying to get across there and it's not working and they see Jesus and they think, oh no, it's a it's a ghost out on the sea. Verse 27, but straightway Jesus spake unto them saying, be of good cheer, it is I. Be not afraid and Peter answered and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me, come unto thee on the water and he said, come and when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. Wouldn't that be wonderful if that's where the story ended?

And so, Jesus bade him come out and said, you come out to me. So, Peter steps down onto onto the water. I can see just Peter stepping down onto the water and he began to walk across the sea and it was amazing. Then, he took his eyes off of who? He took his eyes off of Jesus and things started to go bad awful quick.

When he saw the wind boisterous and he was afraid and beginning to sink, he cried saying, Lord, save me and immediately, Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him, oh thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? When they were come into the ship, the wind ceased, then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him saying of the truth, thou art the son of God. Peter got out there and he began to sink stepped out in faith but when he took his eyes off Jesus, he failed but you know what? Jesus was there to what? Jesus was there to pick him up when he failed.

There to rescue him from his own failure. You know, Jesus is there to rescue us. We in training and teaching others not only need to teach them that Jesus is there to help them but we need to give them opportunities as Jesus did to test, to learn, and sometimes to fail. But be there to encourage them and to help them. When they fail.

I have failed many times in my life, so have you. And we learn. And we learn particularly when we're helped by somebody who picks us up and says, okay, this is what you did wrong. Let's try again. Like we do when our kids are little and we want them to learn to walk.

You know, they fall, pick em up, okay, try you. I'm there to help you and Jesus told the truth. Jesus gave his disciples assignments. Sometimes, they failed. When they did, he was there to pick them up.

Encourage them and try again. The number three thing that that's struck me as I was reading through the Gospel of Matthew is this, he took time to explain things to them. He answered their questions even when they should have understood. He took time. If we are going to help help others, if we're going to mentor them in the ways of the Lord, it's going to take time and we're going to have to be willing to answer the same question sometimes, many times and try to come up with different ways to answer the question to help them to understand.

We too easily forget that we were once in that place and somebody took the time to disciple and to teach us and to answer our questions and we see this in Jesus' ministry in so many different places. Starting in Matthew 13, Matthew 13. We'll just look at a couple. Matthew thirteen and ten through 18. Disciples came.

Now, this is after he just told the parable of the sower. The disciples came and said unto him, why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore, speak I to them in parables because they seem, see not in hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand and in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah or Isaiah which say it, by hearing, you shall hear and shall not understand and seeing, you shall see and shall not perceive.

For this people's heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear. For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see and have not seen them and to hear those things which you hear and have not heard them. Hear you therefore the parable of the sower. They came to Jesus and asked, why do you teach in parables?

They don't understand. Well, the fact is the disciples really didn't understand all that well. But Jesus took time to answer their question. And then Jesus took time to explain the parables. He didn't say to them, don't you get this?

Don't you understand? No, he took time. When they asked to tell them what it meant. The Bible says, ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you. The others that heard him that day that were dull of hearing and whose eyes didn't see, they just went on their merry way and didn't come to Jesus and ask.

But his disciples did and rather than getting frustrated, why do you, you know, can't you get it? No, Jesus took time to what? To explain it to So, they would know and they would understand and we see this many times in the gospels. Many times, they asked, well, what does that mean? What does that mean?

And Jesus would stop what he was doing and he would explain it to It took time but it was important that they understood. One thing that's difficult about preaching is it's more of a lecture and it's difficult to get feedback and sometimes you're preaching and looking out and people have this look on their face like, you know, and it's like, boy, I don't think they understand and it's hard to to to really get a feel for what they're getting and not getting and be able to deal with that from the pulpit but that's why we have like the men's Bible study on on Fridays and and we have Sunday school. I I enjoy my Sunday school class because they feel free to ask questions and we discuss back and forth and it's very good for the group of people I have coming to Sunday school. They really need that and it takes time. Sometimes, we're on a lesson that should take one week for three or four weeks, you know?

That's okay. If that's what it takes for them to understand, well, that's what it's all about. This week, I had several people call me or or drop by and ask questions. You know, I enjoy that. I welcome that.

Yes, it takes my time but that's what pastoring is really about. You see. But that's not just for me. That's also for you. There's probably someone in your life that's looking up to you.

There's probably someone that you're helping to teach. If there's not, find somebody. And take time to explain things. You may not know all the right ways to say it and you may not have all the information, but help them the best you can and look it up and try to find out for em. This is what Jesus did for his disciples.

In Matthew 18, Peter came to Jesus and Peter asked him, Lord, how many times should I forgive my friend if he if he sins against me? Should I forgive him up to seven times? And Jesus said, no, Peter. 71. 70 times seven and then, you know what Jesus did?

He took the time to give an illustration about a man who owed a king or his Lord a great deal of money and went and pleaded and the king forgave him and then, he went to he went to somebody who owed him a little and had him thrown in debtors prison because he wouldn't pay him. Peter, be willing to forgive. Why? Because you've been what? You've been forgiven.

You've been forgiven. Ephesians chapter five verse 32, I think it is. It's not coming to mind so I'll read it. By the time I get there, I'll remember it. Four thirty two.

Sorry, wrong chapter And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath what? Hath forgiven you. They were sitting on the Mount Of Olives, and this Jesus disciples gathered around him there asked him, what, when will these things happen concerning the temple that Jesus had just mentioned and and the sign of your return that that your coming and the end of the world. You know what Jesus did? Jesus sat there for a long time.

Chapter four twenty four and chapter 25 and explained to his disciples. Things that they probably didn't entirely understand but he took the time. He didn't just shove em aside and say, oh, we'll talk about that later. No, that's what they wanted to hear right then and He took time to explain it to them. That is the way our Lord taught and trained others.

He told them the truth. He gave them assignments as he gave them tools to use. He was there to help them when they failed to pull them up and he took time to explain things to them. He just didn't assume they understood and if they asked questions, regardless of how ridiculous the question may be, regardless of how many times he may have answered it. There there there's interesting.

There's a couple things that Jesus told them many times in scripture. They wanted to know who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom. They had a problem with this. This wasn't just one time. There's at least three times in the gospel so that they grasp grapple with wanting to be the best and Jesus kept kept telling them and he kept teaching them and kept explaining to them that the greatest in the kingdom is the servant of all and not the one who receives the all the accolades.

Not the one who takes the the authority and the praise for themselves but the one who is simply willing to serve others. He told them over and over again in the book of Matthew, at least three times recorded in the book of Matthew before Christ went to the cross. He told his disciples, I am going to Jerusalem. They are going to arrest me. They are going to cruise, they're going to kill me, crucify me, and then after three days, I'm gonna what?

Rise again. And still when he died on the cross, they still didn't get it. But he kept, he kept telling them which brings us to our fourth and final point this evening and that is this, he was very patient very patient. If you are going to help others, if you are going to encourage them, if you are going to help train them, mentor them, teach them, then you have to learn patience because people need it I need it. The Lord is very patient with me and the Lord was very patient with his disciples.

When they were afraid in the storm, He looked at the storm and he said, why? Peace be still. There was nothing to be scared of but they were scared. So, he calmed the sea. And he said to them, oh ye of little faith.

But he was patient with them because that wouldn't be the last time that would happen. Turn if you would to Matthew 11. Matthew 11 and verse one. Came to pass when Jesus made the end of commanding his 12 disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach to in their cities. Now, when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples and said unto him, art thou he that should come or do we look for another?

Jesus answered and said unto them, go and show John again those things which he do hear and see. The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor of the gospel preached unto him, and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me. Now, John the Baptist of all people should've never doubted. But evidently, he did. So, what did Jesus do?

Well, he didn't get angry and he didn't get upset. He simply told the men that came to him, you go back and you tell John what's happening. You see, John's cooped up in a prison cell. He doesn't can't see what's going on and his world has become very small. And he was probably maybe even depressed if you can imagine John the Baptist being depressed.

You know, he was a human just like us. And so, he sent out a message and Jesus sent back an encouraging word. You may be locked up in a prison cell but I am doing the ministry that my father sent me to do and I am the one that you believe me to be. So, you go back and you encourage him. What is that?

Patience. Patience. Turn if you would to Matthew chapter 15. Matthew chapter 15. This is one of those examples of patience.

In in earlier in Matthew and it's also recorded in Luke, we have what's called the feeding of the 5,000. You're familiar with that. There were 5,000 people, men, plus others that that had followed Jesus out of the city into a desert or wilderness area where there weren't many homes there and places to get food. And so his disciples came to him and said, Lord, what are we gonna do? Can we send these people home before it gets any later, so they can find lodging and get food?

And Jesus said, no, you feed them. And they go, what do you mean we feed them? Well, what do you have to feed them? Well, we have seven loaves and two fish. Okay, that's great.

Have them sit down and we'll feed them. And he did. And he fed over 5,000 people and had 12 baskets left over. And so, we come to Matthew chapter 15 and if you would look in verse 30, and great multitudes came unto him having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others and cast them down at Jesus' feet and he healed them in so much that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak and the maimed to behold, the lame to walk, and the blind to see and they glorified the God of Israel. Then, Jesus called on his disciples unto him and said, I have compassion on the multitude because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat.

I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way and as his disciples say unto him, whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude and Jesus said unto them, how many loaves have you? And they said, seven and a few little fishes and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. He took the seven loaves and the fishes and gave them thanks and break them and gave to his disciples the multitude and they did eat. The second time, this is actually we find out the 4,000. In verse 38, I didn't read that.

It says, and they that did eat were 4,000 men beside women and children. The second time, same thing happens, his disciples still didn't initially what? They didn't initially get it. I thought, oh, we we're going have to send them away or we we don't have food to feed them. Well, they did because they had who with them?

They had Jesus. They had Jesus. He could feed them. Look, if you would in chapter 16 in verse five and when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then, Jesus said to them, take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees and they reason among themselves saying is because we have not take, we have taken no bread which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, oh you of little faith.

Why reason you among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand neither remember the five loaves of of the 5,000 and how many baskets you took up, neither the seven loaves of the 4,000, how many baskets you took up? How is it that you do not understand that I spake not to you concerning bread that you should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. Then, they understood then understood they how that he bathe them not beware of the leaven of bread but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. He said, don't you get it?

I fed 5,000 with with five loaves and two fish. I fed 4,000 with seven loaves and you think that I'm concerned about not having something to eat? He's but he was what? He was patient with them and they they needed it. When you when you look at the look at the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.

Going through the wilderness from Egypt to they they had seen 10 plagues in Egypt. They had seen the Red Sea part and yet after a day of being hungry or after a few hours of being thirsty, they started panicking. But God was what? God was patient. You know, sometimes we're the same way.

We get into a situation, things don't go the way we plan, we get scared, we get anxious, should be because God is with us. He's going to take care of us. He's promised that all things will work together for good for those who love the Lord. He's patient with us when we don't understand And there's things that we should understand that we still don't understand. But he's still patient with us.

And he's still working with us. And if God can be patient with us, then we need to learn to be patient with others. There was a young man in the church that I youth pastored in Georgia, and when I first started being the youth pastor there, he wasn't coming. His mother was coming and after a few months, he came and when he came to church, he came forward at the invitation and he prayed. Not sure what he prayed about but he came up and he prayed and then I didn't see him for a month and then, there he was.

Came to service, came up front, prayed. And then, every other Sunday and then every Sunday. Finally, I I had the opportunity to really get with him and talk and find out he had been saved but he had been away from the Lord. He got out of church. His father was an alcoholic.

And he needed encouragement. And so, we encouraged him. And after a few weeks, he started coming every week and and then he started coming Sunday night after a few months. And then after a few months, he started coming on Wednesday nights. And then finally, after about a year and a half, he started coming to Sunday school.

That that was the hardest thing getting up, you know, early to come to Sunday school. He's now the youth pastor at the church where I was youth pastor. His name is Bryant. You may have heard me mention him before and they're good friends of ours. But see, you have to be you have to be patient.

It takes time. I want people to get saved and immediately come all the time. That would be great and sometimes it happens but sometimes it takes what? It takes time. You have to be, you have to be patient.

And trust that the Lord is doing the work that the Lord promised to do. And encourage them along the way. In Matthew chapter 15, the disciples didn't understand what he said to the Pharisees concerning not washing cups before they ate. Look, if you would in verse 15 of Matthew 15. Then answered Peter and said unto him, declare unto us the parable.

Jesus said, are you also yet without understanding? Do not you yet understand that whatsoever entereth the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught but those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart and they defile a man. He took time and was patient and explained to them. Look if you would in John 14. John 14.

There are many examples. We're certainly not going cover all of them in scripture about God's patience with his disciples but we're just looking at a few of em. In John 14, and verse one, you're familiar with, let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. He said, I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again receive you unto myself. In verse four, he says, and whether go you, whether I go, you know, and the way you know, and Thomas said, say it unto him, Lord, we know not whether thou goest and how can we know the way?

Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, the life, no man cometh under the father but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my father also and from henceforth, you know him and have seen him. Philip said, unto him, Lord, show us the father and it suffices us. Jesus say it unto him, have I been so long time with you and yet, thou hast not known me, Philip? For he that hath seen me has seen the father and how sayest thou, show us the father.

You see, they still, at this point, they were still struggling with who he was. Jesus was still patient and he still taught them. He didn't give up on them. On their ignorance, on their thick headedness. He just kept teaching them.

Look if you would in John chapter 20 Speaking of Thomas Jesus appeared unto the disciples but one of them wasn't there. Just happened to be Thomas. Verse 24, But Thomas, one of the 12 called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. This is after his resurrection. The other disciples therefore said unto him, we have seen the Lord, but he said unto them, except I shall see in of the nails and put my finger in the print of the nails and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.

And after eight days again his disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut and stood in the midst and said, peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithless but believing and Thomas answered and said unto him, my Lord and my God. Jesus say it unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are those that have not seen and yet have believed.

I think if that would have been me, I would have think I just said, Thomas, didn't I tell you? I told you over and over again, I'm going to die. I'm going to what? Rise again from the dead. I told you all.

I I you know, and you didn't believe me. What do you mean you have to touch the, you know, the palm of my hands and my side but that's not what Jesus did. Jesus came and he said, here I am, Thomas. See for yourself. He was patient.

He was kind. Thomas became a great missionary for the Lord Jesus Christ but he needed some help along the way. And he needed patience. And encouragement and that's what he got from the Lord along with the other disciples. The same is true with us and the same is true with those that the Lord puts in our path to help mentor and disciple.

We need to learn to be patient, to take time to explain things. Sometimes, four, five, six, seven, twenty times. That's part of preaching. I get up here and preach at times things slip into the sermon that I have said maybe twenty, thirty, forty, fifty times before and yet sometimes you think, well, are they ever going to get it? But I'm sure the Lord thinks the same thing of me.

Maybe sometimes you think the same thing of me. We're thick headed. Praise the Lord. We have a patience in you. There's a song that I learned as a kid.

It's an old southern gospel song. It's entitled He's Still Working on Me. There's there really ought to be a sign upon my heart. Don't judge me yet. There's an unfinished part.

But I'll be perfect just according to his plan, fashioned by the master's loving hands. He's still working on me to make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars, the sun and the earth, and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient he must be, for he's still working on me. How patient he is.

May we learn to be a little more patient like him. Lord, we thank you for your word and for the example that if you set for us and when it comes to helping other Christians and mentoring them, teaching them, Lord, give us patience as you've had. Lord, help us not to give up on people. Help us not to give up on giving them the gospel. Help us not to give up or get frustrated with your children as they struggle to understand things or to make changes in their life.

Lord, help us to be an encouragement, an encourager along the way. Help us, Lord, to rebuke them when necessary but be there to help them back up. Lord, help us to to not to avoid the truth but to tell the truth and be honest. Lord, help us to learn how to give them opportunities to to to practice what they've learned. And succeed or fail but again, be there to help them.

When they fail. Lord, as you have helped us, as you are patient with us, as you take time in your word to have explained things to us. We thank you, Lord, for who you are. Help us, Lord, to be more like you. In Jesus name.