Walk this way
This Sunday we begin a major new preaching series for 2024, ‘The Way’. Tim Williams gives us a sneak preview.
In old comedy shows one character inviting another to ‘Walk this way’ was a sure cue for a funny walk of some kind, which the second character would try and follow with hilarious consequences! For followers of Jesus, the encouragement to walk his way takes serious application, but it’s a journey full of beautiful landmarks as God uses us to impact lives.
Early Christians were often referred to as ‘followers of The Way’ (Acts 9:1–2, Acts 19:9, Acts 19:23, Acts 22:4, Acts 24:14, Acts 24:22) before they became known as Christians. What earned them this name was not necessarily what they believed but how they lived their lives. Their lives were set apart and given over to following Jesus Christ, The Way (John 14:6: ‘the way, the truth, and the life’). It described their way of life, the path that they were meant to walk, wholly committed to the teachings of Jesus and making disciples of all nations.
This new sermon series looks to recapture the heart of a life dedicated to following Jesus and living out his teachings, that we might be known not just for what we believe but by how we live, as disciples of Jesus, as followers of The Way. This will be a series that will deepen our wonder at the life that Jesus modelled for us while offering highly practical inspiration about how we can impact our friends, family, community, city, nation and the nations. It is my aim that we will all learn to practice on Monday what we had heard on Sunday.
The first part of the series – ‘Living like Jesus’ – leads us up to Easter and looks at how Jesus lived his life up to and including the cross, resurrection, and commissioning of his disciples. Our aim of exploring how Jesus lived is to imitate him and live as he lived. We believe that Jesus through his life demonstrated to us how to live according to his pattern and has enabled us to do so, to the glory of the Father and for the sake of the world.
The second part of the series – ‘Disciple-making Like Jesus’ – will follow after Easter, and consider the commission with which Jesus left his followers, to ‘make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:18–20). This will explore how we can effectively raise up world changers that know the power and authority they have to extend the kingdom of God to all people. As we consider how Jesus made disciples we will also reflect on how we can each do likewise today and our aim is not just to acquire knowledge but put into practice all we have learned. We want to take seriously the command in James 1:22 to, ‘not merely listen to the word…’ but, ‘do what it says’.
I look forward to journeying alongside you through this sermon series. There will be much to encourage us about the power of our position in Christ and more than a little to challenge us. If we choose we can learn a great deal that will make us passionate about being disciples who make disciples.
Take a look at the introductory video to this series.