Pinnacle Leaders Podcast: Following Jesus-The Power of Obedience

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ABOUT THE EPISODE

In the Great Commission as recorded in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus left his followers with clear instructions: They were to make disciples by teaching people to obey all he had commanded. Obedience is not a popular idea, but when we dedicate ourselves to following Jesus, we’ll watch our lives transform. In this episode, Dr. Larry Asplund shares principles from his book, Yoked: Teaching Apprentices of Jesus, and unpacks what it looks like to be yoked with Jesus.

ABOUT DR. RANDAL S. LANGLEY

Dr. Randal S. Langley is the President and CEO of Christian Life School of Theology Global (CLSTG), a world leader in theological and leadership education solutions for churches, ministries and other organizations. A visionary leader and dynamic communicator, Dr. Langley serves as a guest-speaker and provides leadership strategy/counsel for ministries and other organizations across the U.S. and internationally. As part of his commitment to helping people achieve their God-given purpose, Dr. Langley is also a founding partner and certified life coach, teacher, and trainer for the John C. Maxwell Team.

ABOUT DR. LARRY ASPLUND

Dr. Larry Asplund comes from a long line of Christian ministers and educators. He has been involved in pastoral ministry and teaching for 48 years, including serving as an associate pastor, teaching pastor, senior pastor, and church planter. His professional background also includes being actively engaged in the ministry of higher education for 31 years, including roles as a full-time Bible college teacher, seminary teacher, and university vice president.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

In Matthew 11, Jesus invites those who want to follow Him to come under His yoke. In those days, a yoke was used to connect two animals when pulling a plow. Typically one of them was older with more experience, and the other was a younger one that needed training. So when Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you," He is recommending a training strategy.

What does the yoked life look like? It could be defined as a full-time apprenticeship to Jesus. It is a 24/7 lifestyle dedicated to learning from Him and submitting to His teaching, which has a transforming effect on our lives, empowering us to become more active participants in His mission.

As we walk with Jesus, obedience becomes natural. It is our relationship with Him that keeps us committed to staying close and following wherever he leads. Along the way, He connects us with others who can help us follow Him better and participate in His mission with greater effectiveness.

Subscribe to the Pinnacle Leaders Podcast with Dr. Langley to listen to this episode and others for more Biblical wisdom on the areas of lordship, leadership and lifestyle.

RELATED RESOURCES

• Yoked: Teaching Apprentices of Jesus by Dr. Larry Asplund - We all know about the Ten Commandments in the book of Exodus, but Jesus came “full of grace.” Surely the fullness of grace did not involve commandments, right? On the contrary, Matthew’s Gospel reveals very specific commands from Jesus to his followers. If making (and being) disciples requires us to obey the commandments of Jesus, maybe we should focus more attention on what those commandments are and how to obey them.
• Building Churches That Last (PT727) – This course explores the “first church,” as described in the book of Acts and seeks to observe dynamics and principles that can be used to establish a local church that will be more than a fad, lasting until Jesus comes. Students will learn to identify and describe the dynamics of the New Testament church and be able to apply them to the church today.

QUOTES & SCRIPTURE TO REMEMBER

• “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:28-30
• “We’re not creating a name for ourselves; we’re following Jesus. If I’m under the yoke with Jesus, we’re together.” — Dr. Larry Asplund
• “Sometimes we look at discipleship as primarily an educational process, but even more so, it’s a relational process.”— Dr. Larry Asplund
• “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 11:1