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Discipleship Message
Discipleship
What is a disciple?
According to Webster:
1) a follower of Jesus Christ in his lifetime
2) one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrine of another
3) a convinced adherent of a school or individual.
Were you ever discipled?
The overriding factor in the ministry of discipleship is TIME. As we
observe the life of Christ in the Gospels we are made keenly aware of the
enormous amount of time that He spent with His disciples. We cannot make
disciples if we are not willing to spend the time necessary.
Jesus spent three and one-half years with his disciples. Their activities
included all the normal life procedures: eating, sleeping, traveling,
teaching and etc. These men were with the Savior in all kinds of
situations. They knew Him.
I. Our first goal as a disciple or a discipler is to be like Jesus.
A. The new believer is prone to observe every move of the one doing the
discipling. This puts a lot of responsibility on the one doing the
discipling. It is clearly taught in the Scriptures.
Matthew 10:24
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master.”
Luke 6:40
“A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully
trained, will be like his teacher.”
B. The one discipling must be aware of this tendency (to watch, pattern
after the example) of the new disciple and help him fix his eyes on
Christ.
Hebrews 12:1-3
1 THEREFORE, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us,
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the
joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has
endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not
grow weary and lose heart.
II. As a teacher, I must make many important facts clear to the disciple.
A. The cost of discipleship.
Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 “For
whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life
for My sake shall find it.
B. The goal of the disciple.
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect,
but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was
laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as
having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the
goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Call to:
SALVATION, SANCTIFICATION, SERVICE.)
C. The requirements of discipleship.
Matthew 10:37-39
37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he
who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 “And he who
does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He
who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My
sake shall find it. (JESUS FIRST!)
Luke 14:33
33 “So therefore, no one of you can be My disciple who does not give up
all his own possessions. (Mt. 6:33, Phil. 4:19)
D. The King demands complete and immediate obedience.
Matthew 4:18-22
18 And walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was
called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they
were fishermen. 19 And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you
fishers of men.” 20 And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him.
21 And going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of
Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father,
mending their nets; and He called them. 22 And they immediately left the
boat and their father, and followed Him.
Matthew 9:9
9 And as Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man, called Matthew, sitting
in the tax office; and He *said to him, “Follow Me!” And he rose, and
followed Him.
John 8:31
31 Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you
abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; (OBEDIENCE)
John 14:15
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. (OBEDIENCE)
III. The disciple must be taught the priorities of discipleship.
A. Inconvenience is to be expected.
Matthew 8:18-22
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around Him, He gave orders to depart to the
other side. 19 And a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will
follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus *said to him, “The foxes have
holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere
to lay His head.” 21 And another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord,
permit me first to go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus *said to him,
“Follow Me; and allow the dead to bury their own dead.”
Matthew 10:9-10
9 “Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10 or a
bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the
worker is worthy of his support.
B. He is to produce fruit - John 15:1-8.
What proof do you have that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ? (V8)
IV. The disciple must understand basic principles of discipleship.
A. He must have faith in Christ.
Matthew 8:23-27
23 And when He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And
behold, there arose a great storm in the sea, so that the boat was covered
with the waves; but He Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him, and
awoke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 And He *said to
them, “Why are you timid, you men of little faith?” Then He arose, and
rebuked the winds and the sea; and it became perfectly calm. 27 And the
men marveled, saying, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and
the sea obey Him?”
Matthew 17:14-21.
Luke 9:12-21.
B. He will be rejected - Matt. 10:14-39.
C. He is to pray for more disciples.
Matthew 9:37-38
37 Then He *said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the
workers are few. 38 “Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out
workers into His harvest.”
D. He is to be willing to follow Christ wherever He leads.
Matthew 28:19-20
19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them
to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age.”
E. He is to care for others.
John 13:35
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love
for one another.”
Conclusion:
Do you have the TIME to be a disciple of Christ?
Do you have the TIME to be discipled?
What proof do you have that you are a disciple of Christ?
What is the Lord telling you to do today?
Will you experience “fresh faith” this year or will you continue in a
stagnant state of stupor?
Pray.
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