A True Disciple

* Think about what it is that you are focused? For some their focus is their vocation, for others their avocation or hobby, for others it can be anything from sports to woodworking. In talking with people it is amazing what consumes people’s lives.

* The words of Jesus which says, “IF we WANT (I.E desire, wish, etc) to be HIS disciple (I.E follower, ambassador, or person) speaks clearly of a focused life. That is a life FOCUSED on HIM.

* A quarterback in football and catcher in baseball always look to the bench, focus on His coach and make the call for the next play or pitch. The disciple is focused on Jesus and does what He says.

* An eye-opening truth is this; a guest can see the true focus of a church body just by visiting and a friend or an acquaintance quickly recognizes the focus of our life by our actions, attitudes, and words.

* SO –“IF” I desire to be a true disciple, then what must follow?

2) FORSAKE – Jesus gives us these instructions, “If you want to be my disciple, deny yourself.” The principle is that we have to forsake ourselves. Honestly, I don’t want to forsake myself. I like me. And I don’t want to be told that the one I like the most, I have to forsake. What is that? Yet Jesus says that I have to deny or forsake the one person I like best.

* So what exactly does it mean to forsake or deny self? The Greek word literally means to “disregard one’s interest or act entirely unlike you.” While most “translations” use the word “deny”, paraphrases may offer us an easier to understand picture. Consider these; “ignore self”, “say no to the things they want”, “must put aside his own desires and conveniences,” and “Has to let me lead! You’re not in the driver’s seat.” Based on all these words, we could spend all day developing all these lines of thought, but they all lead to Christ’s call for “self-denial”.

* Have you ever considered why that is? I don’t know it all, but I do have a thought. If we don’t forsake ourselves, we tend to raise our own status to the level of God. The worship, honor, trust, and more that we should offer God, we will offer to self.

* NAMB Team leader, Thomas Hammond came to our area to lead the First Impressions seminar. In this seminar, he offered the different thinking of a dog and cat. The dog, treated well, thinks his master is god. The cat, treated well, thinks HE must be god.

* Jesus is clear, “If you want to be my disciple, you must have a focus on me and additionally, you must forsake or deny yourself. You must put my interests above yours & know I am in the driver’s seat, not you.”

* There are dozens of ways to apply this personally & collectively.

3) FORGET – We must not simply forsake self, we must also forget self. Jesus says, “Take up your cross daily.” Who among us, will take up a cross even yearly, if we are in the self-protection mode. By the way, Jesus knew we would be in the self protection mode as He responded to that tendency in verse 24. Jesus says, “If you try to save your life, you’ll lose it. However, if you’ll simply trust me with your life, take your hands off and turn it loose, I’ll take care of you.” What a hard concept.