Being A Disciple Of Christ

Being a disciple of Christ

Mt 28:16-20

Leviticus 19:1-2

Introduction-

This morning I would like to talk to you about being a disciple of Jesus.

I came from a Momentum conference last week and they had a class on discipleship and that class centered on going and doing. That is most definitely a part of discipleship and we will touch on it this morning. But I want to look at if you are who you claim you are as a disciple of Christ, what is happening and what is the Lord doing in you so that you can “follow me” as He commands.

Definition of being a disciple right out of God’s Word;

You would be a follower of Jesus/ nothing shorter

You would be a learner of Jesus/ desiring with purpose to know about the Lord you serve.

You would be a person who takes the “good news” and knows what the good news of the gospel is and willingly spreads it to those that you come in contact with.

Everywhere you go becomes your opportunity to share what Christ has done in your life. (Testimony) (Witness)

Don’t raise your hands

How many did I lose this morning?

How many had that convicting thought that I have fallen short of that definition in at least one area.

Follower of Christ-

Learner of Christ-

Speaker for Christ- Being a Disciple of Christ

Matthew 28 Read from Bible

(Right after Jesus proclaims his authority on not only in heaven but also on earth) He (Jesus) instructs his disciples (followers and learners) Red lettering

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you, and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Various times leaders were told to man-up and be leaders by example-

Leviticus 19:1-2 (Conversation God to leader Moses)

“The Lord said to Moses, speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them; Be Holy, because I, the Lord your God is holy.”

Go! (Action)

Follow me! (Obedience)

Learn from me! (Model Christ)

All 3 are the DNA of discipleship

There are two challenges here-

Love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, soul, and body, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Because that is the only way that you could be a follower of Christ with that intensity.

Be holy, because I, the Lord your God is holy.”

He has to be your God. Not just your buddy. Not just your religion. Not just a person you call on in time of need. He has to be your God.

He says that “you shall do these things.”

I have to be honest…

I have asked God how can I do that?

How can I love you with all my heart?

How can I be holy and live a righteous and pleasing life for you?

How can I love my neighbor…Lord, have you met some of my neighbor?

I was not raised in the church- I am not a pastor’s kid, I did not grow up with a desire to save the world and be a missionary for God. My story is unique and most have heard a portion of that and that is for another day. I got saved at 14 but did not serve God until in my twenties and that is when I began going to church without being forced to go..

When I did get involved with church, it was of the Pentecostal nature and emphasis was put on getting saved, getting others saved, and confession time at the altar was for “getting right with God”-

you went to the altar, you went to get right with God, you went to be filled with His Spirit, and you went to say sorry for messing up so many times.

I saw people many times coming to the same altar to get saved several times,

I came to be filled many times only to have someone burst my bubble and tell me that I did not do it right.

The altar became a place of confession and a place that was only for saying your sorry and getting right with God.

I never knew what holiness meant until I came to a Nazarene church.

When my other church use to talk holiness, all I could see was a kid that was messed up and knew in me was nothing holy. It was at a Nazarene church in Corpus Christi Texas that I first heard that holiness was what Christ did in us and us letting Him and allowing Him to do the things needed and that nothing in us including any of our goodness was holy. Only Christ in us would make us holy.