His Disciples Came Unto Him

TITLE: HIS DISCIPLES CAME UNTO HIM

SCRIPTURE: ST. MATTHEW 5:1-3

We have embarked upon another new year together as a Church family. We celebrate this morning on the first Sunday of a new year and it’s appropriate that we should forge a new beginning as a congregation. For the last nine years we have adopted various themes and have watched God work. We examined the theme “LET’S GO FISHING” for two years. Last year we transitioned to the theme - “THE YEAR OF UNEXPECTED BLESSINGS.” It was a great year, and the Lord was very good to us. But with the dawning of 2025, it’s time to put the party hats away.

For the past several weeks, I have been praying and seeking God’s voice as to our direction for this new year. One thought has continuously stayed in my spirit. For the last few days of last year, one word kept coming back to my mind. For a week or more, I wrestled with many ideas for 2025, but that word wouldn’t leave me alone. As I pondered the matter, I came to the conviction that this word was God’s word for us in the new year. I believe that God wants this congregation to learn the real value of what this word means and to discover its power, and it make it a reality in our daily lives.

The word itself is not new. In fact, it is at least 2000 years old and the idea behind the word is much older than that.

• It is the word that Jesus used more than any other to describe his followers

• That word – the word that God has given us for 2025 – is the word DISCIPLE

Disciple or Discipleship -- It’s a word we often hear in Christian circles, but what does it truly mean?

• Discipleship is more than attending church services or simply believing in Jesus

• It is a lifelong journey of growing in our relationship with Christ, surrendering our lives to Him, and becoming more like Him

• It is about walking closely with our Savior

• It is about learning from Him

• It is about allowing His transformative power to shape us from the inside out

True disciples live in such a way that everyone knows they belong to Jesus Christ. This is the THE YEAR OF DISCIPLESHIP. Our theme verse for the year is ST. JOHN 15:8 “THIS IS TO MY FATHER’S GLORY, THAT YOU BEAR MUCH FRUIT, SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE MY DISCIPLES.” We will hear this text and theme throughout the year 2025. This verse emphasizes that disciples bear fruit.

• When fruit trees bear fruit, everyone who passes by knows it

• You don’t have to put up a sign that says “Harvest time”

• You can see it for yourself, and you can even smell the fruit as you pass by

True disciples live in such a way that everyone knows they belong to Jesus Christ. They bear “much fruit” as a result of their relationship to Him.

• This year God wants us as a congregation to move beyond church attendance and religious activity to discipleship

• He wants us to bear “MUCH FRUIT” for Him

The word “DISCIPLE” comes from the classroom and literally means “STUDENT” or “LEARNER.” In Jesus’ day, young people didn’t go to college because there weren’t any colleges back then. If you wanted to be a shepherd, you signed on as an apprentice and learned from the chief shepherd. By learning from him, you eventually became a shepherd in your own right. If you wanted to become a lawyer, you studied under an experienced lawyer. You worked for him and with him and listened to every word he said, learned to argue by listening to him argue, learned to bargain by watching him bargain. You became his disciple and learned from him.

So it isn’t unusual that the men who followed Christ were called his disciples. The first disciples were students and Jesus was their teacher. For three and a half years they followed up and down Galilee, watching - listening - observing - asking questions, taking in everything their Master did and said.

Jesus had a three-fold plan for training his disciples --

• FIRST - learning by Watching

• SECOND - learning by Doing

• THIRD - learning by Teaching Others

For years, I believe many churches missed one of the most important things they were to be doing -- DISCIPLESHIP. Growing up and working in ministry our goal was to see people saved.

• It is great that we lead people to Christ but many times that is where it stopped

• We brought them to Christ and then expected them to figure out everything else on their own!