Portrait Of A Disciple - Part 2

A. REVIEW

1. Just before Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, He issued to all His disciples -- the Church U __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ -- the G __ __ __ __ C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __:

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go and m __ __ __ d __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to o __ __ __ everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

2. In order to equip His disciples to be able to fulfill His commission to them, our Lord: a. promised the mighty p __ __ __ __ of the Holy Spirit ( Acts 1:7-8 ), who b. demonstrated that mighty power before people from all over the world on the Day of Pentecost ( Acts 2:1-41 ) in order to usher in the Church P __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ --the local church -- which Christ had previously promised to build on the foundation of the confession made by Simon Peter (Matthew 16:13-19 ).

3. The apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:11-16 set forth the primary mission of the local church in the fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission:

"...the e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the s __ __ __ __ __ for the work of the ministry, for the e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of the b __ __ __ of Christ, till we all come to the u __ __ __ __ of the f __ __ __ __ and the k __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of God, to the measure of the stature of the f __ __ __ __ __ __ __ of Christ...."

4. First, we asked ourselves: "What's a saint?"

I like author Frederick Buechner's definition: A saint is a "life-giver," one through whose life the power and the glory of God are made manifest, even though the saint himself may be standing up to his ankles in mud.

5. Last week we asked ourselves: "What's a disciple?"

a. We eliminated the following as "automatic" synonyms for "disciple:"

(1) c __ __ __ __ __ __,

(2) b __ __ __ __ __ __ __, and -- perhaps surprisingly --

(3) C __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __.

In our Lord's terrifying conclusion to His Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 7:21-27 ) He prophecied that, on the Day of Judgment, not everyone who expects to enter the kingdom of heaven will be permitted to do so, including a group of people who might very well have been converts, believers in Jesus, and "nominal" Christians.

A disciple is former convert, a true believer, and an authentic Christian who goes beyond belief to o __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __. Such a person fits the description described by Jesus in v.24-25: he h __ __ __ __ the W __ __ __ of God and then o __ __ __ __ it.

b. Last week we began to assemble a "composite portrait" of a disciple, using word pictures painted by Christ Himself and then the apostle Paul. Here was how Jesus portrayed the disciple.

(1) A disciple is one who a __ __ __ __ __ in His Word.

John 8:31-32

(2) A disciple is one who o __ __ __ __ all that Christ has commanded.

Matthew 28:19-20

You might recall from our study of the Book of Judges the three "obedience factors" which God insists upon:

- t __ __ __ __ __ obedience;

- c __ __ __ __ __ __ __ obedience; and

- e __ __ __ __ __ __ __ obedience.

(3) A disciple is one who d __ __ __ to self and f __ __ __ __ __ __ Christ daily.

Luke 9:23-24

(4) A disciple is one who l __ __ __ __ other disciples.

John 13:34-35

6. So we now pick up where we left off last week, with Paul's contributions to our composite portrait of a disciple.

B. Paul on Discipleship

1. A disciple is one who w __ __ __ __ with God. THIS CAN BE OBSERVED BY OTHERS.

Colossians 2:5-7 [ NKJV ]

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.