WHAT A DISCIPLE LOOKS LIKE
- Matthew 28:16-20
This very familiar passage is known as the Great Commission. It records one of the last times Jesus spoke to His disciples and the mission He gave them when He left. He said, “Go and make disciples.”
The mission Jesus gave to those gathered that day, is the same mission He gives to us today. Go and make disciples. He doesn’t stop by telling us to make disciples, but He continues by telling us to make disciples of every nation. For those who might be concerned to worried, He says in verse 18 “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Then in verse 20 He says, “Me, the One with all authority, I’ll be with you as you go.”
Go and make disciples. What an awesome charge.
I don’t know about you, but I get excited about the possibilities and the opportunities God has placed before us.
Yesterday, on the way back from the ball field with Drew, I saw a kitchen sink of sale at a garage sale on Saxon. We are looking for a kitchen sink to put in the pavilion at the church property so I stopped to look at it. It turned out that the sink really wouldn’t fit the bill, so I let it go.
While we were there, I happened to notice a magazine he had sitting on display. It was a Playboy issue with Anna Nicole on the cover. I say I noticed it; I was guarding it to make sure Drew didn’t happen to pick it up while he was thumbing through some baseball cards nearby.
When I saw that magazine, the thought came to me, “How sad it is, with her life now gone, that all she leaves to show for it is an old magazine, a child that will never know her, and a group of men all claiming to be the father of her baby so they can get her money. That, and several people fighting in court over where to bury her no-longer-living, body.” That’s some legacy, isn’t it?
On the other hand, Jesus calls us to join Him in His work. Jesus says, “I want you to make a difference. I want your life to count for something. I want you to make disciples.”
There’s a fly in the ointment, here though. In order to make disciples, we must first be disciples.
Let me ask you this morning, “Are you truly a disciple of Jesus Christ?” Did you notice what I didn’t ask? I didn’t ask, “Have you been saved?” I didn’t ask, “Have you been baptized.” I didn’t ask, “Do you attend church?” I didn’t ask, “Are you a member of this church or a church somewhere?” I didn’t ask, “Are you working in this church?” I didn’t ask any of those things. I asked, “Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ?”
Now some of us may be confused about what a disciple is. This morning I would like us to take a look at how the Bible describes a disciple.
First I would like you to notice that a disciple of Jesus Christ is a person with a changed life.
I. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST HAS A CHANGED LIFE
> 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who lives a changed life. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you are a changed person. This verse says you are changed in two ways.
1. Old Things are passed away - To be a disciple, an world-changer, for Jesus Christ, there are some things that must be done away with.
> Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
> Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death…
> Romans 6:23b … but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
> Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
> Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
2. New Things coming – To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, some old things must be done away with. Not only must some old things be done away with, but some new things must take their place.
> Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him…
> Romans 10:13 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
> John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.
- Galatians 5:22-23
Let me ask you this morning, has your life been changed? Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of the old in your life and invited Him to come in to be the Boss in your life?
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a changed life.
II. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
- Luke 14:25-26
When Jesus was teaching and performing miracles, He found there were an awful lot of people following Him around. There were people following Him because he fed them on occasion, like when He multiplied the loaves and fishes. There were some following Him because He performed miracles, and that was neat to watch. Some followed Him just because of the excitement of being part of something new. Some people followed Him because of the way and the things He taught. People followed Him for all kinds of reasons. So one day He turned and looked at them and said, “Look, if you don’t love Me more than everyone else in the world, then you can’t be My disciple.”
That’s a pretty tough statement, but Jesus is the One who said it, not me. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will love Him more than you love anyone else.
How else do you explain people willing to travel ½ way around the world, leaving all of their family and friends, simply because they believe Jesus called them to? What else would drive grandparents to serve in places all around the world, where often, they seldom get to see their grandchildren?
It is because those people are disciples. They say, “Jesus, I love you more than anyone else in the world. Wherever you lead, I’ll go.”
III. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD
- Luke 14:33
In this passage Jesus says that in order to be His disciple, you must be willing to give up everything you own, everything you have, to follow Him. In other words, you must love Him more than anything else in the world.
- Matthew 6:19-21
Is Jesus saying that you have to live in poverty in order to be a follower of His? Not necessarily. Is He saying that you can’t have nice things and be a disciple of His? No. There have been and still are today, some very godly people, who have been blessed materially, and financially, by the Lord.
No, Jesus is saying you must love Him more than anything else in the world, if you are going to be a disciple of His.
Following Him must be more important to you than houses. It must be more important to you than cars. It must be more important to you than clothes, TVs or comfort.
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must love Him more than your job or promotion, and the things that come with it.
Let me ask you this morning, “Can you truthfully say that you love Jesus more than anything you have?” Do you love Him more than that new TV? Do you love Him more than that new car? Do you love Him more than your house, your motorcycle, your computer, your savings account, or anything else you have?” A disciple of Jesus Christ loves Jesus more than anything else in the world.
IV. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN COMFORT AND SECURITY
- Luke 14:27
Remember now, Jesus is addressing the large numbers of people who have been following Him. He’s addressing the crowds. Often, when people are trying to start a movement, they try not to say things that are going to scare people away. Jesus doesn’t do that. He knows who’s going to stay and who isn’t. He knows if He isn’t a priority in their lives that they will leave to follow the next “new thing.” So He tells the crowd, if you are really going to be a disciple of Mine, you must love Me more than anyone else in the world. You must love Me more than anything else in the world, and you must love Me more than comfort and security.
Now look. Some people have the idea that they are disciples of Jesus, simply because they attend church on Sunday mornings. Listen, if you are here, I am glad you are here. I am glad you have the opportunity to listen to God’s Word. I am glad you have had the opportunity to visit and worship with some of God’s people. I am glad I’ve had, or will have later, the opportunity to visit and talk with you, but that doesn’t make you a disciple. The people Jesus was addressing had walked to wherever He was. They had endured the heat. They had gone out of their way to hear Him. But Jesus said, “That’s not enough.”
My friends, if you are Christ’s disciple it’s going to cost you something. It’s going to cost you some comfort, and it’s going to cost you some security. You’re gonna have to go some places you might not necessarily want to go, like across the street to your neighbor’s. It’s gonna cost you some sleep. It’s gonna cost you some TV time.
- 1 Kings 19:19-21
It cost Elisha something to follow Elijah. But think of the impact he made.
V. A DISCIPLE CONTINUES IN HIS WALK
> John 8:31 If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples.
A disciple is someone who continues in his walk. There are those who invite Jesus into their hearts and start off well. But after a while the stress and pressures of life, or distractions, or other commitments, draw them away. They get busy doing one thing or another, and after a while the flame which once burned so brightly, has cooled.
Now listen, we all have valleys we walk through. If you have ever been really close to Christ, if you have ever walked so closely to Him that at times you can almost feel Him by your side, then you will recognize that there are also times in your life when He seems distant. There will be mornings when you are studying your Bible, and it seems that every word you read is alive and is speaking directly to you where you are at that moment. There will be times when you are praying, and seems almost as if Jesus is there in the room with you and you are talking face-to-face.
How many of you have experienced that? Yeah, me too.
If you have experienced that, then you know there are also other times when you almost have to force yourself to read your Bible. You can read the same passage several times, and not understand a thing you’re reading. There will be times when it seems that your prayers are going no higher than the ceiling and you almost wonder if you are talking to yourself.
How many of you have experienced that? Yeah. I have as well.
Jesus says in this verse, if you continue in My Word, in other words, if you continue to live according to My Word, if you continue to walk, if you continue to be obedient, even during the dry times when I seem distant, if you continue to trust, even when you hurt and don’t understand, then you will be My disciple.
My friend, a disciple continues in his walk.
VI. A DISCIPLE LOVES GOD’S PEOPLE
- John 13:34-35
A disciple, a Christ follower, is someone who loves other people the way Jesus does. She wants the best for others. He strives to help them, and pray for them. A disciple loves God’s people with more than just words. He also demonstrates that love by the things he does and the way he acts toward other believers. …
I would like to read you a note by Ron Bennett, a director for the Navigators.
Growing up is so common and predictable it’s taken for granted. Until May 1975, when our first child was born, my wife, Mary, and I thought we could just stand back and watch it happen. We had been eagerly planning and anticipating the miracle as only first-time parents can. We had prepared the room, taken prenatal classes, and saved for the down payment. The work was done, and we were ready!
Our anticipation heightened when Mary went into labor. Driving to the hospital, we looked forward to getting through the birthing event so we could begin the exciting process of rearing a family. We had spent hours talking about what it would be like to have a baby that grew to be a toddler, then a child, then a young adult, then a father or mother. We reminisced about our own childhoods – what parts were difficult and what parts were enjoyable. And we critiqued the parenting practices of our folks, eventually deciding what to use and what to discard.
Many hours after arriving at the hospital that morning, Bryan came into our world and opened this long-awaited new chapter of discovery and growth. However, we had barely laid eyes on him when nurses swaddled our baby boy and whisked him to another room for observation. Mary used the time apart to enjoy a well-deserved rest, and I fell into bed at home, exhausted from Lamaze breathing cycles.
When the phone rang, I thought that I must have been asleep for a day and had missed going back to the hospital to visit the family. First, I picked up the alarm clock. Before setting it down and grabbing the phone, I noticed with relief that only an hour had passed since I had returned home and hit the pillow.
Mary spoke on the other end of the line, but soon she faltered in sharing the grave news and began to cry. That’s when the pediatrician gently took the receiver from her hand to explain. “Bryan is having some difficulty breathing,” the doctor began. “We have checked his heart and lungs, and they are okay. We think it’s his brain.”
Bryan is now twenty-five years old. Although he has logged about 300 months-9,125 days-on Earth, he has never walked, never seen the sun, and never said “Dad” or “Mom<’ he has never played basketball, run through a sprinkler, or given us a hug. Immediately after his birth, Bryan became a prisoner in his own body when severe brain damage created multiple handicaps that permanently jammed his maturation process. Consequently, he has had twenty-five years of living, but only nine months of normal, healthy development.
As his parents, we love him deeply-as much as we love our other three children, but there is a sadness.
God must feel a similar sadness and pain when His children get “stuck” at spiritual infancy, childhood, or adolescence-when they never reach spiritual adulthood with all the privileges and responsibilities it entails. Of course, God’s love remains constant and immeasurable regardless. But like a human parent, God can also feel disappointment, pain and loss.”
[Ron Bennett, Intentional Disciplemaking, (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress. 2001), 11-13.
I ask you this morning, “Will you say and mean it, ‘I will not stay a spiritual baby. I will grow up. I will be a disciple.’”?
1. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
2. Commit to a life of obedience and fellowship with Christ
3. Pray for me, as I work over the next few weeks, to help us discover together, the disciplines of discipleship.
