Last week we started to take a look at what being a disciple looked like, We discovered that the word Christian came from the original word Χριστιανός or Christianŏs and it originally showed up in Acts 11:26 where we read It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians. We discovered that the term was originally a nickname that literally meant "These Christ-folk" and was a little bit of a slur. Still looking into the original language we discovered that that word Christianŏs was only used three times in the entire bible while the Greek word μαθητής or mathētēs (math-a-tees) which literally means “A learner or pupil” and that we translate as disciple was used 269 times in the first five books of the New Testament. Interesting.
And so I hope I left you last week understanding that while the terms Christian and Disciple might not be synonymous today. (I mean really if you aren’t a Muslim, Hindu or an Atheist you must be a Christian.) That if we are Christ Followers, that is if we truly profess to follow Christ than we should be by definition a disciple of Christ’s.
And so last week we took a look at a couple of things that that began the definition of what a disciple is. And my first point last week was 1) A Disciple Knows About God And that is really just common sense, we aren’t talking about what Hockey Team or Political Party you support we are talking about your eternity here. So you should know about the God you serve. What is He like? What does he require of you? And what does he offer you?
The second point was vitally more important though and it was 2) A Disciple Knows God And as we all well know it is much easier to know about someone then it is to know someone. There are people out there who know all about the royal family, there names and titles, their likes and dislikes, who they married and unmarried etc. But they don’t really know the royal family. Some of you know about Steve Murphy, you watch him on the six o’clock news, maybe you read the book he wrote, you might know that he is from Saint John and graduated from Saint John high, you might know his wife’s name and how many children he has, but hey I’m having lunch with Steve tomorrow. I don’t just know about him I know him and have for over thirty years.
And so it’s not enough to academically know about God without relationally knowing God. So moving on
Acts 2:44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
3) A Disciple Knows God’s People The early disciples knew the importance of “Body Life” of being together. The very name of their group “Church” is from the Greek Word ἐκκλησία or ĕkklēsia. And the early church didn’t reuse a word that was already a religious word, so this isn’t a word that was used for say a Temple or synagogue. Instead it was a secular word that was used by the Greeks to indicate an assembly of citizens and the literal meaning was “to call out”. And so this word ĕkklēsia was used by early Christ followers to define the gathering of Christians, and it is not and never was a solitary word. The secular word was never applied to a single person and in it’s new use the early believers never intended it to be used outside of a group setting.
The genius of this word is that it points to the fact that in the mind of God the church of Jesus Christ is not just made up of one person but instead it is made up of people. And the church isn’t just made of just any people it is made up of God’s people. You folks may call Cornerstone your church and you may consider yourself a part of the church, and we want you to feel that you are a part of Cornerstone. But to be entirely accurate if you have never accepted the forgiveness and grace of Christ you aren’t part of God’s family which means you aren’t really a part of “The” church.
A.W. Tozer said “100 religious people knit into unity by careful organization do not constitute a church anymore than eleven dead men make up a football team. The first requisite is life, always.” And it was John Wesley who said “The Bible knows nothing of solitary religion.”
The only growing, healthy, vital church is one that encourages God’s people to be together and not just in Sunday morning worship. A religious institution that encourages solitude will eventually die out. Likewise if you are going to maintain a vital healthy relationship with God that will only happen as you maintain a vital healthy relationship with God’s people.
I am afraid that we have folks in this church, in every church that the only time they ever see fellow believers outside of their own family is on Sunday, unless they accidently ran into someone from the church while shopping.
And you are thinking “But I don’t have any friends in the church” Oh, and whose fault is that? No saying is truer than you have to be a friend in order to make friends. And you say “But pastor I have nothing in common with the people in the church.” Friends if you have more in common with the world than with other believers you are in serious trouble.
When I became a believer I discovered that I had very little in common with the group I used to run with. It wasn’t that I forsook them, but I did find out that I was much more comfortable in a group of Christians. And that’s no accident, that’s was the way God planned it. And that is why he chose 12 apostles instead of 1. And why he sent them out 2 x 2 and not 1 x 1. That’s why there were 120 in the upper room and why there were 3000 converted on the day of Pentecost and not just 1. And why there were 7 deacons and not just one. We need each other. To lift each other up and to build each other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
And as believers we were never intended to try and do it alone, although at different times some believers think: You know I can do at home what I do at church. (Video e.ssentials Vol. 4, No. 2 Embers) Dwight L Moody said “Church attendance is as vital to a disciple as a transfusion of rich, healthy blood to a sick man.”
4) A Disciple Shares God’s Vision God’s people need a common goal and a common vision. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus told his disciples Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And so Christ pointed the disciples in a direction. He didn’t just say “Hey guys I’m leaving so go do something.” No instead he spelled it out for them saying “This is what I want you to do.” He narrows it down in Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Throughout church history the church of Christ has had a vision and a goal. And that has been to see souls saved, we aren’t supposed to go to heaven alone, and to touch our communities for Christ and have an influence on our society.
As a Christ follower Jesus left you here for a purpose, think about it if his only reason for saving you was to get you into heaven then how come you are still here?
As a Christ follower you are here for a specific purpose, and the vision and purpose that God has given you may not necessarily be the same vision and purpose that God has given me but they shouldn’t contradict each other. Friends you were not just saved to occupy a chair on Sunday morning, Jesus has a vision for you and for your life and all you have to do is claim it. I hope and pray that each one of you has claimed and bought into the vision that Cornerstone has for this community and this city but you had better have a personal vision that Jesus has for you as one of his disciples.
I love the way Proverbs 29: 18 reads in the King James Version Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision the people perish.
Matthew 17:20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
5) A Disciple Knows the Power of Faith Faith that illusive, mysterious powerful quality that Paul defined in Hebrews 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. Somewhere along the line I heard it defined this way Fantastic Adventures In Trusting Him. The fact of the matter is that every disciple of Jesus Christ has access to the greatest power available in the world and that is faith. There is nothing beyond the realm of faith. If more Christians were willing to step out and claim the promises of God Almighty this world would be an entirely different place to live. I wonder what Jesus meant when he said in John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name. And with that in mind I wonder what Gabriel meant when he told Mary in Luke 1:37 “For nothing is impossible with God.” Or what Paul meant when he wrote to the church in Philippi and told them Philippians 4:13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. And you are thinking “well pastor it means exactly what it says” Then do we believe what it says? If we actually believe it is the word of God and it is for us then why do we act as if those promises apply to some other person in some other time?
Jesus promised his disciples in John 16:24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy. And we are his disciples And faith means there will be times you need to step into the unknown and take some risks. Because by the very definition if it doesn’t involve some risks then it doesn’t require any faith.
I believe that one of the essential ingredients in Cornerstone becoming the church is is has been faith. Believing that what God has promised that God can deliver. Not simply the faith of Denn or the faith of our leadership team but the faith of the disciples who have been a part of this church.
Remember the promise about moving mountains? Jesus said “If you” not “If the Pastor” or “If the leadership team” or “If the Church” but “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed.” You will move mountains. You say “But Denn don’t you think he was speaking allegorically?” Nope, I think Christ was speaking about the power of Almighty God that can be released through the faith of his people in this world to accomplish the impossible. That is why the Bible says “For nothing is impossible with God.” Nothing, No Thing will be impossible with God. And we need to recognize that the same power that was available for the early church and those first disciples two thousand years ago is still available for us today. It’s not your power it is God’s power released through you through the Holy Spirit. Because Acts 1:8 is still in my Bible and it still says But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
As we continue to read in the book of Acts the early Christians were not afraid to exercise their faith and the earliest accounts of the church are filled with exciting accounts of the Fantastic Adventures in Trusting Him. And remember faith will never ask more than that you believe. And maybe we need to be like the man in Mark 9:24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!”
Acts 17:28 For in him we live and move and exist. 6) A Disciple Knows How to Live Probably the most dramatic and visible evidence of the new birth is a whole new life style. One of those verses that we keep coming back to over and over again is 2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! That my friends is the word of God. Let me read it again: 2 Corinthians 5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! I have met people who profess to being Christians, who say they have been born again, and yet they live the same life they’ve always lived and do the same things they always did and if you confront them about their behaviour they get all snotty and quote the only bible verse they know about not judging. Yet somehow from my reading of the bible I get the impression that if being born again doesn’t make a difference in this life it isn’t going to make a who lot of difference in the next life either.
There needs to be a change of lifestyle that accompanies your change of heart. That’s why the bible differentiates between the acts of the sinful nature and the fruit of the spirit. Within the context of what happens within the process of the new birth, you know the entire turning away from sin and turning to God thing, there should be a turning away from sin and turning to God.
There will be areas of our lives which the Holy Spirit will correct us in and if we continue in a growing relationship with God we will obey him. Christ clearly states in John 14:15 “If you love me, obey my commandments.” Remember in math one way of proving a statement was by reversing it, 1 + 3 = 4 so 4-1=3 so if Jesus truly meant what he said then the converse of that statement would also be true. John 14:15 “If you don’t obey my commandments you don’t love me.” Interesting.
How many people are familiar with the term “The Peter Principle”? Sure you have, the Peter Principle named after Dr. Laurence Peter states "In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence." So there’s a guy who is a good part time salesperson so they are promoted to full time, and if you do ok there you are promoted to sales manger and again things are working out pretty well so they make you store manager and he is really terrible at that job, he just can’t seem to get the hang of it, and so there he stays. He doesn’t get promoted, but because of his seniority they can’t fire him. He hates his job, it gives him ulcers and grey hairs but he has a family to support and so he can’t really quit and if he asked to be demoted to his previous position he’d lose face, and so there he stays, miserable, unhappy, discontent and stuck.
A number of years ago back I developed the Guptill Principle of Spiritual Growth
Under the Guptill Principal of spiritual growth each of us grows in our spiritual walk to our own personal level of disobedience. So we get saved, we are obedient to the spirit of God in our life, and we begin to grow and God shows us this and we deal with this and he shows us that and we deal with that, and we continue to grow. And then one day God says, “Hey sport what about this area,” and it might be anger, or our language or habits, or immoral behaviour or attitudes and we say “Uh-huh, you leave that alone.” And our spiritual growth stops dead in it’s tracks. And because we know that we are disobedient we are grumpy and miserable and unhappy. And at that point we have three options, one is that we just stay there, miserable and stuck. God won’t take us any further in our Christian walk then that point of disobedience. Or we say “forget this” and we backslide, we just walk away from God.” or we surrender to His will in our life and become obedient and move on in our Christian life and continue to grow.
What is your point of personal disobedience? where are you stuck? Or maybe you’ve come to the place where you have sold out to God and you continue to grow and he continues to show you areas in your life that need to be dealt with and you deal with them, no ifs ands or buts.
How does your life measure up? Until we choose to submit to God’s will we will never experience all he has for us. You can never be a winner when you try to pit your will against God’s will. A disciple has learned the truth of 1 John 1:6-7 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. Are you living in all the light he gives you?
John 15:12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
7) A Disciple Knows How to Love These were some of the last words of Christ and he did not say “This is my commandment: Volunteer in your local church” My apologies to all the department heads out there. And He didn’t say “This is my commandment: tithe” Sorry Mike and I regret to say that he didn’t tell his apostles “This is my commandment: attend church every Sunday.”
He didn’t call us to judge one another, or to talk about one another. He didn’t call us to put one another down. But he did say John 15:12 This is my commandment: Love each other And how are we supposed to do that? in the same way I have loved you. The New Testament speaks a lot about love, as a matter of fact the entire bible speaks a lot about love it is mentioned over seven hundred times in one form or another.
Jesus tells us in Luke 10:27 to love our Neighbours and in Matthew 5:44 we are told to love our Enemies In Matthew 22:37 we are told to love our God and in John 15:17 we are told to love Other Christians And in John 14:15 we are told to love Jesus.
Christianity is defined by love or it is supposed to be, there are instance in history that hatred has defined what was supposedly Christianity, but it was a forgery because Christ told us in John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
You ever notice if you ask someone if they are a Christian they inevitably tell you where they go to church or they inform you that they have been a member of such and such a church for eternity. But that wasn’t the question. In my second and third year at Bible College I managed the Bethany Baron’s Hockey Team. I was a member of that team but I can assure you that didn’t make me a hockey player. If I moved into a garage it would not make me a car, if I sat in a tree I wouldn’t be a bird. And just because I go to church it does not make me a Christian.
And Jesus makes it clear that love is not just theoretical but practical as well. In Luke 10 Jesus tells the story about the Good Samaritan and the hero of the story didn’t just talk about love, he didn’t just describe it, didn’t rationalize it, didn’t ponder it, didn’t think about it or even pray about it, he simply displayed it through his actions.
And so a disciple know about God, they knows God, They Know God’s people, they share God’s vision, they have faith, they know how to live and they know how to love.
So I leave you with this thought by W. Russell Maltby “Jesus promised His disciples three things: that they would be entirely fearless, absurdly happy, and that they would get into trouble.”
So where are you at?
