Discipleship 101 Part 6
The Power for Discipleship
Luke 24:44-53
Introduction: When I had originally laid out my plans for this series of messages on Discipleship it was my intent to conclude with last weeks message on the prize of discipleship to be the final one in the series. The Lord impressed upon me however, one more aspect of being dedicated disciples from Gospel of Luke. So if you would, please turn to the final chapter of Luke, Luke 24.
Today our theme is: The Power for Discipleship. I believe that the power for discipleship is found in the person and work of the Holy Spirit and in the last chapter of Luke’s Gospel we see the Jesus, risen from the dead, helping His disciples begin to understand what He had promised His them in the Upper Room. If you will remember, Jesus had said that He would send another to help them, and here in our text today we will hear Him remind them of that promise. So, let’s go to the final chapter of Luke’s gospel, chapter 24, and we are going to be reading from verse 44 to the end of the book.
Text: Luke 24:44-53
Throughout this study we have seen that "discipleship" is tied to "Lordship." And that until we as Christians are willing to genuinely acknowledge the "Lordship" of Christ in our lives we will never be dedicated disciples. Tonight I want us to focus on one more aspect of discipleship that is crucial to living a life of faith: the power for discipleship. Before we get into our study let me quickly remind you of what we have covered so far...
Proof of Discipleship--Obedience to the instructions of Jesus
Priority of Discipleship--Willing to go wherever and do whatever Jesus asks
Path of Discipleship--We need to carry our own cross to identify with Jesus
Price of Discipleship--Understanding that while salvation is free discipleship is not
Prize of Discipleship--Rewards are partial here, and full in heaven
Today’s emphasis is on the practicality of being a dedicated disciple--in other words, "How can we be who Christ has called us to be?" The answer is "WE" can’t, but "HE" can in us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Let me share with you some very practical thoughts about the importance of the Holy Spirit enabling us to be dedicated disciples. What we see Jesus help His disciples do here in our text is what the Holy Spirit can help us do on a day by day basis as Christ’s disciples today.
Look at verse 49 with me. Jesus told His disciples that He would fulfill His promise to give them the POWER they needed to be His disciple. Which points us to our first application of how the Holy Spirit can help us:
1. The Holy Spirit can Help Us by...PROVIDING Us With POWER (49)
49And look, I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high."
Being a dedicated disciple is dependent on us receiving the power that the Holy Spirit provides to those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus had promised His disciples in the Upper Room that He would send the Holy Spirit to them, and now He is reminding them of that promise.
John 14:15 - 18 (HCSB)
15"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
In the Book of Acts Luke expands on Jesus’ final words to His disciples:
Acts 1:7-8 (HCSB)
7He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Power alone is not enough. The power the Holy Spirit gives needs to be properly focused which leads us to the second help that the Holy Spirit can provide in enabling us to become dedicated disciples...
2. The Holy Spirit can Help Us by...TEACHING Us the TRUTH (44-46)
44Then He told them, "These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you--that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled." 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46He also said to them, "This is what is written: the Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead the third day,
Did you notice that Jesus focused His disciples on God’s Word as He prepared them to go out and change the world? Many times we want to write our own script, set our own agenda, and come up with our own plans, instead to learning and living God’s Word. Jesus was pointing out that all that had happened was foretold in God’s Word. He was also reinforcing the promise He had made the night of His betrayal when He said that the Spirit would be their teacher:
John 14:25-26 (HCSB)
25"I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit--the Father will send Him in My name--will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
Just as Jesus opened the minds of His disciples to the truth of God’s Word before His ascension, He continued to open their minds to His truth through the teaching of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is still the primary source of our understanding of scripture today. He is able to help us learn what we need to know to effectively serve our Savior and Share our Savior with others.
Which takes us to our third point...
3. The Holy Spirit can Help Us in...SHARING SALVATION (47-48)
47and repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things.
Jesus clearly revealed that being His disciple meant being His missionary. If we go back to what Jesus told His disciples in the Upper Room we will understand how Jesus was reminding them and reinforcing what He had already promised:
John 15:26-27 (HCSB)
26"When the Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father--the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father--He will testify about Me. 27You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
The Holy Spirit is able to help us be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. We can testify of Christ because we know Christ, and because Christ lives in us through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Sharing one’s faith is a reflection of being a dedicated disciple. People who will not witness don’t have a skill problem or a knowledge problem, they have a Lordship problem. Witnessing is not an optional activity; it is one the primary purposes for the lives of Jesus followers.
Let me share one more help that the Holy Spirit can provide...
4. The Holy Spirit can Help Our...WITNESS Match Our WORSHIP (50-53)
50Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. 51And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. 52After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they were continually in the temple complex blessing God.
What kept that joy fresh? How were those first disciples able to maintain a life of dedication to their Lord? They lived what they said they believed! And because of that they were uniquely ready to change their world when the power of the Holy Spirit came up them. Let’s fast-forward just a few weeks and hear how Luke describes the first followers of Christ after the Holy Spirit fell at Pentecost:
Acts 2:41-47(HCSB)
41So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them. 42And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.
43Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 44Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. 45So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. 46And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.
Their WORSHIP was matched by their WITNESS! Those early followers lived it! They lived it because the Holy Spirit gave them the power to live it. The Holy Spirit is just as able today as He was when He filled those first disciples. The question is: Are we willing to let Him empower us to be dedicated disciples? Are we willing to receive the POWER for discipleship? His POWER is AVAILABLE...are YOU?
