REQUIREMENTS FOR TRUE DISCIPLES
Luke 9:57-61
Introduction, attention, Interest, Personal- Nearly thirty years ago, I was a middle school teacher in Kenya .One day I took 20 students, and I told them: “I will do my best to teach you and train you. If you obey me, you will be the best students of this school. “They were excited. In a short time I realized that only some of them were willing to keep up with my training. Some of them said, “it’s too difficult”. Some said, “We have more important things to do”. Some of them said, “You see other students are having more fun than we do.” When they graduated, 2 of them were the best students of the school. Only 2 out of 20.
Analogy, Parallelism- Jesus was the most extraordinary teacher that ever lived. Jesus himself had some disciples of the same sort as mine. Some said, “This is a difficult teaching”, and they left. He had one disciple that considered money more important than anything. Only a few of them were willing to stay with Jesus until the end. You know why? Because discipleship is difficult, discipleship requires discipline.
Need Element, Challenge-We don’t like discipline, we want to be free to do whatever we want, to live our lives just as we want. But Christian discipleship requires discipline. I know you are disciples of the Lord, but let me challenge you today to check out your discipleship; be the best disciples you can be.
Historical Context- Jesus was traveling toward Jerusalem followed by crowds of people. He needed disciples to go in villages and cities to preach the message of the Kingdom, the fact that the Messiah had come.
Textual Idea, (Discipleship/ True)- As Jesus called them out, he shared with them the requirements for a true discipleship.
Sermon idea, (Discipleship, True) As Jesus calls disciples today, the Word of God presents the same requirements for a true discipleship.
Interrogative- What are the requirements of a true discipleship?
Transition- There are three basic requirements for the Christian disciple, as we discover them in our text today: True discipleship requires.
Main divisions stated here-
1. Mature determination
2. Prompt submission;
3. Complete devotion
Text Reading – (Luke 9:57-61)
Body division # 1- True discipleship requires a mature determination (v.57-58).
Explanation, Cross reference, Word Study- Matthew 8:19 tells us that he was a scribe, that is an intellectual, a theologian, a teacher. He offers himself to follow Jesus, the carpenter- Rabbi from Nazareth! He says, “I will follow you wherever-this is literally anywhere-you go.”
Principle- Now, Jesus makes a very interesting statement: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head.” What is he talking about? Jesus is simply saying,: “Discipleship is more difficult than you think. If you really want to be my disciple, count the cost.”
Illustration, Analogy, Personal- There are people who imagine that the Christian life is fun, a long life amusement, but it is not. It is a long-life commitment, through many trials, difficult situations, dangers, persecutions, suffering, and even death if necessary. You see the birds in the sky. They are free to fly, to sing, to eat or sleep. Many years ago, one evangelical Church in Kenya was not allowed to sing! There were Christians who were put in prisons because of their commitment to sing for the Master Jesus . What Jesus is saying is, “if you really want to follow me, recount the cost.”
Argumentation, Cross Reference- Discipleship requires a mature determination, such as firmness and boldness that “neither tribulation, nor persecution, nor famine, nor nakedness, nor detention, not even death” are able to separate you from your master (Romans 8:35-39).
Application, Descriptive- Are you ready, for the sake of Jesus, to leave everything behind, any position, any provision, and possession, any pretension, and to follow him anywhere, with mature determination? Are you totally determined to follow him literally anywhere? I know we desire the pastors in large churches, in important cities, to have our staff, our office, a good car, and a good salary. Are you determined to leave all this and to follow Jesus wherever he leads you? That is what true discipleship really means.
Transition- This is the first requirement of Christian discipleship, second.
Division # 2- True discipleship requires prompt submission (v.59-60).
Explanation, Context-The second man had an extraordinary chance: Jesus takes the initiative and offers him an invitation, “Follow me”, but this man replies “Let me first go and bury my father! “ I don’t know if his father was dead or not. Probably he was asking for permission to go and stay with his father until he died. The text doesn’t say exactly what he meant. What I know is that he failed to submit to the lord right then. He put himself first, and he put his personal and family affairs before his calling.
Parable, Interpretation- I told you that Jesus was an extraordinary teacher. Look on in verse 60, what an interesting response: “Let the dead bury their own dead.” That really means, “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead. Let those who are dead in their sins to bury the dead in their homes. Your divine responsibility in the Kingdom of God is much higher than any human, familiar, or social responsibility. You go and preach”.
Illustration, Tradition, Cultural- There is an old tradition in our schools in Kenya .When a teacher comes in to a classroom, all the students are standing and waiting for the teacher to sit down. Then they sit, and from that moment on, for the rest of the class period, the teacher is in charge of the hour. The teacher is the master and the student is required to submit to the teacher’s authority. When the teacher asks something, no student will say, “Let me first do something else”. He will submit promptly and entirely.
Analogy, Argumentation- How much more a Christian disciple must promptly submit to the greater authority of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? In Christian discipleship there is no room for “Let me first do what I want to do, or go to where I want to go, or to say what I want to say.” The Christian disciple knows to say right at the beginning of his prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done!”
Application, Challenge, Descriptive, Restatement- Please check again your discipleship. Are you willing to submit promptly to Jesus, even before other human responsibilities? Are you ready to sacrifice your day-off and visit the needy? Is the kingdom of God more important for you than fishing, or hunting, or playing, or sleeping? What are your priorities? Are submission and obedience your strong point? If it is so, you are a disciple of Jesus.
Transition, Context- The third man is a combination of the first and the second: he is a volunteer, like the first one. “ I will follow you, Lord”, but he uses the same phrase as the second one. “But let me first”. To him, Jesus addresses a third requirement for Christian discipleship: complete devotion.
Division # 3- True Discipleship requires complete devotion (v, 61-62)
Explanation- “Let me first go and say goodbye to my family” This is perfectly logical desire. Why was Jesus so harsh on the man? In fact, he was asking for just a small favor.
Interpretation, Principle- Jesus knew his heart and he said, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In other words, “If you want to be a true disciple, don’t let other things hinder you, you better devote completely to the Kingdom.”
Illustration, Cultural, Historical- Some people in Africa are still using this primitive method to plow the ground. The plowman has to hold the handle of the plow and to drive it straight ahead, he has to drive the oxen, and he has to avoid rocks and bushes that could break the plow. A plowman would not look back while plowing, for three reasons: (1) The plowing is the first major activity in the field; it is very important to do it in time and properly; (2) There is no time to look around. The day is short, the job is demanding, so he better devote himself completely to the task; (3) the plow is expensive, he would not afford to break the plow,
Analogy, Descriptive- Jesus said that we cannot do two things at the same time, serve God and serve mammon (Matt.6:24). We cannot love God and love the world (James 4:4). We have to be single track minded. How many ministers are “breaking the plow”, destroying their ministries, their families, and themselves, by turning their attention from the Lord, to the World, or to money, or to immoral sexual pleasures?
Argumentation, Cross reference- Discipleship is too important to be done half-hearted, without complete devotion. Remember the Old Testament commandment, “with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your entire mind, and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:5). That means complete devotion.
Transition- We have seen three people and three requirements
Reiteration-
1. Mature determination;
2. Prompt submission;
3. Complete devotion.
Conclusion, Illustration- Many years ago, a university professor decided to resign from his job. Nobody was able to change his mind, neither his mother nor his friends or his colleagues. The professor was determined and nothing was able to stop him.
Dialogue-Some months later a former colleague met him and asked him:
• “How are you doing, what is your new job?”
• “I am a mail-carrier”, he said.
• “Oh, yes, I like it. The only problem I have is that I am too slow. My postmen colleagues are able to finish their task two or three hours earlier than me. You see, whenever I have to deliver the mail to an old lady, I stop at her door to ask her how she is doing, what she needs, how can I help her. Often she really needs someone to talk to. I stop to listen to her and to encourage her. Sometimes I feel compelled to sit with an old deserted man; I read two-three verses from the Bible, I pray with him then I go. Sometimes, while distributing the newspapers, I share the good news. The day is too short to do what I need to do.”
• Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
• “Oh, yes,” the postmen said, “in fact this is what my master wants me to do, and I love it…”
Reiteration- I think this is an example of discipleship, to be in God’s business with determination, submission, and devotion.
Action- I challenge you today to commit yourselves to a true disciple. Probably you say, “I don’t know if I can. I’m not sure if I could live my good life in this country, my family, my friends, my habits.” If you can’t, then you are not a true disciple, but you can become one? But, do it God’s way:
Appeal-I hope you would hear today the sweet call of Jesus, “Follow me”. Don’t turn it away. Come today and be a true disciple.
By Dr. Nicholas M. Muteti, Senior pastor Forestville Baptist Church and Professor at Apex School Of Theology, Durham, North Carolina.
