Introduction: Pastor Randy Leckliter tells the story of a man who got lost in the desert. After wandering around for a long time, suffering from a severely parched throat, he spotted a little shack in the distance. He made his way over to the shack and found a water pump with a small jug of water sitting next to it. A note was attached to the jug that read: “Pour all the water into the top of the pump to prime it, if you do this you will get all the water you need.” Now the man had to make one of two choices: 1. He could trust the note and pour the water into the pump and if it worked he would have all the water he needed. However, if it didn't work he would still be thirsty, and he might die. 2. He could choose to drink the water in the jug and get immediate satisfaction. The problem with this decision was that the jug might not contain enough water to meet his needs, and he still might die. After thinking about it the man decided to risk it. He poured the entire jug into the pump and began working the handle. At first nothing happened, and he began to grow anxious. But he kept pumping and soon water started coming out. In fact, so much water came out that he drank all he wanted, took a shower, and filled every container he could find with the life-sustaining fluid. Because he was willing to give up immediate satisfaction and trust the note, he had all the water he needed. Now the note also said: “After you have finished, please refill the jug for the next traveler.” The man refilled the jug and added to the note: “Please prime the pump, believe me it works!” [illustration found on SermonCentral.com]
We have a similar choice to make: do we trust our sinful flesh and the world that promises immediate gratification or do we trust the living God who has revealed to us in the Bible how to be redeemed from our sins and follow a Savior into a powerful life on this earth and an eternal life in heaven. I think the choice is obvious. We need to pour in all the water and trust God with everything. My friends, this short story is exactly what discipleship is all about – trusting the words and deeds of someone else. Here at Bethel Friends, we need a new discipleship program.
In general, a disciple is a person who follows someone else. In the Biblical context, a disciple was usually the follower of a teacher. The word for disciple in the New Testament is μαθητής. Typically the noun is used in a masculine sense. In fact, there are times in the New Testament when μαθητής must be understood as referring exclusively to men – the twelve disciples of Jesus, for example. Then there are other times when it can and must be understood as gender neutral, that is, as referring to both males and females. For example, in Matthew 28:19 Jesus gives the imperative to go make disciples of all nations; this must be understood as being inclusive of all persons, both male and female, not exclusively one gender. “And Jesus said to those Jews (my note - males and females) who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My Word then you are My disciples indeed and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.’” (John 8:31-32). A Christian/disciple is not only a follower of Jesus, but one who by faith seeks to live (abide) within the boundaries of His words.
Luke 8:34-35 - “34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.”
Within these verses we see four key components of discipleship.
I. Discipleship Requires Desire (v. 34)
“…Whoever desires to come after me…”
Illustration: Jimmy was nine years old when he watched his favorite basketball player participate in the NBA All-Star 3 Point Shootout. His favorite player was Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. That year, in 2006, Nowitzki won the 3 Point Shootout and had 10 points in the All-Star game. Jimmy was so excited and inspired by Dirk’s shooting that he decided he wanted to start playing basketball because he too wanted to win the 3 Point Shootout as his favorite player did. As the weeks and months went by, Jimmy begged his dad for a basketball goal. After sometime his dad bought the goal and Jimmy would shoot for hours in the driveway, always pretending to be number 41 on the Dallas Mavericks.
Jimmy is now in high school, preparing for his junior year. He plays for his school’s varsity basketball team. Last year, as a sophomore, he led the team in points coming off the bench, and anticipates a move to the starting lineup this coming year. Although it may seem far-fetched to everyone else, Jimmy still has eyes set of the 3 Point Shootout in just a few more years. Seeing Dirk play, seeing the ball crash through the net, remembering the sounds of the roaring crowd with every shot Dirk took still reigns in Jimmy’s mind. He desires greatness just as his favorite basketball player has achieved. It is his desire for greatness that has led him to prepare for the season with countless hours in the gym, thousands of shots in the offseason, lifting weights to improve his strength and ability to compete. Jimmy has a desire to improve to be the best.
Just as seeing the greatness of Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks spawned a desire in Jimmy to follow in Dirk’s footsteps, when a human being sees by faith the greatness of God’s grace in Jesus, a desire is spawned to follow in Christ’s footsteps. Thus, in order for us to become disciples of Jesus, we must first desire to know and follow Him. If you are content with just attending church on Sunday morning for an hour and being spoon fed the Word of God for thirty minutes, then you will never desire to grow in your faith, you will never come to know Christ intimately, and you will never follow where He leads. If this describes you, and you are spiritually content, then go ahead and tune me out. However, if you truly desire to know Christ and to be His disciple, follow me to the second point.
II. Discipleship Requires Denial (v.34)
“…let him deny himself…”
Illustration: A lady named Brenda lost one hundred pounds in one year on the Totally Fit Life (TFL) diet and exercise program offered at The Gathering Place at Community Church of Greenwood in Greenwood, Indiana. You really should see the picture of her holding up the pants she wore before she lost so much weight; it is astounding! In her testimony she shared the struggles she experienced in those twelve months of intense weight loss. She expressed that she did not eat the things she wanted to eat. She denied herself of her self-centered desires that ultimately contributed to her gaining so much weight. Brenda made a drastic change in her life physically.
Similarly, we can make a drastic change in our live spiritually. In order to do so, we must yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit so that we can understand and apply the teaching of Jesus and abide in His Word. Out of our desire to be Christ’s disciple, we must trust Him to such a point that we abandon and then deny our carnal and selfish desires that consume unbelievers and can consume us as new/weak Christians. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve two masters – meaning that we cannot serve ourselves by following the desires of our flesh and deny ourselves and become His disciple simultaneously. We will either be self-serving or deny ourselves in order to follow Him.
What does denying yourself look like? The Apostle Paul explains this wonderfully in 2 Corinthians 5:15, “…15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” Those of us who are living Christians (here is a hint: that is you and me!) should no longer live for our desires and our wills, but for the will of Jesus because He died on the cross for us, and rose again. The bottom line is that self-denial results in thinking like John, “He must increase and I must decrease.” (John 3:30)
III. Discipleship Requires Dedication (v.34)
“…and take up his cross…”
In the first century, the cross was not viewed as we view it. Today it is celebrated in jewelry, placed atop steeples, worshipped as a relic, and centered in priceless art. However, when Jesus spoke of taking up a cross, it was not seen as a liberating figure, but rather an emblem of suffering. Notice Jesus did not say the believer was to take up Jesus’ cross, but his (the believer’s) cross. Within the boundaries of God’s plan for each believer’s life there is an allowed, but limited, amount of suffering. This suffering is not the typical suffering from illness, financial issues, etc., because even the unbeliever suffers in this way. No, this suffering is specifically for the cause of Christ. It could be as simple as being rejected by friends, relatives and peers because of Christ. A student might be mocked by a liberal professor. An employee might be cursed when he defends the name of God when others take it in vain. It could be as intense as being physically abused by those who seek to eliminate the faith from their presence.
IV. Discipleship Requires Displacement (v.34)
“…and follow Me.”
Illustration: “Mary had a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow. And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was sure to go.” We are probably all familiar with this famous American nursery rhyme, “Mary Had A Little Lamb.” In fact, some of you may even be able to play it on this piano. In this little song, the lamb is a disciple of Mary because it followed her wherever she went. As the rhyme continues, it says the lamb waited patiently for Mary to come out of the schoolhouse so that it could follow her. In this context, the disciple (the lamb) physically followed Mary, but in the context of Scripture, being a disciple is much more than physically following someone.
Jesus is calling on his audience (the disciples and the multitude gathered) to do more than physically follow him from town to town, but rather to follow Him spiritually by loving Him and keeping His commandments (John 14:15). As Dr. John Barnett says, “Christ's plan was to have close, personal ‘followers’ who were also learners and doers of His Way. They listened and followed Him as they learned from Him how to do what He did.” We can see from our own experiences not that a failure to follow Jesus, but rather our own whims leads to destruction. Our relationships with other people (wives, husbands, children, co-workers, bosses, etc.) are severely affected. But, most important of all, our relationship and intimacy with God crumbles. Following Christ is to be like Him. Discipleship is the process of becoming more like Him. It requires a desire, a denial of self will, a dedication to Him no matter what pains and suffering we may experience, and it requires a displacement – a movement from where we are now to where and what He is..
Application: Discipleship is the only appropriate response to a Savior hanging on the cross, bearing the guilt and punishment for our sin and rising victorious from the grave. Here at Bethel, we have many people who love Jesus, but the fact is we need to be His disciples. Thus, authentic discipleship is an aspiring value of our church – one that needs to be put into place. It does not matter how long you have been a Christian or attending this church; now is the time to search your heart to see if you “want” to be a disciple of Christ. Now is the time to begin denying yourself, joyfully take up your cross, and follow Him. Will you be His disciple?
