The most important qualities of being a Christian is being a disciple of Christ
It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I preach it , point it out , or even strive for it, discipleship gets ignored .
Being a disciple of Christ is the single greatest factor of your salvation
Matthew 28 :18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Matthew 28 :19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
Let no one misunderstanding ,
Jesus is the absolute authority , and the One who has absolute authority is the same One who will Judge , and the same One who Judges is the same One who determines your salvation .
If Jesus gives you instruction, a must do, and you ignore it you do so at your own peril
You see you can’t be a closet disciple, there are no secret disciples you are either one or you are not .
The same slackers will say that all baptism is , is an outward expression of what has already happened inside.
When in fact it is the opposite
I say it’s a transformation of what is inside, changing the life outside
In other words you can do and say all you want , but baptism brings the internal to the external together for the eternal.
Being a disciple especially in the days of Christ, takes courage.
Caught being a disciple and you are banished from the family.
The Jews actually have a funeral for those who became a Christian.
Saying my son or daughter are dead to me
So you have a choice,
Jesus said you can’t hide your faith ,
Matthew 5:15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
In other words you don’t try to hide your faith ,
But when you let it shine , then you are black balled .
You can’t get a job, rent a place to live, or even know where your next meal would come from.
Now Matthew 6 makes a lot more sense
Matthew 6:31“Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ 32“For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
But do the work of the Kingdom
Let there be no mistake , there are no undercover disciples .
That your work and your faith has to be exposed, and it takes courage and to stand firm in your faith.
James 2:14What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?15If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Works in Greek is Ergon ,
it means action , someone who accomplishes a purpose , to will it to happen
Faith, courage and Ergon or WILL are what separate us from the rest of this world
When Peter walked on water it was this exact combination of faith, courage and action that made it possible
Matthew 14:22Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone. 24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. 25And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. 26When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
28Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. 33And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!”
Now obviously the boat is the arch of salvation ,that Christ made them enter
Matthew 14:24But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary
Did you notice what happened, and this happens to everyone without fail and you can take this to the bank .
The further you drift away from Christ the rougher the your trip gets, the harder life becomes .
No mistaking it this is violence , and this is why we see so much of it these day
The forces forcing you back , no matter what you try you can’t get ahead
Being Battered by the winds , put in extreme danger , the feeling of hopelessness and abandonment
Jesus will give never bring you to a storm He won’t get you through,
But it is during these storms you find out how far away you have drifted and you see your weakness
Because you will never really know your weakness until your back is up against the wall , your world is threatened and your life is imperil
And when you see your weakness you immediately find His strengths.
When Peter stepped out of that boat it took all his faith all his courage and all his will .
It was only when he took his eyes off Christ and focused on his circumstances that he sunk like a rock .
Matthew 14:31Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?
Where did your faith go, and where is your courage .
Doubt is our natural enemy , it robs your faith , it steals your courage and stops your will at the door .
You all know how your doubt starts , it begins as a thought , then a vision and then down to the heart .
You try to ignore it but it creeps in on you , you have to believe , that means you see yourself not in the boat but outside the boat rejoicing with Christ
The same water that Jesus turned into wine, the same water that Jesus walked on is the same water you are Baptized in .
