ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OR A DISAPPOINTMENT?
LUKE 14:25-27
1. INTRO. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT NOT EVERYONE WHO WALKS THROUGH THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH, AND PERMEATE THE PEWS ARE DISCIPLES OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS THE CHRIST. IN FACT, THE CHURCH HAS MORE CHRISTIANS THAN DISCIPLES. THEY HAVE ACCEPTED CHRIST AS SAVIOR, BUT THEY MAKE NO EFFORT TO FOLLOW HIM! THEY WILL GO TO HEAVEN WHEN THEY DIE, BUT THERE WILL BE NO REWARDS. THOSE WHO PROFESS HIM WITH THEIR MOUTHS, BUT NOT WITH THEIR HEARTS ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT TO HIM. THEY CAN TALK THE TALK, BUT FAIL TO WALK THE WALK. JESUS SAYS IN MATT. 15:18, “THIS PEOPLE DRAWETH NIGH UNTO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOURETH ME WITH THEIR LIPS; BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.”SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTER, THE QUESTION GOES FORTH, ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OR A DISAPPOINTMENT?
2. THE TEXT. IN THESE PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE, JESUS IS NOT LITERALLY SAYING THAT WE MUST HATE FAMILY AND OUR OWN LIVES, BUT HE IS TEACHING THAT IT IS A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
a) IF WE ARE TO BE DISCIPLES OF THE MASTER, WE MUST MAKE HIM THE PRIORITY.
b) NOTHING AND NO ONE SHOULD COME BEFORE CHRIST IN OUR LIVES.
c) PLEASE DON’T MISS THIS! JESUS WAS ALL ABOUT FAMILY, HOWEVER, WHEN IT COMES TO HIM, FAMILY IS SECONDARY.
d) THEN HE SAYS WHOEVER DOES NOT BEAR HIS CROSS CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLE.
e) TO BEAR OUR CROSS MEANS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR HIS SAKE IF NECESSARY.
f) BUT IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO DIE TO OURSELVES.
g) WE MUST BE WILLING TO DENY OURSELVES FOR HIS CAUSE.
3. WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?
a) THE WORD DISCIPLE MEANS A LEARNER AND FOLLOWER OF A PERSON.
b) THEREFORE, WE MUST FOREVER BE MINDFUL THAT WE ARE TO LEARN OF HIM AND TO FOLLOW HIM. JESUS SAYS IN MATT. 11:29, “TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU AND LEARN OF ME.”
c) HE ALSO SAYS IN MATT. 16:24, “IF ANY MAN WILL COME AFTER ME, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME.”
d) DISCIPLES STUDY THE WORD OF GOD, THEY WORSHIP ON A REGULAR BASIS IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, AND THEY MAKE IT THEIR BUSINESS TO DO THE WILL OF GOD!
e) SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ARE YOU A DISCIPLE OR A DISAPPOINTMENT?
f) PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT BEING A DISCIPLE DOES NOT MEAN PERFECTION, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE ARE PRESSING TOWARD THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE OF THE HIGH CALLING IN JESUS CHRIST.
g) BEING A DISCIPLE TAKE A CONSCIOUS COMMITMENT TO HIM!
4. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FOLLOW CHRIST?
a) WE MUST FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES THAT HE LEFT US.
b) WE MUST FOLLOW HIM IN LOVE.
c) FOLLOW HIM IN FORGIVING OTHERS.
d) FOLLOW HIM IN VISITING THE SICK AND IN PRISON.
e) FOLLOW HIM IN PATIENCE.
f) FOLLOW HIM IN DEALING WITH THOSE IN A BIBLICAL MANNER WHO MISTREAT US AND DESPITEFULLY USE US.
g) FOLLOW HIM IN THE STUDY OF HIS WORD.
h) FOLLOW HIM IN NOT JUDGING OTHERS.
i) FOLLOW HIM IN THE GIVING OF OURSELVES TO OTHERS.
j) FOLLOW HIM IN OBEDIENCE.
k) SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DO YOU WANT TO BE A DISCIPLE OR A DISAPPOINTMENT?
l) AS YOUR PASTOR, MY DESIRE IS ALWAYS TO MAKE US SEE OURSELVES WHERE WE ARE, AND MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR LIVES.
m) IF WE ARE WEAK, I DESIRE TO MAKE YOU STRONGER.
n) IF WE ARE STRONG, MY DESIRE IS TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONTINUE TO BE LIKE JESUS!
o) THAT’S WHY OUR CHURCH THEME IS EMPOWERING THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO IMPACT THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD.
5. CONCLUSION/THREE POINTS.
a) ONE, WE MUST COUNT THE COST OF WHAT IT REQUIRES TO BE HIS DISCIPLE. WE ARE TO LIVE UNTO TO HIM AND NOT TO OURSELVES.
b) TWO, WE MUST BE WILLING TO SUFFER FOR THE KINGDOM CAUSE. 2 TIM. 2:12 TEACHES, “IF WE SUFFER, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM: IF WE DENY HIM, HE ALSO WILL DENY US.” 1 PETER 4:14, “YET IF ANY MAN SUFFER AS A CHRISTIAN, LET HIM NOT BE ASHAMED; BUT LET HIM GLORIFY GOD ON THIS BEHALF.”
c) THREE, CHRIST WILL REWARD OUR FAITHFULNESS TO HIM BY TELLING US WELL DONE THY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.
d) SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, OUR TESTIMONY OUGHT TO BE…
• WHERE HE LEADS ME I WILL FOLLOW
• WHERE HE SENDS ME I WILL GO
• WHAT HE TELLS ME I WILL DO
• WHAT HE ASKS, I WILL GIVE
• TELL THE LORD…
• I WILL GIVE MY LIFE TO THE LORD
• I WILL GIVE MY SERVICE TO THE LORD AND HIS CHURCH
• I WILL STAY ON THE BATTLE FIELD
• I’M NOT GOING TO LET NOBODY TURN ME AROUND
• I WILL FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT
• I WILL FINISH MY COURSE
• AND I WILL KEEP THE FAITH
• CAN THE LORD COUNT ON YOU?
• I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I WANT TO HEAR HIM SAY WELL DONE…
• YOU HAD TO CRY SOMETIME BUT WELL DONE
• YOU HAD TO ENDURE HARDSHIPS BUT WELL DONE
• YOU WERE MISUNDERSTOOD BUT WELL DONE.
