HPFFJ: HELPING PEOPLE FOLLOW JESUS
Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 8:34, Luke 6:40, John 8:31
#HPFFJ
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
For two weeks we are taking a look at the mission of Cincinnati Christian Church. Last week we talked about “finding Jesus” and we focused on evangelism and witnessing. 1 Peter 3:15 was our focus as we were challenged and encouraged to help people “find Jesus.” This week we are looking at “following Jesus.”
KEY WORD: DISCIPLE
The key word we are talking about today is “disciple.” We are talking all about following Jesus. A follower of Jesus is a disciple. Another name for this is a “believer” or “follower.” You can also use the term “Christian.”
A disciple is “one who responds in faith and obedience to the gracious call to follow Jesus Christ. Being a disciple is a lifelong process of dying to self while allowing Jesus Christ to come alive in us” (Greg Ogden, Discipleship Essentials, page 24). Or to put it another way, “A disciple is simply someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow him in his or her daily life” (Billy Graham, kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/billy-graham/article77272832.html).
I love what author Brennan Manning says about disciples because he challenges some of my thoughts: “What makes authentic disciples is not visions, ecstasies, biblical mastery of chapter and verse, or spectacular success in the ministry, but a capacity for faithfulness. Buffeted by the fickle winds of failure, battered by their own unruly emotions, and bruised by rejection and ridicule, authentic disciples may have stumbled and frequently fallen, endured lapses and relapses, gotten handcuffed to the fleshpots and wandered into a far county. Yet, they kept coming back to Jesus” (Ragamuffin Gospel).
A disciple is a believer in Jesus who seeks to follow Jesus each day.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
As we dig into this idea of discipleship, I would like to bring up four attitudes about discipleship that are important that we find in the Scriptures. We are going to look at one passage from each of the Gospels. We are going to look at passages from the Gospels because we are talking about being disciples of Jesus… so let’s listen to what Jesus Christ Himself has to say on the topic. He is the source! These four attitudes that Jesus teaches will help us be better disciples of Jesus and will challenge us to come back to Him over and over again as we follow Jesus and then also help others follow Him.
In Matthew, we will see the attitude of replication.
In Mark, we will see the attitude of self-denial.
In Luke, we will see the attitude of Christ-likeness.
In John, we will see the attitude of faithfulness.
Each of these attitudes are important for a disciple of Jesus Christ.
MATTHEW: ATTITUDE OF REPLICATION
First, we have in Matthew the attitude of replication.
READ Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who replicates themselves. This passage from the end of Matthew is quite a deep passage. It shows us (among other things) that the Christian faith is based on the authority of Christ who not only was God in the flesh, but was our Savior because of His death and resurrection. The authority and command to share faith from one person to the next comes from God. Who gave us permission to share our faith in Christ? The God of the Universe did! Belief in Jesus is meant to move from one person to the next. One person is to teach another. One person is to baptize another. One person is to share the commands of God to another. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who replicates themselves because the very nature of faith in Christ is contagious and is meant to be shared. It is good news for all people that leads to salvation and peace.
ILLUSTRATION… We Replicate in Many Areas (p)
This principle is true in so many parts of our lives, but when it comes to faith, we just sort of drop it:
* We begin to watch a new TV show and we are a fan… we then tell a friend and get them watching too so they would also be a fan. I really like the new MacGyver TV show and told Kelly about it. She watched one episode and was hooked and then watched them all. That’s replication.
* We eat at a restaurant and it is so good that we have to tell someone else and bring them back with us. On my first visit here I tried Mother Bear’s Pizza and on my second visit here I took Kelly there. We have been back many times. The kids like it too. That’s replication.
* We read a book that makes an impact on us and we buy a second copy and give it to friends or family. For Christmas each year, my brother-in-law gives me a book that he has read that year and has made an impact on him. I then read it and enjoy it as well. That’s replication.
We replicate our likes and such with TV shows, restaurants, books, recipes, good mechanic shops, music groups, and everything else. When we find something that works, we recommend it. When we find a good source for something, we share it. When we have good news, we let others know. Let’s replicate with our faith in Christ as well.
APPLICATION: HOW CAN WE REPLICATE?
Share a meal with someone who is not a Christian and talk about spiritual topics.
Listen to those around you for problems and times of crisis and offer to pray with them.
Share a Christian book that was impactful to you with someone else.
Invite someone to church you know is having a hard time.
Share meaningful articles on social media with others so they can be encouraged.
SUMMARY
The first attitude that is important for us to have as disciples of Christ is that we replicate our faith in those around us. Family. Friends. Strangers. Believers. Non-believers. Replicating is commanded by Jesus, but I also think it is something done on purpose and with intent.
MARK: ATTITUDE OF SELF-DENIAL
Second, we have in Mark the attitude of self-denial.
READ Mark 8:34
Then He called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said: "If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who denies self. What does that mean to “deny ourselves?” What does it mean to “take up our cross” and “follow” after Jesus? This is an important attitude! I think denying ourselves means we place God first in our heart and first in our lives. I do what He wants not what I want.
When we place the Lord at all times near our heart and first…
When we seek Him by a simple desire to do His will first…
When we seek Him by a sincere desire to suffer for His ways…
We then find that God is near to our hearts in all situations. We find that He is our ever present support and rescue and deliverance in this times of trouble. We find He is our joy in happy times. We find He is our light and path in times when we aren’t sure where to go or what decisions to make. We find that God communicates directly to us through the Bible and we have an anchor in this life.
Denying self is an essential attitude for the disciple of Christ. It is not easy. I personally don’t think the death of self is accomplished at once, but I think it is a process of daily taking up the way of life Jesus has laid out and daily applying it in our lives. Denying self is one day at a time. The results of denying self for the sake of Christ is happiness, fulfillment, freedom from guilt, purpose in God, and an assurance of salvation.
ILLUSTRATION… The Hobbit: Denying Yourself sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/83465/dying-to-self-by-ken-pell
In the movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” there is a scene where the Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit who is accompanying 13 dwarves on a mission, unexpectedly disappears and seems to have abandoned the dwarves during a crucial battle. They were losing. Bilbo does return and the dwarves are victorious. Afterward Thorin (the dwarf leader) and Bilbo have a conversation.
[Thorin:] “Why did you come back? It matters! I want to know: why did you come back?”
[Bilbo:] “Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you’re right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that’s where I belong. That’s home. And that’s why I came back, because you don’t have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can.”
Bilbo understands what denying self means. For him, people around him did not have a home and he had to give up what he wanted so they could find a home. For us, maybe a little bit of a stretch, as long as people around us do not have the eternal home, as long as people have no rest and no peace, as long as there is a battle for the souls of the people around us, we must deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.
APPLICATION: HOW CAN WE DENY OURSELVES?
Denying self means I take captive sinful thoughts in my mind and focus my thoughts on Godly things.
Denying self means just because something feels good for my body doesn’t mean I do it.
Denying self means my emotions are filtered through my faith in God and I let Him guide my feelings.
Denying self means I am not the center of my life and I am not most important person in my universe.
Denying self means my money is not my money, but is given to me by God for His purposes.
Denying self means every relationship I have is governed by His rules and desires and His will.
Denying self means I consult God on decisions I make and ultimately do God’s will and not my will.
SUMMARY
The second attitude that is important for us to have as disciples of Christ is that we deny ourselves and we take very seriously the faith commitment we have made to God. He directs every single part of our lives. Every. Single. Part.
LUKE: ATTITUDE OF CHRIST-LIKENESS
Third, we have in Luke the attitude of being Christ-like.
READ Luke 6:40
A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is one whose goal it is to be like Christ… Christlikeness. Jesus is very specific that He is the teacher and we are the students. In using this metaphor, we understand that we will never be better than Jesus or over Him in any way, but we can be like Him. Jesus is called “rabbi” throughout the Gospels. This word means “teacher.” A disciple learns how Jesus is, what He teaches, and then makes it a goal to live out what we have learned from Jesus.
Jesus is all about teaching us how to live our lives in accordance with the path of life God has set up. Jesus spent His ministry teaching and telling parables and explaining to the disciples about the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 11:1 says, “After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.” He was always teaching. Matthew 5-7 alone is a huge block of teaching on how to live life.
Matthew 9:13, Jesus says, “But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
Matthew 11:29 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
I get the overall sense that we are to learn from Jesus and then do what He says. Learn and then do. Learn from the teacher as the student and then put into practice what we have learned. Learn and then do. It occurs to me that lots of people learn, but it is the disciples that actually “do.” In our effort to follow Christ, our lives look like His… our lives will resemble Him.
ILLUSTRATION… Portrait of Christ https://bible.org/illustration/portrait-christ
This is an old story, but on a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait of one of the men who died at the Alamo. It has the following inscription: “James Butler Bonham—no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom.”
No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. By the way, any picture you have ever seen of Jesus is NOT what He looks like. In fact, Jesus definitely was not a blue-eyed white guy. We can know what Jesus was like from the Bible and others are to know what Jesus was like because we should reflect Him! We should be the image of Christ others can see. We should be the representatives that act and sound like Jesus Christ. We resemble Him.
APPLICATION: HOW CAN WE BE CHRIST-LIKE?
Jesus teaches us how to love in that we should love every person that is around us, not just the ones we like.
Jesus also showed that by His daily life and ministry.
We then must love as Jesus loved and not love how we want to love. We follow His lead.
Jesus teaches us that forgiveness is not as restrictive as we would like to make it and should not run out.
Jesus showed that by His life and also by His death.
We then must forgive as Jesus has first forgiven us and extend forgiveness as often as needed. We follow Him.
Jesus teaches us that humility is honored by God and enriches our personal relationships.
Jesus showed that by His birth and His life.
We then must humble ourselves before the Lord and live humbly and speak humbly. We follow Him.
Jesus taught us that our heart and attitude are important and not just our actions.
Jesus lived His life with holy and right attitudes.
We must then watch our hearts and attitudes and change them to be like Jesus. We allow Him to change us.
SUMMARY
The third attitude that is important for us to have as disciples of Christ is that we learn from Christ how to live and then we do what He has taught us and shown us. Our attitudes should be Christ-like. Our morals should be Christ-like. Our spending habits should be Christ-like. All aspects of our lives should reflect the teacher we claim to follow.
JOHN: ATTITUDE OF FAITHFULNESS
Fourth, we have in John the attitude of faithfulness.
READ John 8:31
To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really My disciples.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who is faithful. I look at the phrase Jesus uses in this verse “hold to” and I cannot help but think of the word “faithfulness.” Being a disciple of Jesus does not mean we follow Him once, but it is a continual ongoing following that means we “hold on” to His teaching constantly. I noticed that Jesus is speaking to Jewish believers in Him… because they would have had many thoughts and cultural reasons to pull away from faith in Him. Following Jesus means we choose to follow Him and continue to do so.
A disciple is a disciple every day; not just when it is easy and comfortable and acceptable.
A disciple is a disciple every day; not just when it is Sunday.
A disciple is a disciple every day; not just when it is convenient and fits in our schedule.
A disciple is a disciple every day; not just when we think we’ll be the one who benefits.
A disciple is a disciple every day; not just when we think we will be successful or good.
ILLUSTRATION… https://therocketcompany.com/10-new-preaching-stories/
In the book Second Calling, Dale Bourke writes that years ago, she attended a conference. When it was over, her friend Bruce offered her a ride to the airport. As they were about to leave, another man asked if he could join them. As they drove away from the hotel, she and Bruce asked the man where he worked, and he mentioned a Christian organization.
Bruce said, “I have fond memories of that group, because I attended a retreat of theirs one time, and that’s where I became a Christian. It was in 1972 in New Hampshire.” Bruce went on to explain that eventually his whole family became Christians and went into Christian work. His sister was a Wycliffe missionary and Bruce himself became publisher of a major Christian publishing house, which brought many significant Christian books to the public. Bruce finished the story with a flourish saying that the retreat had had worldwide impact when you think about it.
The man was silent. Dale and Bruce though that maybe they were boring him. Then the stranger quietly said, “I led that retreat. It was my first time as a conference leader, and I felt like a total failure. Until this moment, I have always believed it was one of the biggest failures of my life.”
Dale Bourke wrote, “What had seemed like the simple act of offering a ride to a stranger had turned into a powerful reminder that God uses our efforts whether we realize it or not. I may spend the rest of my life doing things that don’t seem at all successful. Yet only God knows the purpose. I am called simply to be faithful.”
APPLICATION: HOW DO I REMAIN FAITHFUL?
All of us face challenges and thoughts that perhaps we have failed in following Christ. Right now, you may feel like a failure in what you’re doing. Just be faithful. Right now, you may not be totally sure on the direction your life is taking. Just be faithful. Right now, you may have decisions to make and you don’t know what to do. Just be faithful. Your job is to do your part. Doing what we are called to do faithfully is the point of being a disciple. Make the decision to be faithful. In being faithful, we will find our worth and our way.
SUMMARY
The fourth and final attitude we talked about today is that as disciples of Christ we must remain faithful. Being a disciple of Jesus is an ongoing commitment to be faithful to Him and His way of living.
THREAD: The purpose of Cincinnati Christian Church is to “Help People Find and Follow Jesus.”
CHALLENGE
Our challenge today is to be a person that replicates the faith that we have in another… to be a disciple.
Our challenge today is to deny ourselves and follow Jesus and take faith seriously… to be a disciple.
Our challenge today is to reflect Christ in all parts of our lives… to be a disciple.
Our challenge today is to remain faithful to Jesus Christ each day… to be a disciple.
PRESENTATION OF THE GOSPEL
Jesus was known as a teacher by many who knew Him. In fact, all of the religious leaders of His day considered Him a teacher. It was one of the reasons they disliked Him… He was teaching people spiritual truths that at times rubbed them the wrong way. For example, Matthew 9:11-12 says, “When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?’ 12 On hearing this, Jesus said, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.’” Jesus was hanging out and eating with people who were broken and felt lost. He called them sick. He called Himself the doctor they needed for their souls.
How would you describe yourself? Are you broken? Are you lost in your life without purpose? Is your soul sick because of bad attitudes or guilt for what you’ve done? I want you to know that all of us in here who are disciples of Jesus Christ have come to the conclusion that we are broken, lost, and sick without Him. We need Jesus. He mends our hearts, gives us purpose, and forgives us through His death on the cross. If you have never accepted Him, I would love to talk to you today about how to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
CONCLUSION IN PRAYER
