I want to begin this morning by asking you a question. You don’t need to respond but I just want you to think about these questions? When I say electrician what pops into your mind, plumber, remodeler or astronaut. For me I would respond to these questions by attaching a person to those connected with those trades or jobs.
For the last few weeks we have been considering the Power, Potential and Purpose of our calling in Jesus. In our text today Jesus is walking beside the Sea of Galilee after being in the wilderness for 40 days (Matt 4:1-11) He has received the news that John the Baptist has been imprisoned.
As Jesus is walking is walking, He finds two brothers that were fishing, and He calls them to follow Him this is the calling of His first two disciples. (Read the Text)
Sermon Text: Matt 4:18-22
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. NIV
So when I say “disciple” what comes to your mind, for most we would call them Christians. But when we consider the term Christian as mentioned in Acts 11:26 was a term signifying the identification with Jesus as a follower. I must point out that this term Christian implies that a person has accepted Jesus as Savor. Before people were called Christian, they were called disciples a term used 266 time in the New Testament. The term Christian only is found 3 times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, 1 Pet 4:16). To be a Christian should imply that a person is a follower of Jesus and a disciple of Jesus. Becoming a Christian comes by an act of salvation becoming a disciple is an act of commitment to learn and follow the teaching of Jesus.
The term disciple means to be a learner or pupil, to be a disciple of Jesus means to learn and study the ways of the one we identify with like being a Christian. So When we accept Jesus as we become a Christian we must commit to the teaching or student of Jesus.
God molds and shape the Disciples life. God is the potter and the disciple is the clay to be molded and shape by Him, He is the shepherd and we are the sheep. We Belong to Jesus and have been bought with a price.
1 Cor 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. NIV
5) Our goal or objective in life is not to get God to bless our dreams and ambitions but to our goal or objective in life is to find God’s plan for us and a line our lives with Him. Our live should be molded and shape by God’s plans for our life. His plans are much better than our plans we have for ourselves.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ”.
Bill Hull said, “all who are called to salvation are called to discipleship, no exceptions, no excuses.” He also said, “Our churches are for making disciples and disciples are God’s gift to the world.”
Discipleship is the only hope for this world, it has worked because it hasn’t been done – it hasn’t been done been done because we are distracted, we are an impatient lot because we are more interested in ourselves and our kingdoms than Christ and His. Only when a person submits to a community of serious Christ followers can they learn to do all Christ commanded.” – Bill Hull
If we were to ask the general public the question “Are You a Christian?” Many would respond my saying yes, in fact in a survey taken in the United States 71 Percent of Americans Identify as Christian. It is celebrated widely in the United States, where 71 percent of Americans identify as Christians. That figure includes 25 percent who belong to evangelical Christian denominations, 20 percent Catholics, 15 percent mainline Protestants, and 7 percent attending historically black Protestant churches.
(Reference: www.newsmax.com/scottrasmussen/christian-easter-sunday/2018/03/30/id/851712/)
I wonder if we were to ask the same group of people were, they disciples of Jesus, wonder what the answer would be.
1st What’s a Disciple-Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. NIV
ILLUSTRATION: Quotes on Discipleship
• It's been said, 'A student learns what his teacher knows, but a disciple becomes what his master is.”
• One great writer on discipleship put it this way: "Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you."
As previously mentioned, the tern “disciple or disciples” is mentioned 266 times in 258 verses of the New Testament. The term disciple originally was used of a pupil or student of a teacher. The word disciple is another way of saying that a person who is a disciple is a follower of Jesus. It is true that as a follower of Jesus we have been forgiven of our sins and should result of that forgives we should live our lives patterned after Jesus. However forgiveness of sin is not discipleship, the acceptance of Jesus as Lord only brings us to the doorstep of “discipleship.” As a disciple of Jesus we are to “take the cross of Jesus and follow Jesus” (Matt 16:24).
The disciple of Jesus commits to a life of learning to act and be like the teacher. 1 Luke 6:40 Students are not greater than their teacher. But the student who is fully trained will become like the teacher. Too many Christian in the world today may have committed their lives to Jesus but have not committed to be disciples of Jesus.
In a recent survey published in Evangelism Resource Guide 2020 it reported:
• 32% of regular church attenders read their Bible every day
• 27% read a few times a week,
• 12% read once a week
• 11% a few times a month
• 5% read once a month
• 12% rarely or never read the Bible
As a disciple of Jesus Rom 10:14 But how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher?
Is it any wonder that our evangelistic efforts are in a sad condition, when followers of Jesus are not disciples and their discipleship training is sadly lacking? We can the sad but true results, 43% of regular church attenders have never invited someone to church. There is a greater number of Followers who have never shared the message of the Gospel.
We have talked the lack of discipleship now I want to answer the question of “What is a Disciple”. First, we need to understand that all Christians are not disciples, but all disciples are Christian. A disciple is a committed believer of Jesus who has committed to a lifelong learning of Jesus through the teaching and preaching and studying and praying through the Word of God.
Philippians 2:5 Just as their Master, disciples of Christ commit to doing all God’s will, instead of giving in to the sinful lusts and egotism in their own flesh. Jesus had a radical attitude concerning sin. His disciples are exhorted to have the same mind.
Phil 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: NIV
As a disciple we must have the same thought process as Jesus did concerning sin. When we do the wrong thing it should move us to asking forgiveness from God (1 John 1:9) and strive to avoid the same sin again. As disciples we must acknowledge our failures in life and not blame life situations on other for our failure. Our live to be a commitment to be a disciple must be far more important to us the sin’s the world has to offer. As a disciple our hatred for sin gives us and understanding that when Jesus said in Matt 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. NIV For the disciple not to sin is more important than a body part.
2nd Who is a Disciple- John 15:7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8 This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. NIV
A person who desires to be a disciple mut as Jesus said in Matt 16:24 the we must take up His Cross and follow Him. He said in John 15: 7 that we should remain in His Word, it may not be possible to sit and hear the personal teaching of Jesus, but we have the textbook, the study guide the Bible to read and study. As the disciple learns of Jesus, and then incorporate what he/she has learn to be more like Jesus. To be a disciple we must love Jesus mor than anything or any on else.
Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. NIV
The statement Jesus mad about the hating of our families is not a literal statement, but Jesus is telling us that there can’t be anything standing in our way of loving and serving Him. The first commandment of the Law God gave us is to have no other gods before Him. Anything that keeps us from serving God becomes our God includeing our families, pleasures and even our own lives.
John 15:7 that if we remain in Him and His Words, we will bear much fruit.
Deuteronomy 6:6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. NIV
Psalms 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you. NIV
Proverbs 4:4 he taught me and said,
"Lay hold of my words with all your heart.
keep my commands and you will live. NIV
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. NIV
1 John 2:14 I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one. NIV
2 John 2 because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: NIV
ILLUSTRATION: ACTIVE DISCIPLESHIP 3
Relation to Christ activates and empowers the whole of life when humans choose to act. Without action, nothing happens. It is kind of like getting into a car and just sitting there without turning the ignition and putting the car into gear and pushing on the accelerator and driving. If you get into the car and sit there, nothing happens! Sure, when you are a kid, someone gets into the car and drives you around. That might the equivalent of relying on someone else’s discipleship. But being a passenger doesn’t make you a driver. Nor does being passive make you a disciple.
3rd – When Does Discipleship Start -Matt 28:19-20 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." NIV-
We have an outline of discipleship, it starts with baptizing, teaching and doing the commands of God. Discipleship starts with the teaching of the thing pertaining to God’s Word.
Discipleship should start the minuet that person accepts Jesus as their personal Savior and follows in believers baptism. That is an exciting time in the life of a new Christian. We should use the Joy of their Salvation as the launching pad for Discipleship. Discipleship training reinforces their commitment to their decision to follow Jesus. As a new Christian they are like a kid lost in the city they don’t know what to do or which way to turn. So Jesus has commanded for you and me to “go and make disciples, baptizing and teaching”.
But in order to teach new disciples we must be a disciple ourselves.
Ezra 7:10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. NIV
Eccl 1:13-14 I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men! NIV
John 5:39 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life.
NIV
As the teacher (Jesus) disciples the student to become a student/ teacher to disciple another. What God has produced in each of the disciples of Jesus we are to reproduce in other.
For most Christians that means we need to catch up, we are behind and therefore we need to begin today for the time when we too are called to disciple someone. When Moses was in the wilderness of sin God’s gave him His Word to take down in the valley where the people were Acts 7:38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us. NIV In the same way God has invested His Word in us to share with others to be shared and shared.
Today and asking you to commit to 3 things:
1. Start today in your personal discipleship training, reading, studying and praying Gods Word to be a workman approved.
2. Identify and praying for your “One”
3. When your “One” becomes a Christian committing to disciple them to disciple someone else.
Conclusion:
1. Will you commit to be a disciple of Jesus?
2. Will you commit to disciplining another?
3. Who will be your “One” and pray and ask God this week and come next Sunday with the answer to this Question!
“Who Is My One?”
