A. Today’s sermon begins a new sermon series on discipleship that I am calling “I Am A Disciple Of Jesus!”
1. I spent some time wrestling with what to call the series.
2. I thought about naming the series “The Discipleship Adventure” or “The Discipleship Journey” – those titles sound inspiring and inviting.
3. Another possible title that captivated my imagination is “Becoming a True Follower of Jesus” – that would have brought attention to the need to be an authentic disciple of Jesus.
4. I almost went with the title of the song “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.”
5. But in the end, I kept coming back to the positive statement: “I Am A Disciple Of Jesus.”
B. And that’s exactly where I want to begin this series, by turning the title of the series into a question, so let me ask you: Are you a disciple of Jesus?
1. I know you might think it strange that I would ask that question to a gathering of Christians during a Sunday morning Christian worship service.
2. You might be thinking that asking a group of Christians if they are disciples of Jesus is like walking into JoAnn Fabrics and asking if anyone is into sewing, or walking into a sports pub here in Syracuse and asking if anyone is for the SU Orange.
3. But let me clarify what I mean by asking if you are a disciple of Jesus by telling you what I am not asking:
a. I am not asking if you grew up in a Christian home and went to VBS or church camp.
b. I am not asking if you have been a church member or if your name has appeared in a church directory.
c. And I am not asking if you go to church regularly.
C. What I am asking is: are you a disciple of Jesus?
1. You might say, “I’m a Christian and a church member, isn’t that the same thing?”
2. And in theory you are correct, because when a person believes in Christ and turns to Christ in repentance and baptism, they become a child of God, a member of God’s family, they are added to the church, and are therefore a Christian – a Christ follower.
3. But one of the things that I want us to see and understand in this sermon series is that there is a big difference between seeing yourself as a “member of an organization” (the church), and seeing yourself as a “follower of a person” (Jesus the Christ).
4. Tommy South explains it this way: the term “member” is an organizational term and identifies your place in a group, but the term “disciple” is a relational term that means you orient your whole life around someone – someone who shapes your thinking, your priorities, your behavior.
5. Tommy South explains that a disciple is a learner and follower of someone – they attach themselves to a teacher to learn from Him and imitate His life.
6. I’m afraid we have allowed the idea of discipleship to morph into membership, and Christianity has been replaced by churchianity.
7. And when that happens we begin to think of ourselves as members of Jesus’ club, rather than followers of Jesus who walk in His steps, take on His character, and accomplish His mission.
8. And so, the place to begin determining if we are a disciple of Jesus is to evaluate whether or not Jesus is everything to us – that He holds the right position and place in our lives.
D. Let me use an illustration from the book The Disciple Maker’s Handbook: In the Spring of 1985, the leadership of Coca-Cola took a big risk.
1. At the time, the company was steadily losing ground to Pepsi, which had captivated American soda drinkers with its sweet taste and catchy advertising.
2. So Coca Cola brought in a consultant and went back to the proverbial “drawing board.”
3. The consultant encouraged them to reconsider what was the core of their mission as a company.
a. The consultant drew a box on a white board and asked the executives to put one word in the box – a word that encapsulated what Coca-Cola was all about.
b. The overwhelming response was a single word – taste.
4. So the folks at Coca-Cola immediately began concocting new formulas and conducting blind taste tests.
a. They settled on a new soft-drink flavor that they believed would win back their old customers who had gone over to Pepsi.
5. They called the new product “New Coke,” but guess what happened?
a. The American public’s reaction to the change was very negative, even hostile.
b. People wrote hateful letters and many began stockpiling old Coke in fear that it was going away forever.
6. Two weeks after the company launched “New Coke,” the leaders of Coca-Cola began to panic, and they met without the high-paid consultant and they erased the word “taste” and replaced it with a new word – “tradition.”
a. They went back to the company’s beginning and came up with a new product based on something very old.
b. This led to the launch of “Coca-Cola Classic.”
c. Sales skyrocketed and Pepsi was no longer a real competitor.
7. The company returned to its roots and reclaimed its story.
E. When I apply the story of Coca-Cola to the church and to discipleship, I want to encourage us to return to the beginning and the basics of Christianity.
1. I believe that there is only one word that should go in the “box” of the church and its members and that word is “Jesus.”
2. Before it became an organized religion, the Christian faith was a movement about Jesus.
3. Christianity, at its heart, is not a set of ethical teachings, although Jesus frequently taught people how to live.
4. Fundamentally, Christianity is not about attending church services or practicing spiritual disciplines, though if you trust and follow Jesus, you will want to adopt this way of life.
5. In the beginning, the Christian faith wasn’t about church buildings, Bible classes, and programs, rather it was all about the person who lived a sinless life, died on a cross, and three days later walked out of a tomb leaving it empty.
F. Those first Christians were people who said they actually saw Jesus, touched Him and ate with Him after He rose from the dead.
1. They never claimed to be Bible scholars or experts in theology.
2. They believed Jesus was the center and source of life – they left everything and followed Him.
3. They were disciples of Jesus and their life mission was to make other disciples of Jesus.
4. Those of us who believe in Jesus today are forever in debt to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to those who first followed Him and taught others to follow Him.
5. The way of Jesus has been passed down to us across the centuries, and as disciples of Jesus today, it must not stop with us, but we must faithfully pass it on.
G. One of the great myths of our day is that all religions are pretty much the same and that they all teach pretty much the same thing.
1. But nothing could be further from the truth.
2. Certainly every religion deserves a measure of respect and should be understood on its own terms, but Christianity is unique and different in many ways.
3. One of the ways that Christianity is so different from other religions is that it focuses on a single person.
4. That single person is Jesus - He claimed to be the only begotten son of God, He came into the world and taught like no one ever taught, and healed the sick and demon-possessed like no one had ever been able to do – He even raised people from the dead!
5. Jesus was put to death on a cross and three days later rose from the dead, never to die again.
6. Those apostles and first disciples of Jesus obeyed the great commission and began a disciple-making movement called the church.
H. For the first Christians it was all about Jesus – knowing Him, trusting Him, following Him, and proclaiming Him.
1. And I want to help us to be like them - to be a church full of people who put Jesus at the center and who make the mission of Jesus our main thing.
2. It may sound a little strange for me to make this statement as I begin a series about discipleship, but discipleship is secondary to the main thing, and the main thing is Jesus Himself.
3. As disciples of Jesus we should want to know all about Him and try to be just like Him in His thoughts and actions.
4. To help us see how Jesus must form the core of our own discipleship and our disciple making, let’s look at two aspects of who Jesus is in our relationship with Him – He is our Savior and our Lord.
I. First of all, Jesus is our Savior.
1. In 1 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul tells us that God wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth, and that’s why God the Father sent Jesus the Son.
2. In John 3:16, Jesus tells us that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life.
3. A few verses later, Jesus declares that whoever rejects the Son will not see life, because God’s wrath will remain on them (Jn. 3:36).
4. When we say that Jesus is our Savior, we are acknowledging that He has “saved” us from something – what are we saved from?
a. Well, for one thing, Jesus saves us from experiencing God’s wrath and eternal judgment because of our rebellion and disobedience to God.
b. So, Jesus saves us from eternal separation from God, but He also saves us from other more immediate and earthly things.
c. Jesus saves us from Satan’s ability to lead us into a life of misdirection and confusion, a life without purpose; therefore, Jesus saves us from misguided and wasted lives.
5. And so the implications of salvation are endless – Jesus not only saved us from eternal negative consequences, He also saved us for something current and positive.
a. Because Jesus is our Savior, we are at peace with God and are a part of God’s present kingdom, and we have the privilege of announcing that kingdom and demonstrating its present reality through our lives and good works.
b. We are saved by Jesus for citizenship in the unshakable and glorious kingdom of God.
c. Paul said it well in Colossians 1:13: He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.
6. Aren’t you thankful that Jesus is our Savior?
J. But there’s more, secondly, Jesus is also our Lord.
1. In Romans 14:8, Paul tells us how to focus our lives: If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
2. Perhaps Galatians 2:20 summarizes the true reality of life for disciples of Jesus better than any other verse: I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
3. Being saved by a Savior is wonderful, but it doesn’t stop there – salvation is transformational.
4. When we become a Christian, a disciple of Jesus, we have a new life, a new identity, and a new calling.
5. Jesus is not just our Savior, He must also be our Lord, our leader, and the one who determines the direction of our lives.
6. What could be more important in life than living for the One who not only saved you from the horrifying consequences of sin, but is also the reigning Lord of the universe who gives ultimate meaning to our lives?
7. Being disciples of Jesus means that we give our lives to Jesus as Lord, and we help others to do the same.
8. This is the only appropriate response to who Jesus is and what He has done as Savior and Lord.
K. Disciples of Jesus make sure that Jesus is the only one in our “box,” that He is the core and center of everything in our lives.
1. Jesus is the only One or thing worthy of being on the throne and at the center of our lives.
2. We are so blessed and grateful to know Him as Savior and Lord.
3. We want everyone to know Jesus as we know Him, and to have what we have in Him.
4. That’s why we are disciples of Jesus whose mission is to make other disciples of Jesus.
5. When we are personally striving to follow Jesus and are striving to help others follow Jesus, then we are engaging in the most important mission in this world.
L. So let’s return to the question we started with at the beginning of this sermon: are you a disciple of Jesus?
1. Kyle Idleman, in his book on discipleship, called Not a Fan, titled chapter 1 – “D.T.R.”
2. Some of you might recognize what the letters D.T.R stand for, but in case you don’t, they stand for “Define the Relationship.”
3. Kyle writes, “For a young man involved in a romantic relationship, these letters are often enough to strike fear into his heart. He likely dreads the D.T.R. talk. In fact, many young men will postpone, run away from, and put off the D.T.R. for as long as possible.”
4. Kyle shares a story from high school where on his very first date with a girl, she asked him, “Where do you see this relationship going?”
a. That, of course, was trying to take things way too fast! Don’t you think?
b. And needless to say, that was their first and last date.
5. But the truth of the matter is every healthy relationship eventually reaches the point when the D.T.R. talk is needed.
a. Is this relationship casual or is it committed?
b. Have things moved past admiration toward dedication?
M. Can you imagine Jesus needing to have a D.T.R. talk with each of us?
1. Picture Jesus skipping past the small talk and getting right to the point with us.
2. Jesus looks us in the eye and says: “It’s time to define this relationship.”
3. Jesus wants to know how we really feel about Him and about the level of our commitment to Him.
4. Is our relationship with Jesus committed and exclusive?
5. Or is our relationship with Jesus casual and are we still “playing the field”?
N. As you probably know, in the end, Jesus won’t allow us to be in a relationship with Him unless it is exclusive.
1. Jesus must be Lord of all, or He is not Lord at all! Do you understand that?
2. Jesus won’t allow us to treat Him like “second fiddle” in our lives.
3. Being a disciple of Jesus means putting Jesus first and foremost in our lives and means that we put into practice what we learn from Him.
a. In Luke 6:46, Jesus asks a very important question: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?”
b. In other words, “Why do you call me Lord, but don’t follow Me and obey Me?”
c. In the parallel passage from Matthew 7, Jesus declares: 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’ ”
4. These verses emphasize the fact that discipleship is serious business.
a. Discipleship is about obeying Jesus’ commands and doing the will of the Father in heaven.
b. Discipleship isn’t about living in a way that pleases us, rather, it is about living in a way that pleases God.
c. Being a disciple of Jesus isn’t a loose or casual commitment – it isn’t just another part of our lives, rather, as disciples of Jesus, He is supposed to be at the center of our lives and our lives are to be wholly committed to Him.
5. So I want to invite you on this important and serious journey of understanding how to be a disciple of Jesus according to Jesus’ own terms.
a. We will be exploring the essentials of the life and the mission of disciples of Jesus.
b. I’m excited about what we will learn and the changes that God will bring into each of our lives and into our church as a whole.
O. But it all begins with a decision and a desire to be a disciple of Jesus.
1. In a minute we will sing a song where we can declare our ongoing decision to follow Jesus.
2. But before we sing that song, I want to share a discipleship declaration that I find inspiring – I don’t know who wrote it, but it is so good:
The decision has been made – I’m a disciple of His.
I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure.
I’m finished and I’m done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees,
Colorless dreams, tame vision, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarf goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotion, platitudes, or popularity.
I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by present, lean by faith, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my God reliable, my mission clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity,
negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity
or meander at the maze of mediocrity.
I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must go until He comes. Give ‘til I drop. Preach ‘til all know and work ‘til He stops me.
And when He comes for His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing me.
P. Powerful stuff! Such important commitments and attitudes!
1. Let’s become the kind of disciples of Jesus that when He comes for His own, He’ll have no problem recognizing us! Amen!!
Resources:
The Disciple Maker’s Handbook, Bobby Harrington & Josh Patrick, Zondervan, 2017.
Not a Fan, Kyle Idleman, Zondervan, 2011.
What Now? Sermon by Tommy South.
