JESUS IS LOOKING FOR DISCIPLES
LUKE 14: 26
I. INTRODUCTION
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE CONDITION OF THIS CRAZY, CHAOTIC WORLD, IT JUST SEEMS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD MAKE LIFE MORE ENJOYABLE AND LIVEABLE. WE CAN’T COUNT ON MONEY BECAUSE IT’S THE LOVE OF MONEY THAT IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL. THOSE WHO HAVE, KEEP WHAT THEY HAVE, SO THAT THOSE WHO HAVE NOT, CONTINUE TO HAVE NOT. WE CAN’T COUNT ON POLITICS, BECAUSE THE POLICIES OF THE POLITICIANS OFTEN LEAVES US DISENFRANCHISED. WE CAN’T TRULY COUNT ON GOVERNMENT AGENCIES BECAUSE WE DON’T ALWAYS MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS. WE CANNOT COUNT ON INTELLIGENCE BECAUSE WE HAVE INTELLIGENT FOLK NOW, AND THE WORLD IS STILL ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH DISASTER AND DESTRUCTION. YES MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THIS WORLD IS IN TURMOIL AND IN DIRE NEED OF ASSISTANCE. WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE LIFE ON THIS PLANET MORE TOLERABLE? GOOD QUESTION, GLAD YOU ASKED. IT’S GOING TO TAKE DISCIPLES OF JESUS. YES, DISCIPLES, THOSE DOERS OF THE WORD AND NOT HEARERS ONLY. DISCIPLES, WHO WILL LEND A HELPING HAND TO THOSE IN NEED. DISCIPLES, NOT THOSE FOLK IN THE PEWS WHO ARE BYSTANDERS, BUT THOSE WHO ARE ACTIVELY CARRYING OUT THE MANDATES OF GOD. DISCIPLES, THOSE WHO ARE PURSUING THE WILL OF GOD. MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, JESUS IS LOOKING FOR SOME DISCIPLE.
II. THE TEXT
JESUS HAD BEEN HEALING, AND TEACHING PARABLES TO THE MASSES CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE. HIS THESIS NOW CONCERNS THE MATTER OF DISCIPLESHIP AND HIS OWN PRE-EMINENCE IN A PERSON’S LIFE. HE INFORMS THE CROWD THAT HAD BEEN FOLLOWING HIM THAT IF A PERSON WANTED TO COME TO HIM, HE MUST BE WILLING TO GIVE UP SOME THINGS. YOU SEE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THE CROWD WAS NOT FOLLOWING HIM BECAUSE OF WHO HE WAS, BUT FOR WHAT HE COULD GIVE THEM. HERE IS THE AUTHOR AND GIVER OF ETERNAL LIFE, BUT THEY PERFERRED SOMETHING THEY COULD PUT THEIR HANDS ON. ISN’T THAT THE WAY IT SEEMS TODAY? MEN DON’T WANT THE ETERNAL BLESSINGS, BUT THOSE THINGS THAT SHALL PASS AWAY.
JESUS LET’S THEM KNOW THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE HIS DISCIPLE, STRONG REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET. AS I STATED EARLIER TO BE A TRUE DISCIPLE OF JESUS REQUIRES THE GIVING UP OF CERTAIN THINGS, AND PLACING HIM AS THE HEAD OF OUR LIVES. I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE REASON SOME CHRISTIANS DON’T HAVE THE PEACE OF JESUS, IS THAT THEY HAVE NOT PLACED HIM AS THE HEAD OF THEIR LIVES. HE MAY BE THE SAVIOR OF THEIR LIVES, BUT NOT THE LORD OF THEIR LIVES. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY ARE POWERLESS, AND JOYLESS.
WHEN JESUS STATES THAT IF A PERSON DOES NOT HATE HIS FATHER, MOTHER, BROTHERS, SISTERS, OR EVEN HIS OWN LIFE, THAT THEY CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLES; HE IS IMPLYING THAT IF WE PUT OTHERS BEFORE HIM, WE WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE FOR HIM. IF WE LOVE OUR LIVES MORE THAN WE LOVE HIM, WE WILL DO ALL WE CAN FOR OURSELVES, AND VERY LITTLE FOR HIM. JESUS SAYS IN LUKE 9:24, “FOR WHOSOEVER WILL SAVE HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT: BUT WHOSOEVER WILL LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE, THE SAME SHALL SAVE IT.” SO THEN IT BECOMES A MATTER OF PRIORITY.
FURTHERMORE, ANYONE NOT WILLING TO BEAR HIS CROSS IS NOT WORTHY OF FOLLOWING JESUS. BEARING ONES CROSS ENTAILS THE WILLINGNESS TO SUFFER FOR THE SAKE OF THE KINGDOM. WE MUST BE WILLING AND READY TO ENDURE PERSECUTION, HUMILIATION, CRITICISM, OSTRACIZING, AND EVEN EXECUTION. DETRICH BONHOFFER HAS STATED VERY CLEVERY THAT WHEN JESUS BIDS A MAN TO FOLLOW HIM, HE OFTEN BIDS HIM TO COME AND DIE. AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE MUST BECOME DEAD TO THIS WORLD AND ALIVE FOR THE THINGS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR. BEARING ONES CROSS ALSO MEANS SOMETIMES PUTTING THE NEEDS OF OTHERS BEFORE OUR OWN, BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT HE DID FOR US.
III. CHARACTERISTICS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE
THE CHURCH CONSISTS OF THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE, THE UNSAVED, CHRISTIANS, AND DISCIPLES. THE UNSAVED GROUP COMES TO CHURCH, LEAVE, AND ARE STILL HELD HOSTAGE BY THEIR SINS. THE CHRISTIAN GROUP CAN BE CONSIDERED THE GROUP THAT IS SAVED, BUT UNCOMMITTED TO THE WORK OF THE CHURCH AND THE WORK OF THE KINGDOM. THE DISCIPLE GROUP IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORK OF THE LOCAL BODY AND GOD’S KINGDOM. ONE QUESTION THAT WE OUGHT TO ASK OURSELVES TODAY IS, “AM I A DISCIPLE OF THE LORD, OR AM I A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE LORD?” IT IS THE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST WHO REAPS THE FULL BOUNTY OF CHRIST’S RICHES.
I DECLARE THAT IF THERE WERE MORE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST, THAT CRIME WOULD DECREASE, GOSSIPING WOULD DECLINE, SOME HUNGRY FOLK WOULD NOT BE HUNGRY, NAKED FOLK WOULD BE CLOTHED, LOVE WOULD INCREASE, FORGIVENESS WOULD BE PREVALENT AND RELENTING, JUSTICE WOULD BE METED OUT WITH FAIRNESS, THE SOCIAL ILLS OF THIS NATION WOULD BE HEALED, AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO ASK LIKE RODNEY KING, “CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?”
AS I STUDIED THE TEXT, I DISCOVERED THREE THINGS THAT ARE PARAMOUNT IN THE DEVELOPING OF DISCIPLES. ONE, IT TAKES SINCERE AND DILIGENT PRAYER. JESUS SAYS IN LUKE 10:2, “THE HARVEST TRULY IS GREAT, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW: PRAY YE THEREFORE THE LORD OF THE HARVEST, THAT HE WOULD SEND FORTH LABOURERS INTO HIS HARVEST.” TWO, IT TAKES A STRONG COMMITMENT TO THE LORD. JOHN 8:31 SAYS, “IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED.” THREE, IT TAKES THE POWER OF GOD. EPHESIANS 6:10 SAYS, “FINALLY, MY BRETHREN, BE STRONG IN THE LORD, AND IN THE POWER OF HIS MIGHT.
SO MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IT PAYS TO BE A TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST. WE SHOULD NOT BE SATISFIED WITH JUST COMING TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING. DON’T GET ME WRONG, WE SHOULD COME TO CHURCH EVERY SUNDAY, FOR THE SUNDAY THAT YOU DON’T COME IS THE SUNDAY THAT YOU MISS YOUR BLESSING.
BUT I’M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOME DISCIPLES WHO WILL STUDY HIS WORD AND APPLY HIS WORD TO THEIR LIVES. THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOME DISCIPLES WHO ARE WILLING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOME DISCIPLES WHO WANT TO RRECEIVE THE BEST THAT HE HAS TO OFFER. THE LORD IS LOOKING FOR SOME DISCIPLE WHO ARE NOT JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
