Introduction
Today, we tread troubled waters. We may ‘strain at the oars’ so to speak. Pride will be confronted today. It may even be a little painful. Believe me when I say to you, “This is necessary; to be the real deal, to be genuine and authentic, to become the group of disciples which is the church of the Christ: this is necessary.” There are sacred cows that have been fed for a very long time which must now be sacrificed. The problem is that we have gotten used to the cows, we like the cows, we have invested into the cows.
I understand fully, some here may not make this sacrifice today, or this week, or this year. Some may never make this sacrifice. It is a voluntary choice. But know for sure, it is not me asking you to make this choice, but it is Jesus Christ! Before I reveal the choice we all have to make, let us review what we have covered thus far. Then we will listen to Jesus teach us about discipleship, - what it means, what it costs, and what destroys it.
Here is a quick review. In the first sermon we learned that Jesus claims for Himself these truths. Jesus Christ claimed for Himself, - Deity, ( He claimed, before Abraham was, I am.), and Sovereignty, (He declared, all power in Heaven and on earth has been given to me.) Our response to Him is either submission and surrender or rebellion.
In the second sermon we learned that His power and authority can benefit us. We connect to Jesus Christ as His disciple by participating with Him in living a holy life, by being enabled from the strength of His might to carry out His will and mission, and by serving Him fearlessly.
In the third sermon we learned that our pride though camouflaged, (that is, Pride hidden from ourselves and others.), hinders us from seeing, hearing and opening our hearts to Christ and His way.
Today, we will learn from scripture to:
• Know what discipleship means.
• Understand what discipleship cost.
• Prevent what destroys discipleship.
The first teaching of Christ for us today is to:
I. Know What Discipleship Means, (Matthew 10:24-39).
A. It Means Identification with the Master and Teacher, (Matthew 10:24-25).
1. What Jesus Taught.
Jesus taught the disciple would be like his teacher and the slave like his master. He taught the disciple nor the slave would not be above the teacher or master. The results of identifying with Jesus meant the disciples would suffer as He suffered, perhaps even more.
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! (Matthew 10:24-25)
2. What the Disciples Experienced.
From now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus. (Galatians 6:17)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11).
Discipleship means identifying with Jesus Christ! Do you really think church members in today’s culture, those who attend crying, “Meet my needs!”, would continue attending church if they went through what the infant church went through? There is a major difference between the modern church member and the early disciples.
B. It Means Taking Courage to Fulfill the Master’s Mission, (Matthew 10:26-31).
1. What Jesus Taught.
Four times Jesus mentions fear in six sentences. Jesus knows His disciples will face fear in their walking with Him. His mission has inherit dangers in closed societies, such as in present day Iran and Iraq.
Jesus encouraged them and us by:
• Do not fear them; they attacked me; they will attack you.
• Do not fear them; they can only kill the body.
• Do not fear them; My Father always knows your situation and values you above everything.
• Do fear Him who can destroy both body and soul in hell.
Fear then from His teaching can be a block to action or a motivation to action. What do you fear most; what man can do to you OR what God can do to you. Taking no action upon His mission is not an option.
2. What the Disciples Experienced.
Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13).
And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:18).
This event demonstrates what is just the beginning of the intimidation rought against the disciples of Jesus.
C. It Means Expressing Allegiance to Christ, (Matthew 10:32-33).
“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:32).
“But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:33).
We need to be clear about the meaning of the words confess and deny.
Confess here has nothing to do with wrong doing. In this context it means to express openly one’s allegiance to Christ; to make an emphatic declaration, often public, and at times in response to pressure or an accusation. Jesus requires vocal allegiance under any circumstances.
In this context deny means to refuse to give thought to or express concern for, to disregard; thus to refuse to follow as a leader. A person is either allegiant to Christ or disregards Him.
The second teaching of Christ for us today is to:
II. Understand What Discipleship Costs. (Luke 14:25-33).
A. Not Peace But A Sword – Conflict (Matthew 10:34-36).
Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. (Matthew 10:34-36).
Conflict is a cost.
B. Supreme Relationship to Christ Leads to Life (Matthew 10:37-39).
He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:37-39).
The word love here is love or affection based interpersonal association, that is, relationship. Relationship with Christ is to take precedence above all other relationships. This, dying to self and following Christ leads to life with Christ.
C. Supreme Allegiance to Christ Leads to Discipleship (Luke 14:26-27, 33).
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
“Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
(Luke 14:26).
Jesus’ commands to hate one’s family and oneself for his sake and not to love one’s family more than him amount to the same thing: the decisive factor for discipleship with Jesus is to disregard all else for life’s true meaning.
“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.
(Luke 14:33).
Not only are human relationships but also human possessions to be disregarded for life’s true meaning.
The third teaching of Christ for us today is to:
III. Prevent What Destroys Discipleship, (Luke 14:34-35).
“Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Luke 14:34-35)
A. Understand How Salt Looses its Taste, (Luke 14:34).
Sodium Chloride does not change it taste unless something is added to it. When this happens it is no longer pure salt but adulterated salt. The more adulteration the more tasteless salt becomes.
Salt influences the flavor of foods. It in fact changes the taste of food.
In this context, the disciple is impacted by the salt of a pure relationship with Christ. The disciple is influenced by the relationship. In fact the disciple is changed by this relationship. There is no reason to think Christ would adulterate His relationship with any disciple. However, disciples very well may. They could do so deliberately or unknowingly. Either way, disciples must to taught how to prevent that which destroys discipleship.
B. Make Sure You Hear, (Luke 14:35).
Jesus made it as clear as possible. If the disciples do not take care in this area, they can become useless and thrown out.
C. Know Apostolic Teaching
By inspiration the apostles taught the church to guard itself and reject any man or teaching which would separate the disciples from Christ. Anyone or anything that divides the disciples from Christ is to be rejected.
• Paul:
• To Titus: Reject a divisive person after a first and second warning, 11 knowing that such a person is perverted and sins, being self-condemned. 3:10 Holman Christian Standard, 2003.
• To the Romans: Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 16:17-18 KJV
• To the Corinthians: I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to agree together, to end your divisions, and to be united by the same mind and purpose. 1:10 The NET Bible, 2006.
• To the Galatians: Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 5:19-21 English Standard Version, 2001.
• Jude:
• To the Church: These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 19 NASB, 1995
• Peter:
• To the Scattered Church: These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 Peter 2:1, NASB, 1995
• But there were also lying prophets among the people then, just as there will be lying religious teachers among you. They’ll smuggle in destructive divisions, pitting you against each other—biting the hand of the One who gave them a chance to have their lives back! They’ve put themselves on a fast downhill slide to destruction, but not before they recruit a crowd of mixed-up followers who can’t tell right from wrong. The Message (paraphrase)
Ask yourself this question: Is there anything or anyone calling for your loyalty in order to be loyal to Christ? If there is, you have to make a choice. Nothing can get in between you and Christ unless you choose to divide your loyalty. No human being deserves the loyalty which should only belong to Christ. No group of men nor fellowship of men deserves the loyalty which only belongs to Christ. You have to choose between Christ or Man.
Christ gives life to His disciples; can Man do that?
Christ empowers His disciples; can Man do that?
Christ transforms His disciples: can Man do that?
Christ redeems His disciples from sin: can Man do that?
His disciples are His church; can Man do better than that?
My hope, my dream for myself and for you is that Jesus Christ would confirm that I am and that you are His disciple; that Jesus Christ would confirm that we (a collective group of disciples) are His called out people, the church. We don’t have to make a claim of anything; of being a disciple or of being Christ’s church. To make such a claim in my opinion is arrogant. The fruit of being a disciple which speaks volumes for us is enough.
Will you today choose Christ over Man? Will you hope with me of becoming truly a disciple of Jesus? Will you hope with me of becoming the Church of the Christ and not just another secular human religious institution?
