The Life Of A Follower Of Jesus Series

The marks of a disciple: part II

08.17.03

Identify:

• Someone to follow me (sitting close to back or middle)

band of brothers video – the qualities of a leader

We are in a series called the marks of a disciple…

last week – learner

• if there are things in this book that you do not know, and you are not actively seeking to know them, then you are not a disciple

• b/c the moment at which we cease learning, is the moment at which we cease being a disciple.

• Tozer - “When we become Christians we enter the school of Christ.”

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer (martyr)

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” - Jim Elliot (martyr)

painting and then luke 9:23

A disciple is a follower

…of Jesus Christ

Luke 9:23 - Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Death to agenda, plans and will

TREK INTERVIEW

I want to dissect this verse together with you this morning. b/c I’ll be very honest, it’s hard to know how to follow someone that you cannot see.

My goal is that when they would leave the service tomorrow morning they would understand the invitation; the task; and the leader.

And I will say to now this is a hard teaching. And many will not accept it. But I believe this… adventurous and romantic… friend from England named Rebecca…

the invitation

Luke 9:23 - Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

Luke 9:23 - …"If anyone wishes… NASU

Anyone

“anyone” is a highly technical Greek term that means “anyone”.

The disciples were ordinary people. Good ole boys. No special gifts or talents or schooling. They were even untrained and uneducated. Most of them smelled like bait…b/c they were fishermen. Jesus didn’t choose them b/c they were politicians or lawyers or doctors or whatever…he chose them b/c they were willing. They were bass masters.

John MacArthur – Twelve ordinary men

“On the contrary, they were all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure – no one more so than the leader of the group, Peter. Even Jesus remarked that they were slow learners and somewhat spiritually dense (Luke 24.25)”

I know there are some people thinking “I can’t do this.” I can’t give stuff up. I’m scared; what if I can’t do it.”

WP: on the mountain trek that we do each summer in Peru with the Summer Peru Project team, you don’t have to be an Olympian; don’t have to be an allstar; don’t even have to be a varsity athlete. You do have to be one thing; there is one requirement to be a soldier in the army of God – to follow the greatest and most powerful leader and commander-in-chief the universe knows, and to be a part of the greatest force that there ever has been, is or will be – the hand of God. there is one requirement: WILLING. …to study (last week), to train, to endure, to walk.

To be a disciple, you do not have to be a pastor, a priest, a youth pastor, a worship leader, a missionary, a LUGhead, a scholar…you don’t even have to be in Beta club. (‘yeah!’)

Wishes

I love the way the Lord is. No coercing, no manipulating. The choice is ours.

WP: you can be forced to come here by your parents. And let me just say if that is you, I know where you have been, I can relate; my parents made me come to church… and I hated it; so for your sake I am trying to make this as painless as possible; b/c you can be forced to come here. But you cannot be forced to follow Jesus.

Matt 9:13 - But go and learn what this means: ’I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

Basically, this means that God is not looking for ROBOTS. WP: fellas, which would you rather have?... a woman who perfectly obeyed and loved you b/c she had to; or a woman who decided and said out of all the men that there are in the world…I want you, young stag? “I’ll take the one who called me a stag.”

Deut 30:19-20 - This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.