Hebrews
4:12-13 “For the word of
God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and
is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13
And there is no creature hidden from His sight,
but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give
account.”
"And
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given
to Me in heaven and on earth. [19]
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20]
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo,
I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
Introduction:
1.
The above statement was made by Jesus
to His apostles shortly before He
ascended
to heaven. – Matthew 28:18-20.
2.
Commonly called “The Great
Commission,” notice the main thought of
Jesus'
command….
a.
“Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations….”
b.
To “make disciples,” therefore, is the
GOAL of evangelizing the world for Christ.
3.
Are you a disciple of Jesus?
a.
More than likely you believe in Jesus….
b.
You might even be one to attends church services regularly
--
But is that what it means to be His disciple?
4.
The purpose in this study is to
make clear what is involved in being a true
disciple
of Jesus Christ.
I.
THE DEFINITION OF A DISCIPLE.
A.
The Word “Disciple”….
1.
The word “disciple” literally means a LEARNER.
2.
According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words,
it
denotes
“one who follows another's teaching”.
3.
But a disciple was not only a learner, he was also AN
ADHERENT.
4.
For this reason disciples were spoken of as IMITATORS
of their teachers.
B.
The Goal in Being A Disciple…..
1.
Stated by Jesus himself: to be like the teacher – Luke
6:40.
"A
disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained
will be like his teacher."
2.
To be Christ's disciple, then, is
to strive to be like Him!
3.
According to the apostle Paul, this coincides with God's goal
in the
redemption
of mankind, that they be conformed to the image of His Son –
Romans
8:29.
[Do
you have a strong desire to follow Jesus and become like Him? Unless you
do, it cannot be said that you are truly His disciple!
There
are also some “identifying marks” of discipleship given
by Jesus which can help us to further identify a true disciple of Jesus….]
II.
THE MARKS OF A DISCIPLE.
A.
A disciple is “one who abides in Jesus' WORDS”
– John8:31.
1.
This would imply being a diligent student of the teaching of
Christ.
2.
It also requires one to be a “doer” of the
Word – Matthew 7:21-27; John
1:21-25.
3.
In view of this, a true disciple would not….
a.
Fail to study the Bible diligently.
b.
Willingly refrain from opportunities to study with others
( bible classes, church services, gospel meetings).
B.
A Disciple is Also “one Who Loves the Brethren”
– John 13:34-35.
1.
With a love patterned after the
love of Jesus (“as I have loved you”).
2.
With a love that is visible to the world (“by
this all will know”).
3.
Therefore, a true disciple would…..
a.
Make every effort to get to know his brethren.
b.
Take advantage of occasions
to encourage and grow closer to them
(attending
services on Sunday and Wednesday nights).
4.
Remember, a disciple is one who
wants to become like his teacher.
a.
Was Jesus willing to sacrifice time and effort for His brethren?
b.
Of course, and so will we….
If we are truly HIS disciples!
C.
A Disciple is “One Who
Bears Much Fruit” - John 15:8.
1.
Notice the word “much” (also found in verse
5).
a.
Jesus is not talking about an occasional good deed.
b.
But a lifestyle which prompts people to glorify God! – Matthew
5:16.
2.
This is so important, that failure to bear much fruit will result
in being
severed
from Christ – John 15:1-2.
3.
How can one be a disciple if he or she is cut off from Christ?
[The
point should be clear: to be a disciple of Jesus Christ means more than
just a casual church member. It requires COMMITMENT, especially in regards
to:
•
The teachings of Christ
•
The love of brethren
•
Bearing fruit to the glory of God.
The
kind of commitment involved is seen further when we consider the “high
cost” of discipleship demanded by Jesus in Luke
14:25-33 ….]
III.
THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE.
A.
Jesus Must Come First – Luke
14:26.
1.
Before anyone else, including members
of our own family – Matthew 10:34-37.
2.
Even before one's own self – Luke
9:23-25.
B.
We must be willing to Suffer for Christ –
Luke 14:27.
1.
Trying to live godly lives in an ungodly world, we may find
that following
Christ
sometimes involves ridicule and persecution – 2
Timothy 3:12.
2.
Even if we are blessed to escape such things, we must still
be willing to
expend
time and effort in promoting the cause of Christ in positive ways.
C.
Putting it Simply, We must forsake all to follow Christ.
– Luke 14:33.
1.
In other words, Jesus must be KING and LORD
of our lives.
2.
Nothing can take precedent over
Him and His Will for us.
[This
kind of “high cost” of discipleship demanded by Jesus
caused many people to turn away from following Him. But Jesus wasn't trying
to attract large crowds, He wanted disciples!]
IV.
THE REWARDS OF BEING A DISCIPLE.
A.
There is the Promise of “Future Blessings”…
1.
We shall be saved from the wrath of God which is yet to come
upon the
World
for its sins – Romans 5:9.
2.
We can look forward with joyful anticipation of eternity with God, free
from
sorrow,
pain and death – Revelation 21:1-8.
B.
There are also “Present Blessings”…..
1.
Jesus offers a PEACE the world cannot give
to calm the troubled heart –
John
14:27.
2.
His words inspire Joy to lift our spirits out of any depression
– John 15:11.
3.
He also offers to those who follow Him the ABIDING LOVE OF GOD,
which
can
cast out fear – John 15:9; 1
John 4:18.
4.
And he makes it possible for us to be members of THE
FAMILY OF GOD,
which
is able, if need be, to replace our physical family – Mark
10:28-30.
[There
are many other blessings we could mention that are enjoyed by disciples
of Jesus; but these suffice to demonstrate that though discipleship is
costly, the rewards far exceed the costs!
Now
that we understand the nature of discipleship, its cost and rewards, I
hope that we want to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. But how does one
begin?
For
the answer we return to our beginning text – Matthew
28:19-20 …..]
IV.
THE BEGINNING OF A DISCIPLE.
A.
According to Jesus, It Involves Baptism – Matthew
28:19.
1.
Why baptism?
a.
Remember the goal of discipleship: to be like Jesus.
b.
He was holy and sinless, yet we are to be like Him.
c.
Fortunately, baptism is described as an act of faith which
puts us in
contact
with the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ so we can be forgiven –
Acts
2:38; 22:16; Romans
6:3-4.
d.
It is also the means by which one “puts on Christ”
- Galatians 3:27.
--
So Baptism is the Logical Starting Place for true DISCIPLESHIP!
2.
But what is baptism?
a.
It is an act of submission which must be preceded by faith
in Jesus and repentance for our sins – Acts
2:36-38; 8:36-37.
1)
This precludes infant baptism.
2)
For infants are incapable of believing and repenting.
b.
It is also an act of submission which involves a burial
in water, in which one then rises to walk in newness of life through
the power of God – Acts 8:38;
Romans 6:3-4; Colossians
2:12.
1)
This precludes sprinkling or pouring as a mode of baptism.
2)
For neither of these involve a “burial” nor an immersion (which
is the
meaning
of the Greek word “baptidzo”).
c.
When done according to the Word of God, baptism then becomes
an act of faith on our part which results in a wonderful working of
God in our lives!
1)
Our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus – Acts
22:16;
Ephesians
5:25-27.
2)
We are “regenerated ” and “ renewed”
by the Spirit of God so we can
Now
live for God! - Titus 3:5-6.
3)
It is truly a “rebirth ” involving both water
and the Spirit – John 3:5.
B.
But Baptism is only the Beginning, Teaching and Obedience
Must Follow – Matthew 28:20.
1.
This brings us back to the very definition of discipleship.
2.
For Jesus clearly states:
a.
We are to be TAUGHT (that is, to be LEARNERS).
b.
We are to OBSERVE (that is, to be ADHERENTS
or DOERS).
3.
In this way we embark on a life devoted to learning and doing
all that Jesus
has
commanded us to do.
Conclusion
1.
Only those scripturally baptized and demonstrating the “marks”
of
discipleship,
despite the “costs,” can truly be called disciples of
Jesus!
2.
Only they can realistically look forward to the “rewards
” of discipleship, and
take
consolation in the promise of Jesus:
“and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” Matthew
28:20
If
you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then the prospects of “ A
Closer Walk With God” and more fruitful service
as a disciple should be of great interest to you!
