Being a Disciple of Christ

Since my class this semester is on Discipleship in the New Testament, I came across this nifty little checklist on being a Disciple of Christ. So...are you a Disciple of Christ?

Are You A Disciple Of Jesus?

"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, 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."

INTRODUCTION

1. The above statement was made by Jesus to His apostles shortly before
He ascended to heaven - Mt 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 attend 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

[To begin, let's define the word "disciple"...]

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 - Lk 6:40
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 - Ro 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" - Jn 8:31
1. This would imply being a diligent student of the teachings of
Christ
2. It also requires one to be a "doer" of the Word - Mt 7:21-27;
Jm 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
(e.g., Bible classes, church services, gospel meetings).

B. A DISCIPLE IS ALSO "ONE WHO LOVES THE BRETHREN" - Jn 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 (e.g., 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" - Jn 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!
- Mt 5:16
2. This is so important, that failure to bear much fruit will
result in being severed from Christ - Jn 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 that 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 Lk 14:25-33...]

III. THE COST OF BEING A DISCIPLE

A. JESUS MUST COME FIRST - Lk 14:26
1. Before anyone else, including members of our own family
- Mt 10:34-37
2. Even before one's own self - Lk 9:23-25

B. WE MUST BE WILLING TO SUFFER FOR CHRIST - Lk 14:27
1. Trying to live godly lives in an ungodly world, we may find
that following Christ sometimes involves ridicule and
persecution - 2Ti 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
- Lk 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!

Is the COST worth it? I believe so, for consider some of the REWARDS
of discipleship...]

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 - Ro 5:9
2. We can look forward with joyful anticipation of eternity with
God, free from sorrow, pain and death - Re 21:1-8

B. THERE ARE ALSO "PRESENT BLESSINGS"...
1. Jesus offers a PEACE the world cannot give to calm the
troubled heart - Jn 14:27
2. His words inspire JOY to lift our spirits out of any
depression - Jn 15:11
3. He also offers to those who follow Him the ABIDING LOVE OF
GOD, which can cast out fear - Jn 15:9; 1Jn 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
- Mk 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 cost!

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 - Mt 28:19-20...]

V. THE BEGINNING OF A DISCIPLE

A. ACCORDING TO JESUS, IT INVOLVES BAPTISM - Mt 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 - Ac 2:38; 22:16; Ro 6:3-4
d. It is also the means by which one "puts on Christ"
- Ga 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 - Ac 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 - Ac 8:38; Ro 6:3-4; Col 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
- Ac 22:16; Ep 5:25-27
2) We are "regenerated" and "renewed" by the Spirit of God
so we can now live for God! - Tit 3:5-6
3) It is truly a "rebirth" involving both water and the
Spirit - Jn 3:5

B. BUT BAPTISM IS ONLY THE BEGINNING, TEACHING AND OBEDIENCE MUST
FOLLOW - Mt 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"
- Mt 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. I hope the lessons to follow will help
fulfill that interest.

Focusing on Jesus: Jesus Walks on Water

Jesus Walks on the Water
22(Q) Immediately he(R) made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. 23And after he had dismissed the crowds,(S) he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When(T) evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat by this time was a long way[b] from the land,[c] beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them. 25And(U) in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. 26But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,(V) they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" and they cried out in fear. 27But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, (W) "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
28And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." 29He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and(X) walked on the water and came to Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind,[d] he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out,(Y) "Lord, save me." 31Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, (Z) "O you of little faith, why did you(AA) doubt?" 32And when they got into the boat,(AB) the wind ceased. 33And(AC) those in the boat(AD) worshiped him, saying,(AE) "Truly you are(AF) the Son of God." Mat 14:22-33

I changed the picture on my blog to reflect this powerful story. Think about it this way, right after feeding the 5000, Jesus sends his disciples ahead of him in a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee. Well into the night, a storm comes up on the Disciples. Jesus appears walking on the water. This terrifies the disciples and they think they are seeing a ghost. Jesus tells them in verse 27, "Take heart! It is I. Do not be afraid."

Peter replies, "Lord, if it's you, command me to come to you on the water." So Jesus invites Peter to come. Peter gets out of the boat and begins walking on the water toward Jesus. But when Peter takes his eyes off Jesus and sees the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Peter cries out to the Lord and Jesus immediately reaches out his hand and catches Peter. As they climb into the boat together, the storm ceases. Then the disciples worship Jesus, saying, "Truly you are the Son of God."

Some reflection:
• Jesus sends the disciples away so he can be alone on the mountainside to pray. With everything going on spending time with God is a priority for Jesus.

• The disciples, even though they have spent much time with Jesus, don't recognize him in the storm. Sometimes we don't recognize the Lord when he comes to us in the middle of our "storms." In fact, many times things that appear appear frightening to us are actually instances of Jesus "drawing near". It's not until we're extremely close to Jesus that we can actually recognize Him.

• Peter doesn't begin to sink until he starts looking around at the wind and the waves. Taking our eyes off Jesus, and focusing on the difficult circumstances in our lives will cause us to get under our problems- we start to sink. But when we focus on Jesus, he catches us by the hand and raises us above the seemingly impossible circumstances.

• Peter starts out with good intentions, but his faith falters. Sound familiar? This does not, however, end in failure. Peter, even in his fear, cries out to the Lord, the only one who can help him.

• When Jesus gets in the boat, the storm ceases. When we have Jesus "in our boat" (our life) the storms of life will be calmed and we can worship and be in relationship with Him.

Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark

I am LOVING school so far, and in just 1 week I feel like I have already learned so much. Regarding Discipleship, looking at the Gospel of Mark, Disciples are:

• Servants in the Kingdom who think God's thoughts (8:31-33)
• Pursue the life of the cross (8:34-38)
• Through the message (9:1-18) and
• Example of Jesus (9:9-31)
• Rejecting status (9:33-37), exclusivism (9:38-10:16), and worldly treasure 10:17-31)

So as Christians, the question we all have to answer is this: Am I a Disciple of Jesus?

Haggai the Horrible? Not hardly!!

I am preaching Sunday and the Lord has led me to Haggai. Really good stuff in Haggai, and I am focusing on Chapter 2. In this chapter Haggai stands amid the ruins of the temple and asks the Israelites to remember their former glory and that they can rebuild and be restored. It is the reassurance that with God, all things are possible! This applies to all situations, and to us today. Here is a little excerpt:


The second question is, "How does the world look to you?" The Bible teaches us that God so loves this world that He gave His only Begotten Son so that the world, when it believes in Him, might have everlasting life (John 3:16). God sees the world as redeemable, & He sees each of us as channels through whom His redemptive message might travel.

So what do you feel when you look at the world? Do you feel anything at all? One of the crippling influences in the church today is that of apathy: an indifference that is so prevalent that it has affected the influence of many churches. "As long as my world is secure, as long as I am comfortable, then I don’t really give the world a second thought."

Hope to see you Sunday for the full message!