Call to Discipleship Week 1
- Apr 8, 2024
- 5 min read
INTRODUCTION :
If we are to say to others as Paul did in I Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ,” and if we are to fulfill the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, “make disciples of all nations,” we must first be true disciples ourselves.
What is a disciple? With many descriptions available of discipleship and a variety of examples of discipleship (both good and bad!) In the Church, the goal today is to look to Scripture for God’s definition and picture of discipleship.
Luke 9:23-24 says..And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
In the verse we see a description of discipleship that includes a few key things:
You have a choice. The word “If” suggests that you have an option.
Denial of self is required. Jesus called upon those who wish to be His followers to reject the natural human inclination toward selfishness.
You will need to carry your cross. Jesus’ command to deny self and take up your cross and follow is a call to self-sacrifice. One must be willing to die to self in order to follow Jesus. Think in terms of absolute surrender to God.
This will require daily action and decision.
You must be willing to lay down your life in order to gain the life Jesus has for you. If you hold onto your life and try to save it yourself, you will end up losing it.
The description of a disciple speaks of great sacrifice for a future great gain. Let’s look at what Luke 14 has to say about considering the cost.
Luke 14:25-33 titled The Cost of Discipleship says…
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “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 bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
This starts off talking about hating those closest to us. But we need to consider this statement in the full context of scripture. It very clearly and very often says we are to love. So, what does hate in context mean here? Think in terms of “love less”. Think in terms of priority. All your relationships including yourself must be prioritized after Jesus.
We see again Jesus speaking about bearing our own cross and to come after Him.
He tells us how a builder is focused on the task at hand and to complete it he must consider the cost.
Whew! Cost of a Disciple….what we have read sounds very counterintuitive to how the world says we should live right? It's a calling, a call to action if you will, and as we will see in the next section there is an important connection to God.
John 15:1-13 says… “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
The word abide is used 9 times….That is an important word for a disciple.
Jesus wants us to abide in Him and He will then abide in us.
One who abides will bear much fruit.
One who abides will keep His commands.
Jesus calls His disciples His friends.
A command, to love one another- there is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.
Great love equals laying down your life.
CONCLUSION:
Being a Disciple is not some fairy tale story but a call to action for the individual believer. A call to carry our cross, to die to ourselves, set aside the distractions of the world and root, or abide ourselves in him. This is heavy stuff. And it should be as the consequences of our choices are eternal. But that is the beautiful thing about it - we do have a choice and God WANTS us to choose him just as He chose us. He doesn't just want our temporary allegiance here on Earth, but he desires our eternal company with him forever. Yes, the cost is high but our reward is greater than anything we could possibly imagine or ever deserve.
Scripture
Luke 9:23-24
Luke 14:25-33
John 15:1-13
Thoughts/Questions To Consider:
What does it look like to be all in?
What does it look like to lose your life or lay your life down?
What does it look like to abide?