Call to Discipleship Week 2

INTRODUCTION :

Today’s cultural and religious views of discipleship might be a little off from what the Bible says.. A Believer will constantly face the pressure and temptation to dilute the true meaning of “disciple” for themselves. Commitment to our faith, to our responsibility as disciples, and to Scripture demands that we hold firmly to the pure intent Jesus has for those who call themselves a “disciple.” This week, we will draw a conceptual picture of a true disciple, examine the qualities that make this picture, and discover the motivation that Jesus expects of His disciples.

Today we will be back in the book of Luke to look at the qualities or characteristics of a disciple. 

Luke 9:62

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

• The act of plowing requires concentration and a steady focus forward to ensure the plow is going on its path. 

• Looking back while plowing would result in a crooked furrow (the part of the plow that is digging into the field), lack of commitment or distraction

• A true follower of Christ will be fully committed, without regret or distraction

• No one is fit for the kingdom who says Yes, then says “Wait, I'll be right back.

Let's revisit a passage of scripture from last week and look at it in context to add to our picture of a follower of Christ.

Luke 9:18-27

Now it happened that as he was praying alone, the disciples were with him. And he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

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. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

From this passage we see that a disciple or a follower of Christ has the following characteristics:

• Is very clear on who Jesus is

• Understands why Jesus had to die

• Denies himself

• Takes up his cross daily 

• Follows Jesus

• Loses his life to save it- sacrifice

• Is not ashamed of Jesus

Let's look at one last scripture today to complete our picture and consider the motivation.

Luke 18:18-23

And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Here we see a struggle of a real person who wants to follow but the cost is too high. This guy seems to have it all together. It sounds like he knows and has kept the commandments since he was a child, which is quite admirable. But Jesus asks him one thing additionally…He asks him to sell his stuff and give it all to the poor.

• The man became very sad because he was extremely rich.

• Then Jesus gets straight to the heart of the matter and reveals to this ruler his true point of worship and what is preventing him from inheriting eternal life.

• For this leader his focus was on his riches vs the Kingdom

CONCLUSION: 

As we wrap up today, let’s just admit it… to be a follower of Christ, a disciple, the cost is high. It requires us to be all in, holding nothing back. It requires complete selflessness and shifting our total reliance on Jesus and His priorities over ours. So, why would we want to do this? What is our motivation to answer this call to discipleship?

He says if we lose our life, we will save it. He is speaking of eternal life. He says if we will give away our treasure, we will receive treasure in heaven. He says we can know Him now. This is just the start of an understanding of our motivation. More to come as we continue to learn from our Savior.