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Part 3
by Samuel E. Ward
Introduction
"An architect complains that many of his clients come and ask him to design a house for them, only for him to discover that they have already designed it for themselves. What they really want is his sanction of their own plan, and the satisfaction of seeing him draw on paper what they have exactly in mind. It is in very much the same fashion that we often go to the Great Architect with our lives. We ask Him for wisdom and guidance, but we have already planned how we will build our fortunes and shape our course; and it is not His way we are seeking, but His approval of our way."
J. R. Miller, Practical Bible Illustrations from Yesterday and Today. Copyright © 1996 AMG International
True discipleship is the turning over of the plans for our life to the God who gave us life. This study in discipleship continues to emphasize the deep commitment Christ requires of all who would follow after Him. Indeed, the surface has only been "scratched." That is not to say that discipleship is a complex concept; rather, it points us to how pervasive it is including all we are, have, and ever hope to be. It demands that we turn over the plans for the building of our lives to the God who gave us life.
If we trivialize discipleship to mean a mere profession of belief in Christ, then we might be in danger of losing its most valued benefit—eternal life with Christ. Even demons believe, and some have had an emotional experience that caused them to shudder and tremble at the thought. Others have even acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God, fallen at His feet, but would not submit to Him as Lord.
(Mark 3:10-12 NIV) For he had healed many, so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him. {11} Whenever the evil spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, "You are the Son of God." {12} But he gave them strict orders not to tell who he was.
Discipleship demands more than mere assent, an emotional response of fear, or even falling before His feet and proclaiming Him to be the Son of God. We are presently investigating in this study just what those demands might be.
I. There Are Demands Placed upon Disciples
A. Our Present Life Is a Sacrificial Gift to Others—Our Future Life Contains Reward for Faithful Service, Mat 16:24.
(Mat 16:24 NIV) Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
B. Our Commitment to Christ Must Supersede All Other Allegiances and Affections When They Conflict, Luke 14:26.
(Luke 14:26 NIV) "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple."
Having addressed the first two demands placed upon those who would be disciples of Christ, we now turn to consider the third.
C. Our Possessions Are No Longer Our Own But a Stewardship from Christ, Luke 14:33.
(Luke 14:33 NIV) In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
If you are not willing to let go of everything to serve Christ (which some have been called to do), then your heart belongs to your things and not to Christ.
1. The Example of Christ
(Mat 8:19-20 NIV) Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." {20} Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."
2. The Example s of Others
a. The rich young ruler: Possessions can keep a person from following Christ, Mark 10:17-21.
(Mark 10:17-21 NIV) As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" {18} "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. {19} You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" {20} "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." {21} Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
b. The twelve apostles: For them, following Christ took precedence over following a career, Luke 5:9-11; Mar 10:28-31.
(Luke 5:9-11 NIV) For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, {10} and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." {11} So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.
(Mark 10:28-31 NIV) Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" {29} "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel {30} will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. {31} But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
c. Zacchaeus: Zacchaeus gave half of his possessions to the poor and repaid four times whatever he had wrongfully taken from others, Luke 19:1-10.
(Luke 19:1-10 NIV) Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. {2} A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. {3} He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. {4} So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. {5} When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." {6} So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. {7} All the people saw this and began to mutter, "He has gone to be the guest of a 'sinner.'" {8} But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount." {9} Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. {10} For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost."
3. Lessons on Possessions
a. Possessions are not to be held on to as a "hedge of security." God will provide for our daily needs, Luke 12:29, 31.
b. Possessions are not to be withheld from the poor when we see a need, Luke 12:33.
c. Possessions are not a reason to refuse the invitation to follow Christ, Mar 19:21.
d. It appears that it is almost intuitive to even a new disciple that when Jesus becomes the Lord of one's life, He also becomes Lord of their possessions,
Luke 19:8.
e. Loss of temporal possessions for the sake of Christ on earth will yield multiplied eternal dividends in the heavenly kingdom, Mar 10:29-30.
D. Our Adherence to Christ's Teachings Must Be Total, John 8:31.
(John 8:31 NIV) To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."
1. The Demand for Complete Obedience Is a Part of the Discipling Mission, Mat 28:19-20.
(Mat 28:19-20 NIV) "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2. The Practice of Complete Obedience Is Confirmation of Love for Christ, John 14:15.
(John 14:15 NIV) "If you love me, you will obey what I command."
3. The Life of Obedience Is Promised at Least Nine Special Rewards:
a. God will reveal Himself to you, John 14:21.
b. God will dwell in you, John 14:23.
c. Christ will be your friend, John 15:14.
d. You will receive Gods love, John 15:10.
e. You will genuinely love others, 1 John 5:2.
f. Your prayers will be answered, 1 John 3:22.
g. You will have true joy, John 15:11.
h. You will have peace, John 16:33.
i. You will be purified, John 17:17.
http://rock-firm-foundation.com/bible-studies/50-commands.pdf
4. Disobedience Sets Apart Non-believers from Disciples, John 14:24.
a. Non-believers are marked by their disobedience to Christ's teachings, John 14:24.
(John 14:24 NIV) He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
b. Non-believers are marked by their indifference to the will of God, Mat 7:21.
(Mat 7:21 NIV) "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
c. Non-believers are marked by their lack of repentance, refusal to turn to God, and not proving their repentance by their deeds, Acts 26:20.
(Acts 26:20 NIV) First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
d. Hypocrites are marked by their actions which; though they profess to know God, their detestable, disobedient, actions prove their denial of God, and they are unfit for doing anything good, Titus 1:16
(Titus 1:16 NIV) They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
E. Our Lives Must Bear Fruit Suitable to a Disciple of Christ.
(John 15:8 NIV) This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
1. Repentance, Mat 3:8.
(Mat 3:7-8 NIV) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? {8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. "
2. Good works, Mat 7:17-20.
(Mat 7:17-20 NIV) Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. {18} A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. {19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. {20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
3. Praise, Heb 13:15.
(Heb 13:15 NIV) Through Jesus . . . let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
4. Laboring to bring souls to spiritual harvest, John 4:33-38.
(John 4:34-38 NIV) "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. {35} Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. {36} Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. {37} Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. {38} I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."
5. Spiritual Development, Gal 5:22-23.
a. Those being ruled by their sinful nature are obvious and their destiny is to be refused and inheritance in the kingdom of God, Gal 5:19-21.
(Gal 5:19-21 NIV) The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; {20} idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions {21} and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
b. Those being led by the Spirit are obvious by the development of spiritual character within them, Gal 5:22-23.
(Gal 5:22-23 NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Conclusion
We have added to the demands placed upon disciples three more:
1. Our Possessions Are No Longer Our Own But Are a Stewardship from Christ, Luke 14:33.
2. Our Adherence to Christ's Teachings Must Be Total, John 8:31.
3. Our Lives Must Bear Fruit Suitable to a Disciple of Christ, John 15:8.
Jonathan Edwards inaugurated the great spiritual awakening in colonial America because he was possessed by a conviction. "Resolved that all men should live to the glory of God," he wrote in his diary at the age of nineteen. Then he added, "Resolved, second, that whether others do this or not, I will."
