As a means of understanding our role as a church and as
individuals we have adopted a ‘vision for mission’. At the heart of it is God’s
love expressed to us through Jesus Christ.
That leads us to being commanded by Jesus to have three loves and four.
It also leads us to think in terms of 9 responses to the love of God. Today we
begin to look at Discipleship.
So what is ‘discipleship’ all
about? The very word is rather non culture. Discipline is something we resist.
Even as Christians we have got it neatly sorted so we can be answerable to
no-one. It is all about grace, not about obeying rules so you cannot demand
anything of me or I simply accuse you of being Pharisaic. So we live lukewarm,
half-baked lives that are uncomfortable to us and poor examples of Christ to a
dying world. Jesus did not have any problem with discipline. “If you love me,
he said, you will keep my commands”. But discipleship is not primarily about
obeying rules. I want to give you a quick look this week at Jesus’ discipleship
and next week we will look at some of the activities of disciples.
You will not be able to keep
up with me turning up scriptures, so I have given you a list you can annotate
now and check out later.
First
DISCIPLES FOLLOW
John 1:43 calling Philip
"follow me"
Mt 4:19; Mk 1:17: come and
follow me and I will make you fishers of men
Mt 9:9; Mk 2:14; Luke 5:37;
Luke 14 :27: Follow me (calling on Matthew )
Your calling is nothing more
than that. Follow Jesus. SO read about him, talk to him, ask his guidance ,
observe the way he walks and imitate him. Challenge your own behaviour by
whether it lives up to the example of Jesus. How often do you read the
gospels? Over the years I have noticed
that we can apparently be good evangelicals and major on the theology of the
Pauline epistles avoiding the emphasis on actions, thoughts and behaviour that
are as much the stuff of the Kingdom of God as knowing good theology.
This following is all
important in the life of a disciple. Jesus said it is more important than
burying your relatives!
Mt 8:21- 25; Luke 9:59
Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my
father." 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead
bury their own dead." 23 Then he got into the boat and his disciples
followed him.
Follow me, and let the dead
bury their own dead.
Jesus went to the cross for
our sins and rose again for our justification. When he calls us to follow him,
he has a bit of a shock for us:
[Mt 10:37]; Mk 8:34;Luke
9:23: "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of
me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; [38]
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39]
Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will
find it.
[Mt 16:24] Then Jesus said to
his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. [26] What good will it
be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a
man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in
his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according
to what he has done. [28] I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will
not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
[Jn 12:25] The man who loves
his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep
it for eternal life. [26] Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my
servant also will be. My Father will honour the one who serves me.
I can find no way round this
teaching. Jesus wants you to be mor fanatical about Him than the Odeon is about
film. More fanatical than any political a or religious extremist. It is not the
total obsession with Jesus that is wrong. It is the
[Mt 19:21]; Mk 10 :21; Luke
18:22: Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your
possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then
come, follow me."
[22] When the young man heard
this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
[Jn 10:27] My sheep listen to
my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and
they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
DISCIPLES GO WHERE JESUS GOES
Mt 9:10 While Jesus was
having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners"
came and ate with him and his disciples. Also:Mt 9:19 Jesus got up and went
with him, and so did his disciples
John 21:19 after resurrection
- to Peter - Follow me.; repeated in verse 21.
DISCIPLES ARE TAUGHT
Mt 5:1 Now when he saw
the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to
him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the
poor in spirit,...
also : Mt 11:1; Mt 13:36
DISCIPLES ARE ANSWERABLE FOR WHAT JESUS DOES AND NEED
TO ASK HIM FOR GUIDANCE
Mt 9:11-14 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples,
"Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
[12] On hearing this, Jesus
said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. [13] But go
and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come
to call the righteous, but sinners."
[14] Then John's disciples
came and asked him, "How is it that we and the Pharisees fast, but your
disciples do not fast?"
also: Mt 13:10; Mt 9:19
DISCIPLE PRAY FOR WORKERS
Mt 9:37 Then he said to
his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his
harvest field."
DISCIPLES HAVE AUTHORITY
Mt 10:1 He called his
twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and
to heal every disease and sickness.
DISCIPLES GIVE AND ARE REWARDED
Mt 10:42 And if anyone
gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my
disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
DISCIPLES ARE WATCHED AND QUESTIONED TO SEE WHAT THE
KINGDOM IS LIKE
Mt 12:1-2 At that time
Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry
and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. 2 When the Pharisees
saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is
unlawful on the Sabbath."
also Mt 15:12; Mt 15:2l
DISCIPLES ARE FAMILY
Mt 12:49 Pointing to his
disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For
whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and
mother."
DISCIPLES ARE PART OF THE ACTION
Mt 14:13-33 - feeding 5000
and walking on water
The New testament is our
discipleship Manual. Matthew’s gospel is thought to be exactly written for that
purpose. So we need to read up on what being a disciple is.
Just a pointer to the
disciplines of the Christian life. I intend to return to these next year. This
is not a definitive list, just some that I have brought together to give you
direction in where to go from here.
Inward
Meditation
Prayer
Fasting
Study
Outward
Telling their
story
Giving
Submission
Service
Corporate
Confession
Worship
Guidance
Celebration
But the key is not doing the disciplines, it lies in
being captivated with the love of God. Jesus said “If you love me you will keep
my commands” The rules are there to
allow you to express your love more richly. You cannot make God love you more
and you cannot earn your salvation, God offers that freely. He gives it by grace.
You receive it by faith. You trust him and his word. Discipleship is what you
do to say “I love you” to God.
Finally I want to direct your thoughts to the
objective of discipleship. Jesus said
I choose you to go and bear
fruit – fruit that will last. John 15:16
Here Jesus is speaking about
the fruits of the Spirit which at least the Razzmatazz leaders should be able
to recite
The fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. Galatians 5:22
These are the outcomes of
discipleship. That is what Jesus seeks to create in your life. These are the
treasures you store up in heaven. And it comes from being ‘in love’ with Jesus.
I want to be out of my depth
in your love…