Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
10/9/98 pm
Genuine Discipleship
Reading — Matthew 7.15-23
Tonight we close our studies in the Sermon on the Mount that we began back in May. We started the series by pointing out what Jesus said, at the end of the sermon. Those who would hear and put into practice the sayings, teaching, these principles of mine will be like the man who built his house upon a rock. We pointed out there were two storms we could expect:
- The JUDGMENT day storm.
- And the EVERYDAY storms of life.
Jesus maintained here in the Sermon on the Mount, that if we will build our life-house upon His teachings, His sayings, His principles; then we could weather these two storms.
Tonight, Jesus talks to us about GENUINE DISCIPLESHIP.
Look at verse 21 through 23 of our reading, 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. Many will say to me on that day, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, `I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Church, in this sermon, Jesus is calling us to GENUINE DISCIPLESHIP. Webster says, a disciple is: A follower, an imitator, one who adheres to the philosophies of another.
A Moslem is a follower of Mohammed. A Buddhist is a follower, an adherer to the religious philosophy of Buddha. A Christian is a follower, a disciple of Christ.
But we need more than a simple word definition. We need a working, living example of discipleship. So, God sent His Son, not only to tell us in a sermon how to live, but to show us how to live. Jesus came to show us how to live. He came showing us how to be a disciple.
Our lesson tonight has three points:
• The Nature Of Discipleship.
• The Cost Of Discipleship.
• The Agenda Of Discipleship.
Access a Bible and let’s study together.
FIRST, WHO IS A DISCIPLE... WHAT IS THE NATURE OF DISCIPLESHIP
Let’s notice some passages where Jesus used the word disciple and see what we can learn about our subject... READY?
A DISCIPLE IS ONE WHO ABIDES IN THE WORD.
Jesus said in John 8.31 and 32, To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Note something here that we sometimes overlook, not all believers are disciples. Jesus said to the believers... If you will be My disciple, you must abide in My word.
Christian discipleship is more than mental assent. It is abiding, making our home, our abode in the word... In the teachings of Jesus. He literally says, a disciple is one who lives in truth... One who makes his home, his address in the word of God.
- Is this book our address?
- Is this where we live?
- Do we live on Truth Street?
Jesus prays, Sanctify them by Thy truth, Thy word is truth. Jesus said, you shall KNOW the truth and the truth shall make you free. At the end of this sermon He says, those who HEAR AND PUT INTO PRACTICE these saying of Mine is a wise builder.
SECONDLY, A DISCIPLE IS ONE WHO LOVES OTHERS.
In John 13.35, Jesus says, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you... (If you what?) IF YOU love one another. Church, the sign of discipleship is not the cross. Its not the sign of a fish on a bumper sticker... Or a steeple on a church. The sign of discipleship is not even the correct name over the door of the church building. The sign of discipleship is the towel.
John chapter 13 is about serving others, serving one another. At the last supper, Jesus took a towel and served others, washed feet. Then He said, I have set you an example that you should go and do likewise. Jesus came as Lord of Lords... King of Kings... And the Disciple of Disciples. He came to serve and to show us how to serve. If we are to be His disciple, we must learn to serve... We must learn to wash feet. In Matthew 23.11 and Luke 22.26 and 27 He said, The greatest in the Kingdom, the greatest in the church, the greatest disciple must become WHAT... The servant of all.
He took off His outer garment, girded Himself with a towel and washed feet. John chapter 13 rebukes me... Does it you? Genuine discipleship is taking off:
- Our pride,
- Our put on,
- Our pomp,
- Position
- And our desire for places of authority AND PUTTING ON A TOWEL.
Big questions in our brotherhood today are:
- What authority do Elders have?
- What position do deacons occupy?
- What is the woman’s place in the church.
- What is the position of a preacher?
I’ll tell you what our position should be... ON OUR KNEES WITH A TOWEL, SERVING OTHERS.
Let me tell you church, ELDERS, DEACONS, TEACHERS, PREACHERS, MEMBERS who have girded themselves with a towel, who are busy serving others, don’t have time for such foolish questions and troubling ideas. They are too busy washing feet... Serving others... To worry about position. Genuine disciples, servants know their position, place and authority. We must learn to live the life of the towel, a life of loving, serving others. This is genuine discipleship.
NUMBER THREE, DISCIPLES ARE THOSE WHO BEAR FRUIT.
Jesus said in John 15.8, This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15 is about the vine and the branches. Jesus is saying, if you abide in me, the strength of the vine will flow into the branches. My strength will become your strength. He says, without this strength, you can do nothing... NO-THING... Zilch. But with this strength flowing attachment, you can bear much fruit.
What is the fruit spoken of here?... Two possibilities:
ONE, If we hear and put into practice the sayings, teachings and principles of Jesus we will bear fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.
What is the fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5.22?
Love
Joy.
Peace.
Patience.
Kindness.
Goodness.
Faithfulness.
Gentleness.
And self-control.
TWO, if we will take a towel and serve others, then we will lead them to Jesus. How many are here tonight because somebody used a towel? The fruit of abiding in Jesus is genuine New Testament evangelism.
- Apple trees produce apples.
- Oranges produce oranges.
- Corn produces corn.
- Disciples produce disciples.
- Christians produce other Christians.
In a real sense our fruit will be human souls, other disciples. Audience, Christian discipleship is glorifying God by fruit bearing.
Now let’s notice the price, the cost of discipleship.
Nothing worthwhile is ever free is it?
- If you want a great marriage, that relationship will cost you.
- If we want a new house or car, we must be willing to pay the price.
Well, discipleship, a relationship with Jesus, a home in heaven costs us. What IS the price of genuine discipleship?
FIRST, WE MUST BE WILLING TO HAVE AN UNRIVALED LOVE FOR JESUS.
Turn with me to Luke 14 and let’s begin reading with verse 25. Jesus had just told a parable about a man preparing a great banquet, inviting many. But all begin to excuse themselves saying:
- I have bought some land.
- I have bought some cattle.
- I have married a new wife.
Are you there? Luke 14.25 beginning. “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "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. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.... (Now to verse 27)... And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Now we must know here, that the word hate does not cancel out love. These two words are not mutually exclusive. Jesus never hated his mother, his brothers or Joseph. Jesus is saying, unless you are willing to place me first and foremost in your life, before
- Houses,
- Lands
- And family, then you cannot be my disciple.
Christian discipleship means, we must re-prioritize our lives:
- God first,
- Others second,
- Self third
- And things last.
Compared to our love of God, our love of: Things, Others, Even family must look like hate.
I love a lot of women in this audience. I love my daughter Karen who is here tonight. But she knows that none of you are a rival to her mother Georgia. She has no rival, hasn’t had since the 10th grade. Compared to my love for her, my love for others looks like hate. It’s an unrivaled love. Not one of you can take her place.
As disciples, our love for Jesus must have no rival,
• No one,
• No thing,
No other God’s before me. Christian discipleship demands an unrivaled love. Church?... How many of us are really ready for genuine discipleship?
SECONDLY, NOTE VERSE 27 OF LUKE 14, YOU MUST DENY SELF.
Anyone not willing to carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Folk, a cross is not something we carry, it’s something we die on. The cross UN-GET-OVERABLE. When we take up the cross of Jesus, we must die to self. Paul put it this way in Galatians 2.20, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Genuine Discipleship is:
- Our becoming Jesus incarnate.
- Crucifying the old man
- Becoming instruments of God,
- Slaves to righteousness.
- Living sacrifices,
Christian discipleship is dying to self and having Jesus live in us.
Another scripture is Colossians 3.1-3, Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For, YOU DIED, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. The price of discipleship is self-denial, self-death. How many of us here tonight are genuine disciples? Sobering thoughts!!... Sobering thoughts indeed.
THIRDLY, DISCIPLESHIP COSTS US OUR THINGS.
Let your eyes fall to verse 33 in Luke 14, In the same way, any of you who does not give up, RENOUNCE all that you have cannot be my disciple.
In our American culture, perhaps the most difficult thing we’ll ever have to do, is give up, RENOUNCE everything we have struggled to get. Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. All to Jesus I surrender. All to him I freely give. Church, our singing doesn’t always justify how we live does it? Sometimes, when I sing this song, I choke on these words because I know, deep down, that I haven’t done what I am singing. How many of us are willing to RENOUNCE all? Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.
OK, let’s talk about the agenda of discipleship from Luke chapter five.
Church, what was the agenda of Jesus?
- I came to do the will of the Father.
- I came to seek and save the lost.
- I came to call the sinner to repentance.
- I came to wash feet, NOT to be served, but to serve.
FIRST, OUR AGENDA IS THAT WE MUST LIVE BY FAITH.
Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee... Ready to call His apostles. When He had finished teaching, Luke 5.4 says, He turned to Simon Peter and said, put out into the deeper water and let down your net for a catch. Now, we almost know what Peter was thinking, don’t we?
- You may be a good carpenter,
- A great teacher
- Rabbi,
- And miracle worker, but you’re no fisherman. Besides, we’ve fished this spot all night and caught nothing.
Look at verse 5, BUT... The K.J. Says, NEVER-THE-LESS, because you say it, because you ask, command it, we will do it. We must know tonight that:
- This kind of thinking,
- This kind of willingness,
- This kind of faith,
- This kind of submission, made Peter a great disciple, even a great apostle.
Well, the catch was so great that the boat began to sink. Peter, James, and John were so impressed that they pulled their boats up to the shore, and left how much church... Verse 11? Left everything and followed Jesus. Our agenda must be His agenda. Are we willing to live by this never-the-less type of faith?
SECONDLY THE AGENDA OF JESUS WAS PEOPLE.
Let your eyes fall to verses 12-16 in Luke 5. We must be in the people business. Like Jesus, we must have genuine compassion for others.
Jesus encounters:
- A leper,
- A social outcast,
- One who no one else will have anything to do with.
Not only does Jesus heal this leper... What else does He do?... He TOUCHED him... Vs 13. Jesus didn’t have to touch him to heal his leprosy. He healed the centurion’s servant at Capernaum without ever seeing him. QUESTION!... Do you know any lepers?... People no one will have anything to do with:
- The outcast,
- The disenfranchised,
- The poor,
- The downtrodden,
- The down-on-their-luck,
- The ugly
- And hurting people.
I’ll bet there are some lepers:
- Where you work,
- In your school,
- In your neighborhood,
- Perhaps in this church.
How about it folk?... Will we be a genuine disciple of Jesus? In genuine compassion, will we touch them, help them, heal them?
Next note verses 17-20.
Jesus is teaching and some men bring a paralytic to be healed. The house is full, so they tear through the roof and let the sick fellow down to Jesus. Now, if the leper represented the social outcast, the paralytic represented those cursed by God. You see, this is how the Jews of Jesus’ day thought. Remember the blind man of John chapter nine? When the disciples saw him they asked the question, who sinned this man or his parents? They thought that all sickness and deformities were a result of God punishing the individual for his or her sins Note here that in verse 20, in the NIV Jesus says, friend, your sins are forgiven. Jesus called him friend. How many of the sick have we called friend this week?
Here is an interesting thought, if Jesus were in our world today, where would we find Him?
- Perhaps in the pulpit of our churches?
- Maybe in the great cathedrals of Europe?
- Or on TV as a television evangelist.
Church, why would we expect to find Him any place today different than when He was here before? I suggest, if Jesus came today we would find Him:
- In the hospitals,
- The nursing and orphan’s homes of our world. Jesus would be among the:
- Suffering,
- Sick
- And dying of our world.
He would be spending time helping, healing and rescuing sinners just as He did 2000 years ago.
- See His hand on the festered skin of the contagious leper.
- See his hand cupped around the face of a prostitute, saying I forgive, go and sin not more.
- See His tears as he cries with friends in the cemetery.
- See His arms around the shoulder of a reformed outcast as He goes home with Zacchaeus.
- See how He responds to the touch of a woman hemorrhaging for 12 years.
- Hear Him say, Forgive them, they do not know what they do.
- Hear Him say, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often would I have gathered your together.
Then hear Him say to us, As often as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it to me.
Jesus calls us to genuine discipleship, to follow Him.
- How many hospital visits have I made this week?
- How many children have I taken the time to hold in my arms?
- How many dying people have I served?
Will we be a genuine disciple?... Will we be in the people business?
Follow me now to verse 27.
- Jesus has touched the social outcast.
- He has called the God cursed His friend.
- And now He is asking a sinner, a tax collector, to follow him, become His disciple.
Jesus is a friend to sinners. Thank God for that, I am a sinner... ARE YOU?
Sinners are those involved in sin... That makes us all sinners, doesn’t it? Jesus said, I came to call sinners to repentance. His agenda must become our agenda. Any of us associate with sinners this week for the sole purpose of leading them to Christ?
ONE MORE, LOOK BACK TO VERSE 10, DISCIPLES ARE CALLED TO BE EVANGELISTIC.
From now on you will be fishers, catchers of men. Matthew 4.19 has Jesus saying, Come, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. Jesus came to seek and save the lost and when He left this world He gave us this great commission.
- Go into all the world,
- Preach the word,
- Teach all nations, every creature,
- Make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
- Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.
And I will be with you always, even to the end.
Well, genuine discipleship is a big subject isn’t it?
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.
The invitation to genuine discipleship is ours tonight. If you are not a child of God tonight, become one by:
- Faith,
- Repentance,
- And New Testament Baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your sins.
If you’re a baptized believer, then do what you must do to indeed be a genuine disciple.
