Fruitful Discipleship

Introduction

Our Lord made discipleship hard and lost many prospective followers because he called them to a pilgrimage, not to a parade—to a fight, not to a frolic.

Vance Havner

In our world today so many Christians lose sight of the important principle of discipleship when they start following Jesus.

They make the life changing decision to follow Jesus and run into the faith spiritually malnourished, with no idea of the personal sacrifice that following Jesus will cause in their lives.

This spiritually malnourishment reminds me in scripture of Jesus healing Jairus’ daughter, Jairus is heartbroken and desperate for his daughter to be revived, as she was dead. Jesus healed her and it said that she got up and began to walk.

She was physically and spiritually awakened by Jesus.. but something interesting happens right after this.

At the end of this story, perhaps in a spot that could easily be missed, Jesus gave Jairus strict orders to feed her.

In our world today it is so common for Christians to forget the important principle of being fed spiritually and the role that we as the local church play in that discipleship process.

Jairus daughter needed nourishment after being saved, and in the same way we need spiritual nourishment after being saved.

This process of spiritual nourishment and growth is called Discipleship

It is perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of our faith today, but hear me

We as Christians have to make discipleship a priority for ourselves in order to live our lives in a manner that is glorifying of God.

Transition:

In scripture we see clearly the importance of discipleship and growing in our faith with Jesus, we see examples of how discipleship is not supposed to look and also what the commitment of discipleship really looks like.

We Walk Away As Dysfunctional Disciples

John 6:53–66 CSB

53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55 because my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56 The one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your ancestors ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.” 59 He said these things while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. 60 Therefore, when many of his disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard. Who can accept it?” 61 Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, asked them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to observe the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63 The Spirit is the one who gives life. The flesh doesn’t help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 64 But there are some among you who don’t believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning those who did not believe and the one who would betray him.) 65 He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted to him by the Father.” 66 From that moment many of his disciples turned back and no longer accompanied him.

In this passage we get a few interesting takeaways

The Jews didn’t like what Jesus was saying in this passage.

That they needed to eat of his flesh and drink of his blood to have eternal life.

If we don’t understand the context of this passage it can be a very puzzling statement to hear that we need to eat of Jesus’ flesh and drink his blood, but understand that this happened not long after Jesus had fed the 5,000.

After Jesus fed these people, we see that they continue to follow after Jesus as they seek another meal.

Jesus would go on to tell them in verse 26 and 27 of the same chapter, to not work for the food that perishes but for the food that lasts for eternal life.

Do you see the picture here?

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people follow after Jesus after being fed

Once he gives a call for them to pursue after heavenly things and to grow in a relationship with him and to hunger and thirst for him, it tells us that many of these “disciples” left.

How often is that the case in churches today?

We come to church, hear a sermon that stirs our heart and make a decision that we are going to become a disciple of Jesus.

We talk to a friend at work and they tell us of all the great things that following Jesus has done for them.

We listen to a prosperity preacher online explain all of the earthly blessings and gifts that God has in store for us.

BUT

When the sad reality for most people in church today is we often walk away when things don’t go our way..

We walk away at the sight of a fight, not a frolic.

We walk away At the sight of a Pilgrimage, not a parade.

We want all of the blessings of Christ, but want to blend in with the world at the same time and not experience any of the persecution that Christ says we will experience

As Christians we are called to stand out, to be shining lights in a dark world, and to be in the world, but not of the world.

Transition:

In a world where so many people in our churches, abandon the faith at the sight of troubles and turmoil, how does biblical discipleship look?

Committed Christianity

Luke 9:23 CSB

23 Then he said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.

#1 Deny Yourself

The reality for us as humans is that we are broken individuals who can do nothing without the grace of God. We are overthrown by the reality of our sin and its effect on every aspect of our lives. If we truly desire to be a faithful disciple of Jesus, it all starts with denial of ones self.

When we realize the depth of our sin and the perfection of God, we start to have a better reliance upon him.

I’ll say that again

When we realize the depth of our sin and the perfection of God, we start to have a better reliance upon him.

As smart as we sometimes think we are, we have to realize that satan is smarter than us, he knows your weaknesses, perhaps even better than you do, and without turning it all over to Christ, you are doomed to remain in your bad track of being a dysfunctional disciple.

God is the creator of the universe and remains more powerful and smart than anything we could ever fathom, In any and all situations I encourage you today to turn it over to Christ and allow him to use you as a vessel for his glory.

#2 Take Up Your Cross

When Jesus tells us to take up our cross daily, we have to understand the cultural context during this period and the importance of the cross in this Roman era. Jesus died by crucifixion, that was the most humiliating and painful form of execution during his era.

When Jesus tells us to do that, he is saying, that every single day if we are being faithful to him and giving him the glory that he deserves, we should expect pain, we should expect humiliation at times, but on the same note we should be encouraged because we know that we are not of this world, but simply in it to make an impact for Christ.

Christians live for eternity, Non-Christians live for this life, even though they too will face eternity

String example

As a Christian be encouraged today and know that the challenges you will face on the earth are nothing compared to the feeling you get when you are being a faithful disciple and helping bring fellow brothers and sisters to Christ through Christ in your earthly life.

Are you taking up your cross daily?

Turn with me once more to:

#3 Live Out The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16–20 CSB

16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This beautiful final section in the gospel of Matthew, gives us the Great Commission. The call that Jesus placed on all believers to go into the world with the gospel, making disciples of all nations.

As a church, and for each individual believer in the room, hear me, that is your calling too.

When I got to Agra over 6 months Ago now, in my introductory speech, I said these words

“We want to be disciples who make disciples, who make disciples.”

In other words in the way that we live our lives and bring God glory and praise through them, we want others to be encouraged to do the same and become a fruitful disciple.

We don’t even want to stop at that, we want to be fruitful mentors to the disciples we make and spiritually feed them in a way that helps them to be fruitful disciples as well and keep the process going.

This is the Great Commission, it is the reason that we are on the earth today, to bring Glory to jesus by proclaiming his word to the broken world that we exist in.

Transition:

Being a part of Committed Christianity and being a genuine disciple of Christ is a true sacrifice, but it’s the most fulfilling thing in the world and is the best journey that you will ever be apart of.

Conclusion

So, let me ask Are you being a dysfunctional disciple or a dynamic disciple?

Dysfunctional disciples constantly fall away at the pressures of this world and dynamic disciples embrace it, in order to fulfill their calling to reach the world with the gospel.

I am the product of some dynamic disciples who poured themselves into me and now I am able to pour myself into each of you.

Today, more than anything, if you remember nothing from this sermon, remember this that God eagerly desires for you to be a dynamic disciple in his kingdom.

So again as I prepare to pray us out, I’ll ask Are you being a dysfunctional disciple or a dynamic and committed disciple?

PRAY