Discipleship Intensive

The preparation of the Disciples shifted into high gear as Passover approached. In the midst of His personal ministry to the multitudes, Jesus was preparing His inner circle to take up the reins once He went back to His Father. Today many people define discipleship as taking a course or filling out a workbook. One of the best definitions of discipleship I have heard is the name of a book by Eugene Peterson. “A Long Obedience in the Same Direction.” On the basis of what Jesus did with the Twelve in 3 years, the church has functioned for over 2,000 years.

Examination: (Why?)

1. Field trip and Scuttlebutt

Lk 9:1-9 “Summoning the Twelve, he gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. Then he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. “Take nothing for the road,” he told them, “no staff, no traveling bag, no bread, no money; and don’t take an extra shirt. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. If they do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and traveled from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing everywhere. Herod the tetrarch heard about everything that was going on. He was perplexed, because some said that John had been raised from the dead, some that Elijah had appeared, and others that one of the ancient prophets had risen. “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “but who is this I hear such things about?” And he wanted to see him.”

Back in 1967 I invited someone from the staff of Campus Crusade to come and train our people in personal evangelism. We started on a Friday night with a film of Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade and developer of “The Four Spiritual Laws”. Then we practiced with each other until we became comfortable using the 4 Laws booklet. We urged everyone to be back on Saturday morning for the rest of the training. When the people arrived on Saturday morning, we paired them two-by-two and gave them a packet with several addresses of people we had in our prospect file. Their assignment was to go into the community and share the gospel via the “4 Spiritual Laws”. Had we told them on Friday night what they would be doing on Saturday morning, I’m sure we would have lost at least half of our participants.

As we begin chapter 9, the Twelve had been with Jesus less than a year. They had seen Him heal the sick, cast out demons and heard Him preach the Good News about the kingdom of God. I’m pretty sure that they had no inkling that they would be sent out to do what they had seen Jesus do. They were about to learn what the church today has either forgotten or just refused to implement; the Bible is not just to be read or heard, but it is to be lived out in the world.

In addition to the shock of their assignment, Jesus another element designed to teach them first hand that God would meet their needs as they were obedient to His commands. They were not to take a back pack stuffed with food, money, and extra clothes, nor were they to make motel reservations in advance. He also gave them a command that on the surface sounded a bit callous. If people did not offer hospitality and respond to their teaching, they were to leave town in such a way that everyone knew they were being judged and found wanting.

As they carried out their assignment, news (scuttlebutt) of their mission got to Herod the tetrarch and caused him to wonder about this Jewish Rabbi and his followers. Some people were saying that John the Baptist had been resurrected while others said that it was Elijah or some of the other ancient prophets. Herod himself had ordered John to be killed. His curiosity was aroused and he wanted to meet Jesus personally.

When there is an obvious move of God, even skeptics, agnostics and atheists have their interest piqued and want to know what is going on.

2. The Message in the Story

Lk 9:10-17 “When the apostles returned, they reported to Jesus all that they had done. He took them along and withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. When the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing. Late in the day, the Twelve approached and said to him, “Send the crowd away, so that they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside to find food and lodging, because we are in a deserted place here.” “You give them something to eat,” he told them. “We have no more than five loaves and two fish,” they said, “unless we go and buy food for all these people.” (For about five thousand men were there.) Then he told his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did what he said, and had them all sit down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke them. He kept giving them to the disciples to set before the crowd. Everyone ate and was filled. They picked up twelve baskets of leftover pieces.”

The disciples were tired but pumped when they came back from their mission trip. What happened next proved that even though they had experienced the power of God working through them, they still didn’t understand His power that is available to those who believe and obey. That is the message within the story. While we look at the phenomenon of the multiplication of the bread and fish, the real story is that God is able to meet all our needs as we obey His commands and do His will. We are like the disciples…quick to point out a problem, but no idea of the solution. Some people will say, “we don’t have enough young people in our church” or “we don’t have enough volunteers for VBS.” Jesus would say, “Give Me what you have and stand back and see what I will do with it.” And the wrap up to the story is that there was a full basket of left-overs for each of the twelve disciples. What we see as problems Jesus sees as opportunities. We have the opportunity to Tell Lake Placid about Jesus, but to do it we need all hands on deck. Bring what you have (your story; that is your 5 loaves and 2 fish); share it with anyone who will listen, and stand back and see what Jesus will do. (my conversation with a “phisher” on line.)

3. Revelations

Lk 9:18-36 “While he was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, that one of the ancient prophets has come back.” “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” But he strictly warned and instructed them to tell this to no one, saying, “It is necessary that the Son of Man suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day.” 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. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it. For what does it benefit someone if he gains the whole world, and yet loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and that of the Father and the holy angels. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Shortly after the feeding of the 5K Jesus and His disciples were in Caesarea Philippi. While there they were standing near a pagan temple on the side of a mountain. A cave immediately to the north of Caesarea Philippi was said to be the birthplace of the Greco-Roman god Pan/Faunus, the god of nature, fields, forests, mountains, flocks and shepherds. A sanctuary was built there to Pan. The pagan worshipers would make sacrifices to Pan/Faunus at the mouth of the cave which was called “The Gates of Hell”. Jesus was praying privately while the disciples were nearby. Looking up from His prayer Jesus posed a question to them. “Who do the crowds say that I am?” This was just a set-up question for the real question He would ask… “Who to you say that I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah”. In Matthew’s account Jesus said to Peter, “You didn’t come up with that answer yourself, My Father gave it to you.” This was the first revelation during this conversation. The second came right afterward when Jesus predicted His death and resurrection. (vss 21-22)

Today I want us to focus on the third revelation…what is required of a disciple. There are three requirements;

Let him deny himself. One commentator said; Self-denial, then, is intentional disowning of the self, or stepping away from relationship with the self as primary. In other words either YOU can be the center of your being or JESUS can be…but not both. This is not denying yourself THINGS it is denying yourself the right for self centeredness.

Take up his cross daily. “Crucifixion was reserved specifically for offenders who had rebelled against authority. To “take up one’s cross” referred to the practice of forcing a condemned person to carry the cross beam to his execution site. This showed that although he had rebelled against authority, the condemned person was now so completely conquered that his last act in life would be to carry the instrument of his demise to the place of his death. It was a show of complete and utter submission. A call to bear one’s cross as part of following Jesus, then, is a call to be as submitted to Christ as the condemned criminal was to his death.” (Christy Gambrell)

Follow Me. “believe in Me, conform to My example in living and, if need be, suffer or perhaps die because of faith in Me.” (Amp Bible) This was the first command that Jesus gave to each of the Twelve. It is the call that He extends you and me today.

Application: (How I am responding to this message)

While believing in Jesus is part of becoming a Christian, it is not enough. James wrote “You believe that God is One; you do well. The demons also believe---and they shudder.” Belief is the starting point, not the end all.

Have you surrendered to Jesus? You’ve heard me ask that question before. Let me explain a bit further. Surrender is first a crisis experience when you relinquish control to Jesus…He controls you from that moment on. Secondly surrender is a daily, and sometimes moment by moment decision. Many of our have used the phrase, “What Would Jesus Do?”

Are you still lugging around the stinking corpse of your old dead nature? Let it go by letting Jesus set you free. John said “If the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.” Some “Christians” are still bound to their old habits, hurts and hangups and they stink up the atmosphere around them. Adopt the attitude of Paul who wrote in Gal 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

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