INVITATIONS | Part 4 - “Invitation to Discipleship”

Introduction

Throughout the month, we have talked about all types of invitations. Invitations to be saved from the flood, to be clean, to receive rest and relief, and now we get up to the greatest invitation of all. The invitation to discipleship.

Text Context

At this time, Jesus is in the city of Philippi. This passage brings closure to Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and leads into his journey to Jerusalem. This chapter is what I like to believe a four-part. Jesus does two amazing things and two other things like a confession and a prediction takes place.

In the part we’re in, jesus predicts his death and resurrection. He started off by teaching them that what was going to happen to him would be necessary. He says that it is necessary for the Son of Man to be rejected, to be killed, and then to rise again after three days. But then, we see that Peter (cussing and fighting and killing Peter) takes Jesus aside and starts to rebuke him. Peter treats Jesus as though his prediction has made him an obstacle or just a distraction from God’s rule. Although Peter is the one to claim Jesus as the Messiah, he does not understand what being the Messiah means. Peter believes in Jesus in Jesus, but he still has doubts. Sometimes, we can believe in Jesus but we can have questions. We can ask God why he allows bad things to happen to good people or the other way around. We can have doubts at times. But keep in mind, Peter pulls Jesus aside, but at the same time, Peter is a first hand witness of what Jesus can do. Peter is with Jesus in this chapter, and it is in this chapter where Jesus feeds 4,000 people with 5 loaves of break and 2 pieces of fish. It is in this same chapter where Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida. But the minute when Jesus pulls out a prediction, Peter starts doubting. Here, Jesus does two of his most famous and notable miracles and Peter is a witness of it, but he is doubting. See, we may not have all of the answers to the questions, we may not be able to have it all come to us like that, but we know that God is able. We know that on one Friday, he died on a hill called Calvary and stayed there but three days later, he rose again with all power in his hands. We know that it is no secret what God can do and what he has done for others.

After Peter rebukes Jesus, Jesus turns it around and rebukes Peter. He then turns to his disciples and tell them what to do if anyone wants to be his disciples.

Body of Message

This is a challenging invitation. An invitation to discipleship. An invitation to count the cost. But what was this invitation really about.

This was an invitation to forget yourself.(v. 34)

This was not easy. We all aim to be number one. Even the disciples wanted to be in high places, because they will eventually tell Jesus this in Mark 10. But we have to put God first. Everyone has priorities. We arrange our schedules, budgets, and relationships according to importance, but we first have to put God first. That means that we may have to move around our schedules and our business, but we first prioritize God and our relationship with him.

Putting God first means we give Him top priority over everything else. He is the principal figure in our lives and central to all we do and think. Jesus says that whoever will lose their life for him will have him and the gospel to save it. When we choose to put God first, we are promised that our lives will be saved. See, God determines that he is more important than any other person, his word is more valuable than any other message, and His will is greater than any other importance. That’s why we depend on his word and his will. Because even when anything and everything else fails, we have his will and his word. In the garden, Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done.” That’s putting God first. Jesus depended on God and his will and asked him to let his will be done.

Putting God first means that we strive to follow in Jesus’ steps. Jesus’ life was characterized by total submission to the Father’s will, service to others, and prayer. Jesus’ words, actions, and doctrine all came from the Father. Jesus glorified the Father in every detail of His life and accomplished all that He has been sent to do.

Jesus taught us to seek the Kingdom of God above all else. That is what we oughta do. We are to seek the salvation that is inherent in the kingdom of God. If we are putting God first, “he will give you everything you need.”

Those who put God first will stand out from the rest of the world. They give God the firstfruits, not the leftovers. The Christian life is characterized by moment-to-moment selfless service to God that flows from love for Him and His people. In all things, the believer trusts, obeys, and loves God above all else. We have to forget our own way and put God first.

This was a invitation to full surrender.(v. 34)

Those who were condemned to crucifixion were made to carry their own cross. Jesus’ followers have to be prepared to face backlash for their faith and for their relationship with him. Stephan later on in Acts 7 by the people of Sanhedrin because he was telling them about Jesus Christ. The Christians in Philippi will later on in Philippians face mistreatment because they believe in God and they go to church. The disciples has to be ready for what was going to come at them.

The cross is about death. Jesus has predicted his death. Peter rebuked him because he didn’t understand God’s plan of redemption. Taking up the cross is about full surrender.

When we reach the point in our lives where we have that WWJD moment. We are faced with one decision but we have two choices. We have to choose whether to follow our own understanding or to seek God. God promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. When we find Him, we have a choice to make: do we continue following our own understanding or do we surrender to His will?

See, God has a plan for our lives, and surrendering to Him means we set aside our own plans and eagerly seek His. The good news is that God’s plan for us is always in our best interest.

There are different levels of surrender, all of which affect our relationship with God. Initial surrender to the drawing of the Holy Spirit leads to salvation. When we let go of our own attempts to earn God’s favor and rely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we become a child of God. But there are times of greater surrender during a Christian’s life that bring deeper intimacy with God and greater power in service. The more areas of our lives we surrender to Him, the more room there is for the filling of the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we exhibit traits of His character. The more we surrender to God, the more our old self-worshiping nature is replaced with one that resembles Christ.

Romans 6:13 says that God demands that we surrender the totality of our selves; He wants the whole, not a part. Jesus said that His followers must deny themselves

The goal of the Christian life can be summed up by Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Being crucified with Christ means that we have a new way of life. Such a life of surrender is pleasing to God, results in the greatest human fulfillment, and will reap ultimate rewards in heaven. We have to surrender to God.

This was an invitation to follow our savior.(v. 34)

Only the saved can follow Jesus. If we have our hearts and our minds filled with meanness, hate, and anger, then how will we follow Jesus? If we have not confessed that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, then how can we follow Jesus?

To truly follow Christ means He has become everything to us. Everyone follows something: friends, popular culture, family, selfish desires, or God. We can only follow one thing at a time. God states we are to have no other gods before Him. To truly follow Christ means we do not follow anything else. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." There is no such thing as a "halfway disciple." You can’t follow Jesus and follow our own understanding. As the disciples demonstrated, no one can follow Christ by the strength of his own willpower.

Jesus gave His disciples the secret to faithfully following Him, but they did not recognize it at the time. He said, "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing." And "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

Following Jesus means striving to be like Him. He always obeyed His Father, so that’s what we strive to do. To truly follow Christ means to make Him the Boss. That’s what it means to make Jesus Lord of our lives. Every decision and dream is filtered through His Word with the goal of glorifying Him in everything. We are not saved by the things we do for Christ but by what He has done for us. Because of His grace, we want to please Him in everything. All this is accomplished as we allow the Holy Spirit to have complete control of every area of our lives. He explains the Scriptures, empowers us with spiritual gifts, comforts us, and guides. To follow Christ means we apply the truths we learn from His Word and live as if Jesus walked beside us in person.

Conclusion

We have studied all of these invitations, but they all lead up to the invitation to discipleship. In order to become disciples, we have to forget our own way, fully surrender, and follow him. Take up your cross and follow Jesus.