Disciples

Be a Disciple

Over the past few weeks, we’ve discussed worshipping God and His greatness.

With the Wednesday nights we have remaining this semester, I want to discuss Discipleship.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus says:

Matthew 28:19–20 “19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

This is our big call.

“Go make disciples”

But what does that mean?

What is a disciple?

Now before we answer, let me also ask this…

Is discipleship different from telling people about Jesus?

What do you think?

Jesus calls us to be His disciples.

Mark 1:16–20 “16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him. 19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.”

Jesus calls men to follow Him.

This is really the same call Jesus offers us.

“Come follow me.”

Jesus never, not one time in the gospels, has an opportunity for people to respond and walk an aisle and pray a prayer.

Now, that doesn’t mean those things are bad.

But it does mean that He is God, He was present with Him, and the best way for them to know God in that time, was to follow Him and be with him.

Sometimes I watch youtube videos to figure out how to do a job that I don’t know how to do.

Now for as long as I can remember, I’ve known how to change the oil in a car.

Now I’m not judging anybody in here, but let me just tell you, it’s the easiest thing you an do on a car, you can do it in about 20 minutes, and it’ll cost you about $35 now days to put the best oil in your car.

Theres 2 things you need to know…

1. There’s a plug on the bottom of the car that drains the oil when you release it.

2. There’s a filter that’s normally black or black and orange somewhere on your engine block that you need to unscrew and replace with a new one.

That’s it.

Well the first time I changed the oil on the highlander I’m looking and I can’t find the filter anywhere.

I’m looking for probably 40 minutes under the car, above the car, from the side… it’s no where in sight.

Finally, my brain begins to function and I remember youtube, so I get on there.

And I find out that the filter is actually under the engine block right in the middle of the car.

So you can either take a plastic part off the bottom of the car and access the filter…

Or do what I do and carefully reach your arm down as far as it can go and then bend your elbow and grab the filter.

Now just imagine I decided the oil filter didn’t exist.

I just decided 10 years ago, “Ok… since there’s no filter, I don’t ever have to change it.”

What would happen if I believed that?

Well, probably after 2 years, my car would’ve stopped working because the filter would no longer work.

My engine would be gummed up.

The pistons would seize up… And the car would be done…zo!

Now, let’s say that happened.

Why did that happen?

Whose voice was I listening to about the car?

MINE!

Was my voice wrong?

YES!

There are many difference voices we can listen too in this life.

Youtube itself is a powerful voice.

That day it helped me find my oil filter, but other days, it might suck me into a reel hole and have me watching 30 minutes of reels before I even realize how much time has gone by.

All of social media can do that.

I mean the internet in general, this being connected to stuff all the time can really suck the time and energy out of our lives if we aren’t careful.

But something else that happens, is we exchange digital friends, for real ones.

But you know the truth?

Whenever I have an issue at my house, with my car, or with my mower, anything like that.

You know what I still do first? I call my dad or my father in law.

Every time.

Why? Because even if they’re wrong, I trust their voice the most.

Because even if they are wrong, they will tell me so and help me find the correct answer.

Because that’s what trusted voices do.

They stick with us until we find the answer.

Even if it takes a long time.

Trusted voices are with us in the best times and the worst times.

SO here’s where that comes down to discipleship tonight.

We can become disciples of voices who don’t even know who we are.

That’s what social media and internet influences have done to us.

We can also become disciples though, of the one who created us.

The one who became one of us.

The one who simply says “Follow me… Come and see...”

This invitation into the unknown, but that we know is right, wonderful, and true.

The call to be the disciple of the one who gives us life and sustains our life.

John 15:5 “5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Simply to remain in Him, to remain with Him as He is with us leading us, that’s the disciple I want to be.

Now it’s not that everything we read, see, or watch online is wrong… no no no, that’s the point.

It’s that its not personal.

But if we aren’t careful, we equate Jesus and online relationships on the same plane.

The people we follow online that we don’t know personally, there’s no relationship there…

Sometimes, I think we feel and think the same about Jesus…

I follow Him, but I’ve never seen Him or met him in person… so there’s… no… relationship… there…

But there is…

Luke 12:7 “7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Luke 12:24 “24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

John 10:27–28 “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 will snatch them out of my hand.”

Genesis 3:9 “9 But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?””

God’s relationship with us from these few verses is this:

He knows us better than we know ourselves (hairs on our head…)

He will always meet our needs (more valuable than birds)

He is the voice of truth.

He always looks for us first.

Jesus is constantly calling us to Himself…

He’s not pushing your or forcing you, but He is drawing you towards Himself.

Are you responding?

Are you a disciple of Jesus?

2. We are to make Disciples.

SO what is a disciple?

One of my heroes is a guy named Deitrich Bonhoeffer.

He died right at the end of WW2.

So close in fact, that the war was pretty much over, but Hitler himself put out a direct kill order to have Bonhoeffer found, and hung.

It was one of Hitler’s final acts in his life.

Bonhoeffer was a pillar for the church in Germany.

He even found safety in the USA during WW2, but actively chose to go back to pastor in Germany risking his life and ultimately giving His life for the gospel.

In his book “The Cost of Discipleship” Bonhoeffer writes that what Discipleship costs us is “self-denial and a complete bond with Jesus.”

What is self-denial?

Luke 9:23 “23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

Most things in our lives are calling us to make our lives better, to do this to improve yourself…

watch this, read this, take this vitamin (this supplement), listen to this…

And while often times those are good things they can also be things that distract us from what is most important.

They can be things that build up our self-esteem, but ultimately makes us believe we can be self-sustaining.

And the whole time Jesus is there, like in the garden, asking “where are you?”

I’m here… but where are you?

Don’t miss this though.

Jesus knows where you are. He knows exactly where you are.

The point of the question isn’t because Jesus doesn’t know where you are…

He knew where Adam and Eve were.

But He asked the question so they would know He’s there.

He is looking for them.

Even when we aren’t looking for God, God is there, He’s waiting for you to realize He is there.

IF we are so focused on ourselves, we may miss this truth tonight that Jesus is there with us, loving us, caring for us, meeting our needs, holding us together.

Maybe the truth is, we just need to get out of our own way so we can live in the freedom and grace He offers.

When we come to know that truth too, we are to then share that with others.

We are to, like Jesus, involve ourselves in one anothers lives.

Even when it’s messy, it’s ok.

I’m not here on earth to offer a way for others to have more money, more time, better health, or better politicians…

I’m here to make disciples. To show people Jesus. and walk with them through this messy thing called life.

That’s what it means to make disciples.

SO tonight we’ve talked about two things.

Jesus calls us to be discples.

He calls us to make disciples.

How do we do that?

That’s what we are going to talk about for the next few weeks.

So don’t miss it.

But for tonight hold on to this.

My boys want my time.

Daddy look at this… daddy let me read you this… Daddy daddy daddy…

And it’s real easy to get annoyed guys.

But I can see it make their day when I spend unhurried, undistracted time in their world listening, and talking to them.

That’s something Jesus wants us to know too.

Jesus is never annoyed, never distracted, never hurried.

He is an ever present God who is always in control.

And He always wants you.

Are you giving Him all of yourself?

We can define it many different ways but that’s what Discipleship ultimately is.

I’m giving myself to Jesus.

And when I disciple others, I’m also allowing their mess into my life.

When you were at your absolute worst, it’s there, that Jesus says, I’ll take your place. Jesus didn’t die for the best of us, he died for the worst parts of us.

And even still! He calls us to follow Him, to be with Him.

Why would we settle for less.

We will discuss this more in the coming weeks, but for now let’s pray.