Three Essentials for Discipleship

Three Essentials for Discipleship

Details: You are committed to discipleship. But just moving believers in your group forward in their faith is a challenge…right? Suggesting that “Next Level Discipleship” should be the norm makes your eyes gloss over. You need a tool that is concise yet biblical to introduce believers to the commitment of discipleship. Three Essentials for Discipleship is that tool! It is designed to introduce the discipleship concept and even help bring people to a point of decision. This resource can be used for youth leaders, student leaders, interns or a general youth group.

Introduction: Discipleship is for every believer not just for a few select Christians. When Jesus speaks of discipleship in Luke 14, He is asking His followers to “step up” into an elite group. He is clearly asking for a greater commitment than the average follower is willing to make, which sets them apart. The commitment consists of Three Essentials for Discipleship.

Luke 14:25–33 ESV

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

Note:Jesus is looking for an elite group! Today you could compare this to the Green Berets, Navy Seals or a SWAT Team. He is asking them to make tough decisions that will cost them personally.

Note:At this point in the Gospel of Luke Jesus challenges all His followers to confront three areas of their lives:

1. Friendships

2. Choices

3. Lifestyles

In order to be “set apart” as His disciples, it was imperative for these essentials to be embraced. He was not willing for these men to simply follow Him around the country like groupies.

Jesus addresses Essential Number One in Luke 14:26.

I. CAST OFF THE COMPANY (v. 26)

A. Anything—Friendship with the World—Material Things

1. Ask yourself: Is there anything in my life more valuable than or in competition with Jesus?

2. Ask yourself: If I had to reveal one material item keeping me from full commitment, what would it be?

B. Anyone—Friendship with People—Influencers

1. Ask yourself: Are there influencers in my life who distract me from the truth – anyone who is discouraging me from full commitment to Christ? (This could include friends in general, romantic relationships or family members.)

2. Ask yourself: Are there any influencers in my life who deny the truth? Anyone who influences me for evil more than I influence them for good?

Illustration: If I want to be the best at track and field then I have to take the sport seriously. I want to serve alongside team members who are just as committed as me. Without a doubt one of my priorities will be to find the best coach possible to help train me. – Am I right?

So why don’t we make the same connections when it comes to our personal walk with Christ? Why are we not as discerning about friendships when it comes to our spiritual lives? We need to be more personally committed to pursuing strong disciplers for our lives just like we would a great track coach!

Ask yourself about two types of influencers who may be present in your life:

· Those who do not know God. – I am not suggesting believers should not be friends with unbelievers. What I am suggesting is that believers need to evaluate those friendships periodically to see who is influencing who.

· Those who know God, but are not walking consistently with Him.

C. Any way—Friendship with Self—Personal Agenda

This entails a conflict of interests between God’s plan and the plans you have for yourself. It doesn’t take much focus on our own personal agenda to get us off track from God’s agenda or will for us. In fact, just like taking our eyes off the road for just a few seconds can cause a major car crash, even a “slight” mis-focus can cause us to spiritually “crash and burn.”

Illustration: Little things can be destructive. In Lima, Peru, a 757 aircraft crashed because of something as simple as a sensor getting polish in it causing it not to work properly. Little things do matter!

Jesus addresses Essential Number Two in Luke 14:27.

II. CONFORM TO THE CROSS (v. 27)

A. Identify with the Cross—Take a stand.

Taking a stand for Jesus presents itself in many different forms for us. It may be as simple as a kind word or as difficult as illustrated in the following letter. Most of us will never have to be imprisoned or lose our lives for our faith. The worst persecution most of us face is an unkind word.

Encourage those you are teaching to think about what they have had to endure for their faith. Now ask them to consider what the worst could possibly be. Then challenge them to surrender it to the Lord, determining to take a stand for Him.

Illustration: Letter from a missionary

Recently God gave a minister the opportunity to visit Ceuta in Northern Morocco. Morocco is 99.8% Muslim. There are several Christians in prison because of the Gospel. In the city of Tangiers, he visited a fellow Christian 86 years of age that had been in prison for several weeks that year. He was arrested because he was in the marketplace preaching the Gospel. When his wife went to intercede for him and complain because of the rough treatment he was receiving, the procurator of the king said, “Madam, your husband is a criminal and ought to be treated as such.” They placed him in a prison that had a capacity for 700 prisoners—and there were 3000.

Instead of complaining, the old preacher shared the gospel with even more people and counted this a blessing. He took a stand that cost him something but was willing to be “Identified with the Cross!” Thank God for his great example!

Taking a stand means that we: Stand Up—Speak Up—Stay Up!

B. Identify with Christ—Follow Him and walk in His way.

1. “Christ does not call us to service, but to Himself. He then sends us to service.” Mike Calhoun

2. “When you ask Christ if he loves you, He points to the Cross.”

Jesus addresses Essential Number Three in Luke 14:28-32.

III. COUNT THE COST (vv. 28-32)

I have recommended illustrations for the next couple of points however the illustrations given here in this Scripture passage for each of these points are powerful and practical. I suggest you use the illustrations from the passages as well as the others to demonstrate the scriptural truth.

A. For the Sake of Testimony (vv. 29, 30)

The basic truth you are teaching from these verses is the importance of preparation so that others will not mock you for not thinking ahead. People who begin a building but do not finish the project due to lack of planning have a bad testimony and work reputation. The same is true for those who are not consistent with their commitment to Christ.

Illustration: There was a missionary in Central America who saw man selling cross necklaces. As he would walk down the street selling his wares he would cry out “Crosses! . . . Get your . . . cheap crosses for sale right here!” I am afraid we have devalued the cross, and students are going into the service of the King without counting the cost.

B. For the Sake of Victory (vv. 31, 32)

You can count on the fact the life of the disciple is going to be difficult and demanding, so fortify yourself. Prepare and train yourself so you can follow through with the commitment even during hard times.

Illustration: Likely, the best illustration at this point would be for you to give a personal illustration from your ministry of one of your students who has been a good example in this area. Just check ahead with the student to get clearance to use their story.

Plan Ahead:

· See if you have any students who are involved in track and field and run relay. It would be great to do an interview with them using the following questions.

o What is the most difficult part of a relay race?

o What part of the relay do you practice the most?

o How important is it to know how your team mate is going to respond?

o Do you change your pace to hand off the baton?

o Ask them to describe the process.

Check with your students who are involved in relay to see if they have video of a race you could show at this point. If not, you could grab something from YouTube.

Illustration: As students, you are being passed the baton just like in a relay race. (Maybe cite one of the Olympics—4x400 races.) One generation hands off the baton to the next. It is your turn to take the baton and run the race. However, it requires you to make some strategic decisions. Invite leaders and/or students to illustrate how the passing of the baton works in an actual race.