Difficulties In Discipleship
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The difficulties of discipleship are great but its nothing compared to the difficulties of sin.
Good understanding gains favor, But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
What is good understanding?
Good insight that flows from wisdom and prudence.
Good understanding is anything that flows from The Spirit of God.
This kind of good understanding is always welcome.
A good understanding gains favor.
A good understanding opens doors for yourself and others.
A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
How do I know if I have a good understanding?
I’m competent in the things of God.
If I have a good understanding, then I will keep His ways
How do we know we have a good understanding?
Psalm 111:10 (NKJV)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
Obedience to God proves that our judgement is sound.
How many disobedient Christians lack sound judgement?
If I have a good understanding, I will keep the commandments of the Lord.
A good understanding makes discipleship easy. A life that is from the well of great wisdom is easy.
But the way of the unfaithful is hard.
The way of the unfaithful is difficult. It usually means “ever-flowing” or “perennial”
perennial- is lasting or existing for a long period of time
Unfaithful-Treacherous
Hard- means ever-flowing like a river.
The way of the unfaithful is everflowing.
“The wicked are so entrenched in their ways that they find it difficult to turn from them.”
Church’s splits happen because of discipleship. Acts 15:36
Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.”
- Paul wanted to do followup visits on the churches already established from their first missionary journey. He wanted to see how they where doing.
Paul had a genuine concern for the churches God used him to plant.
Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark.
- Barnabas being a gracious and generous man he wanted John to be with him. Barnabas already moved past the idea that John left them. He was over it.
But Paul wasn’t over it haha
- But realize that these were just mere men. With egos and flesh. Both wouldn’t budge on there convictions.
In discipleship sometimes your flesh can get away with progress that God is doing.
There are also scenario’s where God will give grace for a particular location or with curtain people. Then the grace leaves! and if we fight against it we could inevitably hinder our growth and the plan of God for our lives.
When the grace of God leaves everything is a frustration. Burn out. But In some cases it could seem like the grace of God has left but it could be my harden heart.
But the work must continue. In some cases there are hiccups in ministry but we shouldn’t allow those things to stop or hinder the work.
As people of God we have to learn how to pivot.
People leave okay its sad but the work must continue. Team members can’t get along then we find away either to reconcile or adjust so the work can continue.
It was like that we Lot and Abraham. When theres issues like that we continue to move forward in the plan of God.
But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.
Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
Even though these two disagreed about weather or not they should take John Mark they didn’t become disagreeable.
They disagreed but they weren’t disagreeable.
They didn’t go back to Antioch and started being decisive and split the church. They just went in different directions in there ministry.
Once they split Barnabas and John Mark went went to Cyprus.
J. Vernon Mcgee said,
Thru the Bible Vol. 41: Church History (Acts 15–28) Plans for a Second Missionary Journey
Barnabas had come from Cyprus; it was his home. He had a desire to take the gospel to his own people. We know from tradition that he had a great ministry there, and from Cyprus a great ministry was carried on in North Africa.
The Book of Mark which is actually a book from Peter reveals most clearly the difficulties of discipleship.
1.This book reveals that Discipleship is costly.
Discipleship is Costly
This is difficult for many because we assume that because Jesus paid for our sins once and for all, there isn’t a cost to discipleship.
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus stated two requirements of disciple ship.
One is repent and the other is believe.
Saying no to selfish interests and earthly securities.
“Self-denial is not to deny one’s personality, to die as a martyr, or to deny “things” (as in asceticism). Rather it is the denial of “self,” turning away from the idolatry of self-centeredness and every attempt to orient one’s life by the dictates of self-interest.”
Self-Denial is only the negative side of the picture.
Positively, one must take up his cross.
Take us ones cross is simple it is saying yes to God’s will and God’s way!
I say No to my will and my way and say yes to Gods will and Gods way.
Taking up ones cross was a forceful way to demonstrate your submission to Rome as you await your execution.
Taking up one cross demonstrates your submission to Christ.
The cost of denial of self is such a steep cost.
When we follow Christ we take up our cross not Christ cross.
Christ cross is a burden we couldn’t bear thats why He bore it!
When Jesus says “follow Me” its a present imperative.
Following Jesus isn’t a one time thing its continuous.
We continue to say no to self and yes to Christ. All throughout our existence as believers here on earth.
Follow me
As the soldier follows his general, as the servant follows his master, as the scholar follows his teacher, as the sheep follows its shepherd, just so ought the professing Christian to follow Christ.
John Charles Ryle (Bishop of Liverpool)
discipleship is costly.
Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much.
Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.
So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury;
Jesus was at court of the Gentiles where He did His public ministry. Then He entered the court of the women.
Against the wall of this court were 12 trumpet shape collection receptacles for receptacles for receiving worshipers freewill offering and contributions.
Jesus is leaning against the wall and He’s seeing wealthy people who gave large amounts. ( man coins, of gold silver, copper , and bronze)
But then He sees this poor widow. Who gave the smallest bronze Jewish coin in circulation in Palestine.
Two mites were worth 1/64 of a Romans denarius, which was a days wage for a laborer.
She gave a fraction of a penny.
for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.”
The widow who gave out of her poverty was recognized by Jesus.
The one who gives this way is recognized by Christ.
Proportionally she had given the most- all she had to live on.
She gave all that she had proportionally she gave more.
“She could have kept back one coin for herself. A Rabbinic rule stating that an offering of less than two mites was not acceptable related to charitable gifts and does not apply here. Jesus used her example to teach His disciples the value God places on wholehearted commitment.”
And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?
For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
Jesus was invited to Simeon the Lepers house. This was the man Jesus cured he was well known amongst Jesus disciples.
Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus she came to Jesus with an alabaster jar ( a small stone flask with a long slender neck) Insiide was about a pint of costly perfume called spikenard. NARD is an plant that produced perfumes and ointments that were very costly and precious.
Nard was reserved for Kings. It symbolized wealth.
While the king is at his table, My spikenard sends forth its fragrance.
1 Denarii was worth a days wage 300 hundred denarii close to a years wage.
Mary broke the slender neck of the stone flask and poured the perfume over Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair.
This revealed that she wasn’t going hold anything back from Jesus.
Persecution comes with the territory of being a disciple.
Mark 10:28–31 (NKJV)
Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.”
So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s,
who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life.
But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
This sounds like excommunication.
Jesus is saying that our allegiance to Him and the gospel will entail a break with old ties, home, loved ones, or property (fields)
But He said what ever old ties are broken He will give you new ties.
He is saying it will be replaced 100 fold with a new family with the fellow disciples in the present age.
And in the age to come future age with Jesus return for the ultimate recompense- eternal life.
Mark 13:9–13 ).
“But watch out for yourselves, for they will deliver you up to councils, and you will be beaten in the synagogues. You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them.
And the gospel must first be preached to all the nations.
But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
Now brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.
There will be misunderstandings as a disciple.
But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”
For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
There will be failures as a disciple
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?
And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.
Then they all forsook Him and fled.
Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
Nevertheless, he expressed hope that beyond failure, those first disciples—and contemporary disciples—experience forgiveness
But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
John 21. Peter restored.
and fulfillment of Jesus’ promises to be “fishers of people”
(Mark 1:17, NRSV)
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
and Spirit-inspired witnesses (Mark 13:11 ; see 10:39).
But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.
They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;
Mark’s hope was grounded in Jesus, who both trusted in God’s goodness and love for Him
Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!”
So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
and submitted to the necessity of His suffering and death as a prelude to His resurrection.
