The Method of Discipleship
Notes
Transcript
Following the Call: The Journey of Discipleship
Following the Call: The Journey of Discipleship
Bible Passage: John 1:35–39, John 1:43, Matthew 4:18–22, John 15:15
Bible Passage: John 1:35–39, John 1:43, Matthew 4:18–22, John 15:15
Summary: This sermon explores the stages of discipleship, highlighting the initial call to follow Jesus, the journey of growing deeper in relationship with Him, and the eventual invitation to be part of His mission.
Application: This passage encourages believers to consider their own journey of discipleship and reflect on their calling and commitment to follow Jesus, ultimately challenging them to take active steps toward deeper faith and service.
Teaching: Discipleship is a progressive journey that begins with an invitation, involves personal commitment, and grows into a partnership with Christ, leading to transformation and ministry.
How this passage could point to Christ: Jesus stands as the ultimate call to discipleship, inviting us to leave our old lives behind and embrace a new identity as His followers, reflecting His life and mission as we journey together in faith.
Big Idea: Discipleship is a multi-stage journey marked by an initial call, continuous growth, and a purpose-driven life, inviting us into deeper fellowship with Christ and His Great Commission.
Recommended Study: As you prepare for this sermon, consider diving into Logos for insights into the cultural contexts of first-century Jewish discipleship. You might explore commentaries on John and Matthew that highlight the nuances of Jesus' call, as well as any theological discussions on the implications of being chosen as friends of Christ in John 15. This will help you address any text-critical concerns and enhance your application to modern discipleship.
1. Seeing the Savior
1. Seeing the Savior
John 1:35-36
Perhaps you could explore how Jesus initiates the discipleship journey by being revealed to us. Here, two disciples recognize Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God.’ This initial acknowledgment moves us to begin our journey with Him. Consider drawing parallels to how our own discipleship begins with recognizing who Christ truly is and accepting His call to follow. This point emphasizes the vital first step of heeding Jesus' call and sets the stage for ongoing growth.
2. Seeking Our Lord
2. Seeking Our Lord
John 1:37-39
Maybe emphasize the importance of the personal decision to follow Jesus as seen when the disciples actively choose to follow Him. Their desire to know where He stays signifies an eagerness for deeper relationship and understanding. This point can challenge believers to not only acknowledge Jesus but to seek an abiding relationship. Reinforce that a key aspect of discipleship involves seeking Jesus, learning from Him, and dwelling in His presence.
3. Summoning Call
3. Summoning Call
John 1:43
You could look into Jesus’ active pursuit and invitation as He finds Philip and tells him, “Follow me.” This shows Jesus reaching out and calling individuals by name, signifying personal invitation and purpose. This point underscores that discipleship is not just about our pursuit of Christ but also His intentional call to us, urging an active response to His personal invitation.
4. Sacrificial Following
4. Sacrificial Following
Matthew 4:18-22
Perhaps this point might focus on the radical change and commitment that Jesus’ call requires, exemplified by the fishermen who left their nets. This illustrates the total commitment and abandonment of old ways necessary in discipleship. Encourage believers to consider what Jesus might be calling them to leave behind in order to truly follow Him, emphasizing transformation and priority shift.
5. Shared Friendship
5. Shared Friendship
John 15:15
This might be used to highlight the ultimate purpose and intimacy in discipleship, where Jesus refers to His followers as friends rather than servants. It suggests a mature stage of discipleship where believers are partners in Christ’s mission. Convey the profound truth that discipleship culminates in a deep, personal relationship with Jesus, sharing in His mission and expressing His love to others.
With these two truths to light the way, let’s begin the journey toward understanding Jesus method for disciple-making. There are four challenges that we will represent with four chairs.
WEEK 4
BIG IDEA: Jesus gave us a pattern for helping people at different stages in the disciple-making journey and then, with the Spirit’s help, moving them to the next level in their walk with God.
Introduction
Introduction
Reflections on the struggle against imposter syndrome.
reflecting on last week’s small group…about feeling unprepared.
Many people live under the shadow of imposter syndrome, feeling unworthy of their success. Consider the biblical figure of Moses, who doubted his ability to lead the Israelites because he stuttered and felt inadequate. Despite his fears, God equipped him for the task, showing that our weaknesses can be used for great purposes. Like Moses, we too can find strength in our vulnerabilities if we trust that we are chosen for a reason.
The fact that so many biblical characters have considered themselves unworthy comforts me because I know that I am in good company.
God is faithful to use the meager offerings I give to glorify himself.
I am thankful for that.
Context
Context
We are now in the fourth week of our series focused on the foundations of biblical discipleship.
We have focused on the mission and motive of discipleship given to us by Jesus Christ.
We have also seen that this work is rooted in the example that our Lord set for us in his own life and character.
But Jesus also set the example for us in how we model our discipleship.
Jesus clearly modeled a strategy of discipleship for us to follow.
It deserves some focus, and we will survey it today before diving in a little deeper in the new year.
It’s important for us to see that the way we do ministry in the modern context doesn’t begin in Acts but in the life and ministry of Jesus…it’s easy to miss this.
We simply fail to see any strategic pattern in Jesus disciple-making ministry.
Jesus’s practice of disciple making changed over the course of his public ministry.
And, there is discernable progression worth noting in the lives of those Jesus chose to be His disciples.
Take Peter for example (John 1:41-42; Mt. 15:28-31; 16:13-19; 26:69-75; John 21:15-19; Acts 2:14-41).
We often characterize Peter as impetuous and over the course of Jesus’ relationship with Peter we see Jesus’ leverage that trait.
41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.
18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”
16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.
18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.”
19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.
But as Peter matures and moves toward “fully-trained” status we see the rougher edges smoothed and Peters character and priorities refined to reflect the character and priorities of Jesus.
By the time we finish with the book of Acts Peter has developed from a rough and unrefined fisherman to a powerful mouthpiece for the Kingdom and a pillar of the early church.
Did it just happen to work out that way in Peter’s case? Or might there have been a strategic pattern that Jesus employed?
There are two things that we should make clear as we study the Jesus’s method of discipleship.
The command of Mathew 28 is that we make disciples who can, in turn, make more disciples. There is an important distinction between disciple-making and discipleship.
When we say, “discipleship” what likely comes to mind are deeper Bible studies with weightier content directed toward believers.
When we say, “disciple-making” we are referring to the whole process of meeting people where they are as unbelievers and investing in them until they have, themselves, become fully-trained, reproducing disciple-makers.
Jesus recognized that people were at different stages in the disciple-making journey – and that was OK.
Seeker
Believer
Worker
Disciple-maker
Challenge 1: Come and See (John 1:35-39)
Challenge 1: Come and See (John 1:35-39)
35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
Jesus invited Andrew and John to show up. This is literally what the Greek word translated ‘”come” means. They had heard Jesus teach and had seen him work and curiosity got the best of them. Jesus’ invitation to simply show up gave him all He needed to begin the important conversation about himself, at the end of which Andrew bursts forward and exuberantly proclaims, “We have found the Messiah!”
The simple challenge to “come and see” is built on the premise that God is already at work drawing people to himself through the Holy Spirit. Our job as disciple-makers who are making disciple-makers is to discern who these people are and be prepared share why Jesus is the Savior. We are used by God to give the gift of our time and attention and to show the love of Christ to those who are seeking.
Paul gave an excellent reason for being a part of drawing the curious:
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
We need to be prepared for the moments that God places people in our path.
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
Challenge 2: Follow Me (John 1:43)
Challenge 2: Follow Me (John 1:43)
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”
This second challenge moves people from the seeker chair to the believer chair. Implied is that a person has made a decision about Christ and that transformation has occurred on the inside.
Follow – the Greek word is akoloutheo. Literally, it means to come behind – to follow in the footsteps.
This is where we get the work acolyte from.
Come and See assumes curiosity while Follow Me assumes commitment – a commitment to learn and to become like the one we are following.
As disciple-makers we invite people to show up and then we encourage them to follow. It’s a practical and simple step. Paul captures the essence of the endeavor in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he implores the church at Corinth to be imitators of him as he is an imitator of Christ.
1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Challenge 3: Follow Me and I Will Make you Fishers of Men (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)
Challenge 3: Follow Me and I Will Make you Fishers of Men (Matthew 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20)
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.
21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.
22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
This is a call to leave the relative comfort of following to engage the less comfortable challenging of following and fishing for men.
Two parallel passages provide the narrative for us – Matthew 4:18-22 and Mark 1:16-20.
As a small digression, I would like to bring your attention to the value of a chronological approach to studying the life and ministry of Jesus.
Some argue that if God had intended for the life of Jesus to be studied chronologically then He would have written it that way.
Well… He did write it that way! Look at how Luke begins his gospel.
1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,
2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,
3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,
4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
Chronology gives us insight that we could not gain any other way.
For example, In Mark 1:17 Jesus calls his disciples to follow and then He says He will make them fishers of men.
17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
We tend to think of this as an initial encounter that Jesus has with those disciples.
But our chronological study tells us otherwise!
By the time Jesus brings up the whole idea of fishing for men the disciples had been with Him for at least 18 months.
Jesus's public ministry began around AD 29 when he was baptized and started calling disciples.
This is the ministry recorded at the beginning of John.
His early ministry in Judea lasted from autumn 29 to spring 30, followed by his Galilean ministry from summer 30 to spring 32.
This is the section recorded in the middle of Matthew
Jesus then engaged in intensive training with his disciples in summer and early autumn 32, before ministering in Judea in late autumn and early winter 32, and in Perea in late winter and early spring 33.
This is the portion of his ministry as he set his face toward Jerusalem and began sending his disciples out on mission.
His ministry culminated with his crucifixion, resurrection, and exaltation in AD 33. Peter and Andrew had been following Jesus for 18 months already when Jesus takes the conversation to a whole new level - not just following, but now joining Jesus on mission, making disciples.
Jesus’ challenge is relational. He says, “come follow me.” Jesus is ready to invest the time and effort in developing these followers in fully-trained disciple-makers.
This challenges us to consider the quality of our love towards those God has given us to disciple.
If we love others, we will patiently bear with them as the progress down the road.
Consider all the patience required to train Peter.
Jesus’ challenge is intentional. He says, “I will make you fishers of men.” He had a plan for development of these new disciple-making recruits. In fact, immediately after this invitation, Jesus takes His newly formed ministry team on 6 “fishing trips” where He shows them how to do the thing that He is calling them to do.
We must not think that our work is restricted to teaching by word only.
We must direct our conduct toward the goal of demonstrating the Christian life to those we are making disciples.
Jesus’ challenge was missional. Jesus understood clearly that his mission was to leave behind a movement of disciple makers who could make even more disciples.
Our work is directed toward a purpose, and outcome outside of our own personal faith.
We are building Christ’s church. He is showing us how.
We must consider what we intend to achieve.
I’ve often heard it said that good works are jewels in the crown of the Christian…I’ll admit, I’ve never known just what to think about that.
I do believe that we will be rewarded for our faithful works in Christ, but we will also cast our crowns at feet.
I want to be found at the end, having faithfully done what was expected of me and to be called a good and faithful servant.
This requires focus.
Challenge 4: Go and Bear Fruit (John 15:15-16)
Challenge 4: Go and Bear Fruit (John 15:15-16)
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Friends – Near the end of Jesus’ ministry as He and His disciples are making their way to the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus delivers His final lesson before His arrest- the famous teaching about the Vine and the branches.
During this teaching, Jesus addresses His disciples in a way different from the way He has addressed them before – friends.
They had been seekers, disciples, coworkers and servants but now:
15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
It’s perhaps an understated title that we hold…that we would be friends of God.
There’s a closeness and companionship that we now have with Christ.
Now, they are to go and do likewise, following in the path of their Savior.
Just like that Jesus moves His disciples from chair 3 to chair 4. They are now ready to go out and bear fruit as they employ what they have learned from relationship with Jesus. The relationship is characterized by abiding. The fruit that Jesus disciples would bear and the fruit that you and I bear today is the result of abiding in Jesus – nurturing an ever-deepening relationship with Him as we walk as He walked.
The quality of the fruit we bear will be in direct proportion to the level that we abide in Him.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.
5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
This means that we walk as he has walked:
6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Let us never forget that we will never stop needing Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This method encourages us to consider our own journey of discipleship and reflect on our calling and commitment to follow Jesus.
Ultimately challenging them to take active steps toward deeper faith and service.
The call of Jesus challenges us to go further and deeper with Jesus.
Both in our faith in Him. To know him more and more each day.
And in our service. To become more and more like Him and bringing our lives into conformity with His.
Discipleship is a progressive journey that begins with an invitation, involves personal commitment, and grows into a partnership with Christ, leading to transformation and ministry.
We must be patient as we walk the road of the disciple.
It takes time and it takes purposeful effort.
Most of all it takes the work of the Holy Spirit as Paul explained:
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Jesus stands as the ultimate call to discipleship, inviting us to leave our old lives behind and embrace a new identity as His followers, reflecting His life and mission as we journey together in faith.
Above all, let us not forget to keep Jesus ever before our eyes.
Jesus calls us to leave our lives behind to come after Him…to learn His ways…to become like Him.
I will leave you with a word from Charles Spurgeon as he reflected on his own life, works, and hope:
I live in Jesus, on Jesus, with Jesus, and soon hope to be perfectly conformed to his likeness.
Now, Volume 10, Sermon #603 - 2 Corinthians 6:2
Charles Spurgeon
Let us pray
