True Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship

Salvation is free, but discipleship cost everything.

We are big on Church Membership but short on discipleship. We are more anxious to build buildings and programs than to build people.

Our Lord made discipleship hard and lost many prospective followers because he called them to a pilgrimage, not to a parade — to a fight, not to a party.

Discipleship is more than getting to know what the teacher knows. It is getting to be what he is.

Being a disciple of Christ means being a follower and learner of Jesus who not only believes His teachings but also applies them to their lifestyle[1[

A disciple accepts Christ's views and practices, and obeys His commands[1].

This involves believing Christ's doctrine, relying on His sacrifice, absorbing His spirit, and imitating His example[4].

Jesus commanded His followers to "make disciples of all nations," emphasizing the importance of active learning and application rather than mere belief or conversion[1].

Discipleship requires absolute commitment, with one article drawing a parallel to how the Communist Party demanded total dedication from its members, accepting no reservations[1].

Ultimately, being a disciple of Christ is characterized by a transformative relationship where the follower learns from Jesus and puts His teachings into practice in their daily life

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It costs more not to follow Jesus than it does to follow Jesus.

Not to follow Jesus will cost you your Crown.

Not following Jesus will cost you your peace.

Not following Jesus will cost you your joy.

Not following Jesus will cost you your life

The Cross of Discipleship

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

Matthew 16:24 NASB 2020

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.

The Mark of the Cross

When no mark of the cross appears in our discipleship, we may doubt the ownership. We should be branded for Christ.

1. The Cross of Christian Discipleship Requires Self-denial

2. The Cross of Christian Discipleship Must Be Freely Taken Up

3. The Cross of Christian Discipleship Prepares Us for the Worst

4. The Cross of Christian Discipleship Equips Us for the Best

INTRODUCTION: Let us look into this text briefly.

There are three things in it:

A Threefold Test of Discipleship,

A Threefold Need of Discipleship,

A Threefold Fruit or Reward of Discipleship.

I. A THREEFOLD TEST OF DISCIPLESHIP

1. “If any man will come after Me,

let him deny himself.”

Let him deny what self demands,

cease to live the self-centered life.

2. The next step is to take up the Cross.

All that Calvary means,

“Christ and Him crucified,” is in that word “Cross.”

We are to take up our Calvary;

we are to be crucified with Jesus.

3. That brings us to the words “Follow Me”—

Give up, take up, and keep up!

Give up the self-life;

take up the Cross of Christ; and now

keep up with Him as He leads.

II. THE NEED OF DISCIPLESHIP

1. If we are to give up, we must reach up.

It is so easy to give up the self-life,

When you reach up and get the best things God is ready to give you.

2. But if you take up, you must look up.

He can enable me to obey every one of His commands;

And as I look up, I can take up everything that God lays down before me.

3. If you keep up you will have to wake up.

Christians who are spiritually asleep are the greatest deadweights the Church has.

God gives us wide-awake Christians.

III. THE THREEFOLD FRUIT OF DISCIPLESHIP

The fruitage of discipleship—what is it?

1. An Enlarged Life.

“Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” It is the sacrificial life that enlarges.

2. A brighter hope.

The promise is—and I base my hope on it—that He will come.

Nobody knows when. He may come at any time;

therefore, we had better expect Him all the time, and live in the blessed hope.

3. a sure reward.

You will be rewarded according to your needs.

“A Few of Many.”

God’s salvation has always been accepted by the few.

When He destroyed the entire cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, only Lot and his two daughters were saved.

Throughout the Bible there is a principle established that God deals with a few of many. Let us look at a few things concerning this truth:

I. THERE ARE A FEW DISCIPLES

There are a few Christian disciples in the world.

Notice what I said. I said there are a few real, Christian disciples.

There are many professing Christians.

A Christian is one thing; a disciple is going a step further.

Discipleship means growing in the Lord, becoming strong, and being someone for Jesus.

II. THERE ARE A FEW SOULWINNERS

There are a few real soulwinners.

The main purpose of a Christian is to take the gospel to the ends of the world.

The last message of Jesus reveals this truth to us: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

How few there are who are really interested in getting somebody else saved.

I am saying to you that there are a few people who really care about whether people get saved or not.

There are a few disciples and a few real soulwinners.

IV. THERE ARE FEW WHO GET SAVED

Not many people are really going to get saved.

You ask, “How do you know that?” Jesus said so. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:13–14).

God said, “One door.” Jesus said, “I am the door” (John 10:9.

John 10:9 NASB 2020

I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

“Few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14

Matthew 7:14 NASB 2020

For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

There are few that go through that One Door, Who leads to heaven.