Attender or Disciple
Becoming More: Being the Church we're Called to be • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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As Jesus traveled during his ministry, he encountered a number of would-be followers. They made a show of wanting to be his one of his disciples, but in the end they weren’t willing to make a commitment.
God’s goal is not merely your salvation but your discipleship.
He doesn’t want you to just show up for church on Sunday; he wants you to be a visible, active, and verbal follower of Jesus Christ 365 days instead of the possible 52 Sundays in the year.
Are we here to just be attenders, to get our weekly dose of inspiration, or are we truly ready to be disciples, no matter how uncomfortable the call?
Being Jesus’ disciple isn't about adding Jesus to your life; it's about Jesus becoming your life. (Fill-in?)
Jesus isn't interested in building Attenders or casual fans; He's looking for fully-devoted Disciples. He's not building a crowd; He's building a church of disciples.
And the question we have to wrestle with today is, which one are we?"
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” 59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” 62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Luke provides three examples of people who talked a good game but who were unwilling to get off the bench.
First man.
57 As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
That sounded good, but Jesus has a way of going beneath your words to discover your motives.
Hymn: Where He Leads Me
Where He leads me I will follow, where He leads me I will follow, where He leads me I will follow, I'll go with Him, with Him all the way.
Jesus response. Are you sure?
58 Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
What he meant was that following his call to become a disciple will become hard at times. There will be uncertainties.
In fact, “All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus,” Paul says, “will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12).
Will you follow him no matter what the cost?
The second man was called by Jesus to follow (what an honor!)
59 He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
This sounds like a reasonable request, but he wasn’t asking to go to a funeral. He was referring to the future death of his father. He wanted to make sure that he received his father’s inheritance. Then, when his circumstances were secure, he’d be equipped to be a disciple.
Merrill Lynch financial adviser. Why are you saving so much money?
60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
Jesus challenged him:
In other words, let those who are spiritually dead worry about such things. You can’t delay the calling of the kingdom. It’s God’s comprehensive rule over every area of life. Indeed, he calls you to be his follower right now, where you are, with whatever you have—not later, somewhere else, with a little bit more.
Third man “I will”.
61 Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
Jesus considered this man double-minded.
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
He compared him to someone plowing a field while looking behind himself, and such farming will result in nothing but a crooked field.
The man’s mention of his family left the door open for them to persuade him to rethink his decision. To all who want to have it both ways—being the Lord’s disciple and maintaining control of their own lives—Jesus insists, “You have to get off the fence to follow me. You must not allow even family relationships to trump loyalty to me.”
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.
If you want to be a disciple of Christ you must invite another (more mature) disciple into your life. And let them speak into your life.
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.
Allowing others to speak into you life and where you are falling short as a Christ follower.
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.
Then daily follow.
Q: Have you ever been discipled? Have you ever discipled another?
Our God given dream here at CoTH is to build a church full of disciples, making disciples, making disciples.
