How to Be a Disciple

The disciple must love and serve God as his highest priority

The greatest Commandment, according to Jesus was to Love God - Matthew 22:34-40

Matthew 22:34–40 NIV

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Loving God will result in a closeness with God - John 15:1-5

John 15:1–5 NIV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Our purpose is fruitfulness - We are designed to produce

Connection is essential

Loving God will lead to obedience to Him - John 14:15; 15:9-10

John 14:15 NIV

“If you love me, keep my commands.

John 15:9–10 NIV

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

Love always motivates to obedience

The disciple must deny his own priorities in the interest of serving God

To love and follow Jesus requires denying ourselves - Luke 9:23; Luke 14:26-27

Luke 9:23 NIV

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Deny ourselves - Make our desires secondary to God’s desires

Take up our cross - Willingness to endure suffering and sacrifice for Him

Do this daily - Not one time but all the time

Follow Me - Let God lead you

Luke 14:26–27 NIV

“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. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

To be a disciple is to become like Jesus - 1 John 2:6; Luke 6:40

1 John 2:6 NIV

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Luke 6:40 NIV

The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.

The disciple must be actively involved in seeing others become disciples of Jesus

The mandate of Jesus is to make disciples - Matthew 28:19-20

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Jesus requires action of His disciples - John 20:21

John 20:21 NIV

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

We are to be active in building up the church - Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 NIV

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

We are to be active in making disciples - 2 Timothy 2:2

2 Timothy 2:2 NIV

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Powerful witness is the mark of a disciple - Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 NIV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

We are called to be Christ’s ambassadors to the world - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

2 Corinthians 5:17–21 NIV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.