What is a Disciple
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Turn to John 15.
I want to start by reading our mission from Jesus Himself:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
(could have a whole sermon on that)
19 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,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Make disciples of Jesus....of all nations. that is the core...we do this by the Power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God.
and it is surrounded by words like:
—going
—baptizing
—teaching
Last week, we talked about how to become a disciple from Romans 3
This week, I want to talk about what it means to be a disciple.
we will later talk about how to grow as a disciple
and then how to make them.
so become, grow, make.
What is a disciple?
I am glad you asked.
Because it can be a very churchy word.
and if I were to ask you what it means—-we might get some different response:
“a word in the Bible”
“a learner”
“a follower of Jesus.”
“there’s teaching involved.”
Did you know that the word disciple in the NT shows up...(guess how much)
5x?
10x?
100x?
272x.
we often use the term Christian to define ourselves (which is fine)
but the word Christian only shows up 3x in the Bible.
Disciple 272x
Christian 3x.
for instance Acts 11:26
26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
it was a word the culture used to label the early Jesus movement. those “Christians” who follow Christ.
instead the word “disciple” is more frequently the word used to describe us—-and interestingly, it’s only found in the 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and Acts in the Testament.
JD Greear in his series the “Whole Disciple” which I am indebted to for this series says this:
“I want to suggest that Christian and disciple convey 2 different things.
Christian functions more like a sociological label (something society calls us); whereas a “disciple” describes a lifestyle decision.
and I want to suggest that by moving away from disciple as our primary descriptor of followers of Jesus, we’ve obscured the fact that a lot of people who call themselves Christians aren’t actually Jesus’ followers.
let me say that again...because Christian can kind of be this low bar, lowest common denomination, I simply say a prayer and I have insurance to go to heaven when I die and escape hell.
so who or what is a disciple? are you one? what does it mean?
and let me read some from John 15.
This is the last week of Jesus’ life. Jesus is giving some intimate teaching with his 12 disciples.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10 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.
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
17 This is my command: Love each other.
Let’s talk about this concept of discipleship. A lot of great people write on this. Guys like John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way, Ran Vander Laan, In the Dust of the Rabbi, and JD Greear.
the idea of being a disciple wasn’t invented by Jesus. It was common in the ancient world.
Guys like Socrates, Plato, Aristotle had disciples.
Jewish rabbis (teachers or masters) during Jesus’ time had disciples.
John the Baptist had disciples.
and there was a whole process for becoming a disciple in Jesus’ culture. it was competitive.
Jewish kids started school around the age of 5—usually the school was built onto the side of synagogue. the curriculum was the Torah—the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis - Deuteronomy). and it was an oral culture, printing press and books weren’t around, so by the age of 12 or 13 kids would have the entire Torah memorized.
at that point most went home and began learning the family business and become an apprentice.
but the best went on another level of school where they continued their studies. they would memorize by age 17, the entire Old Testament—incredible!
at that point, the majority were done and told to go home, work in the family business, start a family, maybe pray you could become a Jewish teacher or Rabbi.
but the best of the best, the elite—would apply to be an apprentice or disciple under a rabbi.
you would sit at their feet, apply for admission (it was like Ivy league school - JMC) and they would grill you with questions and test you to see if you were worthy to be their disciple or apprentice. and the Rabbis would choose a handful or a few. they were selective.
in that day it was considered one of the best jobs—almost every Hebrew boy dreamed of it. they didn’t have posters of Lebron James or Patrick Mahomes on their wall. but of the Rabbis.
these rabbis were picky—they wanted the best and brightest to carry on their work, their ways, their teaching, their way of life.
so they chose only those who would become like them.
Ray Vander Laan says a disciple did not merely want to know what his master know, but do what his master did.
one of the highest compliments is you could give a disciple of a rabbi is “the dust of your rabbi is all over you.” It didn’t mean you were dirty—but that you followed your rabbi so closely that the dust of the ground he walked on splashed up on you.
so your very goal was not to know information—but to become like your rabbi.
John Mark Comer says a disciple’s 3 goals are:
be with your rabbi
become like your rabbi
do as your rabbi did
and he prefers the word “apprenticeship” -
it’s a life long process of being with Jesus so that we become like Him (think fruit of the Spirit), do as he did—in carrying on his work and mission of making disciples.
so what is a disciple:
a student of his teacher (who is our teacher) - Jesus
not on screen - Luke 6:40
40 The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.
apprentice (I think that word is helpful because if you do a modern day apprenticeship—you are spending time with the master of your trade—electrician, plumber, so you can become like them and do as they do.
a “dust of the rabbi” type follower - “I am following so closely—Jesus’ dust is all over me.”
let me go further from John 15. what is a disciple of Jesus?
someone is soaked in the love of Jesus (vs. 9)
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
some translations use the word Abide—instead of remain. vs. 1-4 talk about abiding...or remaining i.
i will get to the cost of being Jesus’ disciple later, but first and foremost is about Jesus’ love. receiving it, experiencing it. being with Jesus.
you see everything about Jesus was different than most rabbis.
think about the men Jesus picked. it’s amazing that Jesus—-picked these 12 people to be his disciples, these 12 Jewish men. we are often astonished when Jesus shows up and says “follow me.” they leave everything and follow him.
but in the Jewish education system...but these men had already been passed over. didn’t make the cut to be a rabbi. they are like the B team or C team or Z team. fishermen, tax collector - hated by the Jews, a political zealot, loud-mouthed Peter. I am sure their conversations were interesting. Those are the people that Jesus invited and handpicked to be a part of His team. and in his ministry, he picked the hated tax collectors and the despised prostitutes to be a part of his team, his followers, his disciples.
incredible—that means all of us can be a part. we don’t have to have the OT memorized. we don’t have to be that smart, or talented, or good looking. It’s all Jesus’ initiative.
John 15:16 (you did not choose me but I chose you.)
I believe that encountering and being with Jesus and experiencing His love, is the most transformative thing in the universe, because the God of the universe is inviting us to experience His love in the context of His being in the Trinity (mind blowing). Scripture says God is love, and within the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are loving themselves, or Himself. 3 in 1.
before I talk about doing—I want to make sure we are grounded in this love.
this is why I spent last week in Romans 3 looking at words like sin (the bad news), and the good news words like justify, redemption, and propitiation (where God’s wrath is satisfied).
this is why Paul prayed that we would know God’s love more and more...
in Ephesians the church had a lot of problems. riots, the occult. but Paul prays this:
17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,
19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
so first—as a disciple or apprentice—do you know and experience God’s love through Christ by His Spirit every single day. are you aware of it every single day. we will look at this more next week—how do we do it?
this is the most stabilizing reality in the universe—I am loved, a dearly loved child of God, and I need to remember, experience, and soak in that love everyday. (the primary way is through His Word)
(nothing can separate me from God’s love—my primary identity is God’s love through Christ by the Spirit)
2. at the same time, another thing we see in John 15, is a disciple is someone chosen by Jesus to bear fruit. (vs. 8, 16)
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
So not only did Jesus choose the B team or Z team...but he chose them for a purpose. a mission. to bear fruit.
what is the fruit Jesus has in mind? at least 2 things:
—the Fruit of the Spirit (to be like Jesus)
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;
20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
btw—sometimes we read this—and think “that’s other people” but if we are honest—at least some of those words should apply from what we call more “obvious sins” to more “sins of the heart like rage, selfish ambition, factions, hatred”
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Jesus chose us to bear fruit—which means the Fruit of the Spirit—or honestly becoming like Him - looking like Jesus.
could have a whole sermon series on the Fruit of the Spirit—but if you are not sure what that looks like—just read about the life of Jesus in the Gospels. who else shows love, joy, peace, forbearance (bearing with people, enduring had things), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (not weakness), and self-control.
these words are often noted to be relational words—words we have to practice with others. look at the early church in Acts—living out the Fruit of the Spirit together...
12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
so part of that fruitfulness he has chosen is to be like Him. He wants you to be with Him so you will be like Him—the dust of the rabbi.
—another part of that fruit—is doing ministry - “being about your Father’s business” - that everything we now do is about God
so back to John 15:15
15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
when we follow Jesus—we are about what God wants to get done. we don’t have to invent or come up with what to do. It’s the Father’s word directing us what to do in our every day lives. the pressure is not on us, but on God—to join Him in what He wants us to do.
and it doesn’t mean you should leave your job or current situation and go work at a church. no, i wouldn’t necessarily recommend that (Unless God calls of course) but now everything I am doing is shaped by the Father, by Jesus’ direction.
I now work to Jesus’ glory at my job; I am a boss to the glory of God
I now parent to the glory of God; I go to school and take classes (even if I don’t like them) to the glory of God.
I live as a friend to the glory of God, a co-worker, a spouse, a son or daughter, to the glory of God.
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
a big part of that ministry is prayer—and it’s not just naming and claiming stuff—but everything I even ask will be soaked by Jesus’ priorities, God’s priorities—praying In His name, is praying in a way that God would get the glory no matter what. Your Kingdom come...your will be done.
because when I have been soaked in God’s love, been with Jesus, becoming like Him—I want to do what the Father is all about.
if you look at our core values (on screen)—worship, Grow, service, connect, reach. everything about my life is now a life of worship—everything I do I do to his glory. I have an attitude now of wanting to grow in Him, serving others (even difficult people at church and everywhere), I must connect with others, and I want to reach all.
which takes me to my 3rd and final point for today.
3. a disciple of Jesus is someone who surrenders to Jesus. John 15:10
10 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.
keep Jesus’ commands....
that word command shows up in vs. 12, 14, 17.
look at vs. 14
14 You are my friends if you do what I command.
there are several passages that talk about the cost of following Jesus—being his apprenticeship with the dust.
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.
24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
how to be Jesus’ disciple?
denial of myself
taking up a cross
following Jesus
denying means that I am no longer calling the shots. that every instinct I have—I must submit to Jesus’ name, knowing that even my instincts, even my desires could be wrong. because my own heart can be deceiving. this is why the advice “follow your heart”....needs a lot of discernment. we have to discern if what our heart is wanting is actually matching up with what Jesus wants in His Word.
taking up my cross reminds us of Jesus where He literally carried His cross, on a mission from his Father to die for our sins so that we could enjoy sweet communion with the Trinity forever and ever Amen.
and following Jesus, means I now surrender to Him in all areas of my life—even if it means suffering.
If you look at another hard passage Luke 14:25-27
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
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.
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Jesus wasn’t saying you have to literally hate your family—because you are called to honor your parents, take care of your relatives, but he was saying that your first priority now, as Lord, is Him.
in a culture that valued family more than anything—you took over the family business, honoring your parents and ancestors was everything, Jesus said sometimes following Him will be difficult.
part of carrying that cross might be being misunderstood at best by family and being hated and shunned and persecuted at worst for following Jesus.
another related word is submission...I submit to Jesus..
My money—it belongs to Him—and I will use it for His kingdom in His name for His purposes. if You follow Jesus you desire to surrender to Him. this is why I recommend the Ripples course Financial Peace—followers of Jesus get serious about using their money to pay their bills, providing for their family, and investing it for eternity.
my sexuality - if I follow Jesus, I have to give him this, too? You betcha. I am going to save sex for marriage as God defines it. if you follow Jesus, it will remind you that you are not your sexual desires, your desires belong to Jesus to shape, and He knows what’s best, for your good.
my life and career choices
my family—my kids
my friends....
everything is about Him.
JD Greear says it like this: A disciple of Jesus is ready to follow Him all the way.....
so many times we think that following Jesus is costly, it’s presented that way (and it can be—just talk to Christians in Iran, North Korea, places in China).
but look at what Jesus promised
24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
if we try to hold on to our life “it’s my life” and make sure certain things happen AT ALL COSTS, we will lose it.
but if we give up our lives for Jesus—if we have this constant attitude of surrender—we will save it.
Jesus said in John 15:11
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
true joy—a deep and durable delight in Him.
so a disciple/apprentice, a dusty follower of Jesus is:
someone soaked in the love of Jesus, God’s love
someone chosen by Jesus to bear fruit—make disciples—everything is about Him
and someone who surrenders to Jesus
I could say more… (invite Mike up)
JD Greear talks about the movie miracle (came out in 2004 with Kurt Russel).
One of the greatest sports movies of all times has to be the 2004 Kurt Russell movie, “Miracle,”
depicting the true story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team and their unlikely journey toward Olympic gold. Kurt Russell plays Coach Herb Brooks, an older hockey coach who had agreed to take on a struggling U.S. Hockey program. The program was a mess. It was inflicted with all kinds of division and showmanship… There’s a scene where Coach Brooks presents his initial roster to one of his assistant coaches, Craig Patrick. And of course, it’s all unpaid amateurs, basically college hockey players, going up against the best professionals—the Soviet Union, Finland, Canada, Sweden—in the world.
Coach Brooks says: “Take a look at this.” And Craig Patrick says : What's this? And Coach Brooks responds, “These are the people I’m taking to represent America in the 1980 Olympics.” And Coach Patrick says, “You're kidding me, right? This is the final roster… You're missing some of the best players.” And Coach Brooks says : “I'm not looking for the best players, Craig. I'm looking for the right ones.”
(He was talking about ones that were teachable and humble and team-oriented). And with those “right” players, he beat the Soviets and won the 1980 Olympic Gold Medal.
Jesus didn’t use those exact same words in John 15, but he expressed a similar sentiment. He’s not looking for the best players; he’s looking for the right ones. Those ready to follow him. Become like him. Say yes to him. Is that you?
In fact, if I could make this all really simple: Becoming a disciple means saying ‘Yes’ to Jesus. Yes to his love for you. Yes to his offer to save you. Yes to his promise to bring great fruit from you. Yes to his mission in the world. Yes to becoming like him. Yes to his rule, whatever he asks.
