WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

BEYOND BELIEF – WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?

Opening Illustration:

“The Mountain Guide”

A few years ago, I read a story that has stayed with me.

Imagine a beautiful mountain—one of those mountains people travel from all over the world to see. Every morning, hundreds of people gather at its base. The parking lot is full. The gift shop is busy. Families are taking pictures. People are wearing shirts with the mountain’s name on them. Some are holding expensive walking sticks they bought in the store, and others are talking about famous climbers who have reached the summit.

If you walked through the crowd, you would hear conversations like, “I’ve read everything there is to know about this mountain.” Another person would say, “I’ve watched every documentary.” Someone else would point toward the peak and say, “One day, I’d love to make it to the top.”

Everyone admired the mountain.

Then, just before sunrise, an old mountain guide quietly walked through the crowd. He didn’t give a motivational speech. He didn’t argue with anyone. He simply adjusted his backpack, looked toward the summit, and started walking.

A few people noticed him.

They looked down at their coffee cups, folded up their lawn chairs, left behind some of the things they had been carrying, picked up their backpacks, and began following him.

As the trail became steeper, some decided it was harder than they expected. They turned around and headed back to the parking lot.

Others kept climbing.

The higher they went, the fewer people remained. Their clothes became dirty. Their legs grew tired. They faced rocks, narrow paths, and difficult terrain.

But something remarkable happened.

The longer they followed the guide, the more they began to walk like him. They learned where to place their feet because they watched where he stepped. They learned when to rest because they rested when he rested. They learned how to climb because they trusted his experience.

By the end of the day, the crowd at the bottom was still talking about the mountain.

They were still taking pictures.

They were still wearing the merchandise.

But only a handful had actually followed the guide.

And those who followed were the only ones who experienced the summit.

Transition

I think that’s a picture of Christianity today.

There are millions of people who admire Jesus. They know His teachings. They wear the Christian T-shirt. They attend church. They can quote Scripture. They believe Jesus is the Son of God.

But admiration has never been the same thing as discipleship.

Jesus never said, “Admire Me.”

He never said, “Just believe facts about Me.”

He said, “Follow Me.”

Today, I want to answer one simple but life-changing question:

What is a disciple?

Luke 9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

INTRODUCTION

· Jesus feeds the five thousand

· Jesus asks his disciples who do you say that I am ?Peter confesses Jesus is the Messiah

· Then Jesus warns of his coming death

· After this he begins to unfold the cost of discipleship and explain what it truly means to be a disciple.

APPLICATION

There are many people that come to church but don’t call Jesus Lord. They follow their concept of Jesus but are really not disciples.

There are many who call themselves “Christian”, but don’t do what HE says.

There are a few that fall into the category of disciple.

This is why the Jesus said in Matthew 22:14 “Many are called but few are chosen…”

Which category do you fall in?

In order to be a worthy disciple you need to know what is a disciple?

I. A Disciple is a follower of Jesus

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23 (ESV)

When you see this example in the struggle with giving away his wealth and following after Jesus.

He was a fan of Jesus, but he wasn’t a follower…

A. A disciple is not a fan.

A fanis someone who admires, supports, or is enthusiastic about a person, team, idea, or cause—often from a comfortable distance.

In a spiritual sense, a fan of Jesus may admire His teachings, enjoy church, and believe He is important, but may hesitate to obey Him when following becomes costly.

A fan applauds Jesus; a disciple follows Jesus.

The crowds followed Jesus because of His miracles, healing, and provision. They celebrated Him when He entered Jerusalem, but many disappeared when following Him became difficult.

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. John 6:26 (ESV)

B. Being a disciple is relational

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 (ESV)

Being a disciple begins with knowing Christ.

We cannot truly follow someone we refuse to know.

A sheep doesn’t determine its own path. It trusts the shepherd because it knows his voice.

C. Following Jesus changes our direction.

Jesus rarely reveals the entire journey.

He simply asks us to trust the One who is leading us.

Following Jesus creates conflict because two wills cannot occupy the throne at the same time.

II. A Disciple Denies Himself.

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24 (ESV)

To deny yourself means to surrender your right to be the final authority over your life and submit your desires, decisions, and direction to Jesus.

A. Three areas of self denial:

1. Surrendering your will – Luke 22:42

Instead of asking only, “What do I want?” a disciple asks, “Lord, what do You want?”

Jesus modeled this in the garden

2. Refusing the desires that compete with your obedience to Christ.

Self denial means refusing whatever keeps us from obeying Jesus.

Sometimes our emotions, appetites, ambitions, pride and comfort pull us away from God.

3. Choosing obedience when it costs you.

Following Jesus may cost comfort, relationships, popularity, opportunities or personal preferences. Self Denial means that Jesus remains the leader (LORD) even when its inconvenient.

B. Self must leave the throne of your heart.

1. If you are not consistent in serving God because of your own comfort then YOU are on the throne of your heart.

2. You become a disciple when you give up self rule and give Jesus permission to lead you.

C. The cross represents surrender.

1. The cross represents our old life.

2. Your old life has to die before you new life can thrive.

D. Surrender is daily

Why? Because your flesh will fight to gain control every day.

We are not owners of our lives; we are stewards (administrators) of what Christ has redeemed.

Jesus never asks for us to surrender to make us uncomfortable. He asks us to surrender so He can transform us.

III. A disciples becomes like Jesus

A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trainedwill be like his teacher. Luke 6:40 (ESV)

Jesus declared that a fully trained disciple will become like his teacher. The goal of discipleship is not only to learn what Jesus taught but to become the kind of person who Jesus was.

Ask yourself, “Who am I becoming?”

A. God wants to transform you, not inform you.

1. A lot of people come to church and are informed, but there’s no transformation. These are the people that Christ will say, “I never knew you!”

2. What God is looking for is CHRISTLIKENESS.

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:29 (ESV)

B. Transformation is progressive.

1. Transformation is not an overnight process. It takes continual surrender.

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. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

2. We are shaped over time by the Holy Spirit through our obedience, trials, correction, instruction and by grace.

C. Christ should become visible in you.

1. As you grow in your walk with God Christ should be evident in you.

Example:

Peter before Pentecost was rough. He was zealous for all the wrong reasons. He cut off a guy’s ear and when he said he would never deny Christ he did. After Pentecost, he preached and 3000 got saved. He became the leader of the church and died a martyr for Christ.

IV. A Disciple Remains in God’s Word

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, John 8:31 (ESV)

Jesus was speaking to people who believed in Him, but he challenged them to stay in His word. True Discipleship is demonstrated not by a momentary profession but by a lifelong perseverance in God’s word.

The disciple lives under the authority of Scripture because it is through the Word that Christ continues to shape people.

A. Disciples remain in God’s Word.

1. You cannot expect to be transformed by visiting God’s word now and then.

2. You need God’s word daily.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11 (ESV)

Example – Everyday you read God’s word and reflect on it. Everyday you study one passage and think about how it applies to you.

We eat big meals or through out the day feeding a body that will perish, but we are starving our souls that will either graduate to heaven or perish in hell.

B. Disciples Submit to God’s word.

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Luke 6:46 (ESV)

1. Submitting to God’s word means we do what it says.

2. God’s word can only transform you when you obey it.

C. Disciples are sustained by God’s word

1. God’s word continually renews the mind and shapes the heart.

2. There is a solution to every situation in God’s word.

Jesus defeated Satan through the word.

Where are you in God’s word? Is it an option for you or a necessity.

CONCLUSION Jesus gave us four marks of a disciple:

1. A disciple follows Jesus because Christ directs his life.

2. A disciple denies himself because Christ rules his life.

3. A disciple becomes like Jesus because Christ transforms his life.

4. A disciple remains in God’s word because Christ sustains his life.

Instead of asking – Am I a Christian? Go deeper … Have I surrendered every area of my life to the lordship of Jesus Christ?

Because Jesus never called us to only believe in Him. He called us to become disciples.