What Is A Christian Anyways? Pt. 2

What Is a Christian Anyways?

A Christian is a follower of Jesus

We spoke of this last week.

The very word Christian means a Christ follower

Acts 11:26 KJV 1900

26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

disciple and Christian are synonyms

A follower of Jesus is a disciple.

Matthew 4:18–22 KJV 1900

18 And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. 19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. 20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. 21 And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 22 And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

Matthew 4:

Why would they leave behind everything they knew to follow Jesus?

This is much more than subscribing to a belief system.

It literally altered the course of their life.

Their job changed, as we see later in the Bible most of these disciples area code changed

The forsook all to follow Jesus, even their family.

Luke 5:27–28 KJV 1900

27 And after these things he went forth, and saw a publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he said unto him, Follow me. 28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Luke 5:

Again, this dude left in the middle of work to follow Jesus.

These guys didn’t seem to be concerned with food and shelter.

They left their form of income to follow where Jesus led them.

After Jesus raises from the dead his final words to his disciples is to go and make disciples.

Matthew 28:18–20 KJV 1900

18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

So what is a disciple?

Discipleship is a Jewish institution.

History of Discipleship

Throughout history the Jewish people have been on ups and downs both physically and spiritually. You can read of these events in the OT. After being exiled and eventually freed from exile they begin to rebuild the temple. The prophet Ezra discovers a copy of the Torah and read it to all the people, who, when they heard it, prostrated themselves and wept.

They basically had a come to Jesus moment.

Think summer camp experience but more intense

Upon the reading of this a group of men formed a group known as the Men of the Great Assembly. They realized that the exile from their land was not a byproduct of a weak military or economy, but of a weak reliance on God and following His teachings. They realized they needed a way to lead and God’s people the ways of God.

“Moses received the Torah [God’s Law] at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua transmitted it to the elders, and the elders transmitted it to the prophets, and the prophets transmitted it to the Men of the Great Assembly.  The Men of the Great Assembly used to say three things:  Be diligent in justice, raise up many disciples, and make a fence around the Torah.” (m. Avot 1:1)

They devised a way to “disciple” or teach to people how to live a life according to God’s Word.

They set up a system of teaching and learning

Jewish Discipleship

Luke 6:40 KJV 1900

40 The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

The idea was that a disciple was to become just like his teacher.  In , our Rabbi Jesus said, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.”  This is the essence of Jewish Discipleship.  Discipleship is the art of imitation!!  When the disciple was fully trained, he became the teacher himself.  He then passed on the teaching to disciples of his own, who in turn, when fully trained, became teachers and raised up disciples of their own.  It was far more involved than just learning some elementary principles in the faith.  The Jewish disciple strove to become just like his teacher.  There was no accusation of plagiarism in a disciple toward his Master; in fact, quite the opposite was true.  A true disciple was expected to be able to repeat his Master’s teachings word for word!

Disciples memorized their teacher’s interpretations and explanations of scripture. They memorized the stories, parables and illustrations their teacher told. They learned to practice Torah by imitating their teacher and incorporating his manner of observance into their own. Disciples kept the Torah the way they learned to keep it from their teacher. A disciple endeavored to become like his or her teacher: “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” ().

Here’s how it worked.  In the days of Jesus, all young boys were taught the Torah and the Prophets beginning at age 5; meaning that at age 5, they began to memorize the Torah and the Prophets!  Every day they would rehearse the Scriptures until it came to them by heart.  At the age of 12, after 7 years of memorizing the Bible, boys were apprenticed to craftsmen.  Some became carpenters, some stone masons and others farmers; but those that were exceptional in their studies of the Scripture were apprenticed to a Sage. 

His trade was to become a Rabbi.  He would leave his home and move in with the Sage.  He studied everything about him!  Not just his thoughts on the Scripture, but He studied the Sage’s marriage, his business affairs, the way he judged certain cases—everything!  It’s the belief of the Sage that the Torah affects every aspect of life, so the disciple is learning to imitate his Master’s disciplined life in order to mimic it in every regard!  This is Biblical discipleship.

They wanted to talk just as he talked.

The would use the same vocabulary

They would dress the same

They wanted to be covered in the dust of their Rabbi as they walked behind him.

They wanted to follow his foot print as they followed behind.

Disciples loved their Rabbi in a way that we cannot fathom today. This is what Jesus ment when He says to follow him we must hate our family.

Luke 14:25–26 KJV 1900

25 And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, 26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:1

He is not telling us to hate our family

He is saying your love for me should be so great that your love for all else looks like hate.

That is a very deep love.

We are to be just like the disciples we read about earlier

Willing to forsake all to follow Jesus.

If we cannot do this then we are not his disciple.

Luke 14:27 KJV 1900

27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:

If we are not a disciple then biblically I don’t see how we could call ourselves followers of Christ, or a Christian.

A disciple, one who forsakes all to follow Jesus is the very same thing as a Christian. They are one and the same.

Modern Discipleship

It is they exact same thing as Jewish Discipleship, only now we don’t follow a man.

We follow Jesus

Jesus is our Rabbi

Matthew 23:8–10 KJV 1900

8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

Matthew 238-10

when Jesus spoke those words, and even for centuries afterwards. Such a disciple would hang on his rabbi’s every word, would see him as a spiritual father, and virtually would approach God, or at least the Scriptures, totally through that rabbi’s guidance. Such a relationship is like that of a seeker to his guru in the Eastern religions. Jesus taught that such a relationship was wrong. He told his disciples, “No! I am to be the only and constant object of your devotion and affection. I am your example, your teacher, the One you represent, and the only One you shall follow.”

A Christian is conformed to the image of Jesus

We are to forsake all to follow our Rabbi Jesus Christ.

In so doing we find life and liberty from the bondage of this world.

If we are not a disciple then biblically I don’t see how we could call ourselves followers of Christ, or a Christian.

A disciple, one who forsakes all to follow Jesus is the very same thing as a Christian. They are one and the same.

Before tonight what did discipleship mean to you?

Would you consider yourself a disciple of Jesus?

What would it look like if we were willing to forsake everything in order that we might follow Jesus no matter the cost? (read , we would turn the world upside down for the cause of Christ. People would be saved and lives would be changed. It’s Gods plan so of course it will work if we would only surrender fully to Him)