What a Disciple Looks Like
What a Disciple Looks Like
UTAWALA BAPTIST CHURCH
05-08-2007
Matthew 28:16-20
- Matthew 28:16-20
This very familiar passage is known as the Great Commission.
It records one of the last times Jesus spoke to His disciples and the mission He gave them when He left.
He said, “Go and make disciples.”
The mission Jesus gave to those gathered that day, is the same mission He gives to us today.
Go and make disciples.
He doesn’t stop by telling us to make disciples, but He continues by telling us to make disciples of every nation.
For those who might be concerned to worried, He says in verse 18
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
Then in verse 20 He says, “Me, the One with all authority, I’ll be with you as you go.”
Go and make disciples.
What an awesome responsibility!
I don’t know about you, but I get excited about the possibilities and the opportunities God has placed before us.
Jesus calls us to join Him in His work. Jesus says, “I want you to make a difference. I want your life to count for something. I want you to make disciples.”
There’s a problem, here though.
In order to make disciples, we must first be disciples.
Let me ask you this morning,
“Are you truly a disciple of Jesus Christ?”
Did you notice what I didn’t ask?
I didn’t ask, “Have you been saved?”
I didn’t ask, “Have you been baptized.” I
didn’t ask, “Do you attend church?”
I didn’t ask, “Are you a member of this church or a church somewhere?”
I didn’t ask, “Are you working in this church?”
I didn’t ask any of those things.
I asked, “Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ?”
Now some of us may be confused about what a disciple is. This morning I would like us to take a look at how the Bible describes a disciple.
First I would like you to notice that a disciple of Jesus Christ is a person with a changed life.
I. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST HAS A CHANGED LIFE
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
A disciple of Jesus Christ is a person who lives a changed life.
If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you are a changed person.
This verse says you are changed in two ways.
1. Old Things are passed away - To be a disciple, a world-changer, for Jesus Christ, there are some things that must be done away with.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death…
Romans 6:23b … but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 10:9-10 If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
2. New Things coming – To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, some old things must be done away with. Not only must some old things be done away with, but some new things must take their place.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come into him…
Romans 10:13 Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.
John 15:8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.
Galatians 5:22-23
Let me ask you this morning, has your life been changed?
Have you asked Jesus to forgive you of the old in your life and invited Him to come in to be the LORD of your life?
A disciple of Jesus Christ has a changed life.
II. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
Luke 14:25-26
When Jesus was teaching and performing miracles, He found there were an awful lot of people following Him around.
There were people following Him because he fed them on occasion, like when He multiplied the loaves and fishes.
There were some following Him because He performed miracles, and that was neat to watch.
Some followed Him just because of the excitement of being part of something new.
Some people followed Him because of the way and the things He taught.
People followed Him for all kinds of reasons.
So one day He turned and looked at them and said, “Look, if you don’t love Me more than everyone else in the world, then you can’t be My disciple.”
That’s a pretty tough statement, but Jesus is the One who said it, not me.
If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, you will love Him more than you love anyone else.
How else do you explain people willing to travel ½ way around the world, leaving all of their family and friends, simply because they believe Jesus called them to?
Or sharing Jesus with a neighbor or family member?
It is because those people are disciples.
They say, “Jesus, I love you more than anyone else in the world. Wherever you lead, I’ll go.”
III. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD
Luke 14:33
In this passage Jesus says that in order to be His disciple, you must be willing to give up everything you own, everything you have, to follow Him. In other words, you must love Him more than anything else in the world.
Matthew 6:19-21
Is Jesus saying that you have to live in poverty in order to be a follower of His?
Not necessarily.
Is He saying that you can’t have nice things and be a disciple of His?
No.
There have been and still are today, some very godly people, who have been blessed materially, and financially, by the Lord.
No, Jesus is saying you must love Him more than anything else in the world, if you are going to be a disciple of His.
Following Him must be more important to you than houses.
It must be more important to you than cars.
It must be more important to you than clothes, or comfort.
To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, you must love Him more than your job or promotion, and the things that come with it.
Let me ask you this morning, “Can you truthfully say that you love Jesus more than anything you have?”
A disciple of Jesus Christ loves Jesus more than anything else in the world.
IV. A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST LOVES JESUS MORE THAN COMFORT AND SECURITY
Luke 14:27
Remember now, Jesus is addressing the large numbers of people who have been following Him.
He’s addressing the crowds.
Often, when people are trying to start a movement, they try not to say things that are going to scare people away.
Jesus doesn’t do that. He knows who’s going to stay and who isn’t. He knows if He isn’t a priority in their lives that they will leave to follow the next “new thing.
” So He tells the crowd, if you are really going to be a disciple of Mine, you must love Me more than anyone else in the world. You must love Me more than anything else in the world, and you must love Me more than comfort and security.
Now look. Some people have the idea that they are disciples of Jesus, simply because they attend church on Sunday mornings.
Listen, if you are here, We are glad you are here.
I am glad you have the opportunity to listen to God’s Word.
I am glad you have had the opportunity to visit and worship with some of God’s people.
I am glad I’ve had, or will have later, the opportunity to visit and talk with you, but that doesn’t make you a disciple.
The people Jesus was addressing had walked to wherever He was. They had endured the heat. They had gone out of their way to hear Him. But Jesus said, “That’s not enough.”
My friends, if you are Christ’s disciple it’s going to cost you something.
It’s going to cost you some comfort, and it’s going to cost you some security.
You’re going to have to go some places you might not necessarily want to go, like across the street to your neighbor’s.
It’s going to cost you some sleep.
It’s going to cost you some leisure time.
1 Kings 19:19-21
It cost Elisha something to follow Elijah. But think of the impact he made.
V. A DISCIPLE CONTINUES IN HIS WALK
John 8:31
If you continue in My word, you really are My disciples.
A disciple is someone who continues in his walk.
We all have valleys we walk through. If you have ever been really close to Christ,
if you have ever walked so closely to Him that at times you can almost feel Him by your side, then you will recognize that there are also times in your life when He seems distant.
There will be mornings when you are studying your Bible, and it seems that every word you read is alive and is speaking directly to you where you are at that moment.
How many of you have experienced that? Yes, me too.
If you have experienced that, then you know there are also other times when you almost have to force yourself to read your Bible.
You can read the same passage several times, and not understand a thing you’re reading.
There will be times when it seems that your prayers are going no higher than the ceiling and you almost wonder if you are talking to yourself.
How many of you have experienced that? Yeah. I have as well.
Jesus says in this verse, if you continue in My Word.
If you continue to live according to My Word,
if you continue to walk,
if you continue to be obedient, even during the dry times when I seem distant
if you continue to trust, even when you hurt and don’t understand, then you will be My disciple.
My friend, a disciple continues in his walk.
VI. A DISCIPLE LOVES GOD’S PEOPLE
John 13:34-35
A disciple, a Christ follower, is someone who loves other people the way Jesus does.
She wants the best for others.
He strives to help them, and pray for them.
A disciple loves God’s people with more than just words.
He also demonstrates that love by the things he does and the way he acts toward other believers. …
WE NEED TO GROW!
HEBREWS 5:12-14
I ask you this morning, “Will you say and mean it, ‘I will not stay a spiritual baby. I will grow up. I will be a disciple.’”?
1. Accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior
2. Commit to a life of obedience and fellowship with Christ
3. Pray for UBC as we worship and grow together!