Disciples- The Difference Makers

Introduction

The word disciple is used 272 times in the New Testament. All of them in the gospels and the book of Acts. A brief examination of all these instances will quickly reveal to us that the disciples were those who were closest to Jesus. We also find that it was the disciples whom God allowed to see and often even participate in many of the supernatural events we find recorded in these books. The disciples were the ones who would be used of God to make a mighty impact upon this world as they followed in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus and carried out the work He called them to!

We desperately need young men and young ladies who have a desire to make a difference in this world by becoming faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ!

“Salvation is open to all who will come by faith, while discipleship is for believers willing to pay a price. Salvation means coming to the cross and trusting Jesus Christ, while discipleship means carrying the cross and following Jesus Christ.”

You and I have the opportunity to be disciples, to draw close to the Lord and to be used mightily by Him, but there are some requirements to be met. If you are to be a disciple Jesus requires:

Absolute Devotion (Vs. 26)

There can be no relationship that means more to you than your relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus challenges us to love Him supremely, in measure, magnitudes more than we love anyone else.

You must be willing to forsake any relationship in your life that would conflict with your relationship to Christ.

For some this may mean that close family relationships must be severed. For others it may mean that dear friendships must be forsaken.

· For some this may mean that close family relationships must be severed. For others it may mean that dear friendships must be forsaken.

Dating relationships that would draw you away from Christ

Every relationship in our life should be evaluated by one criteria, is it helping or hindering you from following Christ?

You cannot be a disciple if you are not willing to forsake every other relationship to follow Christ.

What if God were to call you away from family and friends to serve Him in a foreign land? Would you be unwilling to go because of your desire to maintain these relationships.

You should love your father, mother, brother, sister, but if you want to be a disciple, you must love Christ much more!

Absolute Dedication (Vs. 27)

We must be dedicated to the cause of Christ above all else.

We must be willing to give up our own dreams and ambitions in order to fulfill the Lord’s will for our life. We must be willing to deny ourselves in order to follow Christ.

- desires thine heart

If you will dedicate yourself to following the Lord you will find that His way is best in the end.

You should have a plan for your life but you should always be willing to let God change your plans in favor of His.

- live unto him.

King James Version Chapter 5

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Absolute Submission

Absolute Submission (Vs. 33)

We must be willing to submit to Christ no matter the personal cost. We must not let anything hinder us from following Christ.

You ought to ask yourself “Is there anything that I would be unwilling to part with in order to follow the Lord?”

There is nothing wrong with having possessions but when your possessions have you there is a serious problem.

Would you be willing to give up your xbox and your smartphone and internet access if God were to call you to be a missionary where those things do not exist?

Would you be willing to give up your nice home and comfortable bed to live in a hut in the midst of an impoverished village if that’s where the Lord were to call you?

If Christ were to call upon us to give up something to better serve Him is there anything we would hesitate to surrender?

Conclusion- Is it worth it?

- Peter questions the Lord

William Borden- surrendered to be a missionary at 17. "Say 'no' to self and 'yes' to Jesus every time." While in Egypt to learn Arabic he contracted spinal meningitis and died within a month. No Reserves (surrender to be a missionary), no retreats (when graduating from college), no regrets (while dying)

Ask anyone who has paid the price to be a disciple and the answer will be the same. YES IT IS WORTH IT ALL!

Ask anyone who has paid the price to be a disciple and the answer will be the same. YES IT IS WORTH IT ALL!

Every individual needs two memories in their life the moment they trusted Christ and the moment they surrendered all to Him!