What is a Disciple of Jesus Prt 2 Acts 6 and 7

Introduction

Last week we looked at the life of Stephen through the lens of Luke in Acts 6 and 7.

Luke painted a picture of Stephen as the proto-type or norm for a Disciple of Jesus.

Luke gave us 7 characteristics of Stephen as the model for all disciples of Jesus.

1. Deacon/Servant

2. Full of the Holy Spirit

3. Spoke with wisdom and not haphazardly

4. Student of the Scriptures – Able to use all of the OT to point people to Jesus.

5. Faithful in persecution to point people to Jesus.

6. Willing to give his life for the Kingdom of God

7. His life and death took on meaning in the service of God.

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Today

we are going to look at 4 of these characteristics in more detail and we will use the Acronym DISCIPLE.

What we must keep in mind is Luke is not painting a picture for us of a heroic figure to be praised or worshiped. Rather, Luke is painting a picture of what he describes as the norm for discipleship. These characteristics should be pursued by all and not just a select few.

Let us remember God never called us to build services or program church gatherings. These are needed but they are not the mission of the Church.

He called us to be disciples of His and to go multiply disciples of Him. Therefore, these characteristics should become our own and they should be the characteristics we each guide others into, through the help of Scripture and the partnership of the Holy Spirit.

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As a Reminder

Our Mission -

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Where we receive our ability to accomplish this mission

Acts 1:8

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

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Let’s take a Closer Look at 4 of the Characteristics.

D – Deacon/ Servant

1 Corinthians 10:22–25 ESV

Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience.

As a Disciple of Jesus we are to imitate him in life.

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:4–9 ESV

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

The first characteristic of a disciple of Jesus is to serve others and to seek the good of others above our own good.

This is not an easy task and runs against everything we know and feel.

This is why the HS is the most important element in the life of a disciple.

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I – Inspired by the Spirit in daily life and activities

As Christians, the Spirit of God dwells within us. We are a walking temple of God.

Therefore we can be in direct communication with God through His Spirit at all times.

We must learn to submit ourselves to listening to Him and to obey Him.

Romans 8:14 ESV

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Galatians 5:16 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Acts 8:29 ESV

And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”

Three ways to recognize the voice of the Spirit.

Know the Scriptures so you know the heart of God (especially the teachings of Jesus.)

I will say it again. KNOW the teachings of Jesus - The Spirit will never contradict Jesus.

When you pray, spend more time listening than talking. (We often muffle his voice with our own.)

Obey- You will never be confident in hearing the Spirit until you practice and fail.

The Spirit often speaks words to me to share with others,, it used to scare me to share those words. What if I am wrong, what if they think I am crazy, what if I am crazy? LOL

The more you know the teachings of Jesus, listen when you pray, and obey, the better you will become at hearing confidently.

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S – Speak with wisdom and the power of the Holy Spirit

Colossians 4:6 ESV

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

In our generation this would also mean our Facebook and Twitter pages need to be salted with wisdom and grace.

When we speak or write to win an argument, we will always lose the person.

Our goal should be to save the person not win an argument.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

1 Corinthians 12:8 ESV

For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,

Wisdom is a gift of the Spirit - How to use the knowledge in a way that benefits all and brings life!

This is what we should want right? We want wisdom that benefits all and brings life.

Wisdom is also the skill to share that knowledge in a way that produces fruit and not just wins.

This was the biggest area of growth in my life over the last 5 years. I used to be a bull in a China closet and thought my job was to destroy everything people wrongly believed.

As I matured I realized my job was at times to tear down but more so to build up and to help people come to a place of understanding without a fight.

(Brother Vann - You know you are teaching correctly when a person comes to your position while thinking they came to that understanding without you.) People will get there quicker if it is their idea and not yours. Learn to plant seeds and your influence will grow. use a sledge hammer and your friends and influence will shrink.

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C – Carry the Scriptures and the central theme of the Scriptures in your heart and mind.

Acts 8:30–35 ESV

So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.

Philip as a disciple of Jesus knew how to point people to Jesus using all the Scriptures.

Philip understood the golden thread that runs from Genesis to Revelation.

We must become students of the Scriptures.

Not just our pet doctrines but understanding how they all point to Jesus!

Luke 24:25–27 ESV

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

John 5:37–40 ESV

And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen, and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

You can search through Scripture and miss the point.

A disciple is focussed on Jesus and realizes He is the point.

All Scripture points to Jesus - He is the golden theme - He is the point.

He is the Word of God.

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How do we become a Disciple like Stephen?

Become a student of Jesus in all of life – He is not just a get out of hell card.

We must become a people who spend hours a week in the presence of the HS (Abide in me – or you can do nothing)

Submission of our desires – Obedience to his ways (Obedience is better than sacrifice – if you love me you will obey me.)

Study the text of scriptures far more than people’s opinions on the Scriptures.

Make Jesus the center. (There is no other doctrine that is as important than Jesus. There is no other study as important than Jesus, Jesus is the Life and the Scriptures point to Him.)