The Disciple's Priorities

Introduction

Today we look at our second message in the series entitled “The Making of a Disciple.”

Each week we will look at Jesus’s interaction with His own disciples and learn valuable lessons regarding the requirements for being a disciple of Christ.

Again we are reminded that “It takes a disciple to make a disciple.” Our goal at HPBC is to produce disciples as we believe that this is the most effective way to impact our community and our world.

Today we will see three back to back encounters which Jesus has with those who desired to be disciples. We will learn from Jesus response to each of them what our priorities must be if we are to be devoted disciples.

If we are to be disciples we must have our priorities in order.

Commitment over Comfort (Vs. 57-58)

The first man who came to Jesus was a scribe (Matthew 8:19) who had the desire to be a disciple. He came to Jesus with a promise that he would follow Him wherever he went.

Jesus response was to make certain that this man was aware of the commitment that he was making. In essence, Jesus tells the man that if he follows Him, he will be forsaking the comfort and stability of ordinary life.

We do not know how this man responded but Jesus would not allow Him to embrace the life of a disciple without first making him aware of the cost.

The disciple of Christ chooses commitment over comfort, committing himself to Christ even if it means that he must forsake the ordinary comforts of life.

There are many who, like this scribe, come with a desire to become a disciple, but when they realize the commitment involved, and that Christ may call them to leave behind their life of comfort and stability they reconsider.

The reason that many do not become devoted disciples of Christ is because they value comfort and stability much more than they value their commitment to Christ.

Many have rejected the call to become a disciple because they fear that their lives shall be changed and that they will be called upon to make sacrifices which make them uncomfortable.

The life of the disciple of Christ is not often comfortable for the true disciple’s commitment to Christ will often push him outside of his comfort zone.

Christ may direct you to witness to a stranger, He may lead you to give up a promising career to follow Him, He may instruct you to go to places that you have never heard of, He may ask you to undertake tasks that you never imagined you could do.

If comfort and stability are what you seek, then the life of the disciple is not for you.

Those who will be disciples are committed to Christ and are actually willing to follow Him wherever He leads for they are not interested in being comfortable but rather in being faithful to Christ.

The Call of God over Conventional Responsibilities (Vs. 59-60)

In the next two verses we find that it is Jesus who initiates the conversation and calls another saying simply “Follow Me.”

The man’s response is that he must first bury his father before he can be at liberty to follow Jesus.

We must not assume that this man’s father was already dead but that he supposed that he had but a short time to live and felt that it was his duty to be there to bury him when he had passed from this life.

Here we see the problem of priorities for this would be disciple. He placed a greater value upon his duty to his father than his duty to Christ’s call.

It was not as though he were unwilling to exercise the call of God upon his life, he was just not ready at this particular moment to do so.

This issue has likely been the ruin of more disciples than any other singular issue. So many have felt to call of God and yet have said to themselves, I will surely one day answer the call, but not today for I have so many responsibilities to tend to now.

So many have convinced themselves that when they are in a better state with more freedom to act they will respond to the call of God.

Illustration- having children- wait until we are financially stable and well prepared

God has called us to become disciples, let us not reject the call because of our current responsibilities. Rather let us realize that the call of God upon our lives is of greater importance than any other calling.

We must not allow our conventional responsibilities to interfere with what God has called us to do. If we are allowing other responsibilities to prevent us from fulfilling the responsibilities that God has given to us then we must reassess our priorities.

There should be nothing in our lives that takes precedence over the call of God. Though we may not be called to vocational ministry, we are all called to be disciples and to make disciples and if other responsibilities are hindering or preventing us from this fulfilling this responsibility then we must reorder our priorities.

Satan will make certain that there is never a convenient season for you to answer God’s call to become a disciple, so we must determine that whatever we must forsake and whatever duties must be laid aside, we will answer God’s call.

What is Ahead over What is Behind (Vs. 61-62)

The final encounter that we see in this passage is again initiated by the would be disciple. This man seems well-intentioned and has a desire to follow Christ.

There is only one problem, he is looking backward to what he must leave behind instead of looking forward at what he is about to undertake.

The disciple of Christ must maintain a forward focus rather than looking backward to what he has left behind.

There are many who would otherwise make fine disciples, except they continue to glance back at what they have left behind becoming distracted from what lies ahead.

We must do as the familiar song implies as we follow Jesus we must not turn to look back at what we have left behind.

When we embrace the call to become a disciple of Christ our life will be transformed and we will not be what we once were and of necessity we will leave behind old habits, old relationships, and a whole host of other things that would have hindered us from following Him.

The disciple will not long for what he has left behind, but rather longs to follow Jesus towards the wonderful future He has promised.

We must determine to give ourselves wholeheartedly to what Jesus calls us to do without any divided loyalty to that which we have left behind.

Jesus illustrates this idea with a familiar picture of a man plowing furrows in a field. If the furrows are to be straight, the one who is plowing must not even for a moment turn to look behind him for this will most definitely cause the furrow to be less than straight.

In the same sense the would be disciple who is always glancing backward will be distracted from the work that is before him.

Many Christians have failed to develop into devoted disciples because for them the world they must leave behind to follow Christ still holds such an attraction that they cannot bear to fully separate themselves from it.

Has the attraction of what you would be forced to leave behind to follow Christ prevented you from becoming a devoted disciple of Christ?

Conclusion

The call to be a disciple is not something that should be undertaken lightly or without carful consideration.

To answer the call to be a disciple of Christ is to radically reorder our priorities so that following Christ is our highest aim.

We must commit to Christ even if it means that we must forsake a life of comfort and stability.

We must esteem that call of God as the highest call to be valued above every other duty and responsibility in our lives.

We must be intent on looking to the task ahead of us resisting the temptation to look back at what we have left behind.

Are you ready to be a disciple? Are your priorities ordered correctly? Is following Jesus really the most important thing in your life?

If it is not, you are not ready to be a disciple. Will you reorder your priorities today so that you may promptly respond to Jesus call as He says to you today “FOLLOW ME.”