The Gospel Driven Disciple
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Introduction
Introduction
Dismiss children
Looking forward to a great night tonight. See you at 5 pm Downstairs.
Great breakfast yesterday. Huge shoutout to Tony, Dave, and I know there were other men that helped them put that on. Rafal for bringing a message on prayer. Can’t wait for the next one on April 2nd.
Go ahead and scan that QR code or open your bibles to Luke 9:23
Thankful for Craig continuing our Gospel story series last week and helping us see that when we allow God to take care of our inside, the outside will follow suit.
This morning it’s my prayer for you to see through this passage that being a follower, being a disciple of Christ, requires us to yield to God to work on our hearts so that our actions and lifestyle bring Him glory.
Every year I pray for God to put on my heart a theme to guide the church and where to put a focus that year. I don’t promote it and hang it up everywhere but I do want to share it with you today as we enter the new year.
In
Matthew 20:28
Matthew 20:28 KJV 1900
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
This year we are going to be putting a major focus on serving. I pray that we have many serve that never have on Sunday mornings in the church and in our community. I’m praying for God to burden some in our church to lead in areas of service. I’m thankful for the job being done by some but I know of one man right now leading 3 different ministries as a lay person and I’d like to relieve him of some of that. I’d like for us to add a couple things to our Sunday morning services but can’t do that without willing and able volunteers. Join me in prayer this year for you can serve the church and the community to the glory of God.
We have all ultimately been called to a life of sacrificial service. Most that have trusted in Jesus as their savior understand this to one extent or another.
Today we are going to look at Jesus being very direct with His disciples about what it means to follow Christ.
One of the trademarks of following Jesus is that we are not part of a religion…it is a personal relationship. Being a disciple of Christ is personal to each one of us and while there is a general calling on each of us, there is a specific means by which God has called us to fulfill that within the body Of Christ.
When we put a focus on being a gospel centered disciple we will be focused on Christ and seeking lovingly serve and lead others to Him.
Are you a disciple of Christ? Don’t answer out loud.
I want to make sure you know what I’m asking. I’m not asking if you trusted in Jesus at VBS, if you said a prayer when you were a kid, if you go to church every week Or if you joined a church. I’m not asking if you read your bible and pray daily. I’m not asking if you know the right words to say in Christian conversation.
I’m asking if you are a disciple of Jesus?
Ponder that as we read through this passage and seek to better understand what it means to be a gospel centered disciple
Luke 9:23-27
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away?
26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
27 But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God.
PRAY
We are focusing on this particular point of the text today but we need to back up a bit for context.
At this point Jesus is at the midpoint of his ministry. He and the disciples are at Cessaria Phillipi In the northern part of Israel.
It’s here that we see just a few verses back that Jesus asks hid disciples who everyone says He is and who they say He is.
Luke 9:18-20
18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am?
19 They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.
20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.
After Peters answer He tells them not to tell anyone this thing. He needs to go through His passion and crucifixion.
The text we are learning from today is His comments after this exchange. After Peter says “I beleive in you as the Messiah.”
It’s in Jesus response that we see
I. The call of Discipleship is for everyone
I. The call of Discipleship is for everyone
Jesus says in the first verse we read here “If any man, anyone…” anyone can follow Jesus. I believe the Bible teaches all are called to Him but we must choose to respond.
The disciples responded when Jesus called them
Matthew 4:18-22
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.
These were normal men like you and me. They had problems in thier lives. Peter had a family. James and John were working with their father. They weren’t just single guys with nothing going on and said “What the hey, this sounds fun.”
They didn’t see an ad on facebook and click on it because, well why not?
Jesus encounters them where they are, calls them, and it is up to them to respond to that call.
At this point many may be tempted to call them disciples of Christ. I would say they are not yet disciples but are believers. They have trusted in Jesus and are now walking with Him.
Yet, they are not disciples.
I believe this is where many Christians are today. They believe in Jesus, they trust Him as their savior, yet they are not followers of Christ.
“Pastor, how does that make sense?”
Ever played sports?
Imagine with me a young teenager named Tommy that wanted to play football. His freshmen year in high school he tried out for the team and the coaches believed he was athletic enough to develop so they offered him a position on special teams and third string Wide Receiver.
Tommy shows up to the first practice and he is excited. He puts his practice jersy on with his favorite number on it, 23. He laces up his cleats and gets out on the field.
After warm ups he is separated with the wide receievers and they are route running and catching passes. When it’s Tommys turn he goes out and runs a button hook route and the passer overthrows him. He was supposed to run a hitch and go. The difference is this.
Coach comes over and coaches him. Tommy gets back in line and then does the exact same thing....
Tommy loves football, he is on the football team, but he isn’t following what the coach is telling him.
He accepted the call to discipleship but his follow through isn’t there.
Many love the idea of salvation and trusting in Jesus but aren’t following through...
Jesus said “If anyone will come after me...” If anyone will be my disciple, “He should deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
In being a disciple a Christ here are some if’s put on the table.
If you want to be my disciple you should…deny yourself.
Once we trust Christ as our Savior we must undersand this truth
II. The Blessing of discipleship is a choice to be made, not a command that is enforced.
II. The Blessing of discipleship is a choice to be made, not a command that is enforced.
The men following Jesus that we often refer to as His disciples are now challenged.
He didn’t say just pray a prayer, attend a church service, and call it good. He said “If you are going to be my disciple, this is what it will look like”
Denying ourselves is denying our fleshly lusts for this world.
When we are saved the Bible says that we are a new creature. We have a new standing before God. We are no longer slaves to sin but are free by the mercy and grace of God.
Paul wrote this to the church at Ephesus
Eph 4:20-24
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
20 But that is not how you came to know Christ,
21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus,
22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires,
23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,
24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.
To put off your old self. To willingnly deny yourself the lusts of the flesh. How though? How are we supposed to do that?
Remember Tommy? Tommy needs to deny himself tv time, social media time, and his own desire to run the button hook. even though he thinks the button hook is the best route..I mean sure he is a freshmen in high school but his opinion matters. What do his coaches know?
Just as Tommy needs to put some things away to become a football player, you need to put things away in your life to be more like christ.
Eph 4:25-31
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
To sum that up...
Put away pride, Abolish Anger, Slay the shouting and slander, Blot out the bitterness in your heart.
All of these things are a result of your heart condition. Not your decision to trust Christ…your decision to follow Him.
Because being a gospel centered disciple requires you to willfully deny yourself and yield to the Spirit.
How though? By understanding
III. Your Relationship with Christ is built daily
III. Your Relationship with Christ is built daily
Jesus said that disciple deny themselves and pick up their cross daily.
So much to unpack here.
First, your relationship with Christ is personal.
The call to be a disciple is to everyone. Jesus then shifts gears here and speaks to the individual
Deny himSELF, take up HIS cross.
Why is this important? If you are going to be a gospel centered discipled you can’t compare your life, your walk with other believers.
The cross you carry will always feel heavier or lighter than someone elses. The self denying sacrifices you make on a daily basis are no greater than someone elses.
This goes right along with the saying “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”
The cross isn’t always lighter in another life.
We too often focus on wanting the weight of our cross to change. We want our burdens and sins too be easier to deal with.
Remember tommy? Tommy is struggling with his slant pattern. He just loves the button hook. He knows to be an effect member of that football team he needs to forsake his button hook and run the slant.
After failing again, he looks over at Robby, one of the running backs on the team. He is practicing running an option. He makes it look so easy. The QB says hike and he just goes off this way.
What Tommy doesn’t see is the struggle in Robby’s heart each time the QB says hike to not run straight through the gap between the center and the guard. That’s the one right next to the guy with the football.
Robby is dealing with his own issues.
No matter what age you are, no matter what your stage of life is, you have your own sin you are dealing with. And while you may see my cross as lighter than yours, I can assure you, it’s the same.
Why? The weight of our cross isn’t determined by us, it is determined by God.
The Holy Spirit brings conviction to each of us in His time. We grow as we yield to Him. And with each step of growth there is another challenge.
You have to pick up your cross for Christ and die daily with it.
Your relationship with Christ is personal and your relationship with Christ has some contengencies.
Christ told the people throughout his ministry what it meant to follow Him.
He said if you are going to be my disciple you will.
To be a disciple of Christ I must
-Deny yourself
-Lose your life
-Obey Him
-Die daily
-hate mother, father, and children
This list isn’t an easy one.
It’s why Jesus said in luke 14
LUke 14:28-30
28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
the context of this passage is in relation to being a disciple of Christ.
Jesus said, count the costs. Folllow me will not be easy. Following me will lead to a life of selflessnes. It will take you on a journey that will make you uncomfortable at time.
Anyone can believe on me, and all should consider what it means to follow me, and then you should folllow me.
Tommy wanted to be on the football team, but after the first practice he realized he hadn’t counted the costs. If he wanted to follow the leadership of the team, He wouldn’t be able to run his beloved button hook anymore. he wouldn’t be able to make his own decisions about how he played the game. He would have to die to himself and his desires and run according to the coach.
Anyone can trust in Jesus as their savior, Everyone should follow him as a disciple, but discipleship is a choice to be made not a command that is enforced.
Jesus said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
This leads me to my last point which is my first question...
IV. Are you a disciple of Jesus?
IV. Are you a disciple of Jesus?
Are you following Jesus the way He has called you to? Are you personallyl pursuing Him daily?
Are you struggling with parts of your Christian life? Good. That means He is working and you are trying.
Are you failing? Good, an opportunity for you ti experience God’s grace and forgiveness.
Are you scared of what God could do with your life? That’s ok. The more you know God the more you understand
Jer 29:11
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
If you don’t know anything about Jeremiah, you should know that he had a difficult life and ministry where no one listened to him and tried to have him killed.
The last we see him he is fleeing Jerusalem as it is being sacked.
I believe the end of Jeremiahs life was peaceful because of this verse.
Before that though, Jeremiah was obedient, he was faithful, he was a disciple of God.
I can’t promise your physical life will end in peace. But I can promise you, based on the Word of God, that with your faith in Jesus, you can have eternal rest and peace in heaven with Him.
Tommy, left the locker room that day with a decision to make. Was he dedicated to being the football player he was called to be or would he just ride the bench and do what he wants?
Christians, you have a decision to make today. Will you live your life dedicated to Christ, daily dying to yourself, selflessly serving those around and carrying your cross OR will you do what you want? Will you live according to your flesh?
All Tommy has to do, is yield to the coaches instruction. Tommy has been given everything he needs, he just has to yield his will.
As a believer in Christ, you have been given all you need. You have the HOly Spirit of God indwelling you. You have direct access to the throne room of God. You have the word of God accessible to you in more ways than you can count. At this church you have a support team of coaches, cheerleaders, friends, and family that want to see you grow and succeed as a Christian. Will you be a disciple of Christ…or not?
Time of Response
Time of Response
If you are here today and haven’t put your faith in Christ, why not?
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Christians, right now with a raise of your hand would you commit to taking one step of growth each month this year? Would you commit to being a disciple of Christ?
Thank you
PRAY
Final announcements
Groups starting, sign ups,