Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Lord willing, I hope to continue on with our study in the Gospel According to Matthew.

If you would please, turn to Matthew chapter 4, starting in verse 18.

We began looking at this passage last week and examined the calling of the first disciples to full time ministry.

That account of Jesus calling disciples I think warrants a closer look at what is a disciple and what does it mean to make disciples.

There are many false ideas, or errors in understanding, of what it means to be a disciple and make disciples.

Modern-American Christianity has adopted certain doctrines that have warped the true Biblical view.

This particular topic, of what is a disciple and what is discipleship, is something that the Lord has been laying upon my heart in recent months.

It actually is something that has been a big issue for me personally since my conversion— but at times the Lord brings it to me fresh and anew, often with some conviction about my short-comings in this area.

Growing up

Conversion

Marriage

Now, let’s go back to our reading in Matthew.

Andrew, Peter, James, and John, prior to the passage we just read, were disciples of Jesus Christ.

As part of this calling of full time service by our Lord to these men, he tells them they will be fisher of men.

Together with the Great Commission in Matthew 28, the Lord is instructing, not just these men, but all followers of Jesus Christ, to go and make disciples.

So we have two things here that we need to examine as part of all of this.

One is “Being a Disciple” and the other is “Making Disciples”.

Lord willing, today we’ll begin looking at “Being a Disciple”.

Being a Disciple

What is a disciple?

The simple answer is:

A learning and obedient follower of Jesus Christ.

When the Bible refers to true disciples, it is referring to those converted believers that follow, learn, copy, and obey their Master, Jesus Christ.

The Bible actually tells us that there are two types of disciples.

The unconverted false disciples, and the converted true disciples.

The unconverted- seek gain and self righteous works

The true disciple will follow Christ, learn the teachings of the Scriptures and obey them, and they will also seek righteousness and godliness while living them out.

False disciples will not truly follow— but they will keep close, and often not for long.

They may even join a church, participate in the ordinances, and go through all the motions of being a true believer.

Turn to: this is after Jesus was teaching on eating flesh and drinking blood.

John 6:60–71 (AV)

Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, ‘Doth this offend you?

What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

But there are some of you that believe not.’

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

And he said, ‘Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.’

From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go?

Thou hast the words of eternal life.

And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?

He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Judas is the greatest example of a false disciple.

He followed Jesus closely, being one of the 12 Apostles.

He was a witness to things the Lord was doing and teaching.

For all appearance sake, he was a true follower of Jesus— so convincing was he, that when the issue of a betrayal arose at the Last Supper, the other Apostles did not immediately identify him.

A true disciple who experiences God’s grace will not turn away.

They know that Jesus is the Saviour of their souls, the Son of the Living God.

Who else would they turn to?

Once a believer is awakened to God’s amazing grace why would they want to look anywhere else.

Not only that but God’s grace, and the work of his Holy Spirit, will preserve the true believer and give them perseverance to the end— Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

False disciples will not truly learn nor obey the Word of God, but rather, as a habit make constant issues against the Word of Truth and Pure Doctrine.

1 Timothy 6:2–5 (AV)

… These things teach and exhort.

If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

False disciples have a false godliness.

By their works, by their own prideful knowledge, they believe they gain godliness— these things are apart from the works of Christ and his Holy Spirit in them.

These false disciples want others to follow them in their doctrines, and they will cause strife in the minds of true believers.

Paul said to Timothy in the next epistle,

2 Timothy 3:1–9 (AV)

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.

But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

You will know them by their fruits— in the Lord’s timing, false disciples will be manifested.

Remember, we are to keep an eye out for wolves in sheep's clothing— they may look like sheep, but they are seeking out to destroy.

We must pray for discernment to identify these false disciples, those ravenous wolves with their mischievous ways and their false teachings.

What is a true disciple?

The converted- the elect chosen out of this world, called, and converted

We have already identified some things associated with true disciples in contrast to the false ones, and Lord willing, we’ll see some more characteristics as we continue on.

But, first we need to ask: When does being a disciple begin?

Elder Gilbert Beebe wrote,

“… this being the case with all who are born of God, they are all so far qualified to be disciples of Christ; but, without that heavenly birth, which brings forth in us this new and spiritual life, which hates the flesh, crucifies it with its affections and lusts, none can be truly Christ’s disciples.

That new and spiritual birth is indispensable to discipleship.

This birth manifests the subjects of it as the children of God and heirs of immortal glory.

But discipleship signifies not only that we are born of God, but also that we are taught and led by his Spirit, that we are not only children, but obedient children.

Hence Christ adds, “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.””

Middletown, N. Y., February 15, 1857.

Gilbert Beebe, vol 3, pg 243

The new birth sets us apart in this world— it is a form of sanctification.

There are two types of sanctification:

One is heavenly and eternal.

The other is wordly and temporal— but with everlasting consequences.

The heavenly and eternal sanctification is found in the Covenant of Grace.

Before the foundation of the world God determined to set apart, to save, a people to himself— which are the elect, a people that he predestined to do good works.

These people, whom God determined to adopt as his own children, would receive remission for the sins, be redeemed, and be reconciled to God, by the sacrifice of the Second Person of the thrice Holy, Triune Godhead— Jesus Christ, who would take on flesh, live a perfect and sinless life (which no human can do), die on a cross on Calvary where he would take the wrath of God that sinners deserve— he would there make an atonement for sins.

He would die, be buried, and after three days raise himself up from death to a resurrected state.

The Grace for sinners that Jesus secured by his death, burial, and resurrection is applied to lost sinners in regeneration, made known to them in conversion, and completed in them upon the resurrection— whereby they will be made completely and perfectly holy.

Elect believers have been set apart, or sanctified, in eternity to the purposes of God in the Covenant of Grace.

The other form of sanctification is wordly and temporal.

And by worldly I do not mean sinfully worldly, but rather, in this world in contrast to heaven.

There are two parts to this.

One is that when a person is converted they are made a new creation, they have been born again.

They are different from what they were before— they were dead, and now they are alive.

As part of God’s calling, we are called to forsake sin and forsake the things of this world— things which before we served.