Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Lord willing, I hope to continue on with our study about being a disciple and making disciples, as it has sprung from the study on the Gospel According to Matthew.

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

We began looking at this passage in previous weeks and examined the calling of the first disciples to full time ministry.

We know that before this, these men called in Matthew 4, were disciples of Jesus Christ, but now they are going to be making disciples.

Being a Disciple

What is a disciple?

I gave a simple definition last week, but want to add to it today.

A disciple is: A learning and obedient follower of Jesus Christ— who teaches and encourages others to do the same.

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

In previous messages, after looking at the basic description and definition of “what is a disciple”, we began to look at some specific characteristics of a disciple.

The points, or characteristics, we looked at last week were — 1)You are not your own, 2) Follow, learn, obey, & copy, 3) Count the cost, 4) Love, and 5) Works and Fruits.

The next point I’d like to look at today is,

Maturity

Disciples should be maturing in their faith— growing from a newborn on milk, to a maturing adult on meatier food.

If you have tasted the grace of God there should be growth.

This growth is echoed by Paul in

Spiritual maturity in Christ means that there is growth whereby a believer is being molded more and more in to the image of Jesus.

Disciples who are learning and enlightened by the Holy Spirit, will have spiritual growth— moving from the pure milk of the simplicity of the Gospel to meatier in-depth doctrines and the deeper things of God.

Turn to

Hebrews 5:11–14 (AV)

Of whom (which is Christ and the doctrines prior to this verse) we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers (that is disciples who are discipling other disciples— as a disciple you should be teaching others— we’ll look at that more later, Lord willing), ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Every born again believer should be growing in grace.

There should be spiritual maturity.

Now everyone is not going to grow spiritually at the same rate.

Some may also stagnate, at times not growing at all— often because of sin in their life.

That stalled or slow growth is what the writer of Hebrews was talking about— it should not be happening, believers need to grow.

A believer should be growing beyond just a conversion experience.

This is important, because through the work of the Holy Spirit — Spiritually mature Christians produce spiritually mature Christians.

Paul wrote in verse 14, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

The leads us to our next point, or characteristic, which is

Discernment

As God’s children we must look at all things in light of God’s Word— in all matters of faith and life the Scriptures are to be our final and ultimate rule of authority.

In the power of the Holy Spirit, with the Word of God, we are to examine all things to judge right from wrong, good from evil.

We must learn and know what is from God and what is from the world.

We must know holiness and righteousness versus sin.

Identify works of righteousness versus works of iniquity.

We must know light from darkness.

It goes further.

We must know the difference between the law and the Gospel.

And thereby, knowing the Gospel of Grace, we must know the true doctrines of Christ so as to identify false doctrines of men.

One of the most widely used passages on discernment is concerning the Bereans in Acts 17:11.

Turn there if you would please

Jesus said in,

We should be zealous for truth, as Jesus himself is truth.

Our desire as disciples is to search out God’s truth and doctrinal purity.

Errors, lies, false teachings, and bad doctrines should provoke us to jealousy— not desiring anything to tarnish the name of Christ and his truth.

Turn to

We must know the truth found in the Scriptures, by the knowledge and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, so that we may identify false teachings and teachers.

The more saturated in the truth we are, the easier it is to identify errors.

Paul wrote in,

We have the mind of Christ— and by the Holy Spirit we have knowledge from God Most High to discern all things— good and bad.

All of our thinking should be shaped by the Word and God’s Spirit.

We bring God honor by diligently searching out his truth, in his Word, and then defending it— by proclaiming sound doctrine, by reproving, by correcting, and by giving instruction in righteousness.

Not only are we to do these things in our private lives, but also as a church.

As the body of Christ we need to protect the holiness and purity of our hearts and minds— and also that of the church.

We must work diligently to make sure all things conform to God’s Word and pure doctrine.

Because we love Christ, and love our Brothers and Sisters that he died for, we search out truth and walk in it together as to hold each other accountable-- that not one sheep would go astray.

Discipline from the Father

I’m not going to comment much on this point, I’m going to let the Scriptures do most of the talking here.

Please turn to Hebrews 12:4.

God is a loving Father who desires his children to walk in his paths of righteousness.

A loving Father will correct and discipline his children when necessary to put them on the right path.

Experiencing the discipline of the Father produces godly character— in it he works holiness in us, and forms us into the image of his Son.

The next point is very important in both being a disciple and making disciples.

A disciple must be a,

Member of the Body of Christ— Church

This is where “being a disciple” merges into “making disciples”.

The two go hand in hand.

Disciples are going to produce more disciples— and disciples are gathered by Christ into his local church— to serve and to worship.

Uniting together

Please turn to Ephesians chapter 4, verse 15.

Being a disciple means uniting together with other believers.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians,

If you would, please turn to Hebrews 10:24.

The writer of Hebrews gives us a great summary of the duty of disciples to one another.

Hebrews 10:24–25 (KJV)

“And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” (We looked at love and good works last week.

Those are characteristics of a disciple.

We are to provoke each other into being good disciples.

We are to stir up these things amongst each other, or encouraging each other into action.)

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

(exhorting one another- that is to encourage and support in a response and action.

We cannot provoke, or exhort, or encourage one another if we are not gathered together.

We cannot learn from one another if we are not in each others presence— seeing each other living out being disciples of Jesus Christ.

That is why we are told to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

John Gill wrote on this verse about forsaking,

Now to forsake such assembling, signifies a great infrequency in attending with the saints, a rambling from place to place, and takes in an entire apostacy.

It is the duty of saints to assemble together for public worship, on the account of God, who has appointed it, who approves of it, and whose glory is concerned in it; and on the account of the saints themselves, that they may be delighted, refreshed, comforted, instructed, edified, and perfected; and on account of others, that they may be convinced, converted, and brought to the knowledge and faith of Christ; and in imitation of the primitive saints.

And an assembling together ought not to be forsaken; for it is a forsaking God, and their own mercies, and such are like to be forsaken of God; nor is it known what is lost hereby; and it is the first outward visible step to apostacy, and often issues in it

When believers forsake gathering together, they forsake the body of Christ and all that is associated with that gathering.

We are to gather, as the writer of Hebrews expresses, to disciple one another.

We are to provoke each other to godliness, to holiness— encouraging one another to actively follow, learn, obey, and copy Jesus Christ.

We are to hold each other accountable, and seek out the spiritual well being and protection of each other.

Gathering just for worship on the Lord’s Day is not enough.

It takes more.

Church members are to be knit together in a functioning body— there is to be a real, genuine, relationship between them, with a vested interested in each other.