Dusty Disciples

INTRODUCTION:

There are many times when the month of September starts a new ministry year. Students have promoted to the next grade. Graduates have moved on to their next phase in life. The “lull” of summer - which sometimes doesn’t feel like there was really a lull - gives way to a new season in the life of the church. New programs beginning - like Sunday Youth Nights, new classes, new everything.

So, with things being new, I thought we’d take a brief break from the book of John to consider something different. Over the next four weeks, we’re essentially going to be asking the question:

Who’s Your One?

In working through this material and these topics, we’re going to be leveraging some thoughts and ideas that several other churches have pulled together. Today, some of the content and the main points come from some things that J.D. Greear used to challenge his congregation in NC.

Before we dive into our passage for today, let’s do a little word association:

What comes to your mind when you think about these things?

politician - maybe you think about your favorite or politician or your least favorite

fitness fanatic -

a millennial -

The Washington Commanders - maybe you think of the big gold W or a Redskins logo.

a veteran - maybe someone in uniform, or someone struggling with depression or PTSD, or maybe even someone in the congregation

Whether or not your mental images matched the images that Steve came up with, we all tend to associate words and pictures.

Now, what comes to mind when you hear the word Christian? (no picture)

You might be picturing a certain person or you might think of Jesus.

You may also associate that word with certain characteristics as well. You might think of someone who is:

kind

loving

narrow-minded

bigoted

gracious

angry

welcoming

The broader culture also forms impressions of what a Christian is and whether or not they are one.

But, did you know that the first followers of Jesus didn’t call themselves Christians. It was a derogatory term used by people outside of the faith. It essentially meant - “little Christ.” In Acts 11:26, we see that the first Christians were known as disciples.

Acts 11:26 (ESV)

And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.

The word Christian is used three times in the whole Bible (Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16); the word disciple is used 281 times.

Which kind of begs the question - what is the better term?

Andy Stanley says, “I want to suggest to you that in changing the primary word that we use to describe ourselves, we lost the clarity that the word disciple conveyed about what a follower of Jesus actually is.”

Greear and others have suggested that “disciple” is a far more accurate and compelling description of what it means to follow Jesus. And, as we will see, the concept of a disciple exposes the fact that many who claim to be Christians are not actually disciples of Jesus.

So, let’s dive into our text today and consider what a disciple is by reflecting on the first disciples.

If you have your Bibles, open them to Matthew 4:18-22.

(Skip this reading)

Matthew 4:18–22 ESV

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:

All Hebrew boys went to Torah school starting at age 5.

By age 10, all young boys knew the Torah and the best students went on to study the remainder of the Old Testament. The rest returned home to work in their families’ businesses.

At about age 17, if you wanted to go on and make a career out of religious studies, your next step was to find a rabbi you admired and apply to become one of his disciples (talmidim).

When you found one, you would go and sit at his feet. That was your request to learn. And the rabbi would examine you with questions and put you through a series of tests to see if you were worthy to be his disciple.

The rabbis could choose the smartest, most talented boys to be their disciples.

Another reason the rabbis were so picky is that when they chose a disciple, they were choosing someone whom they believed could become just like them—to not just know what they knew, but to do what they did.

For several years, these young disciples (talmidim) would follow their rabbis, imitating them in every way. The goal of a disciple was to be like the rabbi.

So, the brightest students would get to the end of their theological learning and then choose a rabbi whom they would follow for several years until they became like the rabbi - at which time they might become a rabbi themselves.

But, Jesus does things differently. You see...

JESUS DOESN’T CHOOSE THE BEST, HE CHOOSES THE WILLING.

Matthew 4:18 ESV

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

In Matthew chapter four, Jesus, this new rabbi, chooses Peter and Andrew, who are fishermen.

Based on what we can understand from the background, the fact that they are fishermen shows us what? They are not the brightest. They are not the “A” students. They didn’t make the cut as kids, so they were relegated to life in a trade.

But, let that sink in: When Jesus chose His squad to build His movement, He chose the B-team! So, of course, they went to follow Him. This rabbi had chosen them—guys without much potential or personal power—to follow Him and to become like Him, to know God like He knew God, to know what He knew, to do what He did and be filled with His power!

John MacArthur: “God skipped all the wise of the day! The great scholars were in Egypt; the great library was in Alexandria; the great philosophers were in Athens; the powerful were in Rome. He passed over Herodotus the historian and Socrates the great thinker and Julius Caesar. He chose men so ordinary it was comical. No Rabbis, no teachers, no religious experts...”

Jesus chose the B-team because His work in the world wouldn’t come from their abilities for Him, but from what He would do through them.

People with a lot of talent and ability would only get in the way because they would never learn to lean on His power. Jesus taught that His power in the weakest vessel was infinitely greater than the greatest talent without Him.

God wants to use you in your family, at your workplace, at your school. Stop making excuses that you are not able. He doesn’t need your ability; He requires only your availability.

Have you made yourself available?

I think these initial disciples jumped at the chance to follow Jesus because they had been overlooked as kids. This new rabbi who was gaining a reputation (Mt. 4:17) was giving them a chance. They were willing to follow.

As we see in this passage, not only does Jesus choose the willing, but...

HE CHOSE US, NOT WE HIM.

Matthew 4:19 shows us:

Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Follow me...”

As I mentioned earlier, the normal way this all went down is that if you were among the best of your class, you applied to a rabbi, and if he liked what he saw, he’d choose you back. Now, his selection gave them a great deal of confidence. If they were struggling, they could say, “Ah, but my rabbi believed in me! He chose me.”

But Jesus started the process back even further. They didn’t even come to sit at His feet. He came seeking them when they weren’t even looking for Him. He called out men who were available, who were willing to follow.

We could also think about it from a position of hopelessness. When it came to religious studies and leadership, these guys had give up any hope of following a rabbi. So when Jesus called, they followed.

So much of our society is based on merit. We make the honor roll because we good students. We get ahead a work because we’re connected or willing to work harder than others. We make the team because we’ve worked hard to hone our skills.

But Jesus - called his disciples because he wanted them.

He calls you and me, because he wants us.

If you are Jesus’ disciple, then He chose you!

John 15:16 reminds us:

John 15:16 ESV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

Once chosen, we learn that…

OUR PRIMARY CALLING IS TO BE WITH HIM.

Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Follow me...”

He didn’t tell them where they were going or what assignment He had for them. His primary call is not to do something; it is to become like Him. And to become like Him, you have to know Him. To know Him, you have to know His Word.

Remember, the goal of a disciple or a follower is to be like their rabbi. One of the best compliments someone could make of a disciple of a rabbi was “the dust of your rabbi is all over you.” The point being that the disciple has followed the rabbi so closely that everything the rabbi walked through sprayed on the disciple.

Jesus wanted his disciples and I think he wants us to follow him so closely that we pick up his mannerisms, we understand the way he thinks, we see others through his eyes.

For the first disciples, they had Jesus right their with him, but for us, how do we do that?

I’m glad you asked.

There are several ways that we can do this.

Sunday Morning Worship

There is this time together. You see, when we’re gathered, our primary purpose is not to hear me or Armal or Andrew or whomever may be preaching that day preach, our primary purpose is to worship God. To see him for who he is. To understand his word. To be with him with each other.

For those of you at home who are joining online - if you’re doing that because of illness or transportation needs - i get it; but if you’re consistently joining in out of convenience or because you don’t want to be around people - then I’d like to challenge you to step up. If Jesus called you to be his follower, it will require some inconveniences. Next week, join us here.

If you’re watching from another state, find a church close by that you can attend in person. I would contend that your health as a disciple needs interaction with others. And other peoples growth as a disciple of Jesus needs interaction with you!

Weekly Bible Studies

But we can also be with Jesus in weekly Bible Studies. Right now, there are two adult classes and classes for youth and children - all on Sunday mornings at 10AM. If you’re not yet a part of one of those, I’d like to challenge you to ramp up your discipleship devotion. An hour on Sunday barely scratches the surface of what following Jesus may require.

In addition to that, for youth, there is a Sunday Youth Night - at 5PM. This is an opportunity to go deeper while having some fun together - challenging each other to be more like Jesus.

For women, there is the Monday night Community Bible study and the Wednesday morning deep dive with the SISTERS Bible Study.

Home-based Discipleship Groups

If these opportunities are not enough, or not convenient, you could begin a home-based discipleship group. Grab a few friends, spend some time praying for each other and take your notes from Sunday morning or simply read and discuss the Word of God together.

Personal Bible Study

And then there is our own time of Bible study and reading. Are you taking time time to sit before the the Lord by reading, meditating, and memorizing His word? Are you reading good books that are written to help you grow in your knowledge of and devotion to Jesus?

He has given us His Word. Our goal is to get it inside of us so that it dominates our thinking and behavior.

If your classmates, colleagues, neighbors could open your brain and analyze your thoughts, could they see Jesus in them? Could they see your devotion to him in the way that you think?

When they look at your life, do they see Jesus? Is Jesus rubbing off on you? Is his dust kicking up on you?

So, in this passage, we’re learning that Jesus doesn’t choose the best, he chooses the willing. Secondly, he does the choosing and his invitation to follow is an invitation to be with him.

Next, we see from these first disciples that...

TO FOLLOW HIM, WE HAVE TO LEAVE ALL.

Matthew 4:22 ESV

Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Why did the author identify these two things?

Because these are usually the two most significant things in our lives:

Boat: Our careers (the way we take care of ourselves)

Father: Our most significant relationships

To follow Jesus, He has to take precedence over both. Most of us won’t literally lose our father and mother over Jesus ... Some might.

J.D. Greear shared a story about a woman at their church who was from the Middle East. Through some workers in her country, she became convinced of her need of a savior and responded to His call on her life. She went public with her faith in baptism.

JD states:

“Her parents found out about it, demanded that she renounce her faith. She said, “I can’t. I’m convinced that Jesus Christ is who He says He is.”

They said, “If you don’t renounce your faith, we’re gonna renounce you.” They locked her in her room.

She overheard them, her father and her brother talking that night about killing her. She knew that they were serious. This was not a joke. Well, that night in the middle of the night they had an emergency in their family. Her sister-in-law went into labor prematurely, so they all rushed down to the hospital, left her by herself locked in her room. She knew this was her moment. If she was gonna get out, this was gonna be it. So, she broke out and went to this missionary’s house and said, “You gotta get me outta here ‘cause they’re gonna kill me.”

Well, to make a long story short, over the period of a year or so, she made her way here.”

Now, most of us haven’t or won’t have that kind of experience. But some will. The point is that we must be willing to leave our families, traditions, and those relationships that are most dear to us - following Jesus is worth it.

For some, God may tell you to change careers. Maybe God will tell you transfer your job to be part of a church plant. Or leave your job and carry the gospel overseas. For many of us, it probably won’t be that dramatic. But you’ll have moments where you decide which holds greater sway over your life.

I would guess that over the next couple of years that the disciples experienced varying degrees of discomfort. They were forced out of their comfort zones as they followed Jesus. We must be willing leave the comfortable for the places where commitment to Christ is preeminent.

The disciples left everything immediately - and followed Jesus.

There is one more thing that we need to consider from this passage:

HE COMMANDS US TO SPIRITUALLY REPRODUCE.

Matthew 4:19 ESV

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Following Jesus means you subject everything in your life to His lordship. You forsake all that He has prohibited and pursue all that He has prescribed. Just like He was a fisher of men, His followers would become fishers of men. This is an essential part of being a disciple. It’s not something that only a few of us do; it’s something that each of us does. There is no such thing as a non-reproducing Christian.

How do you prove you are a disciple? By bearing fruit. And if you are not bearing fruit, you have reason to question whether you are a disciple at all.

John 15:8 ESV

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.

Jesus tells His disciples how to bear fruit in His famous Great Commission:

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

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.”

In Greek, the words go, baptize and teach are all participles that derive their force from the one controlling verb, make disciples. Which means that everything we do grows out of the call to make disciples. Jesus summarized His ministry, Luke 19, by saying, “The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.” If we are His disciples, that’s how we’ll summarize our lives, too.

In his book, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman said:

“When will the church learn this lesson? Preaching to the masses, although necessary, will never suffice in the work of preparing leaders for evangelism. Nor can occasional prayer meetings and training classes for Christian workers do this job... Individual women and men are God’s method. God’s plan for discipleship is not something, but someone.”

CONCLUSION:

You and I are God’s method. God has called us to be disciples who make disciples.

Disciple making is simply teaching someone to follow Jesus as you follow Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus has promised to help you.

So, identify your one. Ask God to help you identify one person you can, with the help of the Holy Spirit, bring to faith in Christ this year.

You probably noticed that your bulletins are packed full today. Let me encourage each of us to take the next 30 days to pray daily for someone. The prayer journal is designed to be a guide to focus our prayers for that one person. Maybe it’s a neighbor, classmate, coworker, friend, family member. Take time daily to pray for them. Pray for opportunities to connect. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel.

Here is the encouraging part. You don’t have to save anyone. Jesus does that. The Holy Spirit does that. Our job is to be faithful fishers of me. Faithful disciple makers. People who invite others to join us in this journey with Jesus! Can you imagine what would it look like if every one of us here this weekend did this, and asked God, “God, give me one person I could bring to Jesus”? If every one of our bible study classes and discipleship groups made it their goal to reach one person for Jesus? If each one committed to reach one?

If you already know someone who is on your mind or the person that you’re going to be praying for, write their name on the book mark and tear off the small portion of the book mark and place it in the offering box. Each Wednesday in our prayer gathering, we’ll pray for these names. You don’t have to put your name on there (unless you want to), but put their name on it. We’re not alone in this!

Can you do this? Can you pray for someone for 30 days? Can you pray that God would use you to lead this person to Christ?

Now, in order to be a disciple maker - you have to be a disciple first. Jesus left everything for you. He willingly laid aside his glory so that you and I could be redeemed from our sin and released to a life on purpose for His Kingdom! Will you respond to Him today?

Let’s pray:

Benediction:

2 Corinthians 13:14 ESV

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.