3/23/2014
Discipleship Pt. 1
Jesus modeled both the method and goal of all discipleship, by moving the 12 from “Come and see” to “Come and die!” over a period of years, discipleship is a lifelong process.
Discipleship Is a Personal Decision
John 1:35-46
John was there with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Discipleship Is an Invitation
John 1:35-46 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, Rabbi, “Where are you staying?” “Come, and you will see.” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him.
Discipleship Impacts Your Family
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). He brought him to Jesus.
Discipleship Changes Your Identity
John 1:41-42 …Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter).
Following Jesus is One Step–Becoming His Disciple is the Next
Luke 14:25-27 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them He said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be My disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple.
Discipleship Requires Clear Intent
Luke 14:28-30 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? If he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish!
Discipleship Requires Honest Assessment
Luke 14:31-32 Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
Discipleship Requires a Total Commitment
Luke 14:33-35 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be My disciple. “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Discipleship is Rewarding Now & Forever
Luke 18:28-30 Peter said to Him, “We have left all we had to follow You!” “I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”