Be Disciples
Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world
Through October and November, we studied the armor of God and were reminded of the constant reality of spiritual warfare. Even if you’d rather not fight, as Aragorn said, "Open war is upon us, whether you would risk it or not."
Now, can you imagine going into war without a strategy? Can you imagine setting an army loose without giving them a mission? Unfortunately this is exactly what we (the church in general) has often done.
The United Methodist Church is a church in decline. I don’t want to pull any punches here; we have lost members and as we have gotten older, we have failed to attract young people to the denomination. We have failed to do what Jesus told us to when he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations."
The UMC has realized that we have to do some things differently than before in order to reach new people, in order for our denomination to survive, in order to take the fight to the devil (just because we’re out of that series doesn’t mean I’ll let up on it). This is the reason we are changing things; if we continue to do the same things and expect different results, well, that’s the definition of insanity. So the Church has instituted its mission statement: Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
It really isn’t anything new; it just goes back to something Jesus said, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.
Jesus gave us our mission; to make disciples. But we can’t get to making disciples until we are first disciples. So what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Simply put, a disciple is a follower, adherent, or student of a great master. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who has responded to God’s call to real life. This life is characterized by two requirements: paying the cost and committing yourself to the cause.
Pay the cost? What kind of cost does discipleship carry with it? Quite honestly, true discipleship costs everything. Are you willing to give up everything else in order to live life to the fullest?
In Luke 18:18-25, a certain ruler asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?""Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’"
"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Understand that Jesus isn’t calling everyone to give up all their possessions. However, know that if your stuff gets in the way of your relationship with Jesus, you’ve got to get rid of it.
Not only do you have to get rid of stuff, but Jesus takes it another step. In Luke 14:26-27, Jesus says: 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 how does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Woah. Hate? That’s a pretty charged word! Before you get all riled up, remember that these are Jesus’ words. And when He says "Hate" he is talking about redirecting our loyalties. Our priority, as disciples of Jesus Christ, should be toward Jesus first, then to our families and friends. In a town like Millersport, one of the most important things is often family name. Jesus is saying that your family name doesn’t mean anything. And it should help us to bear in mind that our parents’ faith is not our own until we make it ours.
He goes on to say that unless you carry your cross, recognizing that discipleship is to the death, then you aren’t his disciple. This isn’t just a same-old, same-old kind of life; it’s revolutionary.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus told those who are following Him, If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross and deny himself daily and follow me.
Denial of self is the biggest cost to discipleship. Self-sufficiency is so engrained in us as a virtue that it’s probably the biggest obstacle to living completely for Jesus. Don’t let you get in the way of your relationship with Jesus!
God wants us to be completely dependent on Him for everything. This is all pretty hard to take: getting rid of stuff is one thing, and then getting rid of self? Who could really go through with it?
The people around Jesus couldn’t understand, either. Back to the Luke 18 passage; in verses 26-29 we read this:
Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
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."
What does this mean? Here’s an example from my life: in college, I majored in German language and literature. My plan was to get my teaching certificate and to teach high school German – not because I particularly wanted to be a teacher, but because I wanted to coach high school soccer.
When God called me to ministry, one thing it meant was going to seminary. Instead of attending Indiana University for a Masters Degree in education, I went to Asbury Seminary for the Masters of Divinity Degree. Though I figured I was giving up my dream to coach soccer, the call to ministry was worth it. It wasn’t long until I’d found a group of guys in Wilmore to play soccer with, and then I found out that one of them was a high school soccer coach who needed an assistant, and I’ve coached on some level for 8 of the past 11 years.
I got an even better gift than what I gave up, and to be completely honest, I didn’t want to be a teacher in the first place, and I probably would have been miserable doing it, even if I had gotten a soccer coaching position. But God took my offering to Him and multiplied it.
You see, He has our best interest in mind. He created us and knows us inside and out, and He wants the best for us. That "best" is a right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Luke 9:25 records Jesus’ words: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Discipleship, following Jesus, is the way to gain our very selves – to be the people God created us to be. And we cannot make disciples of Jesus Christ if we ourselves are not first His disciples. But God has blessed us so we can be a blessing to others.
Through October and November, we studied the armor of God and were reminded of the constant reality of spiritual warfare. Even if you’d rather not fight, as Aragorn said, "Open war is upon us, whether you would risk it or not."
Now, can you imagine going into war without a strategy? Can you imagine setting an army loose without giving them a mission? Unfortunately this is exactly what we (the church in general) has often done.
The United Methodist Church is a church in decline. I don’t want to pull any punches here; we have lost members and as we have gotten older, we have failed to attract young people to the denomination. We have failed to do what Jesus told us to when he said, "Go and make disciples of all nations."
The UMC has realized that we have to do some things differently than before in order to reach new people, in order for our denomination to survive, in order to take the fight to the devil (just because we’re out of that series doesn’t mean I’ll let up on it). This is the reason we are changing things; if we continue to do the same things and expect different results, well, that’s the definition of insanity. So the Church has instituted its mission statement: Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
It really isn’t anything new; it just goes back to something Jesus said, Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the very end of the age.
Jesus gave us our mission; to make disciples. But we can’t get to making disciples until we are first disciples. So what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?
Simply put, a disciple is a follower, adherent, or student of a great master. A disciple of Jesus Christ is one who has responded to God’s call to real life. This life is characterized by two requirements: paying the cost and committing yourself to the cause.
Pay the cost? What kind of cost does discipleship carry with it? Quite honestly, true discipleship costs everything. Are you willing to give up everything else in order to live life to the fullest?
In Luke 18:18-25, a certain ruler asked Jesus, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?""Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’"
"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Understand that Jesus isn’t calling everyone to give up all their possessions. However, know that if your stuff gets in the way of your relationship with Jesus, you’ve got to get rid of it.
Not only do you have to get rid of stuff, but Jesus takes it another step. In Luke 14:26-27, Jesus says: 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 how does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Woah. Hate? That’s a pretty charged word! Before you get all riled up, remember that these are Jesus’ words. And when He says "Hate" he is talking about redirecting our loyalties. Our priority, as disciples of Jesus Christ, should be toward Jesus first, then to our families and friends. In a town like Millersport, one of the most important things is often family name. Jesus is saying that your family name doesn’t mean anything. And it should help us to bear in mind that our parents’ faith is not our own until we make it ours.
He goes on to say that unless you carry your cross, recognizing that discipleship is to the death, then you aren’t his disciple. This isn’t just a same-old, same-old kind of life; it’s revolutionary.
In Luke 9:23, Jesus told those who are following Him, If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross and deny himself daily and follow me.
Denial of self is the biggest cost to discipleship. Self-sufficiency is so engrained in us as a virtue that it’s probably the biggest obstacle to living completely for Jesus. Don’t let you get in the way of your relationship with Jesus!
God wants us to be completely dependent on Him for everything. This is all pretty hard to take: getting rid of stuff is one thing, and then getting rid of self? Who could really go through with it?
The people around Jesus couldn’t understand, either. Back to the Luke 18 passage; in verses 26-29 we read this:
Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
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."
What does this mean? Here’s an example from my life: in college, I majored in German language and literature. My plan was to get my teaching certificate and to teach high school German – not because I particularly wanted to be a teacher, but because I wanted to coach high school soccer.
When God called me to ministry, one thing it meant was going to seminary. Instead of attending Indiana University for a Masters Degree in education, I went to Asbury Seminary for the Masters of Divinity Degree. Though I figured I was giving up my dream to coach soccer, the call to ministry was worth it. It wasn’t long until I’d found a group of guys in Wilmore to play soccer with, and then I found out that one of them was a high school soccer coach who needed an assistant, and I’ve coached on some level for 8 of the past 11 years.
I got an even better gift than what I gave up, and to be completely honest, I didn’t want to be a teacher in the first place, and I probably would have been miserable doing it, even if I had gotten a soccer coaching position. But God took my offering to Him and multiplied it.
You see, He has our best interest in mind. He created us and knows us inside and out, and He wants the best for us. That "best" is a right relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Luke 9:25 records Jesus’ words: What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
Discipleship, following Jesus, is the way to gain our very selves – to be the people God created us to be. And we cannot make disciples of Jesus Christ if we ourselves are not first His disciples. But God has blessed us so we can be a blessing to others.
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