Submitted by admin on Mon, 07/06/2010 - 7:43am
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Most of us have heard of what is called the "Great Commission"—the instructions Jesus gave to his followers just before he left this earth. The most detailed version is found in the Gospel of Matthew.
Matt 28:18-20 — 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
I think we can divide this into two parts: Go (to all nations)...make disciples (by baptizing them and teaching them to obey Jesus). Today we're beginning a new series of messages that will hone in on the second part of this command—making disciples.
What does that mean? To make disciples?
If your boss
at work tells you to "Go and make widgets," it's pretty important that you know
what a widget is. If you don't know what a widget is, you wouldn't know where
to begin. How can you make a widget if you don't know anything about it? And,
just as bad, if you accidently happened to make a widget, how would you even
know if you did? You must know what a widget is if you're going to make
widgets.
In the same way, it's critical
that we know what a disciple is! If you want to be a disciple of Jesus,
you need to know what a disciple is. If you want to make disciples, you
need to know what a disciple is. You can't make something if you don't know
anything about it.
The simple fact is a disciple is a student—someone who learns. Dictionary: "a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; one who embraces [is committed to] the teachings of another and [who] assists in spreading... [those] teachings..."
There are all kinds of disciples. You can be a disciple of all kinds of teachers, all kinds of doctrines.
Faisal
Shahzad was a disciple. He returned to his native Pakistan,
to Waziristan, where he studied how to make bombs. His
discipleship brought him back to Times Square in New
York where he attempted to complete his mission as a
disciple of the bomb maker.
Faisal was a disciple, but his studies
led him to do something evil. So it's not good enough to be a "disciple." It's necessary
to choose your teachers carefully so you're not a disciple who is led astray:
Osama bin Ladin has disciples; so does Achmadinanjab; so does the Dali Lama, so
does Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.
In the NT, we read that Jesus called people to "follow him"—to learn from him, to become his disciple, to follow his teachings and to follow his example.
What does this mean—to follow in Jesus' footsteps? What are the implications for us today—in 2010—if we follow the instructions of Jesus, if we follow his advice and follow the example he gave in the first century? What does it mean to follow the path Jesus took? To make the choices that he made?
Imagine
you're at Walmart, and you ask where to find envelopes. The "sales associate"
may not give you directions where to go or how to find them. Instead, he or she
may say, "Follow me," and then start off down the aisle, expecting you to
follow. If you want the envelopes, you've got to follow. You can't say, "Well,
wait a minute. I need to pick up some laundry detergent on the way." You don't
have the chance to say, "How far is this walk going to be?" You can't argue
about the route the sales associate chooses: "Whoa! Please don't take me
through the women's lingerie department." You're give one choice—do you want to
follow or not?
That means you start a journey without
know what you'll encounter along the way. Without knowing where it will lead
you. Without knowing how far you'll need to go. It means that you'll be led one
step at a time. You won't be given a map that charts out the entire trip. And
that requires trust. You'll have to keep up with that sales associate,
right on his or her heels, following at every turn.
It's the same in following Jesus—you have to trust him because he invites you to follow without telling you what's up ahead. A disciple of Christ has begun a journey without knowing exactly what to expect along the way.
We talk often about the benefits of being a Christian, but what are the costs of following Jesus? According to an article in Newsweek last year, there are more than 900 groups on Facebook that call themselves by some variation of title "a follower of Jesus." [March 7, 2009; http://www.newsweek.com/2009/03/06/a-christian-by-any-other-name.html ] But do they know what it really means to follow Jesus? Do they know what's being asked of anyone who decides to follow the Lord?
We enjoy the privileges of new life in Christ—the blessings and the benefits of being forgiven of our sins, of being born again and given a fresh start. But have we counted the cost so we're ready to take on the responsibilities? Do we know what's required of us? Do we know what it's going to cost us to be a disciple?
The word for disciple appears 261 times in the NT. Over the next few weeks we're going to look at just four passages that contain the word, "disciple," to see what we can learn about the cost of discipleship.
Matt 8:18-22 — 18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. 19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." 21 Another disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." 22 But Jesus told him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead."
Jesus was talking to a crowd of those who came out to hear his teachings and to learn from him. So it was a disciple (v 21) who, hearing Jesus' invitation to "Follow me," responded by saying, "First let me go and bury my father."
This sounds good—something that a loyal son would do. However, there was more to it than just that. First, we know this man's father had not just died.
In ancient
Jewish customs—even today in many middle eastern cultures—burials happened the
same day as death. There was no delay—no three-day preparations for a funeral
like we have. This man's father had not just died! He was still alive and
probably doing quite well.
So what did he mean by saying this?
Well, for one thing, he was saying that he wanted to honor his father. The Jews
believed the command to "honor your father and mother" meant caring for them in
their old age—being a caregiver. They also believed that it meant to provide a
decent and proper burial.
It's good to care for your family, but there were several ways this could be accomplished without preventing the man from following Jesus. He was caving in to cultural expectations, not biblical requirements.
But there's something more: the phrase "I must go and bury my father" was a common figure of speech. It was an expression which meant I'm waiting until I receive my inheritance.
If someone asked, "Do you want to buy this house? Take a trip to Europe? Invest in this stock?" you could answer, Wait until I bury my father—meaning, I need to get my inheritance first. It was a financial decision—it was a matter of trusting money over trusting God.
So his answer sounded "politically correct"—it was appropriate for his culture; it was expected of him. His answer was also a practical matter—because he needed to be careful with his financial future.
But in reality his answer was an excuse to dodge the question Jesus had put to him: "Will you commit yourself to be my disciple? To follow me all the way? To learn from me and obey my commands?"
The man said, in effect, "Sure, I'll be glad to follow you—just not quite yet." He was procrastinating. He was saying, "Yes, but first..."
Here's the challenge for us today: Do we ever say to Jesus, "Yes, but first..."? Do we ever put things in front of Jesus? Is he a priority in our lives—but other things may have a higher priority?
To be a disciple of Jesus—to learn from him, to understand his ways, to follow in his steps means:
1. Trust Jesus more than yourself. It's good to be practical; it's good to plan carefully. But trusting the Lord is more important than being practical.
This man was willing to follow Jesus, but first he wanted to establish his future financial security. First he wanted to collect his inheritance. Then he would be ready to pack up and follow Jesus. He wanted to have something to fall back on. He wanted to have a "Plan B" just in case this discipleship thing didn't work out. He just wanted to be practical. He just wanted to do the sensible thing.
You cannot be a disciple of Jesus if you put your thoughts and ideas above his leading and direction. There are plenty of times following the Lord when doing the right thing won't make sense.
It doesn't make sense to turn the other cheek to someone who strikes you on the right cheek. It doesn't make sense to give your cloak as well as your tunic to someone who sues you for your tunic. It doesn't make sense to love your enemies.
But God's Word says: Prov 3:5-6 — 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
To be Jesus' disciples, we must trust him more than we trust ourselves.
2. Resist the culture. Break free from what is expected. Buck the trend.
Peer pressure and cultural expectations can push you in the wrong direction. This man knew what was expected of him according to Jewish customs. He certainly didn't want others to accuse him of being a "bad" son who wouldn't take care of his father in his old age. So he went with the culture instead of going with Jesus.
The culture of the world around us has a strong influence over our thinking. We all have this innate desire to be admired and affirmed—Isn't he a kind person? Isn't she a good mother? They really have it together, don't they?
But the world doesn't see things the way God sees them. If we allow the voices in the world to drown out the voice of God, we cannot be Christ's disciple. Phillips paraphrase of Romans 12:2 says: "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good..."
To be Jesus' disciples, we must resist the culture and the mindset of the world around us.
3. Reorder your priorities. When Jesus calls, don't say, "Yes, but first..." Make sure your first priority is following Jesus, no matter what.
This man in essence said, I want to follow you, Lord. I want to be your disciple and obey your teachings. But just not yet. Not now. Not until later after I've taken care of some other things. Not until I straighten out some other details in my life.
Of course, legitimate obligations and concerns may compete for our attentions. Some of them (job, family) are more compelling than others, but they all mean we must decide about what is most important.
If we commit to following Jesus first and foremost—the rest of your obligations and concerns (the 2nd...3rd...4th level matters) will work themselves out. Jesus told his disciples:
Matt 6:31-33 — 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?' or ‘What shall we drink?' or ‘What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
To be Jesus' disciples, we must reorder our priorities and put first things first.
4. Seize God's opportunities. God brings along divine appointments—sometimes without fanfare or announcement.
This man was given what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He stood at a crossroads. He was confronted with a choice: Go with Jesus or go your own way. His decision at this moment would affect his entire future—not just what he did with the rest of his life, but his future in eternity as well.
When God gives us an opportunity, we should be ready to seize it. We should look deep inside to see if we're willing to do whatever it takes to answer God's call. We must not hesitate when God speaks. Once you know that God has called, once you've confirmed what he wants of you, waiting isn't really an option.
Eph 5:15-17 — 15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.
To be Jesus' disciples, we cannot make excuses, letting God's opportunities slip through our fingers. We must seize them!
5. Stay focused. Keep learning; continue to pay attention as you follow. Stay on the right path, listening for God's voice and direction all along the way. Don't allow distractions to sideline you. Don't miss a turn.
This man missed his first opportunity to be a disciple of Jesus, but others left later on the journey.
One time some of his disciples said to him, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" but Jesus didn't take the bait. He didn't soften his teaching or water down his message to make it more palatable. What happened? "From this time," the Gospel of John says, "many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." (John 6:60,66)
If you're following the Lord, there will be difficulties and challenges that come along. Being a disciple of Christ is no guarantee that there is an easy road ahead. There is no guarantee that your life will be free of problems.
What we are guaranteed is that Jesus will go with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. And he will give us what we need to survive and come out on top.
John 16:33 — ...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
Matt 24:12-13 — 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
To be Jesus' disciples, we must stay focused—we must be committed to the whole journey, all the way to the end.