What do we mean when we speak of ourselves as disciples of Christ? What does it mean to be a disciple?
Today, we will examine our answers to those questions and see where we fit into the description of a disciple of Christ.
The word “Lord” refers to an owner controlling all His possessions.
We must realize that Jesus Christ has control of His possessions – US -His followers.
We are His because he has purchased us.
We are His by creation.
We are His by surrendering ourselves to Him.
So, today, let's examine the qualities of discipleship that reveal Jesus as Lord and how we can put these qualities into practice.
1. THERE IS A COST TO BE COUNTED – Luke 14:27-30
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
The commitment to be a disciple of Jesus is costly. One of the costs is understanding and accepting that our decision to follow Him has consequences in a world that does not recognize Him as Lord.
Jesus was committed – His commitment was the Cross.
What is the cross that you bear?
Is it a hardship?
Do you experience hardship because of your commitment to Christ?
That hardship may come from your relatives who reject you because of your commitment to Jesus Christ. It may come from your friends or your co-workers.
One wise preacher once said:
"There is indeed a cost in loyal discipleship, but there is also assurance of abundant compensation.”
2. THERE IS SUBMISSION TO HIS AUTHORITY
1 Peter 3:15 tells us, “…but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence…”
In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
There are many authorities in our lives – and they are sometimes authorities that compete for our attention.
When we were children, our parents were the authorities over our lives—schoolteachers and coaches for those who participated in sports.
As adults, the supervisor at the job will be the authority over us.
Every authority comes under the level of authority that Christ presents. In other words, His authority is above all others.
He is our Lord now and forever!
3. RELATIONSHIPS UNDER HIS DIRECTION
You may recall what Jesus said in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Discipleship must be surrounded by love. Jesus showed us what the ultimate love looks like—a man dying on a cross bearing the sin of all the world on His shoulders.
That is selfless love – it is forgiving – and it is sacrificial.
This is how the world knows we are disciples of Jesus.
4. GROWTH – INWARD AND OUTWARD
John 15:4-5: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you (bear fruit) unless you abide in Me.”I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
As Christians, we seek to grow in our connection to God, His connection to the world around us, and our place in bringing about new fruit.
When we live in Him – that is, when we abide in Him – our spiritual growth continues, and we experience the growth of the fruit of the Spirit – the fruit of the harvest of souls.
That is the natural process of active discipleship with Christ.
5. CONSISTENCY – being without excuses
Luke 9:57-62 READ
As they were going along the road, someone said to Him, “I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” And He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Another also said, “I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
In this series of encounters, Jesus sees into the hearts of those who want to follow Him.
Each one has something else to do that gets in the way of their discipleship.
These excuses seem harsh, but Jesus is pointing out to them that a relationship with Him must first come.
He wants us to commit to Him and stick with our commitment to Him.
But it is easy for things we see as essential to rise above our commitment to the Lord!
6. DIRECTION FOR OUR DAILY WALK
Luke 6:46-49 READ
“Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.”
The disciple decides to walk with Jesus every day.
A Sunday “religion” is not what our Lord seeks in us.
Walking in daily discipleship, we will seek directions from our Lord.
7. PREPARATION
We all have inward battles, experience temptations, sometimes have doubts about life, and often feel fear or uncertainty about issues in our lives.
We have outward battles—other people cause conflict in our days; some people become our enemies; and the current culture is often a battle we, as Christians, must face.
1 Peter 1:13 – “So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world,”
8. THE DAILY JOURNEY
This is where we practice discipleship – every day of the journey.
It is vital that we notice the weak areas of our witness and determine to work on them day by day.
This requires faith.
I read of one Bible student who put that this way:
“Living as a Disciple is not merely believing certain doctrinal facts; it is also trusting in and embracing the divine Person who is Lord of the Universe and who atoned for our sins.”
On our daily journey, it is important for us to know and remember that we are not expected to endure our trials alone. We have a family of brothers and sisters who are walking all the way, every day, with us.
Another vital part of our daily journey is repenting regularly. We will all fail at one point or another in our lives.
But we must be careful not to allow those failures or disappointments to set us back or to alter the course of our journey.
Matthew 5:4 says: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “ There is so much out there in the world to deflect us from the path of full discipleship.”
In those weary times, we must remember that this Christian life is a lifelong pursuit.
Discipleship is a whole time and a whole life endeavor.
Discipleship is not accomplished in a day – it is a daily pursuit.
Jesus concluded His message to a large crowd with these challenging words: “Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not what I say? – Luke 6:46.
With that in mind – we need to ask ourselves the question: “Is Christ the King of my life – in my daily practice?”
When we give our whole life to Him - withholding nothing from Him - He is King every day of our lives. He will be Lord of our lives every day,
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