Disciple

What is a disciple? 

Acts 16:1-5 

"Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. [2] Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, [3] so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. [4] Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. [5] So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day."

Disciples are the soldiers of Christ’s Kingdom. 

Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)"Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. [19] Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. [20] Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

• Attributes of a Disciple-

• Recognized Lordship- “I have been given all authority...” A disciple is not a visitor, casual bystander, or someone who “knows a lot.” 
• A disciple is someone who has surrendered their life at the Cross, in the waters of Baptism, and to the full deliverance of Christ from all demonic strongholds.
• What have you not let go of to be a true Disciple of Christ? 
• Until you submit to a leader you will not be able to move forward into real discipleship.
• Soldiers have to give up things to gain what they are after. 
• Some of you are “under” someone but have never submitted to them because of pride, stubbornness, or bitterness. (I’ve been hurt before so I’m never gonna submit to anyone again).
• A disciple is formed, not found. 
• Go and MAKE disciples...a disciple is someone who has been made and not someone who has just appeared in the right format.
• Everyone has things to learn in the Kingdom of God. 
• What have you refused to learn?
• What are continually learning over and over again because you refuse to change?
• A disciple has been taught, not caught- “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands...” 
• A disciple is someone who learns the commands and sticks with orders. 
• Teach what? 
• The bible! 
• Not my own thoughts.
• A disciple is NOT someone who cuts corners and waits on authority to catch them in order to be put back on track.
• Backed by Heaven- a soldier is backed by an army. 
• When you are a disciple then you have backup from heaven. 
• You’re not alone!
• Back up comes through submission to leaders, submission to others, and submission to the mission.

Matthew 26:53 (NLT)"Don't you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly?"

• Lessons of a Disciple
• It’s all about others- Jesus told Peter and crew right up front that their whole goal was to become fishers of men. 
• Being a disciple is not about you but about how you can be formed into a person that “goes and forms disciples.” 

Matthew 4:19-20 (NLT)

"Jesus called out to them, "Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!" [20] And they left their nets at once and followed Him."

1. It takes great sacrifice- Jesus demanded that His disciples give up everything for His sake. 

2. He promised them persecution by family, by courts, and even death at the hand of those who thought they were doing God a service. 

Matthew 19:29-30 (NLT)

"And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then."

3. It takes humility- if your looking to be the greatest or get a promotion then discipleship is not about you. 

• God wants to use you to do the impossible but refuses to use you because your being impossible. 
• How can you lead well when you have never followed well? 
• Yet you still have all of the answers.
• Ananias was used mightily by the Lord in his simple obedience to make a house call on a maniac! 
• A killer named Saul.

Acts 9:10 (NLT)

"Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord!" he replied."

4. It takes persistence- could Judas have come back from what he did? 

• You better believe it! 
• Peter came back after all that he did.
• Anyone can become the person the Lord has foreseen them to be if they will simply just KEEP GOING! 

Matthew 26:75 (NLT)

"Suddenly, Jesus' words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me." And he went away, weeping bitterly."

• Peter changes.

Matthew 27:1-5 (NLT)

"Very early in the morning the leading priests and the elders met again to lay plans for putting Jesus to death. [2] Then they bound him, led him away, and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor. [3] When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders. [4] "I have sinned," he declared, "for I have betrayed an innocent man." "What do we care?" they retorted. "That's your problem." [5] Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself."

• Judas refuses to change. 
• A refusal to change will destroy you.

5. It takes passion- Lord, if that is you then call to me and I will come. 

• Peter didn’t just want to be apart of Jesus’ staff.
• He wanted to be and DO anything that Jesus would allow. 

Matthew 14:28-29 (NLT)

"Then Peter called to him, "Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water." [29] "Yes, come," Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus."

6. It takes willingness to change.

Acts 16:1-5 (NLT)

Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek. [2] Timothy was well thought of by the believers in Lystra and Iconium, [3] so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek. [4] Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. [5] So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day."

• Timothy was willing to be circumcised in order to travel with Paul. 
• What simple order is keeping you from being the protégé God’s called you to be? 
• Many are complaining that they have no Paul but they have not yet committed as Timothy!
• God let us be willing to grow, learn, be disciplined into the soul winners you have called us to be. 

Be the difference

Genesis 7:13 “That very day Noah had gone into the boat with his wife and his sons—Shem, Ham, and Japheth—and their wives.14 With them in the boat were pairs of every kind of animal—domestic and wild, large and small—along with birds of every kind.15 Two by two they came into the boat, representing every living thing that breathes.16 A male and female of each kind entered, just as God had commanded Noah. Then the LORD closed the door behind them.”

·       God chooses who goes, who stays, who’s worthy of grace and mercy.

o     Our job is to be the difference.

1.The church’s business summed up in one word is…people.

a. The church’s mission summed up in one word is…people.

b.Jesus Christ’s sole mission summed up in: “died for people.”

2.Jesus died for people not programs, facilities, ideas, or business deals, but people.

a. Jesus did not die for religion, or a philosophical system of ethical behavior, or rules and regulations, or the next big event, or this church or that church, or rituals and good works.

b.Jesus didn’t lay His life down for your personal preference of music, carpet color, chairs or pews, preaching, teaching or worship, He died for people.

c. People are what mattered to Him, people are what He surrendered to, and people are what He laid down His life for.

John3:16, 17"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

3.God loves people, Jesus loves people, the Spirit of God empowers people, not programs, ideas, curriculums, events, or handouts but people.

a. Good people, bad people, people who lie, people who cheat, people who steal, people who mistreat other people and some who have even killed people.

1 John 3:11 “This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 18 Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.”

b.People who are nice, people who are mean, people you can't stand and people who can't stand you.

                                                           i.      People who didn't deserve it, people who couldn’t purchase it, people who couldn't earn it, and people who won't accept it He.. died…for…them…all.

c. God did not tell Noah to pick and choose through the animals.

                                                           i.      He didn’t say I want you to kill the mosquitoes cause they are annoying and they suck no pun intended.

                                                        ii.      Leave off the skunks’ cause they stink.

                                                     iii.      Don’t load the raccoons or badgers because they fight.

                                                    iv.      Refuse the big cat family, panthers lions, tigers, bears oh my, cause they eat everybody up with their mouths.

                                                       v.      Keep the peacock’s from boarding cause they walk around with their beautiful tail stuck up in the air saying I’m better than you, more beautiful than you, and everybody wants to be me.

                                                    vi.      The anteater’s stick their tongue into everything.

                                                 vii.      Those big eared elephants wanting to hear all that gossip everyone’s passing around.  

                                              viii.      The bug eyed tree frog’s are too nosey, got those shifty eyes staring at everybody making them nervous.

                                                    ix.      God said to load them all.

                                                       x.      We have to live our lives in a “Load All” mentality.

Ezekiel 34:21 “For you fat sheep pushed and butted and crowded my sick and hungry flock until you scattered them to distant lands.”

4.If you always come to church and hear the Word of God and you feed your Spirit but you never release that word into the life of another than you will become spiritually fat, spiritually obese, and good for nothing in the Kingdom of God.

a. I am sick of the church talking about evangelizing the world yet not doing it.

                                                           i.      Who are you sharing the Gospel with?

                                                        ii.      Who are you discipling?

                                                     iii.      Who are you rescuing from hell and destruction?

                                                    iv.      Where are your converts?

                                                       v.      We have to witness it’s a command of God.

                                                    vi.      Who are the people God has chosen, commanded, and blueprinted you to minister to?

Evangelism- the winning or renewal of personal commitments to Christ.

b.The world can not read our minds nor our spirits, they will see our lives, they will hear our words if we have validity and respect in their eyes.

                                                           i.      When we love people as Christ loved them and gave Him self for them then we will make the difference.

                                                        ii.      We will be…the difference.

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