True Disciples Part 2
Read Luke 6:46-49
Illustration: When I was in the Army many years ago I was a military policeman at for Ft. Irwin, California. While on duty one day we got word that a submachine gun popularly known as a "grease gun" had been reported stolen. This is an extremely serious incident and we immediately were ordered to secure every road leading off the base and to thoroughly search every vehicle attempting to leave the base which amounted to thousands of cars.
There were many shocked and scared people that day who did not know ahead time that their cars were going to be searched. Many, many soldiers and civilians were apprehended as we discovered drugs, child pornography, etc. though we did not find the "grease gun" that day, although it was found at a later time. One person and incident in particular stand out about that day.
He was a First Sergeant who had been in the Army for 19 years and six months. He was well known because he had won "soldier of the year" honors the previous year and he was now getting ready and close to retirement. When we opened his truck we discovered that it was filled with military merchandise such as ammunition, computers, and even office supplies. He was apprehended and his house was searched and it also was filled with many stolen military items that it took several days to collect and tag for evidence.
This was totally shocking because of the amount of years that this apparently had been going on and because this was a high-ranking soldier who had been in the military for almost 20 years and yet in reality he was a thief who had deceived others and had deceived himself about his true nature. After being found guilty he was demoted to private, was given a sentence of many years in a military prison, and given a dishonorable discharge which means he lost his entire retirement after 20 years of service.
In effect this man lost everything because he was not who he claimed to be and because he had deceived himself along with others into believing otherwise. I say he deceived himself because he still believed that he was a "good soldier" and worthy of his retirement and he worked hard to try and keep it but in the end his self-deception and false believes caught up with him so that his whole life came crashing down.
My concern is that many people may be doing something similar in their own spiritual lives. They are deceiving others and worse they are deceiving themselves into believing that they are faithful disciples of Jesus when in reality they are either false or wayward followers. At some unexpected moment the truth will be revealed and the life that they have built upon a faulty and false foundation will come down with a great crash just like that soldiers.
There are very few topics that I will ever give a message on that are more important than this one because today I will discuss how you can know if you are a true and faithful disciple of Jesus. How can you keep from being self- deceived and be sure that your spiritual life is headed in the right direction? Jesus gives us the answers to this questions in Luke chapter six.
In the passage that we looked at last week and which we will look at this week Jesus gives us two things that are consistent with true disciples. Last week I referred to these two things as spiritual gauges or indicators of our walk with God.
True Disciples Are Those Who Have The Character Of Jesus And Are Totally Committed To Jesus.
Last week I focused on Luke 6:43-45 in which Jesus said "a good tree will bear good fruit." In other words true disciples, headed in the right direction, will have the fruit or the character of Jesus displayed in their lives. Today I’ll focus on verses 46-49 which deal with one’s foundation which means one’s commitment to Jesus Christ. This is the second indicator of true and faithful disciples.
Jesus in these verses uses an illustrative story, also known as a parable, to point out and contrast authentic and counterfeit followers. He is also using this story to encourage each person to totally commit their lives to him so that they can withstand the storms. Jesus message and my message to you today is not meant to be harsh, condemning, or judgmental rather it is meant to alert us and encourage us to make things right with God if they are not so that our lives do not come crashing down unexpectedly.
According to Jesus what is it that contrast or differentiates between authentic and counterfeit disciples? The difference is that the counterfeit disciple has a confession of Jesus as Lord while the genuine disciple has a commitment to Jesus as Lord. Many, many people make the claim that Jesus is the Lord or master of their life but their actions and behavior and decisions say otherwise. It is clear that they have to confession right but not a commitment that really counts.
It is to these people that Jesus was speaking in verse 46 where he says "Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say?" False and wayward followers or disciples will acknowledge or call Jesus their Lord but they do not follow him as such. They have to confession without the commitment, they have the profession without the practice.
Yet many of those who do not follow Jesus with their whole hearts still think that they are true disciples headed in the right direction but in truth they are often self deceived!
Illustration: In a recent scientific survey 60 percent of all Americans answered "yes" when they were asked the following question: "Are you a Christian?" Six out of every 10 people make that claim but I have to wonder if their practice matches their profession.
If 60 percent of all Americans are true disciples of Jesus then why is our nation in such a moral decline? We see examples of this moral bankruptcy and decline everywhere we turn. For example we see rampant sexual immorality, increasing marital unfaithfulness, the growing popularity of trash TV, commonplace lying and gossip, cheating and stealing while at the same time church attendance is at an all-time low, faithful giving is on the decrease, and Bible reading and knowledge are ignored.
Something is surely wrong about such a picture and it reveals a great self-deception when 60 percent of people believe that they are Christians and faithful followers of Jesus apparently because they confess him as their Lord. The truth is that true disciples who are going in the right direction not only confess Jesus as Lord but are committed to following him as Lord.
True Disciples Are Those Who Have The Character Of Jesus And Are Totally Committed To Jesus.
True disciples have Jesus as their master both their profession and in their daily practice! The decisions that you and I make in the priorities that we have in our daily lives are the truest indicator of the condition of our spiritual lives and the direction they are heading. We each need to look honestly at our own lives and ask ourselves "Do I truly follow Jesus and practice what he taught?" For example do you practice what Jesus taught about forgiving your enemies? Do you practice what Jesus taught about handling money and a proper attitude towards it? Do we obey him in what he said about prayer or the treatment of others? Is our giving in line with a true disciple? Do you speak honestly and purely? These are the kinds of things that are the truest spiritual indicators of our walk with God.
Now I recognize, and the Bible speaks about the fact, that sometimes true disciples will disobey and give way to deception, temptation or weakness but total commitment is not perfect obedience rather it is an attitude that says "if I by fall down I will get back up, repent, and sincerely seek to obey Jesus with my very best effort in the Lord’s strength and guidance." Total commitment is a willingness to follow Jesus at any cost.
Illustration: I have vivid memories as a kid of my father taking me to an auction sale, telling me, "Don’t scratch your nose at the wrong time, son." He said to me, "Always remember this: whenever you go to an auction sale, make sure you know your upper limit price."
That is ingrained in me. The great danger for us is that we walk into the Christian life knowing clearly our upper limit price. Jesus does not allow us to set that. "If you save your life, you will lose it; but if you lose your life for my sake and the gospel’s, you will keep it," said Jesus.
Our calling is to a life of unconditional obedience and total commitment no matter the cost.
Citation: Colin Smith, pastor of Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, Arlington Heights, Illinois; source: Preaching Today #204
The commitment and practice that Jesus is talking about here means to follow him without limits. Jesus is contrasting the authentic and the wise disciple from the counterfeit in the false by noting that one has a confession but the other has the commitment. It is total commitment that identifies true disciples headed in the right direction and building on a firm foundation.
True Disciples Are Those Who Have The Character Of Jesus And Are Totally Committed To Jesus.
Some here today may think that I am reading too much into this parable and that my understanding of it is wrong, after all stories and parables can be subject to varying degrees of interpretation. I want to make very clear to you today that the basic message of total commitment to Jesus as a real requirement and indicator of true disciples is not subject to interpretation. While this parable may be understood slightly differently there are many other scriptures that make very clear that only total commitment is consistent with true discipleship.
Read Luke 14:25-33 (briefly explain)
Jesus makes very clear that one cannot be his disciple unless their commitment to him is greater than their commitment to their family, things, personal goals and desires, or even their own life. You may say that this is a hard and a difficult message to accept today but it is no harder or more difficult to accept that it was when Jesus originally spoke it.
True Disciples Are Those Who Have The Character Of Jesus And Are Totally Committed To Jesus.
It is amazing how many uncommitted or half-committed people still consider themselves to be true disciples when you consider the clarity with which Jesus spoke concerning the fact that total commitment and discipleship are and always will be inseparable. Perhaps the church has not made the essentials of discipleship clear?
Illustration: Service in the armed forces of the United States is more than free tourism or government-funded education. It is perilous duty in service to a nation that has enemies.
The crew and families of the USS Cole were reminded of this on October 12, 2000, when terrorists caused the deaths of 17 and injured dozens more while the ship was refueling in Yemen. Recruitment posters may emphasize seeing the world or getting financial help with college, but the harsh truth is that enlistment in our nation’s armed forces carries serious and grave risks.
Perhaps we’ve promoted Christianity with the spirit of an Army recruitment poster that talks about the "perks" of being a church member without letting people know that one’s life is on the line for following Christ?
Citation: Rubel Shelly, Nashville, Tennessee; USA Today: (10-13-00), p.1A
How important is this message of total commitment and not just confession as essential aspect of discipleship? Jesus said that the difference between confession and commitment is life impacting because those who practice what Jesus taught our building their lives on a firm foundation of stone but those who do not practice what Jesus taught our building their lives on a faulty foundation of sand. Those who hear and heed what Jesus said will have lives that can withstand the storms and pressures of this life and the judgment to come, as Jesus make very clear in verse 48. But those who are not truly obeying Jesus’ words as a blueprint for their entire life, those who are not totally surrendered to him will experience disaster. As Jesus said in verse 49 "the moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete!"
What are you building your life upon? Is your marriage built upon the words of Jesus? Are you raising your children according to his words? Who or what determines the decisions you make in every area of your life? Do you follow your on way of thinking? Do you listen to the opinions of others? Are your decisions based on your own personal desires? Or is your life guided and totally committed to obeying the words of Jesus? Only by hearing and heeding Jesus words will your life stand! How important is this message of total commitment as the essential aspect of discipleship? Well in effect by using this parable Jesus said your life depends upon it.
Illustration: Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year old with no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on the radio and pleaded for help.
Nearby were two pilots who heard the call. Mount Comfort was the closest airport, and the two pilots gave Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions of climbing, steering—and the scariest part—landing. The two experienced pilots circled the runway three times before this somewhat frantic and totally inexperienced pilot was ready to attempt the landing.
Emergency vehicles were called out and ready for what seemed like an approaching disaster. Witnesses said the plane’s nose nudged the center line and bounced a few times before the tail hit the ground. The Cessna ended up in a patch of soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured.
This pilot listened and followed those instructions as if his life depended on it—and it did.
Citation: Gregg Donnelly, Maple Plain, Minnesota
Your spiritual life and your future depend on you listening and doing as Jesus taught. I encourage you to build your life on a firm foundation and not a faulty one. Many lives like many houses may look the same outwardly but it is when the storms and the pressures come that the foundation will be revealed for what it truly is. The thing that will make a truly positive difference in your life is a total commitment to Jesus which is exemplified by obeying God’s Word in every area of your life and not just a few.
It is your walk and not your words which display the reality of your relationship with Jesus. In the parable both men heard the same message, both men listened and both men confessed Jesus as Lord but there was one major difference between them-one man obeyed while the other did not.
The messages you hear from the word of God on Sunday mornings are not like a movie that you are to enjoy or to review with two thumbs up or two thumbs down yet many people approach God’s Word that way. They hear it, they appreciate it and they may even applauded but they do not apply it. They are building on a faulty foundation. Are you one of them? Are you a true disciple? Does your life indicate that you are going in the right direction or the wrong one? There is one very sure way of knowing.
True Disciples Are Those Who Have The Character Of Jesus And Are Totally Committed To Jesus.
Conclusion: The message I have given today and the words of Jesus that we have read today were not given to condemn us but to lead us to realize the truth and to respond if we find that our lives are not where they should be so that we can experience true life, the abundant life that God wants for us.
Illustration: February 24, 2001, a one-year old Canadian girl named Erika somehow wandered out of her mother’s bed and house and spent the entire night in the Edmonton winter.
When her mother, Leyla Nordby, found her, Erika appeared to be totally frozen. Her legs were stiff, her body frozen, and all signs of life appeared to be gone.
Erika was treated at Edmonton’s Stollery Children’s Health Center, and God helped doctors and rescue workers bring her back to life. To the amazement of all, there appeared to be no sign of brain damage, and doctors gave Erika a clear prognosis—she would soon be able to hop and skip and play like other girls her age.
Some of us have wandered away from our Father’s house, and true commitment to Him. It has brought us near the point of death. Our hearts have hardened, and our spiritual bodies look as lifeless as the little girl in the snow.
But our Father notices we are missing and is searching for us. He can take our lifeless spirits and restore us to health. Our part is to acknowledge the truth and respond to his calls.
Citation: David Duncan; Edmond, Oklahoma; source: Bob McKeown, "A Tiny Survivor," from the television program Dateline, MSNBC (3-20-01)
