This morning, we continue our look at the five purposes of the church, the five primary reasons that we relate to one another as a body of believers, rather than just living out our faith privately as individuals. So far, we’ve looked at three - evangelism, worship, fellowship - and today, we consider the fourth, "discipleship".
You may not recognize that term, but the concept should be familiar. "Disciple" means "follower". So, for instance, a psychiatrist might be called a "disciple" of Freud if he follows Sigmund Freud’s theories and methods. A jazz trumpeter might be called a "disciple" of Wynton Marsalis if he imitates his playing style. In medicine, we don’t call it "discipleship," we call it "residency". Residents learn the practice of medicine by observing and imitating a more experienced physician. Another example would be a beginning electrician or plumber who learns their trade by becoming an "apprentice". They become a disciple of a more experienced electrician or plumber.
The word "disciple" is used in the gospels and in Acts to refer to the Twelve; the dozen men whom Jesus selected to travel with him, those whom He chose to teach and train personally. "Disciple" is also used in the Bible as a synonym for "Christian". It means "follower," or "student". So when we refer to Christians as disciples, we are identifying them as followers of Jesus Christ; as students of his life and teachings. But there’s something more. The word also carries the idea of imitation. So disciples of Jesus Christ are those who are seeking, not just to understand Christianity in an intellectual sense, but who are seeking to be like Jesus. Disciples of Christ are people who are modeling their lives after his, who are walking according to the example he gave us.
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, ’If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.’" - Matthew 16:24
When Jesus said that we should "follow" him, he wasn’t talking about literally strapping on a pair of sandals and walking with him along the dusty roads of ancient Palestine. [As great as that would be]. No, he meant that we should follow his example; that we should live the way he lived; that we should obey his commands; listen to his teachings; look to him as our teacher and guide. That’s what it means to "follow," that’s what it means to be a disciple, that’s what it means to be a Christian.
Well, so far, this all sounds very individualistic. What part does the church play in this process? For the answer to that question, listen to what Paul says:
" Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me." - 1 Corinthians 4:16
"Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." - Philippians 3:17
Sounds quite arrogant, doesn’t it? Be like me! Do what I do! Follow my example! Until you realize that Paul was really exhorting them to follow Christ. They were to follow Paul’s example, but only as that example was faithful to the life and teachings of Christ. As he wrote later,
"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." - 1 Corinthians 11:1
So yes, we study Christ by reading the gospels - and in those we can observe as he encounters all kinds of people: we watch and listen as he relates to children, to family members, to soldiers, kings, poor people, wealthy people, hurting people, needy people, religious hypocrites, false disciples. As we read the gospels, we see how Jesus relates to God the Father. We see his courage, his compassion, his wisdom, his humility, his patience, his strength. And having studied Christ in the gospels, we do our best to imitate him, by the power of the Holy Spirit. But here’s where the church comes in. We also grow as disciples of Christ by observing and following the example of other believers. What does Paul say? "take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you." (Phlp. 3:17)
What does that mean? It means that there should be those in the congregation whose lives are worthy of imitation. It means that normally in a church, over time, as people become more mature spiritually, their lives become more and more reliable as examples of what it means to be godly. The normal thing for a Christian is not that we remain at the lowest level of knowledge and experience; that we learn just enough to get in the door and then put the Bible on the shelf. The normal, expected thing is to have many people in the body who can teach, who can counsel, whose attitudes and conduct can serve as examples for others to follow.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." - Colossians 3:16
You might say, "Well, I’m just not a teacher. That’s not my gift." And that may be true. Perhaps God hasn’t called you to stand before a group of people and explain the Scriptures. But God has called you to teach on a one-to-one basis. You can call that counseling, you can call that exhortation, you can call that just being an encourager, but God has called you to build up the other members of the body by sharing with them your knowledge, and your insights, and your experiences. And to do that, you have to have some knowledge. You have to have some insight. And you have to have experiences of trusting and following God that you can share with others. Which brings us to our next point:
Our goal as followers of Christ is to become mature in the faith. To gain understanding. To develop wisdom. To experience, over time, what it means to walk with God. Not just for our own benefit. But for the benefit of others, so that in time we can become teachers, so that we can show others the way to God through our conduct and our counsel. Brothers and sisters, I’m speaking to everyone in this room. God expects you to study, and pray, and obey, and trust, not just so that you can be a better Christian, not just for your own spiritual benefit, but so that you can teach others to follow Him as well. Listen to this passage from Hebrews:
"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." - Hebrews 5:12-14
In other words, after you’ve been around a while, after some time has passed, your level of knowledge, and understanding, and experience should be greater than when you were just beginning. The normal Christian life is one of constant learning, constant growth, constant exercise and strengthening of our faith. To be a "disciple" is to be a lifelong learner. And to be successful, we need to be convinced that knowing God is worth the time and effort. Because it takes time and effort. It takes work. It takes commitment. If we expect it to come easily, we will always be spiritual babies. We will never become mature because maturity just doesn’t come easily. Listen:
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." - James 1:4
"It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." - Ephesians 4:11-14
What do these verses tell us? That maturity is a process. That it doesn’t come quickly. That we need to persevere in the faith, because growth takes time. That’s why we associate age with wisdom. Just as the glory of youth is beauty and strength; so the glory of age is wisdom and knowledge. As Job says, "Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom." (Job 32:7) But attaining wisdom isn’t just a matter of time passing. We don’t become mature just by living a certain number of years. You don’t suddenly wake up on your 60th or 70th birthday and find that you’ve become wise. Those years have to be spent in the study and application of the truth, otherwise, you’ll just end up an old fool. So if you want to be a respected source of instruction and counsel as you grow older, then you have to be seeking God now, and all throughout your life. Listen:
"God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." - Hebrews 6:10-12
Is knowing God worth this kind of sustained effort? Is it worth a life of effort and perseverance? Yes, and more than worth it. Listen:
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." -- Hebrews 11:6
" . . . Train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe." -- 1 Timothy 4:7-10
Are you "laboring and striving" to follow Christ? Are you training yourself in godliness? If we keep seeking God, He promises we will find what we’re looking for. If we earnestly seek Him (not half-heartedly, but earnestly), He will reward us. And God’s rewards are always worth the cost.
So the church helps us to follow Christ because it provides the context in which we teach one another and train one another and learn from one another. Through our counsel and our witness, we share our experiences, our wisdom, our knowledge, our understanding. Through our lives, we demonstrate to one another what it looks like to seek after God, what it looks like to live for Christ.
But not only does the church provide an opportunity for all of us to teach one another; it is also through the church that God provides men who are uniquely gifted and qualified for the teaching ministry. These are the pastors and the elders of the church. And we also become skilled in following Christ by giving heed to what they say, and by observing how they live. Listen again to what Paul writes in Ephesians chapter four:
"It was [Christ] who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." - Ephesians 4:11-14
Pastors are God’s gifts to the church, and just as they have a responsibility to teach with diligence and integrity, so those in the pews have a duty to listen to what they say. But here’s the question: If you have a responsibility to pay attention to the instruction of your pastors, how do you know if their teaching is to be trusted? How do you know if what they have to say is worthy of acceptance?
First, look at their life. If their conduct contradicts their teaching, then find another teacher. If they don’t practice what they preach, then find another preacher. When Paul was defending his authority as an apostle, he appealed to both his teaching and his behavior:
"From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: ’You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.’" - Acts 20:17-21
"You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured." - 2 Timothy 3:11
A pastor ought to be able to say, with Paul, not only "do what I say," but also, "do what I do." A pastor ought to be able to invite people to follow his example as he follows Christ.
Second, judge what they say by the standard of the Scriptures. Don’t take anything for granted. Check it out. Make sure that everything they teach is consistent with God’s Word. This isn’t being hard-headed or rebellious, it’s being faithful. In fact, God calls it "noble".
"Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." - Acts 17:11
Let me make one more point before we close. If a disciple is a "follower," and we are disciples of Christ, it follows that we are willing to be led. We are willing to be led into places that we don’t understand; even places that are dark, and scary, and painful, and unpleasant; because we trust the One we are following. We are like sheep who trust and follow their shepherd [Read Psalm 23].
In closing, let me ask you a question: Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? Not, "do you believe in Christ," and not, "are you a church member," and not even "do you give, and serve, and attend," but are you a disciple? Are you a follower? Are you a learner? Do you study the word? Do you read the Scriptures regularly? Do you think about how you can bring your life into harmony with his teachings? Do you think about how you can imitate his example? Do you evaluate your life on a regular basis - at the end of each day; or week, or month, or year - and consider whether you are growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ? Are you actively seeking to develop Christlike character; have you identified some character qualities that you want to develop, and some that you want to extinguish? Are you living in peace with others in the congregation? Do you seek reconciliation when there’s a conflict? Do you forgive and ask forgiveness? Are you confessing your sins to God, and asking his forgiveness, and seeking his grace to forsake those sins? Are you praying?
All of these are descriptions of a disciple of Jesus Christ; they form a picture of what it looks like to follow Christ. How do you measure up? If you’re like me, probably not as well as you would like. But that’s OK. Start where you are. And wherever you are, I urge you to decide now, today, by the power of the Holy Spirit, that you are going to follow Christ, that you are going to be a disciple, a follower, an apprentice of Christ. I pray that you will do this, both for your sake, and for the sake of your brothers and sisters in Christ who need you to be an example to them and to their children.
(For an .rtf file of this and other sermons, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
