Discipleship

Discipleship HHM Pastor Jim Parisi June 2, 2002

What It Means To Follow Jesus:

Luke 14:25-33 25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it-- 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ’This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. nkjv

• It seems like to me that following Jesus or expressing interest in spiritual things today has become somewhat of a fad.

The cool thing is to be SPIRITUAL TODAY New Age Movement. .. Look at the ads on the TV.

Without Jesus Christ getting into heaven would be like :

GOING TO the best SEAFOOD RESTAURANT in town, without a dime in your pocket, then ordering a few dozen oysters hoping to find a pearl in one of them to pay the bill.

It is Jesus who paid the price in full for our sins.

This is the simplicity of the Gospel.

BUT WE the people of the information age NEED MORE……

• Through advances in technology ……….even church has become an entertaining place to be.

• The church is becoming an spiritual amusement park.

• Many are coming to see the SHOW and not hear the word.

• Is it entertaining at that church … are they are doing anything to keep my attention?

What we need to know is… the word being engrafted into the hearts of these people,

There was an adult Sunday school class that the bible was under discussion. One of the young members spoke out and was explaining that there was so much of the Good Book that he did not understand. Form the back you could hear “well” said the elderly man in the last row. What I don’t understand doesn’t bother me. It’s what I do understand that worries me……

• Many churches have become huge, the so-called mega churches.

Some have attendance that exceeds 10,000.

No one knows who the person in the pew next to him or her is.

• The question arises How do you know who is looking to change their lives and follow Christ. Or Who is just along for the ride? Just coming on a Sunday to feel good and be part of the crowd.

• I believe that Jesus was thinking about that very question in Luke 14:25. A big crowd was traveling with him.

Jesus saw this crowd and turned to them and let them know in no uncertain terms what it really means to follow Him

• Jesus gives us, in this passage of scripture, the requirements of being His disciple.

• What is a disciple? Webster: one who accepts and assists in spreading the doctrines of another:

o Some associate the word with a negative connotation: The disciples of Charlie Manson or some other cult leader.

o Some believe it just refers only to the original 12 apostles or inner circle of Jesus Christ.

o I like the definition that a disciple is a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

Devoted how many things in our life are we devoted to?

The Three Requirements of Discipleship

• Three times in this passage Jesus says “You cannot be my disciple” unless we do certain things.

Jesus wants your:

1. Love (v. 26)

a. Jesus first addresses those closest to us—our family.

b. He uses a strong word hate to illustrate his point

c. He was not telling us to hate our family—that would contradict other passages of the Bible.

d. He was in effect saying that our love for Him must take precedence over all our loves—

when compared to our love for Jesus the love for our families would look like hate.

e. If you were faced with this choice what would you do?

If your family told you that they would never speak to you again if you continued following Jesus Christ, would you stop following Jesus to be with them?