The Three “Cs” of Discipleship
Luke 9:23-26
During my twelve years of ministry here the mission of the Willow Vale Church has been: “Bringing people to Jesus, loving, equipping and sending them out to make more and better disciples.”
Jesus gave us the mission and purpose of the church clear.
Luke 19:10 Jesus said, “For the son of man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
In His great commission Jesus said: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20
Throughout His ministry Jesus was involved in making disciples. Jesus called people in all walks of life to surrender all to Him and become a fully devoted disciple.
For the past twelve years we are used many different ways to reach out in the love of Christ and call people to become followers of Jesus.
On one Saturday we handed out 500 packets of Light bulbs with a note declaring that Jesus is the Light of the World.
We did several events showing acts of kindness expressing God’s love without any strings attached: washing car windshields of the three recovery groups meeting at the church. We did several cook outs for the recovery groups.
We did five prayer walks in our neighborhood. We did a religious survey of 500 homes asking two or three questions: How long have you lived here? If you attend a church what would kind of ministries would you want the church to have? How can our church better serve this community?
For the Alpha studies and dinner we visited 2,500 homes giving invitations to attend the Alpha studies. We formed five groups at the church and one in Morgan Hill. Several people came to Christ and were baptized as a result of the Alpha outreach.
We handed out cherry covered chocolates door to door to our neighbors around the church.
We handed out the Jesus video to our neighbors around the church. We have handed out several hundred of the videos.
We have invested thousands of dollars in outreach during the past 12 years.
I have had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus with scores of people during the past 12 years. I’ve shared Bible studies in homes, at places of work, over lunch in restaurants and at Starbucks on many occasions. I’ve had the privilege of baptizing many of you who have made confession of faith in the Lord.
What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?
All who follow Jesus with all their heart are called disciples. A disciple is a life long learner.
Becoming a Christ follower is conditional. We have the choice to say, “Yes” or “No” to becoming a disciple of Jesus. Jesus said, “If anyone will come after me…” Jesus gives the invitation and then leaves the choice up to us.
A disciple is one in training. A disciple is teachable and constantly studying to himself or herself approved unto God. The key word go becoming a disciple of Jesus is “obedience.” The call of Jesus is a demanding call. If a person says he wants to follow Jesus and continue to live as he is living, is fooling himself.
There are three “Cs” of discipleship. The three “Cs” represent the three levels of discipleship.
I. The “C” of the Curious.
Some of Christ’s followers were just curious. Crowds followed Jesus out of curiosity and for what they could get from Jesus.
John 6:1-2, “Sometime after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias (Galilee), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.” Great crowds followed Jesus because they were looking for a great show. They wanted to see more miraculous signs.
The curious crowds followed Jesus and when they got hungry Jesus had compassion on them and provided a great banquet of all the fish and chips they could eat. The free lunch came from the multiplication of a boy’s lunch of 5 barley loaves of bread and 2 small fish. 5,000 men were fed plus women and children. (John 6:10)
Jesus revealed the true motive of the curious crowd: John 6:26-27, “I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and fishes and had your fill.”
For the curious crowd “seeing” is not, believing. They refuse to accept the teachings of Jesus. They are just curious. By their association with Jesus they may claim to be believers, but they are Christian in name only. They main aim is personal gain. Take away the benefits of associating with Christians and all you see is the dust left from their quick get away.
Scribes, Pharisees and religious rulers were part of the curious crowd following Jesus. They followed Jesus primarily to find fault with his teachings and criticize his life-style. According to their traditions, Jesus did not dress right or associate with the right people. Jesus associated with the Samaritans, poor people and talked to godless men and women.
Curious followers will follow Jesus as long as it doesn’t interfere with their life-style.
The second response to the call of Jesus is the “C” of the Convinced.
II. The “C” of the Convinced.
There were many who followed Jesus that were convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but they refused to obey the teachings of Jesus.
Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. But as I told you, you have seen me and still do not believe.” John 6:35-36
John 6:58, Jesus said, “Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” “On hearing it, many of his disciples said: this is a hard teaching. Who can accept it? John 6:60 “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.” John 6:66
Convinced followers follow Jesus for the wrong reasons. As long as Jesus taught according to their views and doctrine they were okay, but when Jesus challenged their beliefs they turned away.
Judas was convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but Judas wanted Jesus to lead and rule according to his plan. Judas wanted Jesus to set up His earthly Kingdom and overthrow the Roman government. Judas refused to yield to God’s ultimate plan. Judas wanted his way or no way.
Judas chose to deny Jesus and turn him over to the authorities to be arrested, tried and crucified. He later denied Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Are you convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God, but refuse to surrender your heart to Jesus? Do you say, “I’ll follow the Lord, if the Lord will lead me the way I want to go?” Then you are a convinced follower.
Jesus calls us to follow him, not as a curious or convinced follower but as the third C says.
III. The “C” of the Committed.
Committed followers of Jesus are fully devoted disciples of Jesus.
When Jesus watched the curious and convinced followers turn away; He asked the other disciples, “Will you also go away?” Peter answered to those who were committed to follow Jesus: “Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:68
Jesus gave the call, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24
What does self-denial mean? To deny self is to refuse to depend on your self-centered ways. It means to give up control of your life and surrender your rights to God. Jesus defines self-denial as loving God more than we love the things of this world. Jesus said: “What does it profit a person if they gain the world and lose their own soul.”
Self-denial is not a morbid outlook on life. “Oh, I have to suffer for Jesus. Jesus will take all the fun out of my life. From now on my life will be dull and drab with no excitement.” The fact is the greatest adventure in life is when you take God’s hand and allow Him to lead you.
Self-denial is not radical fanaticism. It is not withdrawing from life or having no common sense.
#ATS Student – library studying – Faith to cancel his insurance on the mobile home he and his wife were living in and smash his glasses. “I see all God wants me to see.”
To take up your cross and follow Jesus means you are not ashamed to take a public stand for Jesus.
In effect Jesus is saying: “If you are going to follow me and be useful in the kingdom I expect unconditional loyalty. That means you give Me priority over convenience, safety, and values of the world.” Following Jesus means no “ifs” or “conditions.”
Taking up your cross and following Jesus may mean taking up the cross of criticism. Whether criticized for your faith or ridiculed for not participating in certain activities you are taking up the cross by not compromising. When you take up your cross whatever it is you have the assurance that Jesus is right there helping you carry your cross.
You take up your cross may mean giving up on trying to get even. You don’t have to pick up stones that come your way and throw them back.
Following Jesus as a fully committed disciple means you don’t allow the influence of family or friends to stop you. Regardless of the resistance others may give you, you put following Jesus above all other priorities.
Taking up your cross and following Jesus means turning loose of everything that you value in your life and turning it over to God. Every possession you have is on loan to you from the Lord. Your attitude toward possessions is a clue to the reality of your discipleship. Is it, “How much of my money will I give to God?” Or is it, “How much of God’s money will I keep for myself?”
Self-denial means we turn from all self-pity, self-centeredness, and live to serve others.
Self-denial means acknowledging that God deserves all the glory for all that we do. In all we do we give God the glory!
Following Jesus as a committed disciple helps you respond to life’s challenges with the love of Christ. Colossians 3:5-7 teaches how the committed disciple is to live: “So put to death those members that are on earth…Once you moved among them, when you lived in them; but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander…you have stripped off the old nature with its practices, and put on the new nature…be clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and good temper, forbear and forgive each other in any case of complaint; as Christ forgave you, so you must forgive. And above all you must be loving, for love is the link of the perfect life.”
As a committed disciple you have the promise of bearing fruit. Jesus gives this promise in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last…” Fruit bearing takes time.
Not long after moving into the church house on Greenbank Court, I planted an orange tree – 1998. When Carollyn and I were out of town Bud Jolimay would come and take care of our lawn. He also knew I had planted a tree. When the tree was only one year old and quite small. I came home from one trip and found 4 oranges fully developed on the tree. I thought I had a miracle tree. I took off one of the oranges and it tasted great. I told Bud about the quick development of oranges and he confessed that he tired them on with green string. By the year 2000 the tree produced 4 oranges. Last year the tree was covered with oranges.
The lime tree I planted four years ago produced many limes this past year. The lime tree is now nearly as large as the orange tree. Now we have great producing fruit trees in the back yard of the church parsonage, Lemon, Lime and Oranges.
Seeing lives transformed takes time. In our family we did our best to raise our children to love the Lord and over time we saw them blossom with faith in the Lord. They are passing that same faith on to their children.
I have shared Christ with many of you. The seed has been planted. Others will water and others will see the fruit of changed hearts and lives. Our mission is to take the initiative and share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results with God.
Today are you a either curious disciple, a convinced disciple or a committed disciple? Today I challenge you to become a COMMITTED DISCIPLE.
As a committed disciple keep your focus on Jesus. “And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish.” Hebrews 12:1-2
My challenge to you this morning is to be a committed follower of Jesus. Commit to keeping your life focused on Jesus
