Lesson 07 of the Follow Me Series
Followers Are Disciples of Discipline
John 8:31
Grady Henley
May 2004
Key Verses:
1 Tim 3:14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
1 Tim 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
Introduction:
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; There is something unique about the phrase ‘believed on him.’ That particular phrase appears only nine times in the bible, with all of them appearing in the Gospel of John, 2:11, 4:39, 7:31, 48, 8:30, 31, 10:42, 11:45, 12:42. Eight out of the nine deals directly with folks believing that Jesus was whom He claimed to be. Only the passage in 7:48 reveals the Pharisees not believing.
The passage in John 8:31, the text for this lesson, points out something that goes much farther and deeper into the spiritual realm than merely believing on Him. What this verse teaches is there are higher and loftier goals for those that will continue in His words.
The Lord does not want any to be satisfied in remaining at the salvation phase of our Christian walk (babes in Christ.) His desire is after we believe on Him is to mature into disciples.
I. DISCIPLES
When we hear the word disciple what is the first thing that comes to mind? If we know anything about the bible, usually our first thoughts are the disciples were the twelve men that followed Jesus. The second thing that perhaps comes to mind is the passage that commands us to go into the world and make disciples of all nations, Mat. 28:18-20.
Sometimes we entertain suppressed views of just who could and could not be a disciple. How often do we consider that women were disciples? Acts 9:36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
The word disciple is found 29 times in the New Testament from Matthew to the book of Acts. The plural of the word occurs 243 times in the New Testament. The word is used one time in the Old Testament, Isaiah 8:16. The most common contextual meaning of the word refers to the disciples of Jesus. There are also references to disciples of the Pharisees Matt. 22:16; Mark 2:18, disciples of John the Baptist, Mark 2:18; Luke 11:1; John 1:35, and even disciples of Moses, John 9:28.
A. What Is A Disciple Indeed?
Have we seriously considered what it means to be a disciple indeed? Note the play upon words in John 8:31. Jesus tried to convey to His disciples that if they continued in His word, they would be disciples, not in word only but in deeds as well. Such was what the author of the book of Acts said about Dorcas. She had good woks and almsdeeds. It is impossible to be a disciple of the Lord in word only. We cannot follow someone without his or her teachings, morals, and mannerisms influencing us.
This is more so when we follow the Lord. There must be some deeds to substantiate our testimony. Works do not produce salvation. Salvation produces good works, James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. The living words of God cannot be idle in our hearts, for It is alive and as such, produces action in the life of the believer.
B. Master And Pupils
Jesus encouraged people to seek godly people as their role models. Jesus was, and remains, the greatest mentor that ever lived.
1. Roles models today.
Have you ever wondered why godly teachers do not influence students in the public school systems? It is because there are so few godly teachers and so many ungodly students. The majority of teachers are not influenced by the words of God. Furthermore, it is forbidden to teach God in what is commonly called a ‘public school.’
One does not need to study this situation in great detail to realize that the reason teachers do not instruct their students in the ways of God is due to teachers not being instructed in the things of God. The majority of teachers in public schools do not have the mind of Christ. They mind the things of the world. That which the mentor takes in, worldly wisdom, is what they teach. Garbage in; garbage out.
As the majority of homes are not patterned after the precepts found in the bible, the student has no role model other than a teacher of the world, Deut 6:7-9. That which is not destroyed by an education in the things of the world is destroyed by the humanistic plots and plans acted out by the actors in movies and on televisions. There are more evil influences on our children than there are godly. Children mimic what they see and hear. Parents go so far as to push their children into acting and sports while holding up the root of all evil, the love of money, as the enticement and motivator.
2. Are Christians exempt?
The problem of ungodly teachers does not stop in the public school and the home. It is also found in so-called Christian seminaries. There the student is taught that there is no absolute truth or authority. The teacher instructs the students that the word of God was at one time inspired in the original autographs. Today, there are several good translations available and the student should just pick the one that bests fits their ministry. Education and personal choice now becomes the deciding factor, 2 Tim 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Man is the sum total of all wisdom and humanism supplanted God in the lives of many. Thinking of this nature is what brought about the fall of the human race in the Garden of Eden.
3. Our great need.
Our great need today is for more teachers (mentors), whether in public schools or private, to learn at the feet of Jesus before they begin teaching. If they were sincere, they would burn the mid-night oil, learning more and more biblical principles and implement these into their daily conduct. Once they have been taught, then they can teach, Luke 22:32. It is only after spending time with Him, can they pass on to their students what they learned, 2 Tim 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
4. Disciple of discipline.
Such is what God’s discipleship program is: an astute student endeavoring to become like their Teacher, Luke 6:40. As the students learns their Mentor’s ideas, attitudes, moral values, and behavior, these godly attributes are manifested unto all with whom they have contact.
The best teachers are those that produce the best fruit. The reason why mature Christians produce good fruit is because at some point in their lives, they determined to be a disciple of discipline, Matt. 12:33. Furthermore, these disciples of discipline knew that they must always be ever learning and growing. To stop, means they are slowly dying, Luke 2:46, 49, 52. These that desire to grow continue in His words.
Are you at that point in your life where you are recognized as a disciple of Christ? Do you realize that there are blessing in store for those that hunger and thirst after righteousness? Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Have you told someone that these blessing are abundant and are part of the glories He shares with those that earnestly seek Him? Telling someone is part of the discipleship program.
Quotes:
“A religion that gives nothing, costs nothing, and suffers nothing, is worth nothing.” M. Luther
· “It is better to train ten people than to do the work of ten people. But it is harder.” Moody
· "The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William A. Ward Progress Magazine, December 23, 1992.
· “Salvation is free, but discipleship costs everything we have” Billy Graham, Edythe Draper, Drapers Book of Quotations for the Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992)].
II. DEFINITIONS
Having said all of that as an introductory, what does it really mean to be His disciple? This short study is not meant to cover all the aspects of being a disciple of the Lord. Rather, it is intended to whet our desires so that we spend more time sitting at His feet and then, when we are about our daily business, we apply what we learn.
When we read of the disciples of Jesus and their testimonies as found in the words of God, have we seriously considered what it means? Before we understand all the elements and attributes of being His disciple, we must fully understand some things in the light of the word of God.
A. Disciple Means What?
The word "disciple" literally means pupil. Webster defines a disciple as: one who believes in and helps disseminate the teachings of a master. The root word is of Latin origin and means discipulus; that is, a pupil or student.
According to Vine's Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, it denotes "one who follows another's teaching."
However, a disciple was not only a pupil learning from their master, a disciple was also an ADHERENT. For this reason, disciples were spoken of as IMITATORS of their teachers. There is that implication again that the word of God produces action in our lives. The early believers were called Christians because someone saw some action on their part that reminded them of the Lord, Acts 11:26. Would it not be a positive mark of our testimony if the unsaved recognized us a disciples?
Unger’s Bible Dictionary has this to say: “The meaning (of disciple) is one who professes to have learned certain principles from another and maintains them on that other’s authority.”
As we think about the word disciple, each of us ought to seriously consider: Am I a disciple? If so, what principles have I learned and of whom did I learn them? Furthermore, do I apply that which I learned?
There are multitudes of people that consider themselves Christians. They do this for the simple reason someone told them they live in a Christian nation. Hence, by mere word association without any proof (good deeds), they are therefore in their own minds: Christians. 2 Cor 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
To prevent from making the same mistake of examining self in light of the wisdom of man, let us compare self to the absolute standard: God’s word. Once we begin to understand what it was to be a disciple, we will see self as God see us. If we honestly examined our testimony, it would probably surprise us to realize that most of us are merely believers and have not even attempted to work, study, or disciplined self to attain the reputation or character of a Christian and many of us are years away from being known as a disciple. Once we are known as a Christian, the next step in our maturity is that of being known as a disciple.
Example: Working in a hospital will not make one a doctor. Even so, attending church only on Sunday morning will not make one a disciple.
B. Discipline.
Now that we know that a disciple is one that desires to be like their master, there is something else that must go along with that definition. The other attribute needed to mature into a disciple is derived from the word disciple. That needed ingredient is discipline. The word discipline is from the same word as disciple. In the English language, the e was change the to ine and the word discipline is created. Discipline causes us to strive for that lofty disciple mark.
When you hear the word discipline, what is the first thought in your mind? The normal thought pattern is someone with authority held someone else accountable for violating a rule.
Discipline is defined by Webster as: ‘training expected to produce a specific type or pattern of behavior, esp. training that produces moral or mental improvement.’ Again, the root word is Latin and means a pupil that discerns or learns.
Considering the words disciple and discipline, do we fully understand we cannot be one (disciple) without having the other (discipline)? Do we realize that discipline is not something another used upon us to change our actions or thought patterns? Discipline emanates from within us. It is personal discipline and desire working hand in hand with the word and Spirit of God that produces the desired results.
C. Punishment.
Just as we misapplied the definition of the word discipline, we do the same thing with the word punishment. The thought of ‘punishment’ brings to mind visions of someone in trouble or chastised. Our thought process for punishment is it is necessary for others, but not for me.
Punishment causes us to withdraw from the one who has the power and authority to administer it. The general idea of the word punishment is most often considered with capital or corporeal punishment. If the punishment is aimed at us, we immediately think: “Unfair!”
The word punishment is a word of Greek origin and means to subject someone to a penalty for committing a crime, fault, or for acting in bad behavior; a penalty imposed for not conforming to the law.
Now if each of us would examine our actions, how many of us would admit that in many situations, we have misapplied discipline and punishment?
D. Confusion.
The truth of the matter is the words discipline, disciple, and punishment have been used out of context and in the wrong manner for so long that most folks do not know or recognize the differences. Because we confused their meaning, we probably punished when we should have attempted to instill discipline. Because we misapplied those words and their applications, we missed one of the greatest biblical principles of leaning. An illustration is necessary to reveal the difference:
“Suppose you are driving down Any Street in Some Town, USA and you see a speed zone sign that tells you the correct speed is 40 mph. You look down at your speedometer and you are doing 55. There are no officers of the law present and you continue to drive 55 in a 40 mile an hour zone. Suddenly you look in your review mirror and there is a police officer pursuing you with lights flashing. Both of you pull over, and as the office exits his patrol car, you reach for your wallet and proof of insurance. The office then inquires if you were aware that you were doing 55 in a 40. You probably stammer out something to the effect that you were not aware you were going so fast. He then writes you out a speeding ticket for not obeying the law.”
Does the above sound familiar? Has this happened to you? If it did, do you realize that this scenario is an example of disciple, discipline, and punishment? Consider: Because you failed to be a disciple of the laws of the state and drive your car at the correct speed (You did not discipline yourself and drive within the speed limit.) the officer of the law issued you a ticket and that ticket is your punishment for not applying discipline to your driving habit. Note that (1) the law nor the (2) enforcer of the law had any control over you actions. You opted to disobey.
As parents how often have we punished, when we should have instilled the merits of discipline in our children? If punishment were applied correctly, it would be the last resort used by parents, supervisors, teachers, etc.
Does this mean that the Lord will punish us if we do not mature into disciples? That question cannot be answered directly for there are other mitigating factors involved such as God’s will for your life, the work that God wants to do in your life, and yes, rebelling, 1 Sam 15:23, against the working of the Lord can cause us to commit a sin unto death. Why would any sincere student of the word, desire to push the Lord to take such extreme actions, Rom 6:16, 1 John 5:16? Why tempt ye the Lord your God, Luke 20:23-25. If we ever intend to become a disciple of Christ, we must exercise discipline in our lives, or punishment may be our lot in life.
Observe that word punishment as used in the illustration of the speeding ticket. If we break the word punishment down, we find that the punish (ment) was meant to bring about the desired change wherein (y)our where your lack of self-discipline failed.
Unless we have, and exercise, discipline in our lives, we will never be a disciple. It will take discipline and desire to get the sins out of our lives so that the fruit of the Spirit may be manifested. A spring of water does not produce bitter and sweet water at the same time. If we continue to rebel against the working of the Lord in our lives, punishment is bound to follow, Prov 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
III. THE MARKS OF A DISCIPLE
How does one know if they are a disciple or rather, how does one recognize a fellow laborer as such? The bible does not leave us to our own devices and is rather explicit when it comes to identifying those that are. Our main concern should not be inspecting the fruit of fellow believers. Our number one concern should be with inspecting ourselves in light of God word. If we can recognize the attributes of a disciple in others, we ought to be able to see the same traits in our testimony.
There are many identifying marks that reveals the characteristics of a disciple. This study only deals with two.
A. DISCIPLE ABIDES, Jn 8:31
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; This verse requires two things of a disciple: (1) be a diligent student of the teachings of Christ. (2) be a doer of the things of Christ, Mt 7:21-27; Ja 1:21-25.
If you have not noted, you will, that the recurring theme of this study is being a disciple demands discipline. Without personal discipline:
a. We will not be a diligent doer of the things of God.
b. We cannot continue (abide) in His word.
c. We cannot do the deeds His words ask of us.
It cannot be overstated that discipline is one of the necessary commodities of being a disciple of Christ. Personal discipline is a rare commodity in believers today. The great Apostle Paul said it this way: 1 Cor 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
When Jesus told the crowd that day that if they would abide in His words, He spoke to those that believed on Him. That is, they believed what He said and believed that the miracles He performed where from God. He then went on to encourage them to remain in the faith, and press forward. There are more rewards for going the extra mile.
1. Is there an easy plan?
How does a professing believer mature into a disciple of the Lord? Is there an A, B, C, 1, 2, 3 process laid out in scripture that we must follow and in a particular order? No. There is no easy systematic outline. There are however dictates to follow and one is a disciple abides in the word, not in the wor(l)d and spends much time in prayer.
Those that truly desire to be a disciple will not fail:
· To study their bible diligently.
· Have a set time for prayer
· Have a set time for meditating upon the words of the Lord.
· Practice what they learn.
Spending time alone with the Lord gives them strength to face the perils and tribulation in the world. The lost world takes note of those that spend time with the Lord, Prov. 28:1. These that spend time in the word, speak boldly in the world. Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus
2. Continue; do not stop.
Each time we start out in the things of God and then should we become sidetracked and wonder about in the world we lose valuable time, testimony, and witness. Once we get behind we must now do twice the work to get back to where we where when we stopped.
Too many Christians start out in His word, make some progress and then they are found minding the things of the world. Demas had this problem, 2 Tim 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world,…If we start, stop, start, stop repeatedly; we will never be a faithful disciple. Let us all strive to run the race. There are eternal rewards awaiting those that get in there and stick it out for the Lord.
It is not easy to continue in His word. The world throws up obstacles. Our immediate families hinder our forward progress and growth. If we ever hope to obtain that worthy goal of being His disciple, we must mind the things of the Lord. The first and greatest commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind. Love not the world nor the things of the world.
Those that have the means, the health, and the where-withal to attend church at least three times a week, yet you are a no-show save Sunday morning, I am going to tell you some things that your pastor has probably told you, yet you thought he was talking to someone else so you paid him no attention. What am I going to tell you is going to burst your self-inflated bubble concerning you and your spirituality. Ready? Here goes:
1. You only read your bible when your pastor reads his text.
2. You have no prayer life.
3. You bear no fruit.
4. You have attained in that you are as mature in the Lord as you will ever be, all things remaining the same.
5. Should you enter the portals of heaven, your robes will smell like smoke, for you passed real close to the fiery pit, Job 19:20… and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.
You failed to continue in His word and though you might have professed Christ as your Saviour some 50 years ago, you are still a babe in Christ. Keep in mind that you did not get this way over night. You arrived at your present situation, fruitless, one day at a time. You failed to abide.
B. DISCIPLES ARE COMMAMDED TO LOVE, Jn 13:34-35.
It is evident that the Jewish world recognized the Ten Commandments as given to Moses from the Lord, Ex. 20. It is true the Jewish nation had multitudes of commandments. However, by what is not stated, rather implied is, there were some commandments they evidently recognized as greater than others. Jesus confirmed this, Mat. 22:36-40.
One of the Trinity marks revealing the deity of Christ was His authority to add to the words of God. Up until the life of Christ, the word of God came by men of old as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, 2 Pet 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. This all changed with His ministry. Each time Jesus spoke or performed a miracle, the ‘establishment’ was continually asking Him who gave Him the authority to act and speak as He did, Luke 20:2.
The Gospels records the discord and hatred for Jesus among the scribes, priests, lawyers, Pharisees, etc. They knew the Law. Their problem was they did not know and had no desire to know Jesus. Until He came on the scene, they were in charge of the words of God and the minds of the people. They could tell the folks what religious ritual to perform and when. Jesus came and gave liberty to those in bondage, Luke 4:18-21.
Those that recognized they were free from the religious rituals of Judaism posed a problem to the religious hierarchy. They must continually endure this man giving new teaching and commandments. With each commandment, they lost more and more control and power over the populace.
The ‘religious establishment’ of His day was so busy trying to find some flaw in His teachings that the majority of these ‘learned men’ missed meeting the Creator in the flesh. They missed meeting Him as their Lord and Saviour. Their next encounter with Him will be as SUPREME JUDGE.
Human nature has not changed. Instead of being obedient and putting into practice from the heart His commandments, too many folks are trying to find flaws with His words. Much learning has made them mad, Acts 26:24, for in all the knowledge they attain, they have not come to the knowledge of the Truth, 2 Tim 3:7.
1. The great mark of love
Love is perhaps the great mark of discipleship. Disciples not only love in word, they love in deed. They love the things of God. They love doing the things of God. It gives them a spiritual high to be up and about the Master’s business, John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. by this shall all men know ye are my disciples… Exercising love will fill that void in the life of all sincere seekers. It will be very difficult to love in word and deed without some personal discipline.
2. Love who?
The question of just whom we are to love is as old as mankind and every generation seems to want to know if this commandment has changed:
· Cain asked the question if he was to love his brother when he inquired: “Am I my brothers keeper?”
· God told the nation of Israel they were to love Him and do His commandments. One minute said they would, Exo 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD. The next day they are murmuring and complaining.
· A lawyer asked just who is my neighbor and whether or not he should love them, Luke 10:29.
· Some go so far as to change the commandment themselves by saying something to the effect that this is the 21st Century. Those old commandments from ages past have no place in our modern world. Man goes to extremes just to circumvent the commands of God.
If we ever hope to be the disciple that God wants us to be, we will have to learn to love that unlovable soul that sets our teeth on edge. Is the one that set our teeth on edge our neighbor? It will take discipline to love our thoughtless neighbours.
Robert Frost, in his poem ‘Mending Walls,’ 1914, said “Good fences make good neighbours.” Reality tells us that fences do not make anything for they are inanimate objects. The fence merely establishes boundaries that good and honorable neighbors honor. If the neighbors are not honorable, neither will honor the preset boundaries. Those that are wise in the word know when to honour a fence, build a fence, or work to remove it. The wise walk the extra mile, Mat 5:41. They give their coat and cloak, Mat 5:40. They know that love gives. It does not take; it receives.
3. The Thirteenth Commandment, John 13:35.
A basic rule for anyone desiring to be a disciple is to ‘love the things God loves and hate those things He hates. Those two commandments of loving the Lord and our neighbours with all our hearts and soul, Mat 22:37-38, along with the ten given to Moses bring the number of commandments to twelve.
However, there was a thirteenth commandment, and this one was given to the local church body: John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
For the maturing disciple, (wanna-bes is what the world calls a hopeful) we must have the mind of Christ, Phil 2:5, else we will not continue in His word nor love as directed. Paul said to let this mind be in you. What he said was you will have to discipline your mind so that the mind of Christ will be your mind. If we start minding the things of the world, we will not continue in His word.
4. The way that Jesus loved.
Not only are there some unlovable characters living across the street or beside us, there may be one or two within the local church body. You might know who they are. Would it surprise you to know that the one you perceive to be unlovable might just be thinking the same thing about you?
Remembering that the definition of a disciple is one who wants to become like his teacher should cause us to seriously examine the way that Jesus loved. Have you ever considered the love Jesus had for Judas? Do you love the unlovable in that same manner?
How many times is it recorded in the gospels were Jesus:
1. Spoke unkindly to or about Judas to one of the other disciples?
2. Though Jesus knew the beginning from the end, was Judas ostracized?
3. Did Jesus tell the other disciples to “Keep your eye on Judas! Do not trust that guy! He is a devil!”
4. Jesus called a lot of folks hypocrites, Luke 13:15, blind leaders of the blind, Mat 15:14, He told one woman it was not meet for Him to take what was meant for the Jews and give it to a dog, (Gentiles) Mat 15:26. He called Peter Satan, Mat 16:23. He looked at the twelve and said on several occasion one of you will betray me. Regardless, He never treated Judas any differently than He did the other eleven.
Once we consider the way Jesus loved the twelve, it is evident that the Lord was training these men to do His work after His departure. It they were not a united body, the work would not be done. He did not come to divide believers. He came to divide believers from unbelievers, Luke 12:51-53. Though in reality, Jesus does not divide believers from unbelievers. Unbelievers seem to decide they cannot abide in the truth so they leave, 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. The Lord did not leave Judas. Judas left the Lord. John 13:30 He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
What do we get from all this? What we get is as we labour with our brothers and sisters in the church, we are going to see some flaws in their character. Just because we discerned a flaw does not give us the liberty to sow discord, Prov 6:16-19, within the local body where by we make that flaw evident to others. Jesus did not do such with Judas.
The bible instructs us on how to deal with one that walks disorderly. Some of these issues were discussed in the lesson “Followers Have Discernment.” If we would follow what the bible says, the issues would be resolved the biblical way.
5. No preferences, Heb 13:1.
Why did brotherly love continue within the ranks of the twelve? It was because Jesus did not make Judas’ intentions known. He knew that Judas would do that himself. It was more important to keep unity within the ranks. Jesus had enough problems maintaining harmony and unity among the disciples.
There was one occasion when one of the mother’s of two of the disciples came to Jesus with a request that caused dissention and discord. All she wanted was for her two boys to sit, one on each side of the Lord, in His kingdom, Mat 20:20-24. She knew this would be a favored position and her request was nothing more than favoritism for her two boys.
This request caused problems then. Preferential treatment does the same today. Once a brother or sister is offended, discord reigns. Prov 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
The best way to handle such obstacles as these is to “let brotherly love continue.” That is, brotherly love can only continue with our permission. If brother love continues, there is not much time or room for enmity and ill will.
Just how much love do we have for the Lord, the things of the Lord, our fellowman, or the local church body? Jesus had enough love for His creation that He died to redeem it back unto Himself, Rom 5:7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Jesus loved us even while we were yet sinners, Rom 5:8.
There were no preferences in His love. He loved us all the same. Such is how we ought to love one another in the local body. A body of believers loving one another is a united body, 1 Cor 1:10, 3:3, 12:25. 1 Tim 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality. Disciples love and as such the love manifested in their lives will not cause divisions. Love unites.
IV. THE SYMBOLS OF DISCIPLESHIP
While I was putting this material together for this study, a sister in the church I attended, Barbara Topel, handed me a book titled “Take Five” by Morris Pruit. Her action was nothing more than the Lord getting two people together, that have never met, for the sole purpose of spreading the gospel and encouraging others to grow and mature into a disciple of the Lord.
As I began reading “Take Five” I began thinking that what I was reading was some of the very things I wanted to say. What better way to say them than to encourage others to read the book I was reading.
“Take Five” ‘is short treatise on five of the many symbols of discipleship found in the New Testament.’ Furthermore, they ‘are arranged in the order in which they would normally occur in the Christian life experience’ as they mature into being His disciple. The book is about 67 pages filled with information pertaining to discipleship.
Bro. Pruit introduces the student to five symbols of discipleship:
1. The Cross,
2. The Yoke,
3. The Towel,
4. The Wind,
5. The Crown.
I encourage you to contact Bro. Pruit and ask him for your copy of “Take Five.”
It is my understanding the books are free. Love offering accepted.
EZ Yoke Ministries, Inc.
P. O. Box 134
De Leon, Texas 76444
pruitezyoke@cctc.net
254-893-7670
I ordered 25 of them. My plan is to distribute them to my SS class and use the material to teach discipleship. Did I mention that all bible verses in “Take Five” were from the God honored King James Version of the Holy Scriptures? That alone is a blessing!
V. WITH EVERYTHING THERE IS A COST, Lk 14:25-33.
A hog and a hen, sharing the same barnyard, heard about a church’s program to feed the hungry. The hog and the hen discussed how they could help. The hen said, “I’ve got it! We’ll provide bacon and eggs for the church to feed the hungry.”
The hog thought about the suggestion and said, “There’s only thing wrong with your bacon and eggs idea. For you, it only requires a contribution, but from me, it will mean total commitment!”
Total commitment means total commitment. Total commitment comes about when one decides to become something more than a born-again-attends-church-on-Sunday-morning-only-saved-though-as-by-fire-comvert. The Lord spoke of total commitment in Luke 14.
A. Total Commitment Means You Might Suffer, Lk 14:27.
If you tried to live a godly life in an ungodly world, you realized immediately that suffering will be part and parcel with your commitment, 2 Ti 3:12. It will be rather difficult to go from a Sunday morning attendant that congregates in the assembly so that you can get lost in the crowd to martyr in one swift step. I am not saying such is impossible; rather it is improbable.
Even if we escape suffering unto death for the cause of Christ, we will still have to give up much free time to become that mature disciple that bears much fruit. To grow in grace means we must forsake other to follow Christ. We will not be able to forsake all unless we discipline self to do so, Luke 14:33.
The Lord did not try to draw large crowds so that He could increase His followers. Large crowds were drawn unto Him. The Lord was looking for someone in whom He might magnify Himself, 2 Chr 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him…
Once some of those standing by heard they might have to suffer, they drifted away from such teachings. Still others heard things that did not tickle their ears, and they slipped out the back when no one was looking, 2 Tim 4:3. Those that remained were those that wanted something more than just being saved, sanctified, and satisfied, John 6:61-71.
B. Total Commitment To That Old Cross Meant Suffering, Phil 2:8.
Was that old rugged cross that the Lord faced all His life worth doing the will of God? Yes it was. Once we think of the high cost of our salvation, we realize the truth in that old proverb that goes something like this: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
Such is what God did. He did not trust our redemption to anyone or anything other than to Himself. He wanted it done right, once and for all, 2 Cor 5:19. Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
“Today, the cross has become benign–a piece of harmless jewelry. In Jesus’ time, it was a horrible, agonizing tortuous mode of execution. It was the noose, the electric chair, and the lethal injection of His day. In the time of Jesus when you saw someone, carrying across it meant one and only one thing: they were as good as dead.
A few years ago, Helen Prejean wrote a book, “Dead Man Walking.” When a death row prisoner is walking from his cell to the place of execution, the other prisoners say, “Dead man walking!” He’s alive and walking, but he’s as good as dead. That’s a perfect description of what Jesus meant when He spoke of a disciple carrying his cross. We are dead people. We should just start acting like a dead person.” Five Marks of a Real Disciple by David O. Dykes.
If you have a cross hanging around your neck, do you realize the mark you are carrying. Are you 100% committed to that mark? When you wear a cross you are saying I am dead to the world, yet alive unto the things of God. If you have that cross around your neck to accent your neck, you are misapplying what the cross means, Gal. 2:20, 24, 6:14.
CONCLUSION
Our schooling into being a disciple begins after salvation and being baptized according to the dictates of scripture. Once we meet the prerequisites, we then ought to enroll in the Lord’s Discipleship Program and thus mature into disciples of Jesus!
Jesus stated that if one was going to be a disciple, they must be like their teacher, Lk 6:40. Our goal then, in being a disciple is to be like our Master. According to the apostle Paul, this coincides with God's goal in the redemption of mankind, that we be conformed to the image of His Son, Ro 8:29. The Lord was a disciple of God the Father.
Do we have a strong desire to follow Jesus and become like Him? Unless we do, it cannot be said that we are truly His disciples! If we really are sincere about being a disciple, then we will exercise discipline; not as the Pharisees so that they could magnify self, but to magnify the Lord.
Do you want to move from being just a Sunday morning face in the congregation of the church, to a life that manifests the marks of Christ? If so, you need to move into the core of becoming a committed disciple. For those that desire to move, the Lord gave us some instruction when He presented the image of a man planning to build a tower, Luke 14:28. Before he begins the construction, he must “count the cost” to determine if he has enough resources to finish the job.
This is the thinking that must go into counting the cost of His discipleship program. Before you embark into this maturing process of the Christian life known as a disciple of Christ, should you stop and ask: “Do I have enough to finish?” The answer is always, “NO. You do not have enough to finish.” The reason why you do not have enough to finish is because you are not drawing from your resources. The main thing emanating from self is our personal discipline.
God provides all we need, 2 Cor 9:8. God is the builder who finishes the job.
Paul in Phil 1:6, stated: Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: The Lord is committed unto the task. The only question that needs answered is: are we?
Actually, it is better to think in terms of the value instead of the cost. A good finish as a disciple is the key. A lot of backslidden Christians may go to heaven when they die, but they will not finish well. Jesus spoke about the man in Luke 14:29 who was not able to finish. Who then is that wise servant that will be able to say one day “It is finished!”
If we stop and think for a moment, we all know of people and corporations that started a project.
There was the ground breaking ceremony, the press release, plans were distributed, material purchased, and the final product never materialized. Someone did not count the cost. Someone did not have the disciple to see the job to the end. With the project halfway finished, it is now an eyesore.
Are you going to finish well? Look around your church assembly and begin to notice who is not here and how long it has been since you last saw them at church. What happened? They did not count the cost.
Perhaps you are one of the missing in action. If so, there is good news for you, for you still have life in you body and blood flowing in your veins. There is still time to get back into program and finish the course. The finish line is still ahead.
Are you sitting down on the track? Are you going to barely drag yourself across the finish line, or are you going to summon God’s strength so you can sprint across the finish line? Are you ready to surrender to the only wise God and KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS?
Jesus describes two kings, Luke 14:3. One is outnumbered, so he wisely approaches the stronger king and makes peace before the battle ever begins. You and I are one of the kings and God is the other. Guess which one sues for peace? Because we can never win against God, we must surrender to Him. In Jesus’ time a surrendering king could be made into a slave of the opposing king, so it required great humility to bow down and ask for terms of peace. That is exactly what God wants us to do, surrender our will and become His servants.
It takes humility to surrender to Jesus for His salvation. Once you lay hold on to salvation, it will require more humility on our part to become His disciple, for in so doing we must relinquish our self will and take upon ourselves His will. That is the hard thing to do. None of us wants to give up or surrender.
Have you ever seen people in church with their hands raised? Contrary to popular belief, it is scriptural to raise holy hands unto the Lord. 1 Tim 2:8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. There are important things to note in this action of lifting holy hands unto the Lord. Observe:
a. Those hands must be holy! If those hands have been engaged in activities less than favorable unto the Lord, you best keep them down. The hands are the tools of the mind. That is, the hands only perform the actions demanded by the mind and heart of the man. If you mind and heart are not holy, Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? You had better keep them hands down.
b. The second thing is those hands must be without wrath. That is, the inner man must be at peace with his fellowman and his Creator. Do you have ought against someone? If so, you best keep them hands down, Mat 5:23-24.
c. The third thing in line with raising holy hands is there can be not doubts in you life. Do you doubt the workings of God in your life? You will fair better if you leave those hands down, Heb 11:6.
d. The fourth thing associated with raising holy hands is raised hands are a type of oath. Remember what the witness is asked in a court of law? “Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!”
e. The fifth thing encompassing the raising of holy hands is you are showing the congregation and telling the Lord that your life is one that is totally and wholly surrendered unto the Lord.
When you raise your hands in church is it a sign that you surrendered? When an officer of the law places an offender under arrest, one of the first things the offender is told is, “Raise your hands.” The office wants those hands where they can be seen at all times. (Remember the hands are the tools that the heart and mind uses.) When a soldier surrenders in battle, he does so by raising his\her hands.
This king that decided to propose a peace plan did so with his hands raised for he knew his army could not defeat the army they were facing.
1. Do you love Jesus more than anyone else, even your family?
2. Are you a dead man walking, carrying your cross?
3. Are you committed to finishing strong for Jesus?
4. Are you constantly surrendering everything you have to Him?
5. Jesus is looking for a few good men and women: the humble, the pure, the dead, and the committed.
6. Will you decide today to move from being a mere believer and make being a fully devoted follower of Jesus, your goal?
Once we continually exercise discipline, we will find that our Master does not have to punish us near as often or severely. We become disciples of discipline. Jesus was the greatest example of discipline for He did always those things that pleased the Father. The only punishment Jesus endured was death as Saviour for the world. The position of a disciple is one that pleases their Master. John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.
Thanks to:
Five Marks of a Real Disciple by David O. Dykes
Take Five by Morris Pruit.
