Commanded to Make Disciples
At the time of His ascension Jesus commissioned the first disciples to “make
disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20) “go you therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world”. Many are
making converts, teaching people to receive Jesus is their Savior, yet discipleship
goes further. Not only do they teach people to receive Jesus as their Savior, but
also to receive His as their Lord.
Disciples are called by Christ’s Spirit through the message delivered by the first
disciples. Disciples called later are not in any way inferior to the first disciples. It
was proper for the early Christians to be called disciples of “Jesus of Nazareth or
simple the disciples”. This is because they were carrying on the teaching of
Jesus and following His example. They were recognized as a living community
that reflected the teaching of their “Master” in practice (I John 2:3-6; 3:10-11)
“and hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He
that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is
not in him. But whoso keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected;
hereby know we that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him ought himself
also so to walk, even as He walked. In this the children of God are manifest, and
the children of the devil; whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loves not his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another”.
The disciples were to proclaim the message of salvation through Christ. Those
who believe in Christ and do not follow Him are carnal Christians, walking in their
fleshly nature. Jesus condemned the church of Laodices because of its
lukewarm faith and declared that He was about to spew them out of His mouth
(Revelation 3:14-22). A mere believer is someone who gives mental ascent to an
idea and says yes I believe this idea to be true; but Jesus didn’t call us to be a
mere believer, He called us to be a disciple. The Bible says “that even satan
believes and trembles” (Acts chapter 8). Mere ascent to God’s truth is not saving
faith.
A disciple submits himself to the discipline and teaching of that leader. Wherever
there is a teacher and those taught, the idea of discipleship is present. The
twelve were called by Jesus’ authority from a wide variety of circumstances; all
those who approved of His teaching were committed to Him are called disciples.
The full significance of what Jesus said and did could not be most fully
appreciated until after the events of His crucifixion and Resurrection (Matthew 28:
9). This period of discipleship covered the time before and after Christ’s death
and resurrection, but it continued on alter Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit taught
the disciples about matters that they could not “bear” while Jesus remained on
earth (John 16:12).
The call of salvation is a call of discipleship and those who know Him and they
follow Him at any cost. A disciple who followers after Jesus will deny himself
(Luke 9:23-24) “and Jesus said to them all. If any man will come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever will save
his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall
save it”.
Jesus speaks to those that believed in Him (John 8:31-32) “then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on Him, if you continue in My word, then are you My
disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free”. Jesus gives us the key that we must abide in Him and His words abides in
us (John 15:5-8) “I am the vine, you are the branches, he that abides in Me, and I
in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for withou5 Me you can do no nothing. If
a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be don to
you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My
disciples”.
Their authority in the church, given by Christ was to be marked by a unique style
of self giving service. Disciples are still being made today. Saul of Tarsus was
added, he was converted on the road to Damascus; he saw the risen Lord and
was immediately commissioned by Christ as the apostle to the Gentiles. The
Lord told Anani to arise and go to Straight street, where Saul was and lay his
hands on him that he might receive his sight. (Acts 9:15) “but the Lord said to
Anani, go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel”.
Saul later called Paul commends Timothy in II Timothy 2:1-3 “you therefore my
son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also. You therefore endure hardness, as a god
soldier of Jesus Christ”; and in II Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you therefore before
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall judge the quick and the dead at His
appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”.
To be a disciple we have to be discipline, teachable. Jesus says in Matthew 10:
24-25 “the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is
enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If
they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household”? John writes in I John 4:17 “herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so
are we in this world”. Paul writes in II Timothy 2:15, “study to show yourself
approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth”.
People will know that we are disciples, Jesus says “a new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love
one to another” (John 13:34-35).
We are warned of who can not be a disciple of Jesus (Luke 9:57-62) “and it came
to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said to Him, Lord, I will follow
You where so ever You go. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, and birds of
the air have nests, but the Son of man has no where to lay His head. And He
said to another; follow Me, but he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my
father. Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their dead, but go you and preach
the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but let me first
go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said to him, no
man having put his hands to the plow, and looking back, it fit for the kingdom of
God”. Again in Luke 14:26-27,33 He says “if any man come to Me, and hate not
his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also, he cannot be My disciples. And whosoever does not bear
his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. So likewise, whosoever he
be of you that forsake not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple”.
Jesus does tell us that “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind”, that sounds like with all of you.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: October 22, 2010
At the time of His ascension Jesus commissioned the first disciples to “make
disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20) “go you therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world”. Many are
making converts, teaching people to receive Jesus is their Savior, yet discipleship
goes further. Not only do they teach people to receive Jesus as their Savior, but
also to receive His as their Lord.
Disciples are called by Christ’s Spirit through the message delivered by the first
disciples. Disciples called later are not in any way inferior to the first disciples. It
was proper for the early Christians to be called disciples of “Jesus of Nazareth or
simple the disciples”. This is because they were carrying on the teaching of
Jesus and following His example. They were recognized as a living community
that reflected the teaching of their “Master” in practice (I John 2:3-6; 3:10-11)
“and hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He
that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is
not in him. But whoso keeps His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected;
hereby know we that we are in Him. He that says he abides in Him ought himself
also so to walk, even as He walked. In this the children of God are manifest, and
the children of the devil; whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither
he that loves not his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the
beginning, that we should love one another”.
The disciples were to proclaim the message of salvation through Christ. Those
who believe in Christ and do not follow Him are carnal Christians, walking in their
fleshly nature. Jesus condemned the church of Laodices because of its
lukewarm faith and declared that He was about to spew them out of His mouth
(Revelation 3:14-22). A mere believer is someone who gives mental ascent to an
idea and says yes I believe this idea to be true; but Jesus didn’t call us to be a
mere believer, He called us to be a disciple. The Bible says “that even satan
believes and trembles” (Acts chapter 8). Mere ascent to God’s truth is not saving
faith.
A disciple submits himself to the discipline and teaching of that leader. Wherever
there is a teacher and those taught, the idea of discipleship is present. The
twelve were called by Jesus’ authority from a wide variety of circumstances; all
those who approved of His teaching were committed to Him are called disciples.
The full significance of what Jesus said and did could not be most fully
appreciated until after the events of His crucifixion and Resurrection (Matthew 28:
9). This period of discipleship covered the time before and after Christ’s death
and resurrection, but it continued on alter Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit taught
the disciples about matters that they could not “bear” while Jesus remained on
earth (John 16:12).
The call of salvation is a call of discipleship and those who know Him and they
follow Him at any cost. A disciple who followers after Jesus will deny himself
(Luke 9:23-24) “and Jesus said to them all. If any man will come after Me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever will save
his life shall lose it, but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall
save it”.
Jesus speaks to those that believed in Him (John 8:31-32) “then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on Him, if you continue in My word, then are you My
disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free”. Jesus gives us the key that we must abide in Him and His words abides in
us (John 15:5-8) “I am the vine, you are the branches, he that abides in Me, and I
in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for withou5 Me you can do no nothing. If
a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered, and men
gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me,
and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be don to
you. Herein is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My
disciples”.
Their authority in the church, given by Christ was to be marked by a unique style
of self giving service. Disciples are still being made today. Saul of Tarsus was
added, he was converted on the road to Damascus; he saw the risen Lord and
was immediately commissioned by Christ as the apostle to the Gentiles. The
Lord told Anani to arise and go to Straight street, where Saul was and lay his
hands on him that he might receive his sight. (Acts 9:15) “but the Lord said to
Anani, go your way, for he is a chosen vessel to Me, to bear My name before the
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel”.
Saul later called Paul commends Timothy in II Timothy 2:1-3 “you therefore my
son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have
heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit you to faithful men, who
shall be able to teach others also. You therefore endure hardness, as a god
soldier of Jesus Christ”; and in II Timothy 4:1-2 “I charge you therefore before
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall judge the quick and the dead at His
appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine”.
To be a disciple we have to be discipline, teachable. Jesus says in Matthew 10:
24-25 “the disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is
enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If
they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they
call them of his household”? John writes in I John 4:17 “herein is our love made
perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so
are we in this world”. Paul writes in II Timothy 2:15, “study to show yourself
approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth”.
People will know that we are disciples, Jesus says “a new commandment I give to
you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another. By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love
one to another” (John 13:34-35).
We are warned of who can not be a disciple of Jesus (Luke 9:57-62) “and it came
to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said to Him, Lord, I will follow
You where so ever You go. And Jesus said to him, foxes have holes, and birds of
the air have nests, but the Son of man has no where to lay His head. And He
said to another; follow Me, but he said, Lord, permit me first to go and bury my
father. Jesus said to him, let the dead bury their dead, but go you and preach
the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow You, but let me first
go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said to him, no
man having put his hands to the plow, and looking back, it fit for the kingdom of
God”. Again in Luke 14:26-27,33 He says “if any man come to Me, and hate not
his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea,
and his own life also, he cannot be My disciples. And whosoever does not bear
his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple. So likewise, whosoever he
be of you that forsake not all that he has, he cannot be My disciple”.
Jesus does tell us that “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind”, that sounds like with all of you.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: October 22, 2010
