In Matthew 28:19-20 we have Jesus saying to all of us – “Therefore, go make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey the commands I have given you. And, be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
I don’t know of a clearer passage where our life purpose is issued by Jesus, the Captain of our salvation. We are under His authority and we have been commissioned to go and invite others to become His disciples as well. Jesus reminds us that we cannot be successful by ourselves, so he assures us that He will be right there with us.
What is a disciple?
The answer to that question is that a disciple is a learner and a follower of Jesus Christ. A Christian disciple has committed himself/herself to Christ, to walking Christ’s way, living Christ’s life, and sharing Christ’s love and truth with others. None of us have arrived spiritually, so Jesus will always be discipling us. But as we grow in our relationship with Him, we should find ourselves partnering with Him to influence others to become a disciple of His. This is His bedrock purpose for each of us who have received Him — know Him and make Him known to others.
The Bible gives us three pictures of life —
1. Physical life – we are born with this.
2. Spiritual life – we become alive spiritually when we receive Jesus.
3. Eternal – this is a gift from God who loves us.
The Bible also speaks of death in three ways —
1. There is physical death … we all face this.
2. There is spiritual death … this is what happened when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit.
3. There is also eternal death or eternal separation from the God who loves us.
Christ came into the world to reconcile us back to God. Every person born into this world has an appointment with death. The Bible says that our times are in God’s hands. He knows how much time we have left, but we don’t.
When this life is over, we will go to one of two places – heaven or hell. In 2 Corinthians 5:15 we read “He (Christ) died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. Later in that same chapter, we read “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to Himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to Him.” (vs.18)
We are His disciples and we are to make disciples. In the balance of this issue of the Jubilee Weekly, I want to share with you some of the characteristics of a true disciple.
A. A true disciple of Christ is willing to serve.
Jesus set the example for us in John 13 when He washed the disciple’s feet. Think of it – the Son of God knelt or stooped to wash His disciple’s feet.
Listen to the words of Paul in Galatians 5:13 NIV “For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.”
B. A true disciple must learn to listen.
When Jesus was being transfigured, God the Father spoke from heaven. We read in Luke 9:35 – “Then a voice from the cloud said, “This is My Son, My Chosen One, Listen to Him.” In John 10:27 Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice.” The Apostle James wrote 1:19 “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: you must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”
C. A true disciple wants to learn.
In Matthew 16:22-23 Jesus was sharing with His disciples about His coming, suffering and death, and Peter seems to be rebuking Him, saying, “God forbid, LORD! This shall never happen to you.”
Notice, our Lord’s response to Peter — “Get away from Me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to Me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”
We have great advice in Psalm 46:10 NIV
“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15 wrote “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive His approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”
D. A true disciple is teachable.
A disciple is to be a learner; an apprentice.
· 1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
· Proverbs 13:18 “Poverty and disgrace came to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.”
E. A true disciple is submissive to authority.
Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 wrote – “Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. Hebrews 13:17 says “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them a reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be to your benefit.”
(This meditation will be continued. As you look at these characteristics of a disciple of Christ, ask yourself, “Am I a true learner and follower of Jesus Christ?”)
Blessings,
Pastor Leonard
