(For an audio version of this sermon click here)

The Christian is a Disciple.

Ø  A follower; a learner – but in the Bible as we’ll see there is a close relationship between the disciple and his master that there is no sense of distance learning here and so the disciple is

Ø  An apprentice

Ø  One who assists in spreading the teaching of his master.

The idea is undeveloped in the OT with very few occurrences on the word disciple in our English translations – 1-3 max.

Turning to the NT we find more than 270 occurrences of the word – Gospels and Acts but not thereafter.

The word is not restricted to describing the followers of Jesus:

John the Baptist and the Pharisees had disciples: Mk.2:18 “Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?””

Moses too had his disciples Jn.9:28 “And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses.”

However just about all the other references speak of the followers of Jesus – the word is really very much a Christian word.

                  As consider just how the word disciple is used we’ll learn a number of things.

1.       Often used to refer to the 12 apostles – those who were closest to Jesus and who travelled widely with him in the years of his ministry.

eg. Mt.8:23 “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.”

Let’s not miss what is quite striking when you look at the different references to the word disciple in the Gospels to see that the disciples are most normally in Jesus’ presence – what a privilege!

eg. Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”

2.        Sometimes the word is used more generally of those who followed Jesus without being members of the 12. In this way we read of Joseph of Arimathea being a disciple. In Lk.6:17 we read of a great crowd of his disciples ready to hear the Sermon on the Plain. And in Jn.6:66 we read “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” because his teaching was hard for them to accept.

3.       Moving on into the Acts we find that the word is used as a simple synonym for Christians:

Eg. Acts 6:1;2;7 “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number… And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples… And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

4.       The term is not restricted to describe only Jesus’ male followers because Tabitha is also called a disciple:

Acts 9:36 “Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity.”

5.       It is important to note as well that to be a disciple one has to become a disciple. A blind man that Jesus had healed was being interrogated by some Pharisees replied to them as follows:

Jn.9:27 “He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?””

It is no light thing to become one of Jesus’ disciples – we’ll consider a little later some of the conditions that Jesus himself set out.

A disciple then is not someone who can be considered independently of his Master and for the Christian that means that he must be defined in relation to his master Jesus Christ.

Listen to what Jesus had to say when speaking about his disciples:

Mt.10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.”

Luke recorded another similar saying from the lips of Jesus:

Lk.6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

Cf. 1Jn.3:2 “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

A.       Consciousness of personal need: There are plenty of things I don’t know and I need to be taught – with the Lord’s help we’ll address this in the evening service.

B.       The way man is constituted. Bob Dylan sang in one of his songs

“But you're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You're gonna have to serve somebody,
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you're gonna have to serve somebody.”

C.       Consciousness that another – the Master – has a greater capacity than I do and hence has the ability to bring positive things into my life.

Or put another way what type of person would make a good Master to follow?

I think we can safely say that no-one really wants to follow a “loser” of a “no-hoper”! The person must have the stature necessary to inspire us – the more worthy the person, the more likely to more disciples. The more worthy the Master the more pride in being counted amongst his disciples.

Let’s take a brief look at his credentials as recorded for us in the Bible.

1)       Well beloved Son of God

Mt.3:17 “and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Mt.17:5 “He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Rom.1:4 “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,”

2)       Heavenly origin

Jn.8:23 “He said to them, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.”

3)       Lord of Glory

1Cor.2:8 “None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

(Ja.2:1 “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.”)

Cf.Acts 7:2 “And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,”

Ps.24:7 “Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.”

Let’s not forget that God the Lord does not give his glory to another! Is.42:8 “I am the LORD; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, »

4)       Author/Prince of life

Acts 3:15 “and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead.”

5)       Prince and Saviour

Acts 5:31 “God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.”

6)       Captain/founder of Salvation

Heb.2:10 “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.”

7)       Ruler of the Kings of the earth

Rev.1:5 “and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”

8)       King of kings and Lord of lords

Rev.19:6 “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”

9)       Speaks with the Father’s authority bringing the Father’s message

Jn.12:49-50 “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment––what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”

10)   Does what He sees the Father doing

Jn.5:17-19 “But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.” This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God. So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.”

(Not mention all the “I am” statements!)

a.        Wholehearted and not half-hearted – no lack of enthusiasm and nothing tepid! Getting your priorities right.

Lk.14:26 ““If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”

b.       With love:

Jn.21:15-17 “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” …  He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” … He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

c.        Serious self-denial

Lk.9:23 “And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

d.       Thoughtfully

Lk.14:27-33 “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”

To learn more about what discipleship involves follow the link - Discipleship.