How Does a Believer Become a Disciple
Content
How Does a Believer Become a Disciple? In considering this question, let us take note of the prerequisites for discipleship: 1. e must first confess our sins, repent of our sins, and receive !esus into our hearts. e must, in short, "e renewed "# the Hol# $pirit %!ohn &:&,'(. ). e must come to the point of *"lessed dissatisfaction.* !esus said, *Blessed +or happ#, are the# which do hunger and thirst after righteousness-* %.att. ':/(. e will not draw nigh to 0od if we are satisfied with our religious state. e will not "ecome might# in pra#er unless we are dissatisfied with our pra#ers. e will not "ecome hol# unless we are dissatisfied with our state of sanctification. e will not "ecome more compassionate unless we "ecome painfull# aware of the hardness of our hearts. 1aul said, *Brethren, I count not m#self to have apprehended: "ut this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are "ehind, and reaching forth unto those things which are "efore, I press toward the mark-* %1hil. &:1&,12(. $atisfied "elievers are the headaches of pastors, the grief of the Hol# $pirit, and a shame to the kingdom of 0od . 3ou cannot feed them "ecause the# are not hungr#. 3ou cannot change them "ecause the# have settled into a rut4 and #ou cannot move them "ecause the# are dead. Hence, one of the common characteristics of the first five disciples was a *"lessed dissatisfaction.* 5his caused them to "e on a constant lookout for something "etter, greater, and holier, that when found, the# would follow without one tinge of procrastination, disregarding an# cost to themselves.
hat Is Discipleship? Discipleship is not something #ou grow into eventuall#. It has nothing to do with growth6 Discipleship is a radical decision of the will coming out of a "lessed dissatisfaction of the heart that understands that nothing in the world matters "ut the will of 0od. 5his will lead that person to den# himself and to take up his cross dail# to 7o#full# follow !esus. 8nd since this is not a matter of growth, "ut of a decision, #ou can "ecome a disciple the same da# #ou have "een renewed in the Hol# $pirit. 5hat is e9actl# what the first :hristians did. Before the sun had set on them that first da#, the# had decided to steadfastl# continue in Bi"le stud#%formation(, in fellowship%cell groups,pra#er meetings(, in "reaking of "read%hol# mass(, in pra#ers, having also
decided to sell all their possessions and goods6 ;o one had to plead with these first :hristians to give ten percent of an#thing, for the#, from da# one on, gave one hundred percent of ever#thing %8cts ):22,2'(. .# friend, that is the pattern of discipleship laid down "# the Hol# $pirit on the "irthda# of the church. Discipleship Is 8"iding in :hrist. 5he "eliever<s onl# salvation from spiritual deh#dration, from "ecoming a walking religious corpse is discipleship. =nl# disciples a"ide in !esus. !esus said, *I am the vine, #e are the "ranches. He that a"ideth in me, and I in him, the same "ringeth forth much fruit- If a man a"ide not in me, he is cast forth as a "ranch, and is withered4 and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and the# are "urned* %!ohn 1':',/(. 5he $elf>life cannot and will not a"ide in !esus6 5here is no life outside discipleship, "ut onl# certain death and impending, everlasting disaster. Discipleship .eans ?nthusiasm for !esus. 3ou cannot find a dried up disciple an# more than #ou can find a dried up grape on a health# vine, relativel# speaking. ;otice in !ohn 1 that all the first disciples "egan witnessing a"out !esus the same da# the# met him. 5his pattern is also repeated in the earl# church as #ou can tell "# these words, *5herefore the# that were scattered a"road went ever# where preaching the word* %8cts @:2(. =ur witnessing stops when we lose our enthusiasm for !esus, when our intimac# with him ceases. Discipleship .eans 5hat e 8"andon =ur $chedules.
8t the wedding of :ana , .ar# wanted !esus to solve the pro"lem of the wine shortage at once. But !esus said, *-mine hour is not #et come* %!ohn ):24 see also A:/(. 5aking the cross up dail# means our giving !esus our time >> all of our time. 5ime is life. If #ou give !esus #our time, #ou give him #our life. Bife is time and time is life. 5o take up one<s cross dail# means to give !esus )2 hours each da#, and each hour consists of /C minutes, and each minute consists of /C seconds. D#ing dail# means giving !esus ever# second of ever# da#6 Disciples never sa# to !esus, *I have other plans-4 I have prior commitments-4 I don<t want to disappoint m# father, m# wife, or m# friends, etc-.* !esus took care of all that when he said, *If an# man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and "rethren, and sisters, #ea, and his own life also, he cannot "e m# disciple* %Buke 12:)/(.
8 disciple will never do an#thing "ut that which is on 0od<s schedule, and getting on 0od<s schedule means giving up ours. If watching television is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not watch 5D. If going to a "all game is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not go to a "all game. If shopping is not on 0od<s plan, a disciple will not go shopping. If attendance at a wedding of a "rother is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not go. 5o get personal, I left m# home countr# of 0erman# at age 1E. 5hree times people have offered me the finance to go "ack to visit m# countr#, "ut it was never on 0od<s schedule until 21 #ears after I left 0erman# . But, oh, what a wonderful time 0od gave us when it was on his schedule6 Dear one, to take up the cross dail# means to go for !esus, to "e on his schedule /C seconds of ever# minute. 8n#thing less is not discipleship. But, oh, what a "lessing to have his constant fellowship. Discipleship .eans Blessings and 1ersecutions. 8fter !esus told his disciples how hard it was for a rich man to "e saved, 1eter said to him, *Bo, we have left all, and have followed thee* %.ark 1C:)@(. 5o this, !esus responded, *Deril# I sa# unto #ou, 5here is no man that hath left house, or "rethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for m# sake, and the gospel<s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and "rethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions4 and in the world to come eternal life* %vv. )E,&C(. If the rich man had forsaken all, if he had sold his propert# and given to the poor to follow !esus, he would have received houses a hundredfold in this life and everlasting life in the world to come. But what "linded the rich man to see what !esus had for him was a greater love for mone# than for 0od. If we have a greater love for an#thing than for 0od, we are visuall# impaired or "linded to see what 0od has for us and how much he reall# loves us. Discipleship gives us all these things mentioned plus persecutions, lest we "ecome overl# e9alted. 8nd wh# are disciples persecuted? It is "ecause the moment the# sign up for discipleship, the# "ecome nonconformists, and that alwa#s causes division and persecution. ?ver# disciple is a nonconformist. He will not conform to the world: its dress, its food, its entertainment, its music, its scheduling, its value s#stem % Fom. 1):)(. 8nd disciples will e9perience persecution "ecause the same !esus who "rought a sword of division is now living in them %.att. 1C:&2(. Discipleship .eans 5hat e 8re on the a# to $anctification.
e cannot "ecome sanctified prior to discipleship, even as we cannot cross an ocean prior to getting into a "oat or aircraft. 5he process of sanctification onl# "egins in discipleship. 5he disciples, all the apostles that !esus had called, were unsanctified apostles. 5he# had env#, hardness of heart, cowardice, and a revengeful spirit >> #et, the# o"e#ed !esus in ever#thing %!ohn 1A:/(6 8nd that led to their sanctification not man# da#s hence. Dear one, are #ou a disciple? Don<t e9pect to grow into it. .ake that conscious decision toda# to take up #our cross, let !esus take over #our schedule, and #ou shall en7o# his fellowship forever6
hat Is Discipleship? Discipleship is not something #ou grow into eventuall#. It has nothing to do with growth6 Discipleship is a radical decision of the will coming out of a "lessed dissatisfaction of the heart that understands that nothing in the world matters "ut the will of 0od. 5his will lead that person to den# himself and to take up his cross dail# to 7o#full# follow !esus. 8nd since this is not a matter of growth, "ut of a decision, #ou can "ecome a disciple the same da# #ou have "een renewed in the Hol# $pirit. 5hat is e9actl# what the first :hristians did. Before the sun had set on them that first da#, the# had decided to steadfastl# continue in Bi"le stud#%formation(, in fellowship%cell groups,pra#er meetings(, in "reaking of "read%hol# mass(, in pra#ers, having also
decided to sell all their possessions and goods6 ;o one had to plead with these first :hristians to give ten percent of an#thing, for the#, from da# one on, gave one hundred percent of ever#thing %8cts ):22,2'(. .# friend, that is the pattern of discipleship laid down "# the Hol# $pirit on the "irthda# of the church. Discipleship Is 8"iding in :hrist. 5he "eliever<s onl# salvation from spiritual deh#dration, from "ecoming a walking religious corpse is discipleship. =nl# disciples a"ide in !esus. !esus said, *I am the vine, #e are the "ranches. He that a"ideth in me, and I in him, the same "ringeth forth much fruit- If a man a"ide not in me, he is cast forth as a "ranch, and is withered4 and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and the# are "urned* %!ohn 1':',/(. 5he $elf>life cannot and will not a"ide in !esus6 5here is no life outside discipleship, "ut onl# certain death and impending, everlasting disaster. Discipleship .eans ?nthusiasm for !esus. 3ou cannot find a dried up disciple an# more than #ou can find a dried up grape on a health# vine, relativel# speaking. ;otice in !ohn 1 that all the first disciples "egan witnessing a"out !esus the same da# the# met him. 5his pattern is also repeated in the earl# church as #ou can tell "# these words, *5herefore the# that were scattered a"road went ever# where preaching the word* %8cts @:2(. =ur witnessing stops when we lose our enthusiasm for !esus, when our intimac# with him ceases. Discipleship .eans 5hat e 8"andon =ur $chedules.
8t the wedding of :ana , .ar# wanted !esus to solve the pro"lem of the wine shortage at once. But !esus said, *-mine hour is not #et come* %!ohn ):24 see also A:/(. 5aking the cross up dail# means our giving !esus our time >> all of our time. 5ime is life. If #ou give !esus #our time, #ou give him #our life. Bife is time and time is life. 5o take up one<s cross dail# means to give !esus )2 hours each da#, and each hour consists of /C minutes, and each minute consists of /C seconds. D#ing dail# means giving !esus ever# second of ever# da#6 Disciples never sa# to !esus, *I have other plans-4 I have prior commitments-4 I don<t want to disappoint m# father, m# wife, or m# friends, etc-.* !esus took care of all that when he said, *If an# man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and "rethren, and sisters, #ea, and his own life also, he cannot "e m# disciple* %Buke 12:)/(.
8 disciple will never do an#thing "ut that which is on 0od<s schedule, and getting on 0od<s schedule means giving up ours. If watching television is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not watch 5D. If going to a "all game is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not go to a "all game. If shopping is not on 0od<s plan, a disciple will not go shopping. If attendance at a wedding of a "rother is not on 0od<s schedule, a disciple will not go. 5o get personal, I left m# home countr# of 0erman# at age 1E. 5hree times people have offered me the finance to go "ack to visit m# countr#, "ut it was never on 0od<s schedule until 21 #ears after I left 0erman# . But, oh, what a wonderful time 0od gave us when it was on his schedule6 Dear one, to take up the cross dail# means to go for !esus, to "e on his schedule /C seconds of ever# minute. 8n#thing less is not discipleship. But, oh, what a "lessing to have his constant fellowship. Discipleship .eans Blessings and 1ersecutions. 8fter !esus told his disciples how hard it was for a rich man to "e saved, 1eter said to him, *Bo, we have left all, and have followed thee* %.ark 1C:)@(. 5o this, !esus responded, *Deril# I sa# unto #ou, 5here is no man that hath left house, or "rethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for m# sake, and the gospel<s, But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and "rethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions4 and in the world to come eternal life* %vv. )E,&C(. If the rich man had forsaken all, if he had sold his propert# and given to the poor to follow !esus, he would have received houses a hundredfold in this life and everlasting life in the world to come. But what "linded the rich man to see what !esus had for him was a greater love for mone# than for 0od. If we have a greater love for an#thing than for 0od, we are visuall# impaired or "linded to see what 0od has for us and how much he reall# loves us. Discipleship gives us all these things mentioned plus persecutions, lest we "ecome overl# e9alted. 8nd wh# are disciples persecuted? It is "ecause the moment the# sign up for discipleship, the# "ecome nonconformists, and that alwa#s causes division and persecution. ?ver# disciple is a nonconformist. He will not conform to the world: its dress, its food, its entertainment, its music, its scheduling, its value s#stem % Fom. 1):)(. 8nd disciples will e9perience persecution "ecause the same !esus who "rought a sword of division is now living in them %.att. 1C:&2(. Discipleship .eans 5hat e 8re on the a# to $anctification.
e cannot "ecome sanctified prior to discipleship, even as we cannot cross an ocean prior to getting into a "oat or aircraft. 5he process of sanctification onl# "egins in discipleship. 5he disciples, all the apostles that !esus had called, were unsanctified apostles. 5he# had env#, hardness of heart, cowardice, and a revengeful spirit >> #et, the# o"e#ed !esus in ever#thing %!ohn 1A:/(6 8nd that led to their sanctification not man# da#s hence. Dear one, are #ou a disciple? Don<t e9pect to grow into it. .ake that conscious decision toda# to take up #our cross, let !esus take over #our schedule, and #ou shall en7o# his fellowship forever6
