What are Christ’s terms of discipleship? What are the basic requirements for anyone who would follow Jesus? Popular American Christianity has invented its own terms of discipleship which are far different than what Jesus originally called all His followers to! Brian Anderson delivered this message at the Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival chapel service on June 19, 2011 on an outdoor stage.
Teaching Notes:
The Terms Of Discipleship
Luke 14:25-35
Intro:
- I want to speak this morning on Jesus’ Terms of Discipleship. This is an extremely important issue. You say, “Brian I’m not interested in being a disciple. I just want to be a Christian.” Sometimes we can get the idea that there are 2 levels of people going to heaven: Christians and disciples. We think that “disciples” are sort of the spiritual marines, whereas the rest of us are just ordinary Christians. However, Acts 11:26 says that the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. “Christian” was just a nickname for a disciple. If you are a Christian, you are a disciple. You can’t be a Christian without being a disciple!
- In Mt.28:18-20 Jesus gives the Great Commission. He doesn’t say, “Go and make Christians, or make believers, or make converts. He says make disciples.” Why? Because disciples are saved and going to heaven. Non-disciples are lost and will not go to heaven. That’s how important it is that we are disciples of Jesus ourselves!
- Notice who Jesus is speaking to? Is He speaking to mature, committed Christians who are now ready to take the next step in their spiritual lives? No. 14:25. These were large crowds that had just begun to follow Him. Most of them were not true followers of Christ at all. They were attracted to Him because of His miracles. Today we would classify them as “non-Christians.” So, when Jesus gives these very stringent terms of discipleship, just be aware that He is giving them to a crowd of non-Christians. This is an evangelistic call of Christ. Jesus is not calling mature believers to a more committed life. He is calling lost, non-Christians to salvation!
- Jesus is more concerned about Quality than Quantity. How odd this sounds to us in our church growth mentality. We feel we are a success if we can get a lot of live bodies into a building. Not so with Jesus. it doesn’t matter how many people you are cramming into your church buildings if they are not the right kind of people. Jesus did not get excited about the huge numbers that were following Him. He didn’t do whatever was necessary to keep them with Him. No, He turned and said some very strong things to them, knowing that most of them would leave. Jesus knew that it was all in vain for someone to follow Him on their own terms. Unless they followed Him on His terms, they were still lost and in their sins.
- Are you willing to come to Jesus on His terms? The popular American brand of Christianity operates on coming to Jesus on your own terms. Popular evangelists tell people, “Just accept Jesus into your heart”; “believe these 4 spiritual laws”; “Admit, Believe, Confess”; “just answer these questions right”; “pray this prayer”; “sign this card”; “raise your hand and walk to the front”. Jesus didn’t ask His followers to do any of those things! Well, what are Jesus’ terms? In this passage He states 3 of them.
1. Supreme Love: vs.26
What is meant by “hate”? Jesus never taught that we should have some kind of malicious intent towards our dearest family members. As usual, Scripture will interpret Scripture. Mt.10:37 is the closest parallel to this passage. The disciple’s love for Jesus Christ must be so supreme that every other love in his life seems like hatred in comparison.
What does this look like? In a disciple’s life there is no question as to who has his allegiance. He loves Christ and so keeps His commandments. If there is ever an issue between pleasing Christ or pleasing a family member, there is no contest. Christ comes first. The disciple does not allow mother or father, wife or children, brothers or sisters to become an idol in his heart. He loves Christ first and foremost above all. He also loves his family, but not as his supreme love. He loves his family out of obedience to Jesus. The disciple knows that if he loses his family but has Jesus, he has everything. But if he loses Christ and has his family, he has nothing! If we can allow a family member to deter us from obeying and serving Jesus, then we do not love Him supremely.
2. Supreme Loyalty: vs.27.
Carry his cross: what was Jesus talking about? We hear people today speak about an illness, or a bad marriage, or a noisy neighbor as the cross they have to bear. That is not what Jesus meant! In the 1st century if a man was carrying a cross, he wasn’t coming back. He was going to his death. Jesus is talking about dying. Many of Jesus’ original disciples gave their lives as martyrs. That may be part of what Jesus meant. However, not every disciple will end up dying as a martyr. But every disciple must die to himself! Luke 9:23 “take up his cross daily.” Becoming a disciple of Jesus involves dying to your own will, plans, ambitions, goals, and aspirations. It involves a death to your old life where you did pretty much what you wanted, and a new life in which Jesus calls the shots. He now is Lord. He’s the Boss, the King! You are a dead man walking. You don’t determine the house you will live in, the car you will drive, the plans you will make. A disciple prays about all things and obeys His Master.
Christian Baptism: signifies this truth. When a person is baptized, in a very real sense, he is attending the burial of his Old Man. For a person to become a follower of Jesus, he must surrender the control of His life to Jesus Christ. He is dead to the old life, and alive to a brand new life, where Jesus is Lord!
Would-Be Disciples Must Count The Cost: Jesus gives 2 illustrations.
Workers Constructing a Building:
Warriors Fighting a Battle:
What Is The Cost? Everything. Salvation is a free gift, but it will cost you everything. Not because salvation is for sale, but because by receiving salvation you are united to Christ in His death and resurrection. Thus, your old life dies, and you are alive in Him. Gal.2:20.
3. Supreme Loss: vs.33.
What does Jesus mean? “Give up” means “to forsake, say good-bye to, abandon.” When a person becomes a disciple, he says good-bye to all his possessions. They are no longer his to use as He wants to. They are Christ’s to be used as He wants to. If you are a disciple, you don’t own a home, a car, an RV. You don’t possess a checking account or savings account, or have any investments. Jesus possesses all of them. A true disciple will live his life by asking Jesus what He wants him to do with the money and possessions that he has been entrusted with. He will not live a life of luxury while over 4.5 billion people are lost and headed for hell, and over 30,000 children die each die from starvation or preventable diseases.
This does not mean tithing! Most believers don’t even tithe. But the ones who do, feel like after they have given their 10%, the rest is theirs to do with what they want. Not so! The question is not “how much of my money should I give to God?” The question is “how much of God’s money dare I keep for myself?” What does God want me to do with my money and possessions?
So, any takers? These are Jesus’ terms: Supreme Love, Loyalty, and Loss. But if those are the basic requirements, are there are benefits? If you give up everything you have, do you receive anything? You better believe it! You get Jesus and all that He has! You get eternal life, forgiveness of sins, His presence living inside you, everything in your life working together for your eternal good and His glory, an ongoing transformation of your life into Jesus’ image, the privilege of doing something truly significant with your life, adoption into His family, loved as His own child, perfect acceptance based not on your performance but Christ’s. You can’t put a price tag on these things! They are beyond value. So, I call you to come to Christ on His terms. Give Him supreme Love, Loyalty and Loss and receive all that He is forever!
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