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The Heart Of Being A Disciple (Script) 17 May 2012
Introduction - Was a student here on this same campus like all of you here today. Studied Interior Architecture Design (IAD) from 2006 – 2009. And I was very involved serving here in this ministry on campus. Attended the weekly live meetings, went for metamorphosis camps, went on a mission trip with my batch mates, did Campus E and most of all being in a discipleship group (DG) & leading one too! Even had my call to go into full time ministry in my final year in this ministry, but that's another story. And i'm glad to have brought one of my faithful disciples with me today whom we have still kept in contact after graduating.
What is a Disciple to you?
Dictionary.com dis·ci·ple
noun
1. one of the 12 personal followers of Christ.
2. any follower of Christ.
3. a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower
Disciple: A learner and follower of Jesus Christ. The term ‘disciple’ is similar to the word ‘student’ or ‘pupil’ and the requirements to be a student varies according to maturity level and desire to learn.
Illustration:
Kungfu Panda Video
This clip shows an example of one type of disciple. And that was Po, the panda, also known as the “Dragon Warrior” who apparently was the chosen one to protect the valley from the evil snow leopard Tai Lung.
Today I will be sharing based on this 4 ‘C’s , I will first touched on the big picture which is going back to the primary mission that God has for all of us. Thereafter, we will go deeper and talk about what really is “the heart of being a disciple”. And we will end with the application!
1) We are all Commissioned!
Matthew 28:18-20New International Version (NIV)18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
As an officer in the SAF, we are commissioned by the President of Singapore, but here it’s of a much higher greater commission, we are all commissioned by our Almighty God! All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Jesus, and therefore He can commissioned us to… go and make disciples of all nations…or to all people group.
The mission has not changed! This is the primary mission given to us! If you read through whole of bible history, whenever there is a scene at a mountain top, you expect God to be revealing a special revelation from Him. E.g. At Mt Sinai, when God revealed the 10 commandments to Moses, at the high mountain where the transfiguration took place. And now some mountain again in Galilee!
If you noticed too, this was Jesus last words to his 11 disciples at Galilee. This showed that not all will make it at the end of the day. And as you know how powerful a man last word’s is right; you would want to hear every word He says. Especially if this man was Jesus Christ the Son of God!
Now knowing that we are commissioned for it, there’s actually a cost to pay!
The next few passages that I’m about to share is not easy to grasp. I was praying really hard, if I needed to share this, but God’s truth cannot be said in any other way if I really want to go deep into what the heart of the disciple really means. Not sure how many of you will stay on after hearing this, but this is the bare truth from God. And I pray and hope that His truth will convict your heart.
2) We are to count the Cost!
Luke 9:23New International Version (NIV)23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
It means that we must be willing to die to our own interest, die to our own reputation, die to our own rights, die to our own ways of doing things; die to our own comfort, convenience, hopes, dreams, and aspirations. To “die” means to lay it all down. To give it all up. To let it all go.
One more passage that talks about this radical cost can be found in Luke 14:25-35. Due to the popularity of Jesus, great multitudes were following Him. They were merely going along with Him because of His reputation for performing miracles seeing his miracles. One of the famous ones was the feeding of the 5 thousands!
Luke 14:25-33New International Version (NIV)The Cost of Being a Disciple25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
“To hate one’s own father and mother” is not meant in the literal sense. It’s a hyperbole, where it’s an exaggeration of words to show the comparison of the vast love for Christ in comparison to loving our family members is as though is like hating them.
“To carry the cross” is to bear what the cross represents: death and suffering. The cross is a symbol of Jesus suffering and sacrifice for us.
“To Count the cost”, Like the architect and king, they both count the cost of what’s at stake. It involves a life of sacrifice. True discipleship is costly but rewarding.
3) It requires our Complete devotion!
If I can summarize in one line what the Heart of being a disciple is. This is what God revealed to me.
“Total absolute complete devotion to the lordship of Christ in every arena of our entire life”
Mark 12:30-31New International Version (NIV)30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Looked at every arena of our life right now! It means everything, do we love God in our worship to Him, in our prayer life, in our service, in our communities, in our studies, our daily tasks, our time, our money, our job, our house, our friends, our family. You must be ready to give it ALL up for Him!
What I’ve shared may seem so humanly impossible, but I want to assure you there is much hope and reward in this. Knowing that the Holy Spirit in us has empowered us to live that life if we allow Him too!
Illustration
"God plans life in such a way that the greatest treasures are concealed, waiting for you to discover them. And there is no thrill like the thrill of making a great discovery."- Selwyn Hughes Imagine
I’m holding this 10 cent coin that I value strongly tightly in my hand right now. I won’t know what God can give me, unless I surrender that 10 cent coin to Him. And allow Him to take it away and put this “gold nugget” in it. That’s the kind of treasures concealed in Him unless we surrender everything to Him!
"The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become – because he made us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own." - C. S. Lewis
Now that you know we are all commissioned for it, we are to count the cost, it requires our complete devotion! Are you now ready to answer that call?
4) Are you ready to answer that Call!
And that’s the ultimate call to make disciples who make disciples!
2 Timothy 2:2New International Version (NIV)And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Are you all the reliable people that Paul talks about here?
If you haven’t known by now this is what the campus crusade vision is, to create…
“Movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus.”
I still remember so clearly what my crusade staff told me when I was in year 1, if I was F.A.T. She said that’s the criteria of the basic framework of finding disciples!
Are you F.A.T?
FAITHFUL
AVAILABLE
TEACHABLE
You can be a very committed Christian in church, yet not exactly a F.A.T. on campus. I'm not saying not to serve in church. But the very least is to avail yourself here on campus as well. 5 times a week you will be spend here on campus & probably weekend you will be in church. And I can testify in my time here, that it's possible to serve actively both on campus & also in church!
In Summary
The Heart of being a Disciple
-We must put Jesus above every other person in our life
-Our will and plans must be subordinate to His will and plans
-We must place Christ above any other thing in our life; our relations, our plans—everything is subordinate to our love and devotion to Christ.
This is just the basic requirements. We cannot give half of ourselves to God but He requires the whole of us. And He will also empower us to have the strength to surrender to Him as long as we are willing.
Illustration
I would like to end my sharing, on the great benefits that I‘ve experienced being in this community, especially in a discipleship group (DG). If not for various Spiritual Multipliers (SM) I’ve been with and discipleship group (DG) mates I spend time with. I probably won’t have kept that daily passion for Christ. These are the people that taught me what it means to be a disciple. I want to encourage you all that being in a ministry where like-minded passionate and on fire Christians gather together allows one to be that disciple. Such constant interaction with one another each time just adds fuel to the hunger we have for our Lord.
I can testify many times that even how busy my schedules were at times being in design school, I still made time for DG and it has definitely benefited me so much each time meeting my fellow brothers in Christ! Each meeting has always made me so encouraged! And whenever I get back to my work thereafter I just feel this deep intrinsic Joy that gives me the strength to continue my daily projects!
At the end of the day, such a community like this would definitely keep us in check to be that disciple that God has called us to be.
Do you desire to be that disciple?
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