Discipleship
1. WHAT IS A DISCIPLE?
A. A “follower of the teaching” and the Master Teacher:
Matthew 10:24–25 The disciple [should] be as his master (See also Luke 6:40.)
John 8:31 If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
John 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me
John 13:15 I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done
1 Peter 2:21 Christ [left] us an example … follow his steps
B. A disciple abides [lives, dwells] in Jesus:
John 15:4 Abide in me, and I in you
John 15:9–10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love
1 John 2:6 He that … abideth in him ought … to walk as he walked
1 John 3:24 He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him
(See also 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:5,10,24,28.)
C. A disciple serves Jesus out of love and gratitude:
John 14:21,23 If a man love me, he will keep my words
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 Ye are not your own … for ye are bought with a price
2 Corinthians 5:14 The love of Christ constraineth [motivates] us
Ephesians 5:1–2 Be followers of God … walk in love, as Christ loved us
Philippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain
(See also Exodus 21:5–6.)
2. A DISCIPLE’S JOB:
A. To win souls (“bear fruit”):
Matthew 4:19 Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men
Mark 16:15 Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature
Luke 9:59–60 Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach
John 15:8 Bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples
(See also Matthew 7:20; Romans 7:4.)
B. To train more disciples:
Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and teach [make disciples of] all nations
John 21:15–17 Lovest thou me? Feed [teach and instruct] my sheep
2 Timothy 2:2 Things which thou hast heard … [teach] faithful men
(See also Acts 20:20.)
A. Subordinating other pursuits to follow Jesus:
Matthew 13:44–46 Kingdom of heaven is like … treasure hid in a field … selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field … pearl of great price … sold all that he had and bought it
Luke 14:33 He … that forsaketh not all … cannot be my disciple
B. Having the right priorities—spiritual over material:
Matthew 6:19–20 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth
Mark 10:21 Sell whatsoever thou hast … and take up cross and follow
Luke 12:15 A man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth
Acts 4:34–35 Possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices … and laid them down at apostles’ feet
Philippians 3:8 Jesus … for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung
(See also Matthew 19:22; Luke 12:33.)
C. Forsaking materialistic ambitions:
Matthew 6:24 Ye cannot serve God and mammon
Mark 4:19 The cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches … choke the word … it becometh unfruitful
Mark 10:17–25 [Jesus challenged the rich young ruler to forsake all]
John 6:27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for
2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with … this life
Hebrews 12:1 Lay aside every weight … let us run the race
(See also 2 Corinthians 6:17.)
D. Start by counting the cost:
Proverbs 24:6 By wise counsel thou shalt make thy war
Luke 14:27–32 Intending to build … sitteth down and counteth the cost
E. Commit and don’t look back:
Luke 9:61–62 No man … looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God
Philippians 3:13–14 Forgetting things which are behind, and reaching forth … I press toward the … high calling of God
Hebrews 11:27 [Moses] forsook Egypt … endured, as seeing him [God]
F. Some made a sudden decision to follow:
1 Kings 18:21 How long halt ye … ? If the Lord be God, follow him
Matthew 9:9 As Jesus passed … he saw Matthew sitting at receipt of custom: Follow me. And he arose, and followed him
John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? Look on the fields, they are white already
Hebrews 4:7 Today if ye … hear his voice, harden not your hearts
G. Delay and excuses can result in never serving God:
Luke 9:57–62 Let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home
H. Some took more time to count the cost:
Luke 14:28–30 Sit … down first, and count the cost
■ Peter and Andrew first met Jesus at the Jordan River (John 1:37–42)
■ They followed Him back to Galilee (John 1:43; 2:1–2)
■ He called them some time later, and they then forsook all to follow Him
(Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16–20)
4. DIFFERENT MINISTRIES OF DISCIPLES:
A. Being a disciple does not always mean abandoning all other pursuits:
Matthew 27:57 Rich man … named Joseph, who also was Jesus’ disciple
John 19:38–40 Joseph of Arimathaea, a disciple of Jesus, secretly
Acts 9:36,39 A disciple named Tabitha [made coats and garments]
(See also Mark 14:8.)
B. Some disciples had prominent positions in society:
Mark 15:43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counselor (See also Luke 23:50–51.)
Acts 10:24; 44–48 [Cornelius the centurion, his relatives and friends]
Acts 19:31 Certain of the chief of Asia … were [Paul’s] friends
Romans 16:23 Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you
C. Sacrificial giving—a requirement for all disciples:
Luke 8:3 Joanna the wife of Chuza … and Susana, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance
2 Corinthians 8:14–15 That … your abundance may be a supply for their want
Acts 11:29 The disciples, every man according to his ability
1 Timothy 6:17–18 [Command] them that are rich … to distribute
D. The disciple’s attitude toward those who can’t devote their time to serving God:
Mark 10:21 [Jesus loved the rich young ruler, even though he didn’t forsake all]
Luke 9:49–50 We forbad him, because he followeth not with us. But Jesus said, Forbid him not
discipleship
E. Not all are called to be disciples:
Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen
Luke 8:38–39 The man … besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine house
(See also Mark 5:18–20.)
John 6:53–61,66 [Jesus weeded out weak followers who were there for the wrong motives]
(See also Jeremiah 12:5; Matthew 13:47–48.)
F. Different degrees of discipleship:
■ The 3 innermost disciples (Mark 9:2; 14:32–33)
■ The 12 apostles (Mark 3:13–19)
■ The “other 70” (Luke 10:1)
■ The “multitude of the disciples” (Luke 19:37)
5. DISCIPLESHIP AND “LOSING YOUR OWN LIFE”:
A. Disciples must subordinate their own life, plans, ambitions:
Matthew 6:21 Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
Matthew 16:25 Whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it
Luke 9:59,61 [Wrong attitude:] I will follow thee, but … me first
Luke 14:26 If any … hate not his own life, he cannot be my disciple
B. Discipleship—A life of death to self-centeredness:
Matthew 6:33 Seek first the kingdom of God
Matthew 10:38 He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me
Matthew 16:24 If any man come after me, let him deny himself
Mark 10:21 Come, take up the cross, and follow me
John 12:24–25 [If] a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die … it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life shall lose it
2 Corinthians 5:15 They should not live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them
6. THE PATH THE DISCIPLE FOLLOWS:
A. A disciple heeds God’s will and follows:
Numbers 22:18 I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord, to do less or more
Luke 6:46 Why call me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things I say?
Luke 14:27 Whosoever doth not … come after me, cannot be my disciple
John 2:5 Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it
John 8:31 If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed
Revelation 14:4 They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth discipleship
B. A disciple follows godly leaders and examples:
1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ
Philippians 3:17 Be followers of me and … them which walk as ye have us for an [example]
1 Thessalonians 1:6 Ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word
Hebrews 13:7 Them which have rule over you … whose faith follow
C. Disciples follow God, even without understanding all the details:
John 21:21–22 What will [he] do? What is that to thee? Follow thou me
2 Corinthians 5:7 We walk by faith, not by sight
Hebrews 11:8 Abraham went out, not knowing whither he went
D. Disciples adapt and change:
Luke 9:3 Take nothing for your journey, neither … money
Luke 22:35–36 I sent you without purse … but now … take it
E. Disciples love other disciples and work in unity with them:
John 13:35 Ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another
Philippians 1:27 With one mind striving together for the … gospel
7. THE LIFE OF A DISCIPLE:
A. Give sacrificially and be willing to call nothing your own:
Matthew 5:42 Give to him that asketh thee … turn not thou away
Luke 3:11 He that hath two coats, [give] to him that hath none
Luke 6:30 Him that taketh thy goods, ask them not again
Acts 2:44–45 And all that believed … had all things common
Acts 4:32–35 Neither said any that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; they had all things common
1 Timothy 6:7–8 Having food and raiment let us be therewith content
(See also Luke 9:23–26.)
B. Disciples must be willing to endure hardships:
Luke 9:57–58 I will follow thee … foxes have holes, but the son of man hath not where to lay his head
2 Timothy 2:3 Endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ
(See also 2 Corinthians 11:23–28.)
C. Be willing to endure persecution:
Acts 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for Jesus Christ
Philippians 1:29 Not only to believe on him, but also to suffer
2 Timothy 3:12 All that live godly in Jesus shall suffer persecution
(See also John 16:33.)
D. Be zealous and enthusiastic:
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might
Galatians 4:18 It is good to be zealous … always in a good thing
Revelation 3:15 I would thou wert cold or hot
8. THE BENEFITS OF DISCIPLESHIP:
A. Discipleship is a privilege:
Psalm 4:3 Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself
Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen
Philippians 3:14 The prize for the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling
(See also Matthew 11:25; 13:16–17; Luke 8:10.)
B. Rewards for serving Jesus:
Matthew 10:39 He that loseth his life for my sake shall find it
Matthew 19:27–29 We have forsaken all, and followed; what shall we have? … Ye shall sit upon thrones … receive an hundredfold
Mark 10:28–30 Shall receive an hundredfold now in this time
Luke 12:33 Sell that ye have … provide yourselves a treasure in the heavens that faileth not
John 12:26 If any man serve me, him will my Father honour
1 Corinthians 2:9 Eye hath not seen … the things which God hath prepared for them that love him
(See also Matthew 5:10–12; 16:25,27; John 12:25; 2 Timothy 2:12.)
C. Faithful overcomers rewarded:
Matthew 25:14–29 [The parable of the talents] (See also Luke 19:12–26.)
Luke 12:42–44 Faithful steward … Lord will make him ruler (See also Luke 12:35–38.)
Revelation 2:26–28 He that overcometh … will I give power over nations
Revelation 3:21 Him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me
9. JESUS’ LAST WORDS AND PRAYER FOR HIS DISCIPLES:
(See John 14–17; Acts 1:8.)