The Mind of Christ
The Demands of Being a Disciple
INTRODUCTION:
I. We’re naturally drawn to the pictures of Jesus that show a loving, kind and compassionate Savior.
A. We find comfort and consolation in knowing God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, loved us enough to do all they did in providing for us a way to be forgiven of our sins and gain the hope of eternal life.
1. We like to think of Jesus as the Servant who sacrificed Himself for us, and as the Great Physician who came to heal us of our disease of sin, and of the loving Shepherd who patiently seeks for us as His lost sheep, and of the Savior whose love for us cannot be destroyed even by our own sins.
II. But there is another side to this picture of Jesus.
A. Without understanding this side, we have only one-half of the true picture.
1. Many theologians have only painted the picture of Jesus as the gentle Savior.
2. But the Scriptures tell us there is a great deal more to the character and nature of Jesus than this.
B. Therefore, let’s focus our attention on another side of Jesus.
1. The side where we see a demanding Savior – One who demands absolute obedience and complete loyalty from those who would be His disciples.
2. And one who warns of the consequences of an impending judgment against those who refuse to obediently and loyally follow Him.
3. To do this, we need to see what the Lord demands of those who would wish to be His disciples.
BODY:
I. First, the Lord demands absolute obedience from everyone who would follow Him.
A. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issued an uncompromising demand for absolute obedience.
1. Matthew 7:21-29 – "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' 23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' 24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." 28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
2. Jesus said, many will claim obedience – claim to be doing things in “His name.” But, in truth, they will be workers of iniquity – those “who practice lawlessness.”
a. This is not to say that these people were wicked or evil. They simply chose to do things of a spiritual nature THEIR WAY rather than choosing the Lord’s way.
(1) They are much like the people for whom Paul prayed in his letter to the church in Rome. (See: Romans 10:1-3)
(2) Many today are ignorant of “God’s righteousness,” and have sought to “establish their own righteousness,” and thereby “have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.”
b. That’s why, in the passage we looked at earlier (Matthew 7:21-29) Jesus contrasts the one who “hears these sayings of MINE and DOES them,” as opposed to the one who “hears these sayings of MINE and DOES NOT do them.”
(1) It all comes down to hearing and doing the sayings of Jesus. He’s the One who has absolute authority to command and demand our obedience, and He ALONE is the One whom we should obey in all things.
(2) That’s why in Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus asks, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)
B. Obedience to the Lord’s commandments is the most simple way of showing our love and allegiance to Him.
1. 1 John 2:3-6 – Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
2. Today, we always hear people talk about “knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.” What they mean by this is that they “know” the Lord in a special and unique way – there is intimate fellowship between them and the Lord.
3. But, the only way we can claim to “know the Lord” is if we keep His commandments.
a. Obedience to the Lord’s commandments is the only way I know to prove our love to Him, and to be assured that the Lord loves us in return as His disciples.
b. After all, isn’t a disciple someone who learns from and follows the teachings of His master? That’s what being a disciple of Christ involves.
c. So, how can we claim to be a disciple of Christ – a true learner and follower of Christ – if we are not willing to keep His commandments?
4. Jesus put it as simple as anyone could, when He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
a. That’s pretty simple isn’t it?
b. The way the Lord measures our love for Him is in how faithful we are to keeping His commandments.
C. So, for us to be a disciple of Jesus, we need to be absolutely complaint with His teaching. And why not? After all, He came as a preacher, prophet and teacher sent from God to bring heaven’s message to mankind.
1. How could anyone ever expect to please God and at the same time disregard the teachings or the commandments of Jesus?
II. Not only did Jesus come demanding absolute and complete obedience, He also came demanding complete and uncompromising loyalty and allegiance.
A. In the gospel of Luke, we find an occasion when Jesus confronted His followers with a serious challenge.
1. Jesus told His followers they needed to first consider the fact that being His disciple would require some pretty significant sacrifices.
2. Luke 14:25-33 – Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
B. To Jesus, discipleship requires three things:
1. First, discipleship demands absolute and uncompromising love for God and for Jesus Christ – even more than any earthly relationship we can imagine.
a. Our love for God and Christ must be so great that by contrast, it appears as if we actually “hate” our most cherished earthly relationships.
b. In Matthew’s account of this same teaching of Jesus, he records it in these words: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37)
2. Second, discipleship demands sacrifice – a willingness to put the Lord first in everything in our lives, even if it means we must eventually forfeit our life in the process.
a. That what’s implied by the words of Jesus, “and whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple…” and “whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”. (Luke 14:27; 33)
b. Jesus wasn’t talking about merely accepting responsibilities. He was talking about being willing to make the supreme sacrifice if required to do so.
(1) Sadly, far too many Christians lose their faith when people mock and ridicule them for being a Child of God.
(2) But if we’re willing to lay down our life for Christ, we won’t have any trouble accepting a little persecution now and then.
3. Finally, Jesus said discipleship involves carefully calculating the costs involved before we make the commitment.
a. This is seen in the words, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it — lest, after he has laid the 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 to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?” (Luke 14:28-31)
b. The apostle Peter issued a similar warning to Christians: 2 Peter 2:20-22 – For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."
B. Jesus has every right to demand from us complete and uncompromising loyalty and allegiance, because He’s the One who left heaven and came to this earth to die on a cross so that we could have the hope of eternal life through Him.
1. He is our Lord and our Savior, and He has every right to demand that we make Him first in our lives, and that absolutely nothing can take precedence over our service to Him.
III. Finally, because Jesus came demanding absolute obedience to His commandments, and came demanding complete and uncompromising loyalty and allegiance, He also warned His followers of the serious consequences that would follow if these things were not done.
A. John 12:42-48 – Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. 44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. 46 I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. 47 And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48 He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him — the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
B. Jesus didn’t come for the purpose of bringing judgment, but He warned that judgment is coming, and the basis of that judgment will be the words He has spoken.
1. Sadly, many knew Jesus was the Christ, but they were afraid to publicly confess their faith in Him because they would rather have the praise and acceptance of men than of God.
2. Jesus said He came into the world as a “light” – to give the illuminating light of understanding to all who would believe in Him.
3. But Jesus also knew not everyone would believe in Him. So, He warned those who reject Him and do not receive His words that there will be “THAT which judges him – the WORD that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”
a. Why? Why will the words of Jesus judge us on the last day?
b. Because Jesus didn’t come speaking on His own authority, but by the authority of God the Father, Who had sent Jesus into the world.
C. Nothing has changed. The word Jesus spoke will be our judge also. And the reason should be obvious.
1. We will be judged by the word that Jesus spoke because He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and has every right to:
a. Demand absolute obedience from all who would be His disciples, and to. . .
b. Demand complete and uncompromising loyalty and allegiance to all who would follow Him.
2. The judgment is coming for everyone of us.
a. Peter tells us that the Lord doesn’t want to see anyone lost: “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness?” (2 Peter 3:9-11)
b. The apostle Paul put it this way: “Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men...” (2 Corinthians 5:9-11)
CONCLUSION:
I. As we said at the beginning of this lesson, we like to think of Jesus as the Servant who sacrificed Himself for us, and as the Great Physician who came to heal us of our disease of sin, and of the loving Shepherd who patiently seeks for us as His lost sheep, and of the Savior whose love for us cannot be destroyed even by our own sins.
A. But there is another side to this picture of Jesus.
1. Because Jesus is the Servant who sacrificed Himself for us, He now expects us to make sacrifices for Him.
2. Because He is the Great Physician who came to heal us of our disease of sin, He expects us to “follow the doctor’s orders,” so that we can be cured.
3. Because He is the loving Shepherd who patiently seeks for us as His lost sheep, He expects for us to remain with the flock rather than constantly wandering off every opportunity we have.
4. And because He is the Savior whose love for us cannot be destroyed even by our own sin, He expects for us to love Him in return by faithfully keeping His commandments out of complete and uncompromising loyalty and allegiance to Him as our Lord and Savior.
B. And why is all this so important? Because a day of judgment is coming for each and every one of us.
1. We won’t be pleading our case before a jury of our peers, nor will we be standing before a judge who has as many sins in his life as we may have in our own – we will be standing before the judgment seat of Christ.
a. We will be judged by the Savior who gave His life for us, and expected us to give our obedience, loyalty and allegiance back to Him in return.
b. And we will be judged by how well we kept His word. To put it another way, if you want to know what the test is going to be before you have to take the final exam – look in the book!
C. Are you prepared for that day?
1. If not, then don’t wait another moment. Besides, there’s no guarantee you will ever have another moment.
a. If you’re not a member of the Lord’s church, then...
b. If you are a child of God who has wandered away from the Lord, then...