So, what does it really mean to be a disciple—a disciple of Jesus Christ? Let me ask that question in a different way: How often do we come to church thinking that what we hear from the word of God … is really optional? I can do with it what I want … or not. And, are you taking your responsibility as a disciple of Jesus Christ seriously today? What does it really mean to be a disciple of this guy called … Jesus?
One thing’s for sure. He never said it would be easy, did he? But, then again, Jesus also never said it was optional. If you want to claim to be a follower of his in any way, you must be his disciple. And one of the best definitions of discipleship I’ve ever run across came from Oswald Chamber’s My Utmost for His Highest devotional (July 2) where it defines it this way: “Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person—our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Not devotion to principles, or doctrine, or a cause, or a tradition … but to Jesus himself! And Jesus not only told us to be disciples … but to make disciples. That is the work of the Church! … Do you remember? It’s called ‘The Great Commission’ and it’s found at the end of Matthew 28 (18-20):
“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”
These are our marching orders from God himself! And, folks, the Great Commission is a game changer! I believe Jesus was deliberate in not leaving this as an option; he knew how valuable it was for our growth. I know it’s hard to fit discipleship and all that goes with it into a busy schedule, but I promise you … it is so worth it! Discipleship … is not an option! … Listen, today, to what the Apostle Paul tells the young pastor he mentored (Timothy) about the importance of discipleship—growing in our passionate devotion to our Lord Jesus Christ…
If you explain these things to the brothers and sisters, Timothy, you will be a worthy servant of Christ Jesus, one who is nourished by the message of faith and the good teaching you have followed. 7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly. 8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” 9 This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. 10 This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers. 11 Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. – 1Timothy 4:6-11 (NLT)
So, there it is. And today, I thought we’d spend just a few moments together taking a very different approach to learning about discipleship. What would you do if someone came up to you and said, “Hey, I’ve got news for you and it’s a sure thing.” Would your ears perk up? And then they said this: “I’ve got a few ways to guarantee you that you won’t grow spiritually!” After all, why be weighed down by all those demands of Jesus on your life? (I told you it was a different approach.) So here, folks, is what might keep you from becoming a fully-developing disciple of Jesus Christ. Here—like you’ve never heard it before—is how to guarantee you won’t ever have to grow spiritually—in other words, in your devotion to Jesus…
DON’T BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE. Verse 7 again states: “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.” There’s what God’s word tells us … and yet I am amazed at how little Christians prioritize their spiritual growth…
It’s been said that … if you treat your church as something you do (if you feel like it), then don’t be surprised if you don’t ‘get fed’ at the place you worship. Often, it’s all about attitude; it’s about our approach to what is of God! The truth is, if we don’t intentionally pursue knowledge about God through good books that point us toward God, or podcasts that lift up and encourage a godly life, don’t be surprised at the lack of spiritual fruit in your life (what our Annual Conference is all about now, by the way)…
And, finally (and you knew I was going to say this), if you don’t prioritize a study of God’s word in your life, along with prayer and other spiritual disciplines, you won’t see continued growth in your life. You’ll stay the same (and you know how Jesus feels about that—like the ‘status quo,’ don’t you?)…
Folks, if you don’t want to grow in Christ, make sure your spiritual life only gets the leftovers of your time and energy and effort. Make sure you never read a book that challenges you to grow in your walk with God. Feed your soul only on junk food … and you won’t have to worry about discipleship! Next: How can you guarantee to never grow in discipleship? Here it is…
ALWAYS HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU. Again, verse 7 reminds us, “Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.” If you get the impression that I’d like you to memorize this verse, you are correct … or at least be very familiar with it…
One of the ways God helps us grow (just like physical fitness) is to stretch us—you know, like stretching your muscles to help them grow. One of the ways God stretches us (and maybe you’ve noticed this in your life) is to put us with people who are radically different than we are…
We live in a world of radical individualization and, if we’re not careful, this can creep into our lives, especially as we get older and more set in our ways or our ‘worldview.’ You’ll be tempted to hang out only with people who agree with you, reinforcing your own biases. This will ensure that you have the exact same opinion on every single issue as you did five years ago. It’ll keep you from being exposed to those of different cultures or perspectives… (We should be more like the members of Skillet, who played LifeFest this year and announced they’d just come off tour opening for Guns and Roses—a very secular rock band… They’re ministering to a world that needs Jesus; but they couldn’t do that if they always hung out with people just like themselves…)
Folks, if you don’t want to grow, keep looking for friends, churches, clubs, blogs, books, etc. that just tell you what you want to hear. Make sure you never have conversations with people who disagree with you. DO THAT AND YOU’RE GUARANTEED NOT TO GROW SPIRITUALLY! What’s another way to guarantee you won’t ever grow?
NEVER TAKE ANY RISKS. Verse 8 goes on to teach us, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” Just like with physical training, sometimes you’ve got to step out and push yourself to a higher goal … in order to continue to grow in strength! It’s the same with our spiritual lives…
If you want to ensure that you are exactly the same person you were 5 years from now, be so cautious in everything you do that you don’t take any risks whatsoever! But, here’s the thing: If you construct a life with minimal risk, you’re essentially editing out the need for FAITH. The reason I’m encouraging stepping out and taking risks in your spiritual life—doing something you’ve heard about in other’s lives, but never had the gumption to do yourself, is because it takes faith to risk … and you will do nothing but grow if you will step out in faith and take a chance on something new!
Bryan Lorits was preaching one time and basically said that ‘faith assumes risk.’ He said to imagine our Judeo-Christian faith and the father of it all, Abraham … if he’d chose to stay in Ur, because Ur was more secure—what he knew, what he’d grown up with, what he trusted. Would he have experienced all God had in store for him if he’d refused to take any risks? Would he have grown into the man of faith we now read about in Hebrews 11? Absolutely not! And we probably wouldn’t know the name of Abraham like we do either…
So what is it in your life that God is nudging you to, that might require great effort and knee-knocking faith? If you never take any risks, your faith will not be exercised and you’ll be sure not to grow! Here’s something else…
KEEP PATTING YOURSELF ON THE BACK. Proverbs 9:10 says, “Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.” You only grow and you only find wisdom for life … when you realize that you need both—to grow and find wisdom for life!
Now, it’s true that you should never let anyone put you down for being young, but there’s a curse to being young that I have to mention here. It’s the curse of believing that … you’ve got it all figured out—life, I mean. And what that also might mean is that you’ve become unteachable…
And if you’re unteachable—always patting yourself on the back because you know everything, you’ll be sure to never experience growth in life—spiritually or otherwise. If you don’t want to grow spiritually, keep thinking you know everything! True wisdom only comes to those who’ve bowed their knee in humility to the God who knows all things! As long as you think you’re the master of your universe, your universe will stay quite small … and that’s one way to ensure you’ll never grow! Lastly…
CHASE TRENDS AND PUT DOWN FAITHFULNESS. In verse 10 Paul says, “This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers.” If you want to have a life of fruitlessness (spiritually speaking), keep chasing ‘the next best thing’ … and never really invest in God’s truth about discipleship and what that takes! Keep looking for the easy way out, the shortcut…
DO NOT CHANGE! STAY PUT! That’s the world’s message… People who stay the same are people who don’t like to work hard at growth, who don’t want to put in the blood, sweat and tears of a life following God! My generation has always talked big about changing the world … but I wonder if we value faithfulness and steadiness like previous generations!
If you want a significant life of spurts and starts and stops, keep chasing ‘the next best thing.’ Oh, and keep avoiding the hard choices, the sweat, the grind of daily life; for it’s those things—if we’re faithful to stay at them—that will usually lead to spiritual growth and a strong faith…
Now, this may have been a somewhat backward way of encouraging discipleship and/or spiritual growth in our lives, but I hope you get the gist of it. Again, the Great Commission is a game changer … and discipleship, folks, is not an option!
We have to be intentional about our own devotion to Christ; are we passionate about the Son of God in our lives?
And then we have to be intentional about reaching out to others to teach them the ways of Jesus…
For those of us who are Christ-followers, it’s not an option! So what are we going to do? Let me recommend to you our ‘Next Steps’ from the sermon notes insert today…
NEXT STEP #1: How intentional have you been about time in God’s word? Even if it’s starting with the Gospel of John and reading just a few verses a day, it will change your life!
NEXT STEP #2: Take a step this week to reach out to that neighbor or co-worker who may not be like you … then tell someone about your experience…
If you do these things, God will rub off on you; and then God-in-you … will rub off on others…