Christian or Disciple?
Luke 9:23-26 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. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Problem: Word Christian used so many ways not clear anymore
Let start here: Where did word Christian come from?
Acts 11: First Use of the Word Christian
Acts 11:25-6 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
“Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace”
“Gentlemen, this is a football.”
So what was a disciple?
Greek Word: “Mathetes”
Ray Vander Laan “A disciple did not merely want to know what his master knew, but also do what his master did.”
DUST: “May you be covered in the dust of your rabbi”
”Be yourself.
Live your truth.
Follow your heart.
Be your own person.
Don't let anyone tell you what to do.
Do you.
Find yourself.
Be yourself...
Discipleship is all about discovering the master not discovering yourself
Characteristics of A Disciple
- They seek to learn the way of the master
Matthew 9:9 Jesus saw Matthew sitting at a customs post and said, "Follow me". Matthew immediately got up and followed Jesus
Matthew 19:27 Peter says, “Look, we have left everything and followed you
- They seek to carry the heart of the master
John 13:34-35 34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
- They Seek to Reproduce Disciples for the master
Matthew 28:19 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.
Think with me how different our faith would be if we focused living in discipleship instead of our personal view of Christianity?
