The Life of Genuine Discipleship: 2016 Gospel of Luke #19
This is an exposition of Luke 6:12-26. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, June 26, 2016.
Intro:
What does it mean to belong to Jesus? What’s the Christian life about? What does it mean to follow Jesus? Are we all to be disciples or was that just a select few? There are any number of answers to these questions. If you listen to Christian radio or read much of what’s available in your local Christian Bookstore you may be more confused that ever! Those answers are all over the map. Some will answer the question by demanding certain doctrinal distinctives. Others will demand the manifestation of certain spiritual gifts. Some will answer with fashion advise – as if it is a matter of hairstyle or clothing choice. Some will demand you rigidly follow accepted standards while other insist there are no standards. Who are we to believe? I’m the first to admit that being a follower of Christ is something that touches every area of your life. Being a Christ follower is an all inclusive matter. It touches every area of life, affecting every relationship and impacting every decision. The answer to the question of what it means to follow Christ or what it means to be a Christian is simpler than most recognize and yet more profound that many will admit. As with all such question we must turn to the Scripture. Our text this morning is found in Luke Luke 6 beginning with Luke 6:12.
Text: Luke 6:12-26
We are still in the beginning of our Lord’s public ministry.
He is enjoying his “Galilean Spring” – that time of great popularity with he multitudes.
I say with the multitudes because there is the growing tension with the religious establishment.
Don’t forget the Pharisees were “filled with fury” (6:11) after the healing in the synagogue on that Sabbath day.
In our text this morning we discover our Lord has a number of disciples.
A disciple is a “learner” or “follower.”
These are folks who identify with or attach themselves to a certain teacher.
Out of these disciples he calls 12 for a unique role.
After calling out the 12 he then demonstrates what his work is all about.
Then he lays out for them the life of those who desire to genuinely follow him.
[Read Text]
As we work our way through the text I want you to note that…
Thesis: A life of genuine discipleship demands nothing less than the radical reordering of life and loyalties.
You cannot read the gospels and not understand that the call to follow Jesus is a demanding call. Jesus said things like, “Once you put your hand to the plow you cannot look back.” On another occasion he said, “If you’re not willing to hate father and mother, you cannot be my disciple.” Of course he famously said, “To follow me you must pick up your cross daily.” The call to follow the Lord Jesus demands that you die to yourself, your wants, your will, your desires. His agenda becomes your agenda. His will becomes your command.
To follow the Lord Jesus, to be a Christian, to be his disciple, his learner/follower is to enter the service of the King and to adopt his agenda as your own. The fundamental confession of the Christian life is that Jesus is Lord! On the one hand that is thrilling beyond description. There is no more glorious assignment in all the world. There is no higher joy or honor than to be called into the service of the king of the universe. As his disciple you are involved in an eternal work. What you do has eternal significance. You talk about your life counting? Your life counts for now and forever. Yet, it puts you at odds with this world’s agenda.
With this in mind I want to point out three things in our text.
Things you need to know, understand and embrace.
- A life of genuine discipleship is grounded in the call of God and dependent upon His divine enabling. (6:12-16)
- A life of genuine discipleship is rooted in and reflective of the ministry of Jesus. (6:17-19)
- A life of genuine discipleship embraces a lifestyle at odds with the world’s agenda and counter intuitive of the disciple’s own instincts. (6:20-26)
Conclusion:
What does it mean to be a Christ follower? It means to joyfully embrace the radical recording of life and loyalties in the certainty that in the life to come there is joy unspeakable and full of glory. It means to ground your life in the call and enabling of the Lord; to seek to reflect his life and ministry in all you do; and embrace a life that is at odds with the world’s agenda and your own natural instincts.