word Jesus said to His disciples; it literally means “supremely blessed.” It is defined by many different words—happy, fortunate, favored, joyful, contented, and so forth—but the foremost characteristic of discipleship is that it offers a blessing of daily living that is totally unknown to the world.
Discipleship Is a Family Relationship of Brotherly Love
The words of Jesus in Matthew 12:46-50 often are misunderstood:
While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seek- ing to speak with You.” But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My broth- ers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Critics accuse Jesus of a lack of respect for His own earthly family, but this is not the case at all. Jesus elevates the position of all disciples who come to Him. Every disciple is as close to Him as a mother and her child. All disciples are brothers and sisters. Discipleship is a family relation- ship of brotherly love.
This is more than a relationship between the Master and the disciple. It is also a relationship with the heavenly Father. Discipleship can never be defined only in terms of a relationship with Jesus. Yes, that is the beginning. Sinners can come to God only through Christ. But discipleship is more than coming to Jesus, choosing to follow Him, or being saved. Discipleship is doing the will of the Father in heaven.
The direct result of doing the will of the Father is a family relationship of brotherly love. Discipleship can never be
separated from love. This especially is emphasized in the Gospel of John. Jesus said to His disciples: “A new command- ment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (13:34-35).
Discipleship cannot exist without love any more than humans can live without air. Jesus prayed to the Father, “I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (17:26). Many years after the Lord’s
Discipleship Is a Sacrificial Relationship of Committed Service
Many believers who come to Jesus are like Peter. After they confess Jesus is the Christ, they rebuke Him because of His call to committed service. Such shallow faith will never fulfill the Great Commis- sion. Jesus says to them the same words as He said to Peter: “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Matt. 16:23). The Lord then explained that disciple- ship must be a sacrificial relationship of committed service:
THE PUPILDISCIPLE SEES HIMSELF IN THE LOVING EYES OF THE MASTER. THE LORD SEES HIS OWN IMAGE IN THE LOVING EYES OF THE DISCIPLE.
ascension, John continued to emphasize the brotherly love of discipleship: • “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stum- bling in him” (1 John 2:10). • “For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (3:11).
J h d h
• “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the breth- ren” (v. 14).
• “And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment” (v. 23). • “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (4:7-8).
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny him- self, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (vv. 24-27).
hH
Discipleship is a sacrifice of oneself in order to serve the One who sacrificed Himself. It is a commitment of service that grows out of the blessings of the Kingdom and the love of God. This is the missional mandate of the Great Com- mission. This commitment has been the driving force of the Church of God for over 100 years. This commitment has brought us from being a small Appala- chian church to a worldwide family of believers. Let us go forth. Let us teach. Let us baptize. Above all, let us make dis- ciples. May we all be blessed. May we all love as brothers and sisters. May we all commit ourselves to the sacrificial service of the Cross.
*All Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version.
EVANGEL | November 2010 7
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32