North Center Baptist Church
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
A diverse church for all ages
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January 03, 2010 Luke 9 by Pastor Stan INTRODUCTION Too many (probably most) Christians tend to think of disciples as high-achieving subset of Christians. But this is a very unbiblical way of thinking of what it means to be a Christian. The terms Christian and disciple refer to exactly the same group. All those called to know Christ are called to follow Him. All those who are called to receive salvation are called to be disciples. The word disciple has the idea of learning. The Christian disciple is learning from Christ how to live life to the glory of God. The Great Commission that Christ gave to the Church isn’t to make converts. If it were to make converts, then all we would have to do is to baptize people. But the Commission to the Church is to make disciples; that’s why Jesus goes on to say that those who are baptized must be taught. Matthew 28:19-20a Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. That’s the vision we have here at North Center—to make disciples, to baptize (lead people to know Christ) and to teach (instruct believers in how to grow in Him and show their love for Him). That’s what we’re going to be doing for the first seven weeks in this New Year, learning how to lay a solid foundation for discipleship growth in the year and years ahead. What we’ll be doing is based on an illustration of discipleship that’s called “The Disciple’s Cross.” What we need to understand from the very beginning is that the call to Christ and the call to discipleship are one call. All who are called to Christ are called to follow Him, to be His disciple. And Jesus explains clearly what it means to follow Him in Luke 9. I. THE ESSENTIALS OF DISCIPLESHIP Discipleship begins with confessing Christ to be Savior and Lord. A. CONFESS CHRIST (VV. 18-22) 1. Becoming a Christian is a call to follow a person—not a church or a set of doctrines or a list of religious practices—but the person of Jesus. Becoming a Christian starts with an accurate understanding and conviction about who Jesus is, and that’s what these verses are all about. 2. Jesus’ 2 Questions Jesus asks two questions here. a. The First Question The first question He asks is, “Who do the crowds say I am?” The disciples reply that there are various speculations about Jesus: some think that He is John the Baptist somehow reincarnated; others that He is the OT prophet Elijah returned to earth; and still others that He is another OT prophet come back to life. Now, these are all very high opinions about Jesus, but they’re not high enough, as we’ see in the second question. b. The Second Question The second question is the critical one that’s really important. Cf., v. 20a What others say about Jesus isn’t nearly as important as what you say about Him. In fact, this is the most central question in Christianity—who is Jesus? Everything else in your faith depends on how you answer that question. Not surprisingly, Peter is the one who speaks up first and answers for the Disciples. What is surprising is that Peter nails the answer. v. 20b When he says that Jesus is “the Christ,” Peter uses the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew term “Messiah.” Both terms mean anointed one, the one chosen or designated by God to redeem us, to deliver us from the penalty and power of sin, to free us from the state of being condemned and separated from God. 3. Jesus’ Clarification a. Jesus affirms Peter’s response and then proceeds to clarify it, explaining that the way He would provide for forgiveness and salvation would be through suffering, death and resurrection. b. This is, of course, exactly what Isaiah had prophesied about the Messiah. Isaiah 53:4-6 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him strick |
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