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Jesus gave us a last command to go and make disciples and to teach them to obey.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
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. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
To make a disciple obey all that the Bible says might be a difficult, but today let us practically learn from the Bible how to be a strong disciple.
1. Jesus and his disciples
Jesus disciples were convicted by Jesus personal list.
Mark 1:35
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.
Mark 6:46
After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
We see Jesus taking some time out to pray he prayed early morning and during day brakes he gave more importance to prayer.
Jesus was a busy person, but he never gave excuse to pray. Jesus did not even have place to lay his head.
How is your personal relationship with God? Are you giving excuses of lack of time?
Do you pray daily? What time do you pray?
Many of you might be feeling weak, tired and hopeless.
Mark 14:32-42
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."
35 Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
37 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?
38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
39 Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.
40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
41 Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
When Jesus wanted to get strength he went to God the father.
When you feel faithless, sad or weak whom do you go to?
Do you go back to your old sins like smoking, drinking, sexual immorality, masturbation, boy friends/girls friends etc or do you go to God, as Jesus did.
For Jesus prayer time was very important time with God to get strength and with the strength he got from the prayer he could go out any where and preach.
Mark 1:16-20
Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Jesus became fruitful four times soon after his baptism.
John 15:7
If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.
God is asking us to remain in him, then he will make us fruitful.
How is your evangelism? As a young christian do you feel lostness of the people as Jesus felt?
For last one week to how many have you shared your faith with?
When was the last time you sat in a study?
How is your life? does people look at your life and get impacted?
Luke 11:1-4
1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."
2 He said to them, "When you pray, say: "'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.'"
Jesus disciples went to Jesus and asked him teach them to pray.
When you have struggles to pray, do you take help from others? Do you fix up time to pray with others? We must have a learning heart like Jesus disciples only then we will be strong as a Christian.
2. Jesus’ personal life
Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"
Jesus refereed a scripture from Deutr 8:3 to chase the satan. How is your Bible Study? How many of you have finished reading the whole Bible in a year. Here you see Jesus knew the scripture byheart, do you memorize the scriptures?
Many of you who are sitting here can fall into temptations.
Like, a person whom you were once thinking of getting married to some years or days back might turn up or you may get a job opportunity to go abroad, or to get settled in a full time business were you will not be able to attend the meetings or may be a unknown relative / church pastors / family members might come to you with lot of good deals to stop you from going to church.
How are you going to resist such temptation.
Jesus the Son of God resisted temptations through word of God.
Jesus could have said yes to satan and got the whole world under his control, then he would have not gone through the struggles for us on the Cross, but he would have been the worlds richest person in the universe.
Jesus relyed on God’s word.
It is important for us to be deeply rooted in God’s word.
Jesus quoted the scripture when he was just a 40 day old as a christian and this time.
It will be good for a young christian to read MY FIRST FORTY DAYS it will help you to be strong when you go through temptations as a young christian.
Jesus not only took care of their spiritual needs but he also had deep impact on disciples family members Mark : 1:29-31
Jesus went to peters house the same day he got baptized.
Those who are young in faith, when you were studying the Bible the disciples were after you teaching you the Bible, teaching you to pray, to evangelize etc.,
For the last 40 days how many houses have you visited?
It is good for a disciple to know each other’s house, because a disciple can be strong only by having multiple relationship not just by having close relationship with his/her discipler.
How many of you know all the disciples house who are sitting here?
You should have atleast 5 best friends in the church.
3. Walk with your Discipler
Acts 9:26-27
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Acts 11:25-26
25 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.
When Paul was still young in faith he did not sit around thinking I just got baptized, I am just a baby.
Let my discipler do every thing, I will sit and watch him. No but he had a humble and eager heart, he went along with Barnabas he learn to preach and teach boldly he was willing to go anywhere along with his discipler.
How is your heart? Are you sitting around and thinking I am just a baby? I do not know anything?
Stop wasting time and start asking more questions to learn and grow.
Make sure you take help to clear you doubts from a right person who can teach you as well as challenge you.
Have a humble heart to learn from others.
Acts 9:27
But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
Barnabas walked with Paul everyday. Paul learned to pray, read the Bible, evangelized, preach, etc.,
Remember the times when you were a young Christian (share personally) some body walked with you to make you a strong disciple.
I have a challenge for those who are older in faith remember three things that someone did with you that impacted you when you were a young Christian and do it with the members who have come into the kingdom newly in your family groups.
Burnabas walked with Paul every day. He was there for Paul at his good time as well as bad times.
He lifted him up before the Apostles which encouraged Paul to do even more greater things.
This helped Paul to raiseup and to become a powerful leader. Paul and Burnabas had great relationship. They were there for each other.
Today if we have same kind of relationship between us they will be no fall aways.
Paul with great learning attitude was raisedup to go out and preach to many other churches during that time he raised up Timothy.
Paul shared his life to Timothy they both has great relationship. [1 Timothy 1-4 chapters]
Paul thought every thing he learned from Barnabas and also what Paul personally experience in his life he also encouraged Timothy very often
1 Timothy 4:12
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
1 Timothy 1:3-6
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk.
Because of this Timothy was willing to do anything as well as to go anywhere.
Acts 16:3
Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
He was also willing to under go circumcision because he wanted to obey Paul. How is your relationship with each other as disciples.
Is it deep? Are you willing to do anything what your leader says?
Because of Timothy submissive heart he was used powerfully by God though he was young.
When we have deep relationship we can also be open about all your sins and feelings, which will help us to be bold, like Paul and Timothy.
If you are willing to imitate Paul and Timothy God will use you powerfully to do his will.
Let’s make sure we take the message to heart and practically do what the Bible says about prayer, Bible study and Deep Relationship.
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