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Purpose : To teach what it means to make Jesus as our Lord. We confess at the time of baptism that Jesus is my Lord. What should that confession mean, how would that affect our life and choices we make in life. This study sets out what the ‘call to follow Jesus’ really means. What does it mean to say you are a follower? What is the heart of one who follows Him? What kind of commitment is meant to be demonstrated? What is the life of one who had decided to follow Jesus?
For Christian Background people : You can ask “Are you a Christian? What makes you a Christian? Today, we can learn through the scriptures what makes one a Christian. First of all let us see where the word Christian first appears in the Bible.
1. 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.
1.How would you define the word "disciple" in a simple non-religious way?
2.According to this scripture is there any difference between the word “Christian” and “disciple”? No. They both mean the same. Disciple = Christian
3.Do you know how many times the word “Christian” is used in the NT?[ 3 times -Acts 11:26,Acts 26:28,1 Peter 4:16 ]
4.How many times is the word “disciple” used? [Over 250 times]
Let us look at some scriptures that define following Jesus.
2. Mark 12:28-31
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'
31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."
1.Most important two commandments are to Love God and then to Love our neighbor as ourselves.
2.Being a disciple is to have a loving wholehearted relationship with God and loving our neighbors.
3.When we understand these two commandments, then we can understand the expectation Jesus has from us to become his disciple.
3. Luke 9:23-26
23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.
25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
1.Emphasize the heart that Jesus wants. This scripture tells us what Jesus expected of his followers.
•Denying oneself.
•Take up ones cross daily.
•Willing to lose ones life for Christ.
•Not to be ashamed of Jesus or His words.
2.How do you feel about these demands of discipleship?
3.What does it mean to "deny yourself?" What does it mean to “take up your cross daily?”
4.What will you find difficult to give up to follow Jesus?
5.How can we be “ashamed of Jesus and His words?”
4. 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.'"
1.Jesus taught his disciples how to pray. He taught to call God “our Father”.
2.Being a disciple is to have a personal relationship with God as our Father. We can build a relationship with God by talking to him by prayer and listening to Him through the Word.
5. Luke 14:25-33
25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31 "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
1.Jesus should be loved above family relationships and own life.[Does not mean one must not respect parents or serve them]
2.Be willing to carry ones cross and still follow Jesus.
3.Count the cost before following. Following Jesus should be a serious, lifelong decision and not just an emotional, for the moment decision.
4.Willing to give up everything attitude should be there.
6. 1 John 2:3-6
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him:
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
1.This scriptures tells us how we can know if someone is a Christian or not.
2.Someone who knows Christ, should obey Christ. Otherwise his claim is false. [Luke 6:46]
3.Sign of someone who is living in Christ is that he must walk as Jesus did.
7. John 8:31,32
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
1.Belief is not enough to be a disciple[Christian].
2.Obedience[hold to my teaching] is a must to be a disciple.
8. 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 all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
1.This is a New Command Jesus gives because he is asking us to follow his example of love.
2.The sign of being a disciple of Jesus is Love.
•Loving the lost by seeking and saving them, learning to be a fisher of men, obeying the Great Commission.[Matt 28:18-20,Luke 19:10, Mark 1:16-20]
•Loving the Poor.[Matt 25:32-46]
•Loving our family.[1 Tim 5:8]
•Loving the church.[1 Pet 1:22,Gal 6:10]
•Even Loving our enemies.[Mat 5:44]
9. Matthew 7:21-23
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
1.Making Jesus Lord means much more than saying the words.
2.It is not enough to be religious calling Lord, Lord or even prophesy and perform miracles.
3.We need to do the will of the Father for salvation.
4.Only one who does the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.
10. Mark 1:16-20
16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."
18 At once they left their nets and followed him.
19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
1.This scripture talks about the way Jesus called his first disciples Simon, Andrew, James and John and how they responded to the call.
2.How did Simon and Andrew respond? How did James and John respond?
3.How are you going to respond to the call of Jesus to follow him?
4.What does it mean to be ‘fishers of men’?
11. Romans 10:9-13
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
We are going to confess at the time of baptism that ‘Jesus is my Lord’. What does it mean to confess Jesus as Lord?
a) This confession is a declaration of our total commitment and devotion to Jesus Christ.
b) It means that I have decided to choose his will over my own.
c) It means that I have decided to obey him, whatever the cost.
d) Confession with our mouth alone is not enough, we have to believe with our heart.
e) [2 Tim 2:19-21]Confessing Jesus as Lord means one must turn away from wickedness and do good work.
Conclusion: Being a disciple of Jesus or making Jesus your Lord is having a loving, obedient and sold out relationship with him. We are willing to put our relationship with Jesus above all else.
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