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Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Hi, this is Robert Jeffers and I'm glad to study God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, becoming a Christian is easy. Becoming a disciple is difficult. Becoming a Christian is free.
It costs you nothing. Becoming a disciple is costly. It costs you everything. And the passage we're talking about today is about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr.
Robert Jeffers. When Jesus invited people to become his disciple, he gave them one simple command. Leave everything behind and follow me. No ifs, buts, or maybe laters. And today on Pathway to Victory, Dr.
Robert Jeffers suggests that the cost of following Jesus right now is no less severe. Here's our Bible teacher now to introduce today's message. Dr. Jeffers? Thanks David and welcome to this Friday edition of Pathway to Victory.
Today we're midway through the month of June and as such midway through the exciting Salt and Light matching challenge. Let me explain. If you haven't yet heard, Pathway to Victory is the recipient of an enormous gift of $1 million. It was given by generous friends for the express purpose of inspiring you to give as well. Because of this arrangement, every dollar that is given will be automatically multiplied two times over until we reach the total goal of $2 million.
You choose the amount of your gift and it will have twice the impact. Your generous gift of, say, $100 will be matched until it becomes $200. A $3,000 gift would become $6,000. You choose the amount, there's no limit to what you can give that will be matched and doubled. We're living in a world that seems morally darker by the day.
All around us, we see the reality of the world. reality of evil.
Well, laws and leaders are important to help regulate the evil, and our new administration has given us glimmers of hope. But we can never eliminate evil. Only Christ can transform hearts and heal our wayward world. Our job is to shine the light of God's truth. Imagine what will happen if we can unleash $2 million on America and our world.
So, would you join me in this salt and light matching challenge? Let's walk through this open door that God has provided, and let's shine a beacon of hope and truth into the dark recesses of our world.
Now, more details later, including information I want to share with you about my new book, Shine the Light. But first, today we're looking at a passage in Luke that explains what it truly means to follow Jesus. I title today's message, Radical Discipleship. As Alexander the Great was making his way with his massive army toward the east. in his effort to conquer the world.
He and his army came upon a fortified city with huge walls surrounding it. Alexander called for the king to come out and surrender immediately. When the king heard the proposition, he laughed at Alexander, and he pointed to these walls and said, With these walls, why should I surrender to you? And so Alexander decided to give the king an illustration. Near the city walls was a sheer cliff.
And Alexander ordered his men to line up in a single column. and start marching toward the edge of the cliff. The citizens of the city climbed up on top of the city wall to watch this amazing sight. The army got closer and closer to the cliff. until the first man fell over, plunging to his death.
Then a second man. plunged to his death. A third. A four. And then Alexander commanded the men to stop.
He told them to face the citizens on top of the wall. And these citizens, as they looked at that site, Their amazement turned to sheer terror. as they realized There were no walls high enough to protect themselves against that kind of commitment and determination. Without saying a word, the citizens climbed down from the city wall, went out the gates, fell down at Alexander's feet, and surrendered. The same kind of unconditional Radical commitment.
that Alexander the Great demanded from his soldiers Is the same kind of commitment Jesus Christ demands from everyone who would seek to follow him. And it's that kind of radical commitment that we're going to talk about. If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14.
Now, again, as we study the Gospel of Luke, let me set the context. Jesus is now on the way to Jerusalem to be crucified and to rise again from the dead. We saw last time that the crowds were diminishing as Jesus' teaching became harder and harder, as people became disillusioned with him because he wasn't doing what they thought a Messiah should do. But then in verse 25, we find a curious word.
Now, great multitudes were going along with him. That is, the crowd began to swell again. We don't know why. Perhaps it was because of a miracle he did in chapter 13 of healing the woman who had been bent over double for years and years. Perhaps they were curious about some of his teaching.
Whatever the reason, the crowds were getting larger.
So Jesus decided it was once again time to thin out the ranks. And he did it by reminding his His would-be followers of what it meant to follow him. Look at verses 26 and 27. If anyone comes to me, And does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot. Be my disciple.
Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot. Be my disciple. Verse 33, so therefore no one of you can be my disciple who does not give up all of his own possessions. Do you see the repetition here? He's not trying to attract a crowd.
He's saying, You can't be my disciple if you don't hate your other relationships in comparison to me. You can't be my disciple if you're not willing to die to everything important to you. You cannot be my disciple if you are unwilling to give up all of your possessions. That's the way to thin out a crowd real quickly.
Now, some of you may be confused at this point. You may say, no, wait a minute, Pastor. I don't understand this. Just last time. You are talking about the door of salvation and how easy it is to walk through it.
And all you must do is receive the gift of forgiveness to become a Christian. And now you're talking about all of this dying stuff and giving up stuff and these hard things. Is it easy or is it hard to become a Christian?
Well, you need to understand the difference between the two doors we're talking about. There's a door that leads you to become a Christian. There's a door that leads to discipleship. I was reading in Leadership Magazine a true story about a couple, Doug and Sylvia Witt, after their wedding ceremony. In the wee hours of the morning, they went to a nearby hotel to begin their honeymoon.
They were registered in the bridal suite. When they arrived at the hotel and in front of the door, Doug picked up his wife, new wife Sylvia. He unlocked the door, he opened it, and they walked over the threshold. And they walked into this nice but smaller than they thought would be room. They looked around and they saw a chairs, some chairs, a table, a lamp, and a sofa.
But no bed. They were a little bit confused until they realized it was a hideaway bed in the sofa.
So they pulled out the sofa. and they endured the night on a lumpy mattress and sagging springs. Pretty big disappointment. The next morning, Doug Witt was so disappointed, he went down to the manager and gave him a piece of his mind. He said, Why in the world do you call this a bridal suite when it's such a little room?
And the manager asked the question. He said, What, did you go through the door? And Doug said, Well, of course I went through the door. I carried my bride over the threshold. He said, no, did you go through that second door?
And Doug went back up to the room. And the door that he thought was a door to a closet, he opened up. And it was the door into the bridal suite. Full with a king-size bed, fruit, chocolate, everything that he had missed out on the night before. You know, it's the same way with becoming a Christian and becoming a disciple.
The door that leads to be a Christian is an easy door. All it requires is faith. But there's a second door that leads to discipleship.
Now remember this forever. Becoming a Christian is easy. Becoming a disciple is difficult. Becoming a Christian is free. It costs you nothing.
Becoming a disciple is costly. It costs you everything. And the passage we're talking about today is about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Now today, in the few minutes that we have left, we're going to do four things. First of all, we're going to talk about a definition of discipleship.
What does it mean to be a disciple? Secondly, we're going to look at the two demands of discipleship. Third, we're going to look at two descriptions Jesus uses to explain what discipleship is. And finally, we're going to look at a demonstration of discipleship.
Now, first of all, let's talk about a definition of disciple. What does it mean when Jesus says, you are to be my disciple? The word disciple comes from a Greek word, mathetas. And in Jesus' day, that word, mathetas, disciple, referred to an individual who might be enamored with a particular rabbi. And so he sought to learn everything he could from that rabbi, not just by his words, but by his actions.
The disciple of a particular rabbi would study the rabbi's teachings, but he would also try to emulate the rabbi's actions and attitude as a part of his everyday life.
Now, that's what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. It means you not only study his teachings, you try to duplicate his life in your life as well.
Now the Bible says there are four marks of a disciple I want you to write down. First of all, and most foundational, discipleship is a Christian. You say, well now, duh to that. Tell me something I don't know, Pastor. I mean, of course a disciple is a Christian.
But did you know there are a lot of people who are trying to be a disciple of Christ without ever making that foundational decision to trust in Christ? You can't follow Jesus Christ unless you are in Christ, unless you are a believer in Christ. Why is that?
Well, a non-Christian with all his good intentions lacks a proper relationship with God. That keeps him from being a disciple. We've looked at this many times in Matthew chapter 7. Jesus said on the judgment day, many people will try to get into heaven, claiming to be followers of Christ, and Jesus will say, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. I never knew you.
No, there has to be that moment when you personally trust in Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. A non-Christian lacks a proper relationship with God. Secondly, not only that, a non-Christian lacks the resources to live the Christian life. And that resource primarily is the resource of the Holy Spirit of God. If you're not a Christian, as much as you want to emulate Christ's life and yours, you can't do it.
You don't have that supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. A second mark of a disciple is a disciple has a growing relationship with Christ. A disciple has a growing relationship with Christ. What would you think of somebody who said to you, A married person. You know, my relationship with my mate just isn't what it used to be.
I feel like there's a distance between us. I find it increasingly hard to talk with. Things aren't as exciting as they used to be in our marriage.
Sometimes I don't even feel like I know this person any longer. What would you say about that person's marriage? You would say that marriage is in the process of disintegrating, wouldn't you? I mean, if you have a vibrant marriage, it means you love your mate more today than you did a year ago or 10 years ago. It means you enjoy being with them more today than you ever had before.
It means you know them better.
Well, it's the same in our relationship with Christ. If we are truly a disciple, we are growing in our relationship with Christ. It means we know more about Christ and His Word today than we knew a year ago. It means we are more obedient to Jesus today than we were a decade ago. It means we are more intent on following everything He asked us to do today than we've ever been.
That's the mark of a growing relationship with Christ, and it's the mark of a disciple. Thirdly, A disciple is one who obeys Christ in every area of his life. A disciple is one who obeys Christ in every area of his life.
Now, this is where even church people get confused. In fact, some of our church may be confused about this. Many people confuse. the method with the end result of being a disciple. You know, if you ask the average person today in a church, well, what does it mean to be a disciple.
They think, well, It means you get up at 5 o'clock in the morning and pray for an hour. Or it means you memorize these 200 scripture verses on index cards. Or it means you get involved in a one-on-one mentoring program with a more mature Christian or in a small group. That's what it means to be a disciple. No.
Those are means to become a disciple, but they're not what a disciple is. I mean, you can pray, you can read the Bible, you can get involved in small groups and never be a disciple. A disciple is somebody who obeys Jesus Christ in every part of his life. And to the extent that those activities help you do that, great. They will help strengthen your resolve to do that.
But the end result of being a disciple is that you are obedient to Christ in every part of your life. Isn't that what Jesus said in the Great Commission, Matthew 28, 19 to 20? Go into all the world and do what? Make disciples. What is a disciple?
They are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I've commanded you. That's the end result. How do you know if you're a disciple? Are you obeying all things? that Jesus has commanded you.
All things about your moral life. All things about your relationships. all things regarding how you handle your money. That's the test of whether or not you are a true disciple of Jesus Christ. And that is the goal of discipleship.
You know, I used to be confused about this. I had the idea because of some books I read early in my Christian life. That being a disciple meant going back and looking at the life that Jesus led 2,000 years ago and trying to live his life today. There was even a great book, In His Steps. Remember that book?
In His Steps. And the idea was: you look at the life of Jesus and you say, okay. If I were Jesus, how would I have lived back then? But Dallas Willard, in his book The Divine Conspiracy, helped clear that up, clear that misconception up for me. He said, None of us is called to live the life Jesus lived.
You know why? He lived it perfectly already. You and I have not been called to live the life that Jesus lived. We have not been called to live in Israel and, you know. Zero AD, the first century.
We haven't been called to go to the cross and sacrifice our lives for the sins of the world. God had a unique call on the life of Jesus. We're not called to live his life. That's not what it means to be a disciple. Here's a great definition of a disciple.
To be a disciple means for you to live your life. as Jesus would live your life if he were you. That's what a disciple is. A disciple is somebody who lives his life as Jesus would live his life if he were I. And I think about that myself.
Okay, if Jesus. Had my responsibility if Jesus were the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas. What sermons would he preach? What would be his priorities? How would he lead the congregation?
If Jesus were the husband of Amy, how would he treat her? If Jesus were the father of Dorothy and Julia, what priorities would he have for them? That's what it means for me to be a disciple, to live my life as Jesus would live my life if He were I. That's what a disciple is. A disciple is somebody who obeys Christ in every part of his life.
And then finally, a disciple. makes new disciples. A disciple takes seriously Jesus' final marching orders to go into all the world and make disciples. That is a disciple's priority, to lead people to faith in Christ and then help them to grow in every area of their life as they seek to obey Christ. Do you, by the way, if you claim to be a disciple, have a strategy for doing that.
You know, the fact is, no one of us in this room or watching this broadcast, no one of us has the ability in and of ourselves to go into all the world and make disciples. You know, and uh Jesus day, you couldn't go any further than your feet would take you. And then there were boats, and then there were airplanes, and then automobiles. And even today, we're limited in how far we can go individually. That's why we need to be a part of a church.
The church is God's organization for Christians to band together and fulfill the great commission to go into all the world. And that's why if you're serious about obeying this command, you need to be linked with a disciple-making church that truly has a worldwide vision for helping people become devoted followers of Christ.
Now, we've talked about the definition of a disciple. Let's look at the two demands of discipleship. The demands of discipleship. First of all, discipleship demands Unconditional allegiance, Jesus said. Look at verse 26.
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, his wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own wife, he cannot be my disciple.
Some of you may say, Oh, I'm a disciple. I hate my husband. No. That's not what he's talking about. That's not what he's talking about.
It does sound strange, doesn't it? Be a disciple and hate your family? Doesn't the Bible say to love your family? The kind of hatred Jesus is talking about here is not an emotional hatred. It's not a feeling of ill will toward another person.
Instead, the hatred he's talking about is the same word we find in Romans 9, verse 13, where Paul is explaining God's sovereign purpose. In choosing people and electing people for certain purposes in life. And he said, just as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. Remember, these were the two sons of Isaac. The promise should have gone to Esau.
But instead, God made a decision. He said, I'm choosing to give the promise to Jacob. I'm choosing Jacob over Esau to give the blessing. Not because I have emotional hatred toward Esau. God loved Esau, He blessed Esau, but He said, I am making a choice.
of Jacob over Esau. And what Jesus is saying is, if there ever comes a choice, Between pleasing your family and pleasing God. Then it really is no choice for a disciple. We choose to follow Jesus even over our own family. Do you remember the name Francis Schaefer, the Christian apologist who's now in heaven?
Francis Schaefer came from a non-Christian home. He was saved when he was in high school, and he knew almost immediately after that that God had called him into ministry.
So he went home to his non-Christian dad and announced that when he went to college, he wanted to prepare for the ministry. His dad was furious. He forbade him to do so and said if he did, he would refuse to support him. Schaefer went back to his bedroom, prayed about it. But he was still resolved to follow God.
He told his father he was going to do what he felt like God was commanding him to do. His father slammed the door in Schaefer's face. A few days later, his father came back to him. and told him he had had a change of heart. and that he would indeed support him in college.
Francis Schaefer later wrote that that decision to obey God regardless of the cost. was not only the foundation for his future ministry, It was the foundation for his dad's eventual salvation. The fact is, God has called every one of us to that kind of unconditional allegiance. Following Jesus is not passive engagement. Following Christ requires that we relinquish our personal plans and submit our entire lives to Him.
Well, before we conclude another week of programs, let me remind you about a remarkable opportunity that's been laid before us this month. Several supportive friends of our ministry have agreed to match any gift given in June up to a total of $1 million. That means when you give $100, they'll match it with another gift of $100 until that total gift is $200. A $500 gift would become $1,000. A $5,000 gift would be matched until it became $10,000.
See how it works? Imagine the impact on our nation and world when we deploy a combined amount of $2 million to shine the light of truth and hope through Pathway to Victory.
Now, many people often wonder why a ministry like Pathway to Victory needs to raise all of this money. You see, lighting the darkness through radio and television requires a tremendous amount of money. In fact, simply paying for airtime takes up the vast majority of our budget. But when you give to support Pathway to Victory, You can be confident in knowing that every dollar you give will be carefully used to help this ministry grow and reach more people. At the end of the day, we have one purpose in mind, and that is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's Word.
Thank you so much for your generous giving that makes this ministry possible.
Now, here's David to give you our contact information and to tell you about the book I've written called Shine the Light. It comes with my thanks when you respond today. David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress.
Today, when you invest in the ministry of Pathway to Victory by giving a generous gift, we'll say thanks by sending you the brand new book by Dr. Jeffress, Shine the Light. Call 866-999-2965 or visit our website, that's at ptv.org. And when your gift is $100 or more, we'll also send you the complete unedited collection of audio and video discs for the Shine the Light teaching series. Remember, every dollar you give right now will be doubled in impact by our salt and light matching challenge.
That's until we reach the goal of $1 million.
So please get in touch with us right away. One more time, call 866-999-2965 or visit ptv.org. You could write to us, here's that mailing address, PO Box 223-609-Dallas, Texas, 75-222. Again, that's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
I'm David J. Mullins. Wishing you a great weekend. Then join us next time when Dr. Jeffers continues this message called Radical Discipleship.
That's Monday here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible.
And right now, your ministry gift will be matched and therefore doubled in impact thanks to the Salt and Light Matching Challenge. Take advantage of this opportunity to double your impact before the deadline on July 6th. To give toward the matching challenge, go to ptv.org/slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory.
