I. Intro: Looking forward after Easter.
A. During Holy Week, we remember the Lord’s death and resurrection, but we should also
remember His call of discipleship.
1. This is a great time to revisit our foundations in the faith. Because if we confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, we should be actively following His example and learning from His teaching.
2. It’s not enough to believe in God. The bible says even the demons believe in God, and shudder. Jesus said we must also take up our cross and follow Him.
3. So the question that we all need to ask ourselves from time to time is “Am I following Jesus… or just agreeing with Him?”
B. “Test yourselves…”
1. 2 Cor 13:5a “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.”
a. “Examine yourselves…” Gr peirazo ascertain the quality of, assay, etc.
b. assay: to test metal in order to determine its content and quality
c. Is there mixture in it?
d. “Test yourselves.” Gr dokimazo to test or prove something is genuine
e. Often used in reference to coins, i.e., determine their value, counterfeit
2. 1 Cor 3:12-15
12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
3. We must understand that in His mercy God gives us a chance to test or assay the works of our life before the judgement seat of Christ so that we can make corrections and be ready for that day.
a. God doesn’t expose us to shame us, He does it to refine us.
4. A friend of mine used to be a teller in a bank. She told me that all the bank employees were trained how to spot counterfeit money by studying official US currency, not by studying all the different types of counterfeits.
a. They learned to spot the fakes by intimately knowing the authentic.
5. God has given us this standard in Jesus. Acts 17:31
“…because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
a. This fire isn’t going to destroy us, it’s going to reveal us.
6. So today, we’re going to assay our discipleship—not by comparing ourselves to other Christians, but by comparing ourselves to Jesus.
C. Let’s start the assay of our discipleship by understanding what discipleship is.
1. What is discipleship? A lifestyle of devotion to Jesus.
2. Discipleship is not what you believe—it’s how you live because of what you believe.
3. We should note that the word ‘disciple’ is related to the word ‘discipline’. These two words are inextricably linked.
a. Disciple: the person who learns and follows the Lord Jesus.
b. Discipline: the training the disciple undertakes in order to learn & follow.
c. Discipline is not punishment— it’s preparation.
d. Discipline is important because we will never drift into Christlikeness.
4. There is a reason why the church has observed what we call ‘spiritual disciplines’ for centuries.
a. Prayer, fasting, bible study, worship, confession, service, evangelism
5. Discipline is what makes a disciple out of a believer. Believing is only the first step, but discipline turns a believer into a saint. What we practice daily, we become eventually.
II. Barriers to Discipleship:
A. If discipleship is a life of devotion to Jesus, then we have to ask—what’s getting in the way?
1. Every barrier to discipleship is ultimately a competition for devotion.
2. Where going to look at four barriers— laziness, the American Dream, National identity,
Celebrity Christianity.
3. Here is how each one is in competition with our devotion to Jesus.
a. Laziness: competes for our effort and discipline
b. American dream: competes with the Christian lifestyle
c. National identity: competes for our allegiance to Christ
d. Celebrity Christianity: competes for our fellowship with Father
A. Laziness, aka, sloth.
1. The excellent wife described in Proverbs 31 is a description of the bride of Christ, without spot or blemish. I know it’s popular in the church to interpret this passage as instructions for godly women, and of course there is always something from the Word that we can take and apply to our lives. But the virtuous wife is speaking of the church, the bride of Christ. (Ladies, if she seems like a superhero, that’s because she’s supernatural.)
2. Let’s apply just one part of this description in Proverbs 31 to ourselves as the bride of Christ.
3. Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.”
a. idleness: Hbr atsluth, laziness, sluggishness, slothfulness
b. This is the opposite of discipline and keeps us stuck in immature Christianity.
4. Proverbs 18:9 “He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.”
a. destroyer: Hbr sahat, great waster, ruiner, decayer
5. Laziness doesn’t just produce nothing, it partners with destruction. So we must have a disciplined approach to our discipleship to be sure that we are fruitful for the Lord.
6. Idle faith is fragile faith.
B. Pursuit of the American Dream.
1. DISCLAIMER: I love this nation and I’m glad that I was born here. I’m thankful for the freedom we have and for all the people who gave their lives to defend and protect it. The Lord has planted us here and I’m grateful for that.
a. Acts 17:26 “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings…”
2. Over the course of our history, these ideals (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) have become as sacred as scripture for many people. We often don’t realize how ‘baked in’ these are to our way of thinking.
3. Somewhere along the path of following Jesus, we will come to the realization that God’s will for every Christian is for them to become like Jesus (1 Thess 4:3). That means that our pursuit of life, liberty and the happiness will come into conflict with our sanctification.
a. These ideals do not always align with scripture.
4. To be a true disciple of Jesus, we have to hold these things loosely, always ready to surrender these ideals to serve the Lord and one another.
5. We can’t chase comfort and carry a cross at the same time.
C. Pursuit of America’s national destiny.
1. Another trend that we have seen becoming more prominent is the mixture of America’s national destiny with the kingdom of God.
2. EX: I recently heard this exchange at a prayer gathering. “I believe that we will see revival soon.” Another said “I hope so, then we’ll get our country back.”
3. The bible tells us the correct attitude and perspective for any Christian to have towards the nation where they live.
a. The nations are established by God. (Job 12:23; Ps 22:28; Dan 2:21)
b. Seek the good of the nation where you live. (Jer 29:7)
c. Be law abiding citizens, show respect and honor. (Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pr 2:13-17)
d. Pray for the leaders! Regardless of party affiliation! (1 Tim 2:1&2)
4. In addition to these, disciples of Jesus are to…
a. live as sojourners, travelers, pilgrims, exiles (1 Pr 2:11; Hbr 11:13-16; Ph 3:20)
b. seek the kingdom of God first (Matt 6:33)
5. We want the best for the nation where we live, we pray for its people and its leaders while being salt and light and serving however we can. But we have to remember that our citizenship is in heaven. We will only be Americans for a such a small part of eternity, but we will be citizens of God’s kingdom forever.
6. We are Americans by birth, but citizens of heaven by new birth. So don’t let your hope rise and fall with an earthly nation.
D. Celebrity Christianity.
1. Back in 2023, I had a dream where I saw a traditional white country church. The entire contents of the church where outside on the lawn. Everything was taken out. As I stepped into the church, I saw the Lord Jesus, sweeping the empty sanctuary. As I watched Him, He looked up at me and said “I am coming with a broom.”
2. We are seeing this taking place in the church today. The Lord is exposing leaders in the church who’s hearts are not fully His. But there’s more to it than this— the Lord is exposing the culture in the church that even allows for celebrity Christianity in the first place.
3. The bible specifically teaches against putting people on a pedestal. Biblical leadership requires humility and the heart of a servant. Favoritism is forbidden in the church.
4. Check out these key scriptures that speak to this issue:
a. 1 Cor 1:12&13
12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” 13 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
b. 1 Cor 3:21 “Therefore, let no one boast in men. For all things are yours…”
c. 1 Pr 5:1
“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ…” (Probably AD 60-62, 30-35 yrs after the ascension, Peter was probably in his mid 60’s)
d. 2 Cor 5:15&16
15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. 16 Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh.
5. Today, many in the church teach a false doctrine of spiritual mothers and fathers. They think because a person is older in life and the Lord, they can be adopted and mentored by them.
a. They take this from a misinterpretation of 1 Cor 4:15 where Paul says:
“For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.”
b. They falsely interpret this as saying “I wish you had more fathers than teachers.”
c. But Paul was claiming to be there father because he planted the church.
d. He was appealing to them to listen to him as a child listens to their father.
6. Jesus said in Matt 23:9 “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.”
7. We get in to trouble with this doctrine because we start looking for another person to father or mother us the way only our Heavenly can. The spiritual mom’s and dad’s easily become a substitute for their true spiritual Father.
8. Any voice that replaces Father’s voice is an idol.
III. Summary and closing.
A. Summary.
1. So today, we’ve taken a moment to assay our discipleship. Not by comparing ourselves to other people… but by comparing ourselves to Jesus.
2. And here’s the question we all have to wrestle with: am I following Jesus… or just agreeing with Him?
3. Because there is a difference.
a. A believer agrees… a disciple follows.
b. A believer admires… a disciple obeys.
4. When Jesus said “Follow Me” He didn’t have social media. He didn’t mean the kind of passive following that we do on social media. He meant actively pursuing Him on the narrow way.
B. Guard against anything that competes for our devotion to Christ.
1. Has laziness crept in?
2. Has comfort taken priority?
3. Are we holding too tightly to this world?
4. Are we looking to people more than God?
C. Don’t settle for just believing in Jesus when you’re called to become like Him!