I. Recap from Part I.
A. Defining discipleship.
1. What is discipleship? A lifestyle of devotion to Jesus. Discipleship is not what you believe—it’s how you live because of what you believe.
2. Discipleship requires DISCIPLINE. Why?
a. Because no one drifts into Christlikeness.
b. Discipline is what makes a disciple out of a believer.
B. Four Barriers.
1. Laziness, the American Dream, National identity, Celebrity Christianity.
2. Remember… Every barrier to discipleship is ultimately a competition for devotion.
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
C. PRINCIPLE: Discipleship should be pure and simple.
1. 2 Corinthians 11:3 “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
a. Paul compares them to Eve— the wife of the 1st Adam who was deceived.
b. This is written to us, the bride of the Last Adam, don’t be deceived away from the purity and simplicity of Christ.
c. Adam & Eve were given a simple command— and the evil one complicated it with lies.
d. TAKEAWAY: We should realize that the evil one is trying to overcomplicate our lifestyle of devotion to Christ.
2. Our devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ should be pure and simple.
a. Simple: easy to understand and put into practice
b. Pure: with pure motivations & godly intentions
3. Pursuing knowledge, having an intellectual approach and emphasizing the study of doctrine leads us away from the simplicity of Christ.
4. On the other extreme, hyper emotionalism, hyper grace, pursing experiences and encounters will lead us away from the purity of Christ.
5. Discipleship is not a matter of how much you know about God or how close to Him you feel, it is about whether or not you are learning from Jesus and living for Him.
D. This week: Four Roles of the Disciple.
1. If discipleship is meant to be simple, then the question becomes: What does a simple life of devotion actually look like?
2. Last week we talked about four barriers, this week we will talk both the four roles of a disciple. The four roles are:
a. Follower
b. Fisher
c. Student
d. Servant
II. Follower.
A. “Follow Me.” the first call.
1. In the Gospels, the Lord’s primary call was simply “Follow Me.” This command and
slight variations of it, are recorded over 20 times in the Gospels.
2. The call to follow Jesus is so foundational to discipleship that He said it twice to Peter. In
Matt 4:19 Jesus gave the first call and again in John 21:19 after the resurrection He said it again. It’s
almost as if Jesus is reminding Peter of this foundational aspect of discipleship.
B. In Luke 9:57-62 we find some insight into following Jesus. (Turn here.)
1. Luke 9:57&58
57 Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
2. This man seems pretty eager to follow Jesus, but it appears to be zeal without knowledge. Jesus is pushing back on his eagerness by saying that we must count the cost of following Him. “Do you know what you are signing up for?
a. No one follows Jesus for their own fame or gain. To follow Jesus, we will suffer some of the same discomforts, inconveniences, rejections and reproaches as Him.
b. Jesus had no home base, no ministry headquarters. Following Jesus means that our foundation is in God and His Word, not in the things of this world.
3. To follow Jesus we must count the cost and be willing to pay it.
4. Luke 9:59&60
59 Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”
5. This man is different from the first in that he was called by the Lord directly into discipleship, yet the cares of this life and the burden of responsibility tempted him to delay obedience to the call of God. (Delayed obedience is disobedience.)
a. This is similar to us delaying obedience to God because we want to tie up some loose ends first, reach a certain benchmark, finish some business, etc.
b. When Jesus said “Let the dead bury their own dead.” He was saying let the spiritually dead look after the cares of this world, but you are called, so you obey.
6. To follow Jesus, we must abandon every cultural ideal and every false responsibility and ungodly burden that competes for our obedience to Him.
7. Vs 61&62
61 And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” 62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
8. This man is seeking the approval of his family before fully committing to the Lord.
a. The approval of others was more important to him than the call of Jesus.
b. A good disciple follows Jesus no matter what people think of them.
c. Often, those closest to us relationally will react with criticism, jealousy or contempt when we express a desire for the things of God.
d. We have to look past that, forgive them, and follow Jesus anyway.
9. To truly follow Jesus, we need to be free from approval seeking man pleasing men. We should strive to live in peace with all, but our goal should be to please the Lord.
10. Gal 1:10b “Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.”
11. If you need other’s approval, you will miss God’s call.
C. The traits of a true follower of Jesus.
1. A follower of Jesus is willing to count the cost, deny themselves the comforts and treasures of this life an does not live for the approval of others. A true follower listens for the Lord’s voice and follows the Lamb wherever he goes.
D. PROPHETIC INSIGHT.
1. In 2026 we are seeing the start of new connections and the end of some old connections. (Word for 2026). Some old relationships that are no longer life-giving or in alignment with our calling are being disconnected. While new life-giving relationships are being made that serve our purpose and calling.
2. As we talk about being a good follower of Jesus, don’t be surprised if you outgrow some relationships along the way.
3. Some people that we used to walk with in our pursuit of the Lord…
a. are not keeping up, are not keeping pace with us
b. want to stop where they are and stay for awhile, but you want to keep moving.
4. This is a natural result of following Jesus. Don’t be discouraged and don’t feel alone if old friendships fade away. Instead, LOOK AROUND! There are other saints walking with you.
III. Fisher.
A. What is a Fisher?
1. The role of Fisher comes from Matt 4:18-19 and Mark 1:16&17.
18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
2. In it’s simplest form, a Fisher is an evangelist. Every true disciple of Jesus will be an evangelist.
3. What is an evangelist?
a. An evangelist in the NT simply means “bringer of good news”
b. Don’t be afraid that being an evangelist or a Fisher means that you have to start handing out gospel tracts on the street corner. (You can if you want!)
c. Always be looking for someone who you can share the good news of Jesus with.
4. Why do I say ‘always be looking for someone’ instead of ‘always be ready’? Because fisherman go looking for fish.
a. They any attention to the currents, the time of year, the patterns of the fish
b. They know where the best spots are and the know the best conditions
c. And they use this knowledge to put themselves where the fish are
5. So yes, we must always be ready to give an answer for the hope that we have, but we must always be looking for the fish.
6. Some ideas:
a. National Day of Prayer
b. At work… Jesus called some of His disciples while they were on the job!
c. At school, neighborhood, the gym, etc.
7. Practical Takeaways:
a. Think of evangelism as lifestyle instead of an event.
b. Don’t just believe the gospel, bring the gospel. (Carry it with you.)
B. A largely forgotten role.
1. The role of Fisher is a largely ignored role in our day. We have relegated the role of Fisher/evangelist to the professionals or those with a spiritual gift of evangelism.
a. And while Eph 4 does establish a ministry of evangelism, that does not exclude the rest of us from sharing the gospel.
b. In the same way, you may not be a pastor, but you are expected to care for the saints and minister to one another.
2. In the church today, when we preach the gospel, we typically leave out the part about becoming a fisher of men. We typically present the gospel as a means to a better life, which it is, but that pitch doesn’t go far enough.
a. Salvation today includes joining the church, finding community, etc.
b. Many are looking for people to buy-in to the church’s vision when they present the gospel, “Accept Jesus and help us reach our goal.”
3. But according to Jesus, a disciple makes more disciples. “Follow Me, and I will make you Fishers of men.”
4. Timothy, who served as Paul’s representative to several churches. Even as a young man, Timothy brought order and structure, taught the scriptures and ministered to the saints. He was the Apostle’s protege. Paul wrote to him in 2 Tim 4:5…
“But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
C. Jesus will make us Fishers.
1. Before we panic, we need to remember that when Jesus called those first disciples, He said “I will make you… fishers of men.”
2. In Acts 1:8 He said…
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
3. For 3.5 years Jesus showed them and taught them how to do it in His ministry school and at Pentecost, the promised Holy Spirit empowered them to witness.
4. He made them fishers of men by training them, giving them real world experience and finally by supernatural power, and He will make us fishers the same way.
5. And just like Jesus told Peter to follow Him twice, He also told His disciples to be disciples twice, at their first calling and before He ascended to the Father.
6. Matt 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
IV. Student & Servant.
A. Teacher and Lord.
1. The roles of Student and Servant come from the same verse.
a. John 13:13 Jesus said “You call Me teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.”
2. If Jesus is referring to Himself as our Teacher, than it stands to reason that we are students.
3. And if we are students, then are we good students or poor students?
a. Do we read the material?
b. Do we compete the assignments?
c. Are we coasting on the efforts of our fellow students?
4. Remember group projects? One or two smart nerdy kids did 95% of the work while the rest coasted on their efforts. You hoped to get in a group with smart kids because you knew you would get a good grade.
a. Christianity is a group project, but we will all receive an individual grade.
b. The Teacher knows each one’s contribution and effort.
5. What do we study to become like the Lord?
a. The Bible
b. The words of Jesus— Sermon on the Mount, the Gospels
6. These lessons will transform us (make us like Jesus) when we put them into practice regularly.
a. Turn the other cheek, bless those who curse us, pray for our enemies
b. When we watch our mouths, letting our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’
c. Not letting anxiety rule us
d. Seeking first the kingdom
7. Matt 10:24&25a
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.”
8. Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher.”
9. Being a student of Jesus will always lead us to the life of a servant. Because as we become like Him, we will serve like Him.
B. Servant.
1. Matt 20:25-28
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27 And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
2. When the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest among them, Jesus said “I Am among you as One Who serves.” (Luke 22:27)
3. Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Name above all names, says this is the way it works in the Kingdom of Heaven— the greatest is still a servant.
4. A true disciple of Jesus will serve with humility as the Spirit leads. (With time, talent and treasure.)
5. Phil 2:7 Jesus “…made Himself of no reputation and took on the form of a bondservant…”
a. bondservant: bound to serve
6. The proof of His Lordship in our lives is obedience. Not knowledge of theology or perfect doctrine. If Jesus is truly our Lord, then we will obey His commands and serve at His direction.
7. In the Kingdom of Heaven, greatness looks like service.
V. Closing.
A. Let’s keep our discipleship pure and simple.
1. Knowledge without transformation is just religion with a complex set of rules. Grace without truth that leads to conviction is a corrupted man-centered gospel.
2. Discipleship is not complicated— but it is costly.
B. We can use these four roles of a disciple to live a well round lifestyle of devotion to Jesus.
1. A Follower who is willing to pay the price for pursing Jesus.
2. A Fisher who brings others to Jesus.
3. A Student who lives what they learn.
4. A Servant who obeys the Master.
5. Discipleship is not a program, not a class or a label, it’s a lifestyle.