PORTRAIT OF A TRUE DISCIPLE
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INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
It is always fun to look at the portraits of family members who grew up in a different time. The clothes are different. The hair is different and the cars were different. Portraits give us a very clear picture of what our loved ones looked like. Jesus, in this text, is painting a portrait of a true disciple. This portrait will give us a clear idea of what a true disciple of Christ should look like.
Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem where crucifixion awaits Him. Meanwhile, His disciples are arguing about who is the greatest and stopping another follower from carrying out his ministry. Jesus is not happy with the disciples’ actions and He wants to teach them what His true follower should look like.
Lets turn to our passage
REDEMPTIVE TRUTH:
REDEMPTIVE TRUTH:
A true follower of Christ will not hinder the spiritual walk of other believers and will not ensnare himself into sin.
1. TRUE DISCIPLES WILL NOT HINDER ANOTHER BELIEVERS SPIRITUAL WALK (V. 42).
1. TRUE DISCIPLES WILL NOT HINDER ANOTHER BELIEVERS SPIRITUAL WALK (V. 42).
1. TRUE DISCIPLES WILL NOT HINDER OTHER BELIEVERS SPIRITUAL WALK (V. 42).
1. TRUE DISCIPLES WILL NOT HINDER OTHER BELIEVERS SPIRITUAL WALK (V. 42).
“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”
A. “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.”
A. Jesus demonstrates His radical love for His children.
1. Jesus demonstrates His radical love for His children by pointing out the severe penalty that will befall those who will cause “one of these little ones who believe in Him to stumble.”
John MacArthur points out this important truth. “God has always been protective of His children. To Abraham () He says, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you i will curse. Do not touch my anointed ones and do my prophets no harm (Psalm 105:15).
Who are these little ones? The little ones in this context are other followers of Jesus. “It is best to see them as lowly followers of Jesus.” So Jesus is pointing out that anyone who will cause one of His followers to stumble will face His wrath.
What does it the word stumble mean in this context?”
The verb refers to stumbling over an obstacle. It means to cause someone to sin, to fall into sin, or to loose their faith. In this instance, it refers to destroying the faith of a fellow believer or causing a believer to fall away from God. It is to wreck a person’s faith. The phrase refers to anything that would compromise the faith of another believer. This could include temptation that leads to sin, or false teaching that distorts belief.
What does Jesus mean by “one of these little ones?”
Who are these little ones? The little ones in this context are other followers of Jesus. It is best to see them as lowly followers of Jesus. So, Jesu
2. Anyone who wrecks the faith of another believer is not a child of God. He is a child of the devil. John says in , “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
3. It is not right to cause a brother or sister to stumble in their walk with Christ. It is not a demonstration of love to cause a brother or sister to abandon the faith.
B. There is punishment for those who will cause one of the least of these to stumble:
Jesus points out that it would been better for a man to take a millstone and drown himself in the sea before causing one of His children to fall into sin. The sea was a place of terror and chaos in Jewish poetry.
The millstone was a heavy stone driven by a donkey to grind grain.
What was the millstone?
2. “This stern warning has immediate relevance for those who had sought to stop the man who was exercising his faith in Jesus’ name.”
C. We should be believers who will build others up and not cause them to stumble:
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Col. 3:16
We build one another up by teaching and encouraging one another with the word of God.
We build one another up when we have that personal relationship with God that leads to worship.
Living for Christ’s exaltation.
2. A TRUE DISCIPLE WILL NOT ENSNARE HIMSELF INTO SIN (VV. 43-48).
2. A TRUE DISCIPLE WILL NOT ENSNARE HIMSELF INTO SIN (VV. 43-48).
“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
A. A True disciple will live life of purity:
1. Jesus is calling on His followers to carry out drastic actions against anything that will stand in their way of following Him. Believers are to surgically remove everything that will serve as a hindrance in their walk with Christ. Things that will cause us to stumble in our relationship with Christ must be radically removed from our lives.
By asking believers to cut off parts of the body that cause them to sin?
2. In this context, it is the hands, feet and eyes that must be radically removed if they pose a threat to our lives as followers of Christ. This is not a demand for physical self-mutilation, but this is a demonstration of the costly nature of been a follower of Christ. The sinful member of our bodies must be renounced so that our whole body will not be cast into hell. Whatever in our lives is causing us to be untrue to God must be eliminated. Jesus said in , “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” What does Jesus mean by take up your cross? Someone rightly said that Jesus was teaching His disciple and us that if we are to be His disciple, we would also have to die to ourselves.” .
2. In this context, it is the hands, feet and eyes that must be radically removed if they posse a threats to our lives as followers of Christ. This is not a demand for physical self-mutilation but this is a demonstration of the costly nature of been a follower of Christ. The sinful member of our bodies must be renounced so that our whole body will not be cast into hell. Whatever in our lives are causing us to be untrue to God must be
What does Jesus mean when He tells His disciples to “take up their cross?”
3. “The mention of the body parts emphasizes that the battle against sin includes all aspects of a believer’s life”
A. , “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;
B. , “Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these the wrath of God is coming.”
C. , “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. it teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age...” God did not save us and left us to fend for ourselves. He gave us the grace to live lives that will please Him.
, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature; sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the creator.” This verse tells us that we have been born again. The life we are to live now must be different from the life that we lived before our invitation to be a part of God’s family.
Those who are called by God have been equipped to live godly lives. Christ points out that it is better for us to enter life crippled than to go to hell with all of our body parts.
B. The consequences for living godless lives:
B. The consequences for living godless lives:
1. Christ points out that it would be better for believers to carry out these radical actions of eliminating sin than it would be to go to hell.
4. .
2. The Greek word for hell is Gehenna. This place was found on the Southern side of the city of Jerusalem. It was used as the city’s garbage dump. In the Old Testament, it was the site of human sacrifice to the pagan god Molech. It was a place where human excrement and rubbish, including animal carcasses, were disposed off and burned. The fire of Gehenna never went out. So in the intertestamental period, the place came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment.
3. Christ states that “the worm does not die and fire is not quenched” signifying that the judgment is unending. So He challenges everyone to deal radically with sin or to be cast into the garbage pit of hell.
What does Christ mean by “the worm does not die and the fire is not quenched?”
C. What is encouraging is that those who are God’s children have been given the grace to overcome sin from their lives. When we came to faith, we were given the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s goal is for us to be holy. So, if you are a believer and struggling with sin, you have God’s Spirit living inside of you. He makes it possible for you to become victorious.
CONCLUSION:
3. A TRUE DISCIPLE WILL OFFER
3. A TRUE DISCIPLE WILL OFFER
“Everyone will be salted with fire.Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you m
A. The sacrifice of true believers:
Every true disciple will offer himself as a total sacrifice to God. And when a disciple gives Himself to God. Persecution, trials and sufferings will accompany his sacrifice. Because a disciple offered himself to God does not mean that He is free from persecution. Peter writes to the persecuted church in , “These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may prove genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
In verse 50, Jesus is warning His disciples not to loose the characteristic in them that brings life to the world and prevents decay. What are the characteristics? 1. The disciples’ spirit of devotion to Christ, the disciples spirit of self-sacrifice
This sacrificing of themselves to God will lead to peach and unity among believers.
When believers offer themselves as living sacrifices to God, they will be strengthen to live at peace with one another.