DISCIPLESHIP SERIES 3: THE TRUE DISCIPLE

What makes one a disciple?

What are the pieces of evidence to show that a person is a disciple?

Do we just take people's word for it? If person A says they are disciples, then disciples they are, or are there things we will see in common with these sets of people that qualify them as disciples?

We will be exploring these questions tonight as we provide answers to them.

One thing I have found so far from scripture is that Jesus was an interesting man. I sometimes try to imagine Christ in our world today and what the media paparazzi will be like. This man had random people leaving their businesses, their lives essentially, to follow Him up and down.

Though the Return on Investment for that is priceless, but look deep and you find these guys didn't even really understand the ROI from the beginning.

Jesus was captivating. I think this is the word. A lot of people were always around Jesus. He had the crowd around Him every time.

If I see you with a person more than 10 times, I will automatically assume that you are their follower. But this logic is flawed when it comes to discipleship. You know why?

Even the Pharisees were always present with Jesus. They were always a part of the gathering. But were they disciples? No! Were they following Him in this sense? The answer is No.

For some people, they were captivated by the man Jesus and the way He spoke, though they never understood anything He said. For some, it was the miracles. For some, just curiosity. Nothing more than that. For some others, it could even have been joblessness. Lack of better things to do with their time. And there are people that would have joined the crowd because there was a crowd, “Everybody dey go, so make I join.” There were also people like the Pharisees who were following Him up and down largely because they hated His guts but somehow couldn't ignore Him completely. They had to be there to poke holes in all of His stories. Everyone was present with Jesus, but not everyone was following or were disciples.

While preaching in church on Sunday, the Holy Spirit pointed something out to me about the resurrection of Jesus. The angels had to remind the women who met the tomb empty that Jesus already told them He would rise. But if you go to Matthew 27 from verse 62, you will see that the chief priests and the Pharisees did not forget Jesus saying this.

They remembered clearly. So much so that they met Pilate to guard the tomb heavily. They knew the very words of Jesus but this did not make them disciples. Their reason for knowing was of course wrong.

30 “As he spake these words, many believed on him. 31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8: 30-32 (KJV)

I noticed something here. Jesus was speaking to them about the Father and Himself. And the bible says many believed Him.

Faith!

But then you move to the next verse and you find a shocking revelation;

Their faith/belief in what He had said doesn't translate into them being disciples. Their proof of discipleship was if they abide in His word. It wasn't in believing or accepting His word.

That's a start, a good one, but not the evidence we are looking for.

“If you continually obey my teachings and live in accordance with them”

The first evidence that anyone is a true disciple of Jesus is them abiding in the word. Do you continually obey God's teachings and live in accordance with them? Or you keep telling yourself that Grace covers all?

Your answer to this question helps you to know if you are a true disciple or not. There is also a reason this abiding and obeying is continual.

“From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” John 6:66 NKJV

See what happened before they left Jesus and dropped the discipleship cap? 

“As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me.” John 6:57 NKJV

The requirement was they will live by the word. People want to be free, people want to do what they like, they want to lead themselves. But you see disciples? We are led by the word. No buts.

Discipleship is not a once in a while decision of following in the footsteps of Christ, we must continually abide here. We must make that effort. Just as we discussed last week on cross-bearing. Every one of us must give something to follow. You like it or not, you will drop something.

I mentioned as we started that the disciples gave up their very lives to follow Jesus. Discipleship is seen in the sacrifice we make to continuously abide in Christ and in His word. The proof of Faith is continuing in Faith. To continue in Faith is to continue in the word (to continually live by its principles).

So,

1. A true disciple is one who abides in the word

2. A true disciple is one who imitates Jesus and does His will

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44 NKJV

We are marked by what we do and what we desire.

What do you desire?

These are questions I'd like us to pause and ask ourselves.

It is important that we end this series with a huge change and improvement to our lives as believers.

What do you desire?

Jesus told them they were not of the Father because they didn't love Him.

“Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.” John 8:42 NKJV

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.”  John 14:15 NKJV

This brings me to the next piece of evidence of discipleship.

“This is My commandment: that you love one another [just] as I have loved you.” John 15:12 AMPC

Our third evidence of discipleship is:

3. Loving, Just as Christ loves

This is the benchmark. We are not true disciples yet if we do not know how to love like Christ. Not based on what people do to us but loving exactly as Christ loves.

Nothing like love your neighbor as yourselves. No! Love your neighbor as Christ loves you!

Our lifestyle of love stands as a witness to our discipleship call. No one will say He is a follower of Jesus and refuses to love as Christ does.

How exactly then has Christ loved us? Find a previous teaching that answers this question HERE

The proofs that you are a true disciple are:

1. You abide in the word

2. You imitate Jesus and do His will

3. You love others just as Christ loves you

Based on these, sit and ask yourself today, Am I a true disciple of Jesus...?

To be continued…

THE FINISHED WORKS OF CHRIST

When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, my bride!” Then he bowed his head and surrendered his spirit to God.
John 19:30 TPT

John.19.28 - Jesus knew that everything was now finished, and to fulfill the Scriptures he said, "I am thirsty." 

 John.19.29 - A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 


 John.19.30 - When Jesus had tasted it, he said, "It is finished!" Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. .NLT

[8:16 PM, 4/21/2019] Iya Kekere: Let's start from verse 28.

Jesus knew that everything was now accomplished

But Jesus had not died so what was accomplished?

How was it all finished when He had not entered the Grave or resurrected?

The purpose of His life was death
He lived to die

His whole life was orchestrated towards His death

And Him defeating the grave.

The life He lived determined the outcome in the grave.

Jesus already won before He entered the Grave.

He knew this before He died

He had passed. He had checked all

Everything was accomplished.

All the wrath and judgement of sin was now upon Him.

He had become the target

He was set

For Him to carry this wrath, He had to be blameless

He had to die with it, as the price


Then rise as The Christ, the one who truly lived blameless

In verse 30, He goes on to say It is Finished, Bride

I like the TPT for this.

When he had sipped the sour wine, he said, “It is finished, my bride!” Then he bowed his head and surrendered his spirit to God.
John 19:30 TPT

Who is the bride?

In those days, when you marry a woman into a family, she stops belonging to her old family

She stops identifying with her old family.

It is what they share in her new family (husband's house), that now belongs to her

She is entitled to it fully

Dear bride, it is finished.
You can pack your load in
Papers have been signed fully.
It is finished

IT IS FINISHED!!!

What exactly finished?  Is it His suffering?  Or the world's suffering?  What exactly happened or transpired on the cross that led to this statement? Did Jesus do all that needed to be done? Do we have a part to play?  So many questions rising from this

To be able to answer all of these questions and know exactly what FINISHED,  we have to look at all that transpired on the cross THROUGH the eyes of God.

How did God see all of these?

What finished in His own eyes as He looked at Jesus give up His soul?


The story of the cross isn't just about Jesus dying,  it meant something to God and until we understand what it meant to God,  we will never fully understand what it does for us.

I will be dividing these works of Christ into 3 major parts as I've come to understand it over the years.

- ATONEMENT 
On the cross,  Jesus became a means of appeasement/propitiation. More like He became the appeasement itself.

I'm reminded of a phrase my pastor used to say back home in Yoruba (Ohun si ni etutu fun ese wa).  Jesus was a means of satisfying a requirement.
He satisfied perfectly the requirement for the debt we righteously owe God.

So many would say that God is a loving God and doesn't need our sorry to forgive us BUT God is more than loving,  He is a RIGHTEOUS GOD.  Righteousness ALWAYS demands a recompensation,  hence God sending His son Jesus to die as a recompense.

Now when Jesus said IT IS FINISHED,  He meant not only am I a recompense for your sins,  God is COMPLETELY appeased and satisfied.

For every time you are accused before the judge, do you know the verdict?

Not Guilty

The only way you are declared guilty is if Christ was not price enough

For the man in Christ, even when you ere, never forget this YOU ARE NOT GUILTY

It's like a package in a box.
The box standing as the package.
The box is what is being seen by all

And definitely what will be judged by all

As long as Christ paid in full, then you know the verdict

Never let the enemy call you who you are not. Never let the enemy declare you guilty, he is not the judge.

Whatever it is you have done, whatever it is you will even do in the future, the man in Christ comes out Not guilty always

Someone already became punishment for that sin.
He paid the price in full.

You can't be punished twice

There is no sin so great that was missed out on the cross

Every time the enemy accuses you, just look at him and say:.....that meins...

He will wait and get tired for that guilty pronouncement

2 people cannot be declared guilty and sentenced twice over one sin.


- REDEMPTION

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"—
Galatians 3:13 ESV

To redeem is to buy or pay off,  to release by paying a price

This has been on my mind since morning.

Jesus, the curse

So many Christians thinking they are still bound by whatever curse it is in their families

Then when you explain, someone tells you
Ah, you don't know what my forefathers did
In my family, they die early

In my lineage, all the first girls don't give birth

Bla bla bla

Don't you understand what happened on the cross?

Don't you understand that you were bought at a price?

Those ties were cut as you died with Christ

Are you saying your family/generational curse is more potent than the blessing of Abraham?

Don't you know you now belong to the bloodline of Christ?

We will have to render the blessing of Abraham useless, the price Christ paid not enough. This is the only way any family curse will stand for the man in Christ.

The next time you hear anyone talking about this, clear them please.

Tell them whose bloodline you belong to

If a man buys a Slave from his master and pays the price in full. Is the slave entitled to 10 lashes of cane apportioned to slaves of that master?

No

Because he is not part of them anymore.

There is a thing with knowing and also killing fear.

Some of us already know these things but there is fear

Everybody in your family married after 40.

You are getting close to 30 and no man, in your mind you are thinking already, What if?

There should be no fear concerning this. No iota of doubt about where you belong to

(for game of thrones lover)

When Daenerys shouted to the unsullied to kill all the Masters in the city, they obeyed immediately.

Their former master told them to stop but they didn't listen to him. You know why? The Dragon mother paid their price already

Stop acting like Jesus is still owing debt. He paid it all

Another part to redemption,


This curse Christ released us from is not just the curse from "our village people" as many Africans would like to interprete,  rather He gave us IMMUNITY and COMPLETELY  released us from the curse of the law brought upon us all by sin.  A price was paid to give us immunity,  not to the devil but to God as demanded by His righteous government

(The sweet part is,  it is the very person man sinned against/violated that also looked for a way to clear the sins)

So yes,  we are COMPLETELY redeemed and all our sins atoned for.

Don't ever think that a curse is active in your life due to any situation.

Don't ever!

Always remember whose family you belong to

- RECONCILIATION

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
2 Corinthians 5:19 ESV

In other words, it was through the Anointed One that God was shepherding the world, not even keeping records of their transgressions, and he has entrusted to us the ministry of opening the door of reconciliation to God.
2 Corinthians 5:19 TPT

I'd like us to take note of this phrase;  "Not counting their trespasses against them".
Not keeping records

That is one of the things Jesus finished.  God does not see iniquity in us.  When He looks at me,  He sees me as He sees Jesus

God in Christ reconciled us to Himself.  At the point of the death of Jesus,  a new relationship was opened.  God brought us back to the original plan which is to have fellowship with man

 The work of RECONCILIATION was also FINISHED on the cross.

 This simply means,  God doesn't give little or move closer to us based on how much we move closer to Him.  He doesn't meet us halfway
Or get closer as we do.

(He doesn't run away from us.
"I will never leave nor forsake you" was established in this contract)


Rather we as humans are the ones that run far from  Him,  doing things our own way,  thereby working against ALL  God has given to us by that which Christ FINISHED on the cross

So Nothing like God is far away from me as a believer.  CHRIST ALREADY PAID THE PRICE IN FULL so God cannot move away from me

IT IS FINISHED; 
He became an ATONEMENT for our sins (completely appeasing God)  thereby REDEEMING us fully from the curse of the law and RECONCILING us totally to God

It is finished

This was not a tired cry but a victory shout.
Jesus was happy saying that.

When you hear It is finished, remember He paid in full

He paid a price for the law to be shattered

For that table to be broken

He paid a full price for your freedom from self/sin

He paid a full price for God's satisfaction in you and justice

He paid a full price to render the devil utterly powerless.


This is important.
A lot of us still ascribe certain powers to the enemy. That is why when people do things, they say it is the devil. This is to mean that the power was more than them so they couldn't control themselves

Big, fat lie

The devil is powerless before you that is in Christ. Stop giving him power he doesn't have

All that Christ finished is not  based on how much we work for God or love Him. But it is only accessible to those who Believe in it. And in Him

So YES,  We are healed,  the devil is already a defeated foe,  we've been delivered (from the authority of Satan and the kingdom of darkness)

We've been redeemed so Satan (SIN)  has no dominion over us anymore

We ALL have authority over Satan. He already canceled our debt/sin (not because we are good or act right). 

He HAD Mercy on us already over 2000 years ago!

GLORY!!!

Jesus already PAID THE FULL PRICE.  All we have to do is accept and believe so we can collect receipt for that which He paid for

God wants us to see the truth and stand in the light of that which has already been done so we can go forth in power

Most times we wait on God to do something,  sorry He HAS ALREADY DONE IT

I can't wait to walk with God in Heaven and chill


But God already brought Heaven to Earth and is walking with as many that believe and accept all that Christ did

We were Reconciled: Fellowship

Emmanuel - God with Us.
Even God couldn't wait for us to come to Heaven to walk and talk with Him,  He made a way.
That's one of the things Jesus completed on the cross.  God is now with me
I can gist with Him and talk with Him

What Christ finished on the cross already says I am NOT a Sinner.  I have DOMINION over sin

Now this brings us to a very important part,  Christ DID ALL does this mean I don't have a part?

Now if I have dominion over sin and I constantly continue to sin thereby making Sin to have more power,  have I truly accepted or believed what Christ FINISHED?

Am I not indirectly saying Christ did not finish or complete well? Am I not saying He was not price enough?

Probably we need to crucify Him extra so everything can be finished

This brings us to 2 more points

THE PRESENT

THE CONTINUOUS

When we become born again,  it is our spirit that dies and gets reborn,  our body and soul remain

THE PRESENT

This is provision of Grace as an enabler, flowing from that which Christ already FINISHED

We have to deliberately put off the old behavior and God knew we can't do this on our own,  so He gave GRACE and we have to choose/accept this Grace ourselves.

God has already done all that needs to be done,  it is our response to that which He did that will determine how much we receive

We have life in full but we will never know how "full" it is if we do not live it

If you accept all,  you receive all

- God has done everything so I can do as I like❌
- I need to do a lot/work fully so God can do all for me ❌

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Ephesians 4:22‭-‬24 NIV


God already created a new self for us all.  He did that 2000 years ago.  And He has been waiting for us to put on this new self.

When we become born again,  there was a permanent change in our spirit and it is only when we reject Christ that we go back to status quo

We received an ongoing river of grace to help us be more like Him.  And this is not automatic (we are not robots).  Hence we have to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice (daily,  every moment as we live), we have to cooperate with Grace

Don't forget that is is not automatic,  so please don't beat yourself over it or see yourself as less of a Christian.  Just keep cooperating with the Grace made available,  you won't know when you will stop all.

THE FUTURE

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Ephesians 4:11‭-‬13

This is the goal; maturity in the knowledge of God,  manifesting His spiritual completeness in us

It's a continuous process. Till we die actually, we keep growing in Him. We are to put our faith and rest in that which Christ has finished

We are to put our faith and accept the resulting River of Grace that already flows over our lives

We are to put our faith in the continual supply of this Grace until we come to the fullness of Christ

Never forget all Christ did for you. Never!

Walk in it

Live it!