This weekend, our pastor posed this question before us, "Are you a follower or a disciple of Christ?" He proceeded to distinguish the difference in the two. As I have been thinking since the service, there is a huge difference in being a follower of something or someone and being a disciple.
A disciple...a student, a pupil, a learner. If you are a disciple of someone, you have come under them and are learning from them and learning to be more like them. Back in the time Jesus was living, young men would enter into the synagogue and study under the leaders, they would become disciples of the leaders. Same as in science and with philosophers, we see it with Plato, Socrates, Copernicus, they had disciples who would learn under them, imitate them, take on parts of their identity and philosophies. We see it still today with many other religions, where young men will enter into a time of learning with their leaders and shape their views and thoughts and identity from the views and thoughts and identity of their leaders. Even if I want to choose certain careers, there are apprenticeships, where one becomes an apprentice under a "master" of their chosen career and learns all the ins and outs, takes on the ways and the skills of their "master." So to be a disciple of Christ, there must be something that marks me as different than a follower, there has to be something that will distinguish me from others.
A disciple is called...the Lord has chosen us, we have not chosen Him. He is the initiator, He is the caller. The Lord chose His apostles, the Lord chose His disciples, He did not choose His followers. Our calling is a supernatural act of the Spirit. (Mark 1:17, Mark 3:13-14, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Peter 1:3) If we are a disciple there has been a supernatural calling of the Spirit on our lives.
A disciple is in a relationship with Jesus....Ken had a great quote: "The action of a disciple flows from a relationship with Jesus. The relationship is first, not the task." (1 Corinthians 1:9) I will desire a fellowship with Christ, I will desire a deepening relationship with Christ. I will desire to know Him intimately and passionately.
And because of that relationship, I will desire to obey Him. I will desire to obey His will, His word. I will desire to live a life of obedience out of the outflowing of my relationship with Him. As I grow in Him, obedience is a desire not a chore. It is something I want to do, not something I have to do.
And as I deepen in my relationship, as I desire to obey, I will be transformed. My life will become more like His life. My heart will become more like His heart. My actions will become more like His actions. What I say and what I do will reflect what He has said and what He has done. I must continually be progressing in my faith, continually be changing, continually becoming more like Him. And I can not help but changing, I can not help but sharing, I can not help but letting the world know I am not a follower, I am a disciple.
A disciple will study, will question, will doubt, will continue to study, will pray, will ask for wisdom, ask for discernment, will realize is is the supernatural working of our Saviour and nothing we have done, He has chosen us, we in our sin could not choose Him. A disciple will grow in a relationship with Him, will desire to be obedient to His Word, will be transformed daily by a renewing of their mind, will daily study, daily prayer, will daily share of what He has done. For He has done and will do great things to those who are called according to His glorious grace and mercy. Am I a disciple or a follower?
Followers, they can say all the right things; they dress the right way; they look the part. Think of a follower of a team...they wear the team colors, they go to all the games, they cheer obnoxiously and boo just as loud, they know the stats of the players, they know the history of the team. Or a follower of a band or musician....they know all the songs and can sing them at the top of their lungs, they have been to multiple concerts, they follow the band or artist around the country, they even begin to dress and look like, they know every detail about the band or musician. Now think of a follower of Christ...they wear the shirts, they have the cross necklaces, they listen to the Christian music, they know Scriptures and can spout them out at the snap of the fingers, they honk at bumper stickers, they look the part and sound the part. But when it comes to a "follower" of Christ, how many of us our followers in name only and neglect to become disciples? How many of us can talk a great talk, walk a great walk, but that is where it stops? Am I a disciple or a follower?
A disciple is called...the Lord has chosen us, we have not chosen Him. He is the initiator, He is the caller. The Lord chose His apostles, the Lord chose His disciples, He did not choose His followers. Our calling is a supernatural act of the Spirit. (Mark 1:17, Mark 3:13-14, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Peter 1:3) If we are a disciple there has been a supernatural calling of the Spirit on our lives.
A disciple is in a relationship with Jesus....Ken had a great quote: "The action of a disciple flows from a relationship with Jesus. The relationship is first, not the task." (1 Corinthians 1:9) I will desire a fellowship with Christ, I will desire a deepening relationship with Christ. I will desire to know Him intimately and passionately.
And because of that relationship, I will desire to obey Him. I will desire to obey His will, His word. I will desire to live a life of obedience out of the outflowing of my relationship with Him. As I grow in Him, obedience is a desire not a chore. It is something I want to do, not something I have to do.
And as I deepen in my relationship, as I desire to obey, I will be transformed. My life will become more like His life. My heart will become more like His heart. My actions will become more like His actions. What I say and what I do will reflect what He has said and what He has done. I must continually be progressing in my faith, continually be changing, continually becoming more like Him. And I can not help but changing, I can not help but sharing, I can not help but letting the world know I am not a follower, I am a disciple.
A disciple will study, will question, will doubt, will continue to study, will pray, will ask for wisdom, ask for discernment, will realize is is the supernatural working of our Saviour and nothing we have done, He has chosen us, we in our sin could not choose Him. A disciple will grow in a relationship with Him, will desire to be obedient to His Word, will be transformed daily by a renewing of their mind, will daily study, daily prayer, will daily share of what He has done. For He has done and will do great things to those who are called according to His glorious grace and mercy. Am I a disciple or a follower?
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