"Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.
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Discipleship Training Course Come… Follow Me!
Lesson 2: Growing Up
Review
We have seen...
1. That a disciple is a follower in the steps of Jesus who abides in His word. (See John 15:7) To "abide" means to stay in a given place, state, relation or expectancy:--abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand, or to tarry;
2. That the disciple is taught to become like Jesus in whose name he does everything;
3. That there are four underlying principles to discipleship:
a. To abide in the Word;
b. To be fruitful in Jesus;
c. To show unconditional love for others;
d. To be dedicated to sharing the Good News of the gospel;
4. That there are privileges and responsibilities in discipleship which the follower of Jesus must consider.
In this lesson, we shall see...
A. What the signs of spiritual growth are that the disciple sees and receives encouragement from in his walk with Jesus;
B Why God desires spiritual growth;
C. What it will cost to be a disciple.
Our objective is...
to be able to count the cost of a committed walk with Jesus.
A. Some signs of spiritual growth
1. John 15:2, 4 "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit... Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me."
The disciple begins to bear fruit (See Galatians 5:22)
2. John 13:12-15 "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. "
The disciple becomes a servant of his brethren.
3. 2 Corinthians 13:11 "Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."
The disciple becomes complete. This means to be completed thoroughly, i.e. repair (lit. or fig.) or adjust:--fit, frame, mend, (make) perfect (-ly join together), prepare, restore.
4. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
The disciple no longer lives for himself but for the Lord.
5. Galatians 5:22-25 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."
The disciple bears the fruit of the indwelling Spirit.
6. Ephesians 4:11-16 "And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ; from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
God has given the ministry of gifted men to the church for the specific aim of bringing us to Christian maturity. These gifts are varied; special messengers, inspired preacher of the Gospel, travelling missionaries, shepherds of the flock, and teachers. His objective is to create more disciples in every generation who minister towards the building up of the church so that it is not the prey of unscrupulous men.
B. God's growth pattern.
1 John 2:12-14 " I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
Note the growth pattern. From little children to young men to fathers. Little children, immature christians are expected to grow into young men, and from thence to mature fathers. Little children know forgiveness from God as the first step, compared with fathers who know the Father intimately. Young men growing on the basis of being forgiven have to overcome the evil one. This they do because the Word of God lives in them.
C. Counting the cost.
1. Luke 9:62 "But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
See John 6:60-66 and Mark 10:17-31
Jesus challenges us to face the true implications of discipleship; faithful single-mindedness at whatever the cost.
2. Philippians 2:13 "It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
(AMP) [Not in your own strength] for it is God who is all the while effectually at work in you [energising and creating in you the power and desire] both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.
3. 2 Corinthians 9:8 "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work."
All sufficiency = possessing enough to require no further aid or support and furnished in abundance for every good work and charitable donation. (AMP)
Cornerstone Ministries,
Malcolm Vine.
September 2004
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