So You Want to Be a Disciple - Part 1

On the ninth of these increase in new never grow your point is a casual Christian to grow you need to be dedicated disciple of Christ doesn't really mean.

Jeremiah addresses the question by first considering what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah from his teaching Susan search of the Savior is David today's message you want to be a disciple friends were finishing up a study of the book of Mark Mrs. part three of Mark, we have talked the first two sections of this book and now we finish up with these last verses in the last chapters of the book.

Today were going to talk about what it means to be a disciple will get to that in just a few moments as we open our Bibles to the eighth chapter of Mark. Well let's get started with. So you want to be a disciple.

Mark chapter 5 asking this question, what would you answer this. The Bible have more to say about being a Christian, or being a disciple before you answer most of us are really more into being Christians and disciples.

That's something for the people who really get serious about their faith with interestingly open the Scripture discover that the word disciple is in the New Testament 297 times and the word Christian is in the New Testament three times. The New Testament is not about being a Christian. The New Testament is about the disciple.

It's a book written primarily by disciples to teach us how to be disciples.

And when we miss that we miss the core of everything God wants us to know about living the Christian life. They say with pastor Jeremiah. What is a disciple. Well, it's a very simple word just means to be a learner. Someone who's a follower someone who is in avid learner from another teacher.

It's going from the unknown to the known and often through an experience that is a part of the learning process.

Disciple didn't just study out of a textbook and then take a test on what was in the book of disciple attached himself to his leader and follow that leader and learn from that leader and leader role model, the truth and so disciple became someone who went from not knowing anything about that person to be very much involved in that person and following the teaching of that person and one definition of a disciple. It goes like this. It's learning through the stretching of confusion is about what happens to the disciples they learn by being scratched in the confusion we watch that we learned that they almost know something about Jesus now but their vision is clouded, they still don't know who he is Lord Jesus is bringing them along leading them there. His followers, his disciples and his teaching them. He never misses an opportunity to teach them something here in the book of Mark, Jesus asked his disciples, who do men say that I am and they came up with a standard fare of you know Elijah, John the Baptist, some Old Testament prophet and then he asked them. The most important question he said who do you say that I am in Peter you know Peter, he jumps to the front and without any hesitation at all. He says you are the Christ, we learned that when he said you are the Christ teammate you are the anointed one. Literally Jesus you are the Messiah that at first blush it almost seems as if finally they get, but there's no. Finally they did it in this story because what were going to learn is they got the Messiah they wanted, but they didn't get the Messiah that they hoped for. They got the Messiah they thought was going to call men lift the yoke of the Romans off of them set up his kingdom right then role from Jerusalem.

Maybe it is right-handed, the glory would continue Jesus said you don't understand you want the Messiah.

That's who I am.

But let me tell you who the Messiah really is and so in verses 31 to 33.

He begins to tell them what it means to be the Messiah. First of all, he tells them the Messiah is recognized as the Son of Man, verse 31 says he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again and mark the Son of Man is the only title that Jesus ever uses for himself and almost in every instance when he uses that title about himself.

He's telling his disciples about his impending death. And remember this is the first place. Here in this text were he begins to clearly unfold that no longer through parables and stories in clouded words, he's coming right out. Now he's going to say it like in this text in the 31st verse of chapter 8. If you go through the book of Mark, you will see it often. Let me give you a spattering of the places where this happened in Mark 912, the Son of Man must suffer many things and be treated with contempt. In Mark 1032 and 34. He took the 12 aside and began to tell them the things that would happen to him, behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and on and on it goes. Mark 1045. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many. Mark 1441, the hour has come, behold, the Son of Man is betrayed in the hands of sinners. The first thing Jesus wanted his disciples to know was that he was the Messiah, but he was the Son of Man who was about to be crucified. If you're going to see the moment they were quite ready for this information.

Not only was he to be recognized as the Son of Man, but in the same verse he's going to be rejected by the Sanhedrin and he began to teach them that the Son of Man must be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes in Jerusalem at that time there was a rainy body of elders called the 70 and the Sanhedrin which was made up of the 70 and the chief priests and the scribes and all aristocracy of the Jewish community and the Bible says that Jesus came before them, and the word rejected in the text means to be scrutinized in the Bible says Jesus came before this august body of religious leaders, and they scrutinized him they put into the tests and they rejected them. It is interesting, is it not that in the rejection of Jesus Christ. It wasn't the wicked man who rejected him. It was the religious people who rejected him, as one man said it is not humanity at its worst. That crucified is the son of God.

It is humanity at its absolute best. So you want to be connected with the Messiah will he's the son of God is going to suffer and he's the son of God going to be rejected by the Sanhedrin and he's going to be required to suffer notice and he must suffer many things verse 31 Ford Mustang, there is very important occurs in the Bible many times, but here it's an interesting text because a lot of people think that means he must suffer. In other words, the going to get in.

He can't do anything about it, and after of the straw that he is, and it's going to happen. It's inevitable. He must suffer course, that's not what it means that all it doesn't mean either that he must suffer so that will have an example of some godly man who lived a good life, died a noble death and left us an example, what does it mean when it says in the words of Jesus.

He must suffer must suffer because there's no other way. He must suffer because there's no other plan.

There's no other hope there's no other way for you and me to be renewed. There's no other way for soon to be forgiven.

He must suffer because it's God's only plan how many of you know God is and have plan B in any part of his will, and certainly not for his own son.

The only way that the world could be reconciled unto God and that God's plan could be filled in you and me was for the suffering of Jesus Christ to happen, he must suffer many things the Lord Jesus Christ came to this earth knowing exactly what he was up to. He knew that he was born to die. He knew that he would have to die in order for you and I to have a chance to live. He was destined for the cross, he must suffer and then he's to be resurrected in splendor, don't forget that Jesus adds and after three days rise again if all he does is suffer. He is a failure.

But if he suffers the death on the cross overcomes the greater then he can stand with his hands lifted up high heaven accomplish the purpose for which he came to die on the cross to be buried in the third day rise again in victory over death of Jesus is explaining this. The Scripture says later he openly is explaining this to his disciples, and you have to stop for a moment and ask yourself, your disciple, you're sitting there and this is kind of all new to you.

This is not what you thought you were getting. You wanted to Messiah, but not one like this you're thinking soberly now, perhaps for the first time that you had no advance notice on this story it's unfolding is Jesus is speaking and so again Peter steps up good old Peter E this you know you remember that the book of Mark is Peter story dictated to Mark and he writes it down.

Make sure he shows up several times in the story. Shows up again and notice what he does. Jesus is going to be rebuked by Satan. Notice Peter's part in verse 32 Jesus spoke this word openly and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him Jesus speaks about his future suffering openly. He's bold about it and when Peter learns that Jesus is going to Jerusalem to suffer and die.

He's really upset this doesn't fit the agenda that Peter had for Jesus wants a strong Messiah, not a suffering one. He wants his Messiah to dominate not die.

And so Jesus is not cooperating with Peter's agenda for him and I envision Peter taking them aside, put his arm around her shoulder and say Jesus. I got it the Messiah understand that but you gotta quit talking about this dying and death and stuff because you can lose your credibility with everybody and he begins to rebuke him. Whatever reason Peter had for rebuking Jesus we know it is a very serious error because Jesus is that this is the result of Satan infiltrating Peter's life and literally Peter being the voice of Satan. In that context. So after Jesus was rebuked by Peter peters going to be rebuked by Jesus. Notice verse 33. So when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter saying get behind me Satan, for you are not mindful of the things of God but the things of men. Now the text is very clear that Jesus didn't look right at Peter and say get behind me Satan is not calling Peter Satan. He turned away from Peter and then so everyone could hear. He said get behind me Satan. Peter wasn't Satan but Satan was there. He was hovering her in that moment and Jesus had been here before.

He remembered what happened to them in the wilderness when Satan to try to get them to bow down before me said if you bow down before me give the kingdoms of the world. Jesus heard this before, and he knew this was Satan's stuff that was happening or mercy writes in his little commentary that in spite of his devotion to Jesus. Peter was still ignorant of the relationship between the cross and the crown Peter was following Satan's philosophy glory without suffering instead of God's philosophy suffering transformed in the glory. Jesus said it this way. Peter, you are not mindful of the things of God. You are mindful of the things of men. So if you just backup for a moment just rewind a minute who do men say that I am who do you say that I am the anointed one year the Messiah. Oh yeah, let me tell you the Messiah is is good to suffer is going to be rejected.

He's going to die is going to be resurrected is going to be ridiculed.

He's going to be the focus of the attention of everyone trying to rid the world of his presence. He's your Messiah could be think this over. Could we have some time to consider whether we want to join this club or not. And before there can ever be any discussion about this whole issue. Jesus moves from what it means to be a Messiah to what it means to be a follower of the Messiah versus 34 through 38.

Notice that Scripture is broken down this way versus 31 to 33. Answer the question, what is it mean to be the Messiah in verses 34 to 38.

Answer the question, what is it mean to be a follower of the Messiah, and Jesus doesn't begin to answer this question with promises of success or material wealth of the admiration of others or being able to be seated at the right hand of the left hand of the king.

Instead, he insists that his disciples have to be aware of the cost. If you're going to follow this Messiah given a have to be aware that there is a cost involved in following this Messiah as soon as the disciples find out who Jesus is, they began to understand who they must be if they're going to follow him.

Jesus is saying to us, since I am a king on a cross. You might want to think about the fact that the more likely be across in your life if you decide to follow me, so he begins with three requirements of disciples in verse 34 and when you call the people to himself with his disciples also, he said to them, whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

So he lays down these three conditions. He says you want to be a follower of this Messiah. The first requirement is the requirement of self-denial. He said to them, whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself.

What is it mean to deny yourself in this world where everybody is in self-promotion. What is it mean to deny oneself. It means to deny your desire for immediate and selfish gratification, and take up your cross and follow the Lord. It means to understand that all the rewards don't have to be in the here and now that many of them are in the future is giving up something you can never keep so that you have room for something that will last forever. It means to surrender ourselves to Christ and he determined to obey his will, no matter what the cost.

When writers put it this way, self-denial takes shape in many ways. For some it may mean leaving job and family as the disciples did for the proud.

It means renouncing desire for status and honor for the greedy. It means renouncing the appetite for wealth, the complacent will have to renounce their love of these and the fainthearted will have to abandon the craving for security. The violent will have to repudiate the desire for revenge and on it goes. Individuals know best what hinders them from giving their lives over to God and Jesus is if you want to be one of my disciples, it can't be about you from now on. It's about me. You put your stuff on hold, say, look, I wanted to be this or that my goal was this or that and now it becomes his goal willing to say no to yourself so they can say yes to him you say what good is that going to do. Hang on. There's a reward passage coming in a moment. Here's the second requirement. The requirement of suffering.

Whoever desires to come after me, let him take up his cross. That's really interesting thing because in our culture today what we know about the cross is that it's a piece of jewelry. We hang around her neck. I've seen some of the most ungodly people I've ever met my life with a cross hanging around her neck. If you notice that one, a disconnect that is only by crosses for everything and for everybody. They have among steeples when I need to tell you that wasn't the cross in Jesus day the cross in Jesus day was the Roman cross was the most humiliating experience that an individual could ever go through. In the days of Jesus. The cross was dehumanizing. It was deadly it was defeating and if you talk about the cross in his day, you knew it was the form of execution for the poorest of the poor and the most wicked of the wicked. It was saved for special occasions to make a statement and it was the most cruel of all of the punishments known to man. Jesus said, you gotta take up your cross and follow me.

So often today, we think we understand what the cross is for instance, take up your cross, what is that me well I got all these aches and pains.

I'm taking him across, take up your cross, all I been very some heavy burdens throughout this life.

Take up your cross I been married to this woman for 50 years. That's what some people think it is. They think it's some little issue, take up your cross is not hanging in there taking up your cross is not enduring verbal or physical abuse, taking up your cross is not putting up with another debossed on on third teacher or a bossy mother-in-law taking up your cross is not suffering with an incurable disease or debilitating handicap. None of those things we use the words counted in a colloquial way we use it kind of is a slang, although she's just bearing the cross. They say, but in the Bible to take up your cross means to suffer particularly because of your relationship with Jesus Christ.

The barrier cross is to suffer abuse because you are a Christian, we know very little about that in our culture were learning more about it. As the years go by, would go to some of the places where they really have to stand up and be counted for their faith. That's what it means to take up your cross. It means not to try to get out of identifying with the person who's accusing you, but willingly say yes. He's my Savior, he's my Lord I'm one of his and then when you get the abuse that comes from that that particularly connected abuse to your connection with Jesus. That's what it means to take up the cross. You see, Jesus doesn't offer his disciples of self-fulfillment or intoxicating spiritual experiences or intellectual stimulation, although that may come in the process he offers us across.

He doesn't invite us to try the cross on for size to see if we like it. He doesn't ask volunteers to carry one for extra credit. His demand separates us from the signers or disciples. The Bible doesn't make discipleship sound easy. Frankly, it sounds rather difficult, doesn't it. It's all in its everything you have. That's no holds barred. It's no looking back it's 100% total commitment to the call and have more about that tomorrow. As we continue our discussion of so you want to be a disciple can be sure to join us tomorrow. Right here on the screen station. More information on Jeremiah's current teaching series in search of the Savior. Please visit our website. We are also trying to relate to help you stay connected and monthly magazine Turning Points and as a motivation sign up today. Jeremiah dawdled/writing that David Jeremiah.old/writing to ask your company if I was the Bible because finding Jesus in every book in the Bible. You can also purchase the Jeremiah study Bible and the English standard version, new international version and you can James version filled with helpful notes and articles. Jeremiah Jeremiah.old/radio Gary join us tomorrow as we continue the series for trip Savior is here on Turning Point for the Jeremiah taking time to listen to and from these increasingly