A Practical Guide for Disciples The

Hallmarks of Discipleship-Part 3
by

John MacArthur
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American President Theodore Roosevelt reportedly observed there has never yet been a man who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering. He said, "I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life" Hamilton !lub, !hicago, "# Apr. "$%%&. The 'ord does not call His disciples to a life of ease. The high calling of discipleship is perhaps most forcibly stated in (atthew "#)*$+*%, where ,esus says, "He that ta-eth not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it. and he that loseth his life for my sa-e shall find it." ,esus/ instructions in (atthew "#)01+10 call for self+denial and self+ sacrifice++a commitment to obey the divine will at any cost. A. The 2eed for 3enuineness (any people claim to follow ,esus. 4ut our 'ord often spo-e of the mar-s of a genuine disciple to e5pose those whose discipleship was only a facade. That distinction has often been overloo-ed in contemporary !hristianity. 6pea-ing of Israel, the apostle Paul said, "They are not all Israel, who are Israel" Rom. %)7&. All who are outwardly 3od/s covenant people are not that inwardly. In a similar way, not all who are outwardly disciples of ,esus !hrist are inwardly His disciples. (atthew "#)01+10 gives us the mar-s of a genuine disciple. 4. The 2eed for 8ffectiveness (atthew "#)01+10 also deals with the effectiveness of the disciple. ,esus was concerned not only with 9ualifications but also with how a real disciple effects his world and is effected by it. 3enuine disciples are to have an impact on what surrounds them. Revie* I. A :I6!IP'8 :;86 2;T <8AR TH8 =;R': vv. 07+*"& II. A :I6!IP'8 !;2<86686 !HRI6T 48<;R8 ;TH8R6 vv. *0+**& /esson III. A :I6!IP'8 P>T6 !HRI6T 48<;R8 HI6 <A(I'? vv. *1+*@&

,esus said that some who followed Him would be delivered up to councils, scourged in synagogues, and brought before governors and -ings (att. "#)"@+"$&. Those who were His true disciples would confess Him (att. "#)*0&, while those who were not would deny Him (att. "#)**&. In (atthew "#)*1+*@ ,esus builds on what He had already said to show that He would bring division. A. The Parado5 of !hrist/s !oming v. *1& "Thin- not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword." ".,esus did not bring peace a& !ontrary to ,ewish e5pectations At the time of !hrist, the ,ewish people e5pected that when the (essiah came He would bring peace. Isaiah said He would be the Prince of Peace Isa. %)7&. 6pea-ing of the (essianic -ingdom, Psalm @0 says, "The mountains shall bring peace to the people" v. *&. It also says in the (essiah/s "days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace as long as the moon endureth" v. @&. Isaiah 0)*+1 says, "(any people shall go and say, !ome ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the 'ord, to the house of the 3od of ,acob. and he will teach us his ways, and we will wal- in his paths. for out of Aion shall go forth the law, and the word of the 'ord from ,erusalem. And he shall Budge among the nations, and shall rebu-e many peoples. and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hoo-s. nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." 6o Israel thought the (essiah was coming to bring peace. b& !ontrary to the disciples/ e5pectations Prior to ,esus/ instruction in (atthew "#, His disciples had begun to e5perience the peace that comes in -nowing ,esus. It is possible they anticipated that bliss to gain immediate acceptance throughout the world as they preached the gospel. 6ince the (essiah had come and He was the Prince of Peace, it would have been natural to assume that His -ingdom rule was imminent. 0.,esus did bring division However, the immediate establishment of the (essianic -ingdom wasn/t to be and the 'ord warned His disciples not to be under any illusions about Him inaugurating the -ingdom of peace. Parado5ically, it was the Prince of Peace who brought division and a sword. In the sovereignty of 3od it was necessary that the offer of peace with 3od result in division and strife. a& ;ld Testament teaching The ;ld Testament pictures the divisive nature of the (essiah/s coming. (icah @)7 says, "The son dishonoreth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter+in+law against her mother+in+law. a man/s enemies are the men of his own house." That passage is almost directly 9uoted by our 'ord in (atthew "#)*C+*7.

b& Rabbinic tradition The divisiveness of the (essiah/s coming was affirmed in rabbinic tradition. 6habbath ""$a in the Talmud pictures the advent of the (essiah as being preceded by years of great distress. The rabbis were well aware of (icah @)7. c& 2ew Testament reality ,esus confirmed that His disciples could e5pect to see division++not peace. Rather than the incarnation of !hrist resulting in peace, the message the disciples proclaimed was going to split and fracture the world into segments and parties that would be pitted against one another. That is why we ought not to thin- that when we proclaim the gospel, everyone is going to line up to sign on the dotted line. d& Reformation history (artin 'uther reportedly said that if our gospel were received in peace, it would not be the true gospel. He -new from e5perience how divisive the gospel can be. =hile part of the Roman !atholic !hurch he preached the truth but it didn/t bring peace. Rather it shattered the Roman !atholic !hurch and gave birth to the Protestant Reformation. The Para o0 of the Prince of Peace ;ne would e5pect that our 'ord would bring peace. ,ohn the 4aptist was the herald of !hrist and was to announce the peace the (essiah would bring 'u-e ")@7+@%&. The angels who proclaimed !hrist/s birth announced peace on earth 'u-e 0)"1&. In ,ohn "1)0@ ,esus says, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you." In ,ohn "7)** He says, "These things I have spo-en unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation) but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world." In Romans Paul wrote of the peace 3od has given us Rom. ")@. C)". $)7. "1)"@&. There is peace in the heart of one who believes, but in the world there is nothing but division. The ;ld Testament writers didn/t clearly see the time difference between !hrist/s first and second comings, and the interval between the two " Pet. ")"#+""&. The first coming brought a sword and the second coming will bring ultimate peace. The gospel of peace is divisive. It is a refiner/s fire, a separating of sheep and goats, and a winnowing of grain. If !hrist had never come, the earth would have gone on in unity to hell, doomed for all eternity. The parado5 of the Prince of Peace is that when He came a war bro-e out. 4. The Impact of !hrist/s !oming vv. *C+*@& "I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter+in+law against her mother+in+law. And a man/s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me." In 'u-e "0)1%+C* ,esus says, "I am come to send fire on the earth. and what will I, if it be already -indledD ... 6uppose ye that I am come to give peace on earthD I tell you,

2ay. but rather division. for from henceforth there shall be five in one house, divided. three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father. the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother. the mother+in+law against her daughter+in+law, and the daughter+in+law against her mother+in+law." Perhaps the most devastating e5pression of the divisiveness ,esus can cause is in home relationships. Those are generally the most meaningful relationships in a person/s life. 4ut true disciples are committed to their 'ord and are willing to e5ist, if necessary, in an environment of divisiveness in the place that should provide the greatest security and love. The 3ree- word translated "at variance" is used only here in the 2ew Testament. It refers to cutting something apart. ,esus said that the rending of relationships would e5tend from immediate family relationships to those by marriage. ".:ivision between parent and child 6uch divisiveness is at odds with the natural love one feels as a parent or child. A strained relationship with a neighbor, boss, or friend is rarely as bad as being at odds with someone in one/s own family. 0.:ivision between man and family 'u-e % records how a man pledged to follow ,esus, but first desired to bid farewell to his family. ,esus said, "2o man, having put his hand to the plough, and loo-ing bac-, is fit for the -ingdom of 3od" v. 70&. ,esus will not accept someone as His disciple who is unwilling to brea-ing away from family ties for His sa-e. *.:ivision between husband and wife There are wives who will not come to !hrist for fear of separation from their husbands and husbands who reBect because of their wives. !hildren often fail to come to !hrist for fear of their parents. Too many desire a comfortable family life in place of a living relationship with !hrist. <irst !orinthians @ deals with the reality of division in marriage when one partner comes to -now !hrist. The apostle Paul e5plained that a believing husband is to remain with his unbelieving wife if she desires to stay in the marriage and vice versa vv. "0+ "*&. In both situations the unbelieving partner is blessed) "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband" v. "1&. "4ut if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. but 3od hath called us to peace" v. "C&. 4y becoming a !hristian a person affirms his commitment to the lordship of !hrist. That means a willingness to forsa-e all for Him. Raising your hand, signing a card, wal-ing down an aisle, or saying "I love ,esus" are one+time occurrences that of themselves do not demonstrate a life in union with !hrist. 6alvation is by faith in the finished wor- of !hrist, but it does not occur without producing an unswerving

commitment to obey !hrist. It is a commitment so deep that a person will say no to the natural obBects of their affection if loyalty to !hrist so demands. 1ne Pilgrim2s 3amily Pre icament The Puritan ,ohn 4unyan -new what it meant to forsa-e his family for !hrist. He was called to preach but was ordered by the government to stop preaching or be imprisoned. That meant he would be unable to support his family++they might lose their home and starve. 2evertheless, he determined to obey 3od/s call to preach and was imprisoned. He wrote in an appendi5 to his autobiography, 3race Abounding to the chief of 6inners, "The parting with my =ife and poor !hildren hath often been to me in this place Eof imprisonmentF, as the pulling the <lesh from my 4ones. and that not only because I am somewhat too fond of these great (ercies, but also because I should have often brought to my mind the many hardships, miseries, and wants that my poor <amily was li-e to meet with, should I be ta-en from them, especially my poor blind !hild, who lay nearer my heart than all I had besides. ; the thought of the hardship I thought my blind one might go under, would brea- up my heart to pieces.... 4ut yet, recalling my self, thought I, I must venture you all with 3od, though it goeth to the 9uic- to leave you. ; I saw in this condition, I was a man who was pulling down his House upon the head of his =ife and !hildren. yet thought I, I must do it, I must do it" cited by T. R. 3lover, Poets and Puritans E'ondon) (ethuen G !o., "%"CF, p. ""#&. A result of 4unyan/s predicament 3od used him to bless millions of families. =hile in 4edford prison he wrote the !hristian classic, The Pilgrim/s Progress. (atthew "#)*7 affirms that !hrist came to bring a sword that would fall in the house. Herse *@ states plainly the high calling of discipleship and the choice that must be made. ?ou can/t be a disciple of ,esus !hrist and participate in the salvation He offers if your family means more to you than He does. IH. A :I6!IP'8 <;'';=6 !HRI6T A2?=H8R8 A. The !all to the !ross v. *$& "He that ta-eth not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of (e." ?ou may have heard a devotional about bearing or ta-ing up your cross. And you may have heard various definitions of what the cross might be++your spouse, teenager, in+ laws, old !hevy, lea-y roof, distasteful class at school, neighbor, boss, or any number of other things. 4ut ,esus didn/t spea- of those things. ,esus also didn/t spea- in the light of His own crucifi5ion on !alvary. His disciples didn/t yet understand that ,esus was going to be crucified (att. "7)0"&++even after He told them He would be -illed they failed to accept that reality until after it happened. 6o there was no mystical or devotional sense to what ,esus said. =hen ,esus said to ta-e up your cross, His disciples -new immediately what He was tal-ing about. He was tal-ing about dying. Those men, with the e5ception of ,udas

Iscariot, were from 3alilee. =hen ,esus was about ten years old, ,udas of 3alilee and his followers revolted against the Romans and lost ,osephus, =ars of the ,ews 0.$."&. To ma-e an e5ample that would not be forgotten, the Romans crucified over two thousand ,ews, placing crosses along the roads of 3alilee. 8verywhere people went they saw men dying on crosses along the roadside. And every ,ew that was crucified carried the crossbeam for his own e5ecution on his bac- as he marched to the cross. It was a lesson that was not forgotten. ,esus impressed on his hearers that those who follow Him must be willing to die a torturous death rather than deny Him. !rucifi5ion is the most e5cruciating death man has ever invented. 4eyond the agony caused by nails driven through one/s hands and feet, death itself comes by slow suffocation. The disciples understood ,esus meant they were to be committed to the point of death. ,esus isn/t the savior of those who aren/t committed to Him. The love of the 'ord ,esus !hrist must overrule the instinct for self+ preservation. 4. The !all to a !hoice v. *%& ".A bad choice v. *%a& "He that findeth his life shall lose it." "<indeth his life" refers to securing one/s physical safety by denying !hrist under pressure. There are many -inds of pressure, and many ways of denying !hrist. 4ut yielding to pressure and preserving one/s life ultimately results in the loss of one/s own soul. 0.A good choice v. *%b& "He that loseth his life for my sa-e shall find it." ,esus didn/t mean that you get saved by being a martyr. Rather if you are a genuine !hristian, you will be willing to die for Him. =hen faced with denying the 'ord or denying yourself you will deny yourself even to the point of death. He who confesses !hrist and suffers death is far better off than the apostate who escapes death temporarily but receives eternal damnation. =hen ,ohn 4unyan was brought before a Budge and threatened with imprisonment for preaching without a license, he replied that obedience to !hrist re9uired that he do two things) actively obey !hrist/s commands to the utmost. and when threatened with punishment for such obedience, willingly suffer that punishment rather than refuse to obey !hrist cf. 3lover, p. ""#&. It is better to lose everything++your ease, comfort, family, and life++and be hassled, intimidated, and badgered by the world than to forsa-e ,esus !hrist. 2ot all of us will face that choice, but those who do will be proved true or false by whether they follow ,esus !hrist or not++no matter what the cost. H. A :I6!IP'8 4RI236 4'866I23 T; ;TH8R6 vv. 1#+10&

"He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet/s reward. and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man/s reward. And whosoever shall give to drin- unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no way lose his reward." A. Those =ho 4elieve Receive the 3ospel 8ven though we often bring a sword that divides, we are also allowed to participate in the eternal salvation of 3od/s people. =hen we preach the =ord, live godly lives, and confess our 'ord by our testimony, some will believe in ,esus !hrist. =e have a limited ability to reward those who receive us and believe the gospel message. 4ut the 'ord has an unlimited ability, and does that wor- for us. In verse 1#, the 3ree- word translated "receive" refers to a full acceptance of the gospel message and the messenger who brought it. 4y receiving the message and the messenger, are they receiving the 'ord ,esus !hrist Himself. In ,ohn "1)0* ,esus says, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. (y <ather will love him, and we will come to him and ma-e our home with him" 2IH&. =hen we preach the gospel we participate in giving people the Trinity++the <ather and the 6on ma-e their home in every believer by the indwelling Holy 6pirit. 4. Those =ho 4elieve Receive Rewards ".4ecause they receive 3od/s people In (atthew "#)1" the term "prophet" refers to the tas- of those who proclaim the gospel. "Righteous man" refers to their character. 4oth terms refer to the same person. A true disciple declares 3od/s truth and practices what he preaches. =hen we represent 3od in word and deed and are received by those who come to believe, they will receive the same reward we receive. 8very disciple is not only promised future blessing, but is also a means of blessing to those who receive their testimony. Those who want to be a blessing in the world need to confess !hrist before men. They need to be bold, and not try to e5cuse their testimony or be ashamed of !hrist. That -ind of life becomes a source of reward for others. 0.4ecause they help 3od/s people =hen we thin- of prophets and righteous men we generally picture high+class supersaints. 4ut in (atthew "#)10 our 'ord refers to His disciples as "little ones." :isciples are the 'ord/s "little ones"++not much in and of themselves. =hen they present the 'ord ,esus, and someone demonstrates his reception of the gospel by giving them a cup of cold water, the 'ord will reward that helper. Those who receive the gospel are rewarded both when they believe the message and when they help the messenger in his wor-.

=illiam 4arclay recounts the story of a young man in a country village who, "after a great struggle, reached the ministry. His helper in his days of study had been the village cobbler. The cobbler ... was a man of wide reading and far thin-ing, and he had done much for the lad. In due time the lad was licensed to preach. And on that day the cobbler said to him, /It was always my desire to be a minister of the gospel, but the circumstances of my life made it impossible. 4ut you are achieving what was closed to me. And I want you to promise me one thing++I want you to let me ma-e and cobble your shoes++for nothing++and I want you to wear them in the pulpit when you preach, and then I/ll feel you are preaching the gospel I always wanted to preach standing in my shoes./ 4eyond a doubt the cobbler was serving 3od as the preacher was, and his reward would one day be the same" p. *%%&. 4ecause a disciple represents the 'ord ,esus !hrist, when a person receives a disciple he receives the 'ord Himself and will be rewarded, Bust li-e the disciple he receives. 4y receiving the message and messenger of the gospel, a person embraces the blessings and eternal gifts 3od gives to His own. 'onclusion =e who are disciples of ,esus !hrist are involved in a fantastic enterprise. <or many we are a source of conflict, for others a source of blessing. To all we must show where they stand before 3od. That re9uires a commitment to follow ,esus !hrist at any price. In the depth of winter 2apoleon/s army was retreating from its invasion of Russia. The army was pressed on all sides and had to cross the 4eresina river to escape. The Russians had destroyed all the bridges and 2apoleon ordered that a bridge be built across the river. The men nearest the water were the first to carry out the almost impossible tas-. 6everal were carried away by the furious rapids. ;thers san- through cold and e5haustion, but more came and the wor- proceeded as fast as possible. <inally the builders completed the bridge and emerged half dead from the icy water. As a result of that incredible effort the <rench army marched across the 4eresina river in safety R.<. :elderfield, The (arch of the Twenty+6i5 E'ondon) Hodder and 6toughton, "%70F, p. "%@&. That was an instance of heroic self+sacrifice. In a similar way, !hrist calls His disciples to give their lives to build bridges for others to cross into the presence of 3od. If you/re a real disciple you will be willing to do Bust that. 3ocusing on the 3acts ". =hat is perhaps the most forcible statement about the high calling of discipleship see p. "&D 0. =hy did ,esus often spea- of the mar-s of a genuine disciple see p. "&D *. IIIIIIIIIIIIIII disciples are to have an impact on what surrounds them see p. "&. 1. =hy did the ,ewish people at the time of !hrist e5pect that the (essiah would bring peace see p. 0&D

1. Parado5ically, it was the Prince of Peace who brought IIIIIIIIIIIIIII and a IIIIIIIIIIIIIII see p. 0&. C. =hat passage in the ;ld Testament pictures the divisive nature of the (essiah/s coming see p. *&D 7. =hat lesson does the e5perience of (artin 'uther demonstrate see p. 1&D @. =hat is the parado5 of ,esus !hrist, the Prince of Peace see p. 1&D $. =hat does the 3ree- word translated "at variance" in (atthew "#)*C mean see p. C&D %. =hat passage in 6cripture shows ,esus/ attitude towards those unwilling to breaaway from family ties for His sa-e see pp. C+7&D "#. =here did Paul write about the problem of !hristians married to non+!hristiansD =hat were his instructions see p. 7&D "". =hy aren/t raising your hand, signing a card, wal-ing down an aisle, or saying "I love ,esus" indications in and of themselves of a life in union with !hrist see p. 7&D "0. =hat was ,esus referring to when He said that one must ta-e up his cross and follow Him see pp. @+$&D "*. ?ielding to pressure and preserving one/s life results in the loss of one/s own IIIIIIIIIIIIIII see p. $&. "1. =hen ,esus said, "He that loseth his life for my sa-e shall find it" (att. "#)*%&, did He mean that only martyrs are savedD 85plain see p. $&. "C. According to ,ohn 4unyan, when a disciple is unable to actively obey !hrist, what is he to be willing to do 6ee pp. $+%&D "7. In verse 1# what does the 3ree- word translated "receive" refer to see p. %&D "@. In (atthew "#)1" to whom do the terms "prophet" and "righteous man" refer see p. "#&D "$. <or what two things are those who receive the gospel rewarded see p. "#&D Pon ering the Principles ". =ill the 'ord receive as His own someone who once made a "decision" for Him, but then lived a life that denied Him in word and deedD In (atthew "#)*0+** our 'ord says, "=hoever ac-nowledges me before men, I will also ac-nowledge him before my <ather in heaven. 4ut whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my <ather in heaven" 2IH&. Paul e5presses the same thoughts in 0 Timothy 0)""+"*. The Puritan theologian ,ohn ;wen wrote, "It is ta-en for granted by all that !hrist is able to save us ... though we live in sin and unbelief.... 4ut indeed !hrist hath no such power, no

such ability) He cannot save unbelieving, impenitent sinners. for this cannot be done without denying Himself, acting contrary to His =ord and destroying His own glory" cited in The 3olden Treasury of Puritan Juotations, edited by I.:.8. Thomas E8dinburgh) 4anner of Truth Trust, "%@@F, p. *#0&. :o your words and deeds ac-nowledge ,esus !hrist before menD 0. The author of Hebrews wrote that !hristians are to "ma-e every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy. without holiness no one will see the 'ord" Heb. "0)"1, 2IH&. In "7C1 Thomas 4roo-s wrote, "Holiness is the very marrow and 9uintessence of E!hristianityF. Holiness is 3od stamped and printed upon the soul. it is !hrist formed in the heart. it is our light, our life, our beauty, our glory, our Boy, our crown, our all. The holy soul is happy in life, and blessed in death, and shall be transcendently glorious in the morning of the resurrection, when !hrist shall say, 'o, here am I, and my holy ones, who are my Boy" Heaven on 8arth) A Treatise on !hristian Assurance E8dinburgh) 4anner of Truth, "%7" reprintF, pp. *"%+0#&. If you desire to follow !hrist in accordance with (atthew "#)C+10, holiness of character in the power of the Holy 6pirit will be the -ey to your success.