God Questions: Misconceptions Part 3: Discipleship

Discipleship is not a church word for attending stuff, watching a video, or answering preprinted questions. Discipleship is the life of somebody who actually follows Jesus, learns how He lived, and lives that way. A diploma says somebody learned something, but practice makes somebody proficient. Christianity faces the same problem when people mistake Bible knowledge, a title, or a prayer for a life close to God.

The church is not somewhere believers go, because believers are the church everywhere they go. The Holy Spirit lives in God’s people, so every part of life is sacred ground. Holiness cannot be limited to singing songs, sitting in a service, or showing up for a Bible study. Sin includes knowing what God calls His people to do and refusing to do it, whether that means loving others, praying, encouraging, preaching the gospel, or meditating on the Word.

Jesus defines discipleship in Luke 9 with hard words: deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him. The call to follow Jesus is not casual admiration for a great teacher. The call means going the same way He goes, learning from Him so thoroughly that His life becomes the pattern for another life. A disciple cannot simply get directions, turn off the car, and claim to have arrived. Scripture is meant to draw a person closer to Christ, not merely give information that leaves life untouched.

Self is the great problem because self always wants the throne. God does not share that throne. Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords, and discipleship means the old self has to die every day. The cross is not a frustrating circumstance or a burden somebody tolerates. The cross is the place where flesh gets crucified, where personal control, personal preference, and personal rule are put to death.

Grace calls a disciple first, because nobody can come unless God draws him. Christianity is exclusive because Christ is the only way, yet Christ is available to everyone who truly comes to Him. Obedience does not purchase salvation, but obedience reveals that Christ is actually ruling. Denial of self means a complete reorientation: life stops being about what a person thinks, likes, and wants, and becomes about glorifying God and loving Jesus.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Discipleship means living like Jesus [45:10] Discipleship is more than learning facts about Jesus or admiring His life from a distance. Jesus calls people to go the same way He goes, which means learning His obedience, His priorities, and His love for the Father. A life that never moves toward His way cannot honestly claim to be following Him. [45:10]
• 2. Information alone does not transform [30:43] Bible study, theological training, and church attendance can all be valuable, but none of them automatically make somebody close to God. Knowledge prepares a person to practice, just as training prepares somebody for a job. Scripture must lead into actual obedience, or it becomes directions read without ever taking the trip. [30:43]
• 3. The cross is death to self [47:27] The cross is not merely an inconvenience, a hardship, or something frustrating that life hands out. The cross is where self-rule gets crucified. Christ does not enter a partnership with the old self, because He alone sits on the throne. [47:27]
• 4. God’s grace calls for real obedience [49:38] Sovereign grace means God offers salvation before anybody can receive it. Grace does not create room for Christianity on personal terms, because Christ alone defines the way. Obedience cannot be separated from genuine faith when the Spirit is truly working inside a person.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [25:29] - Worship and the Call to Discipleship
• [26:12] - Training, Mentorship, and Practice
• [29:55] - A Certificate Does Not Make a Disciple
• [32:00] - Misconceptions About Church and Following Jesus
• [34:35] - Discipleship Is Not Attending Stuff
• [37:00] - Directions Are Not the Destination
• [39:25] - Jesus Calls for Self Denial
• [43:37] - A Learner Attached to the Teacher
• [45:10] - Following Jesus in the Same Way
• [46:35] - Taking Up the Cross Daily
• [49:38] - Sovereign Grace and the Only Way
• [51:30] - A Complete Reorientation of Life

Bible Reading

Luke 9:23-27
“And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” [39:25]

John 15:14-15
“You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” [41:45]

1 John 3:4-10
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” [33:35]

Observation questions

1. In Luke 9:23–27, what three actions does Jesus connect with coming after Him?
2. What contrast does Jesus make between trying to save one’s life and losing one’s life for His sake?
3. In John 15:14–15, what does Jesus connect with being His friend, and how does He describe the difference between a servant and a friend? [41:45]
4. According to 1 John 3:4–10, what kinds of actions or patterns reveal the difference between someone who belongs to God and someone who practices sin? [33:35]

Interpretation questions

1. Jesus says that taking up the cross is daily. Why is daily self-denial necessary rather than a one-time decision made in the past? [46:37]
2. What does it mean for a disciple to “follow” Jesus rather than simply admire Jesus as a wise teacher or know facts about Him? [45:10]
3. How does John 15 help explain why obedience is not a way to purchase God’s love, but is still part of a real relationship with Christ?
4. Why is the cross more than a difficult circumstance or personal hardship? What is being put to death when a person takes up the cross? [47:41]

Application questions

1. Where is self most likely trying to sit on the throne in your life right now—your schedule, relationships, money, plans, comfort, opinions, or something else? What would it look like to place that area under Christ’s rule? [48:05]
2. Is there a biblical truth you already know but have delayed putting into practice—such as prayer, forgiveness, encouraging someone, sharing the gospel, serving, or loving a difficult person? What is one specific step of obedience you could take this week? [33:10]
3. Scripture is meant to draw God’s people closer to Christ, not merely give them information. When you read the Bible, what helps you move from “I learned something” to “I will live differently”? [37:03]
4. Think about the phrase “take up your cross daily.” What desire, attitude, habit, or demand for control may need to die today so that Christ’s life can be seen more clearly in you? [47:27]
5. In what parts of everyday life do you tend to think of faith as something for church gatherings rather than something that belongs in every place you go? How could you treat work, home, conversations, and ordinary responsibilities as places to follow Jesus? [32:31]
6. Jesus calls His people to go the same way He goes. Who could help you grow through honest encouragement, example, prayer, or accountability as you learn to live more like Christ? [45:18]