8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
“”””8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple” This Is My Life? Yeah…. Right….We Must Learn That This Experience Is Not Life, And It Is Not Our Own. It Is The Mission. Life Comes When We Receive The Newness Of Life In Heaven. Our Life Mission Is Not About Pleasing Self, Securing Safety For Ourselves, Nor About Accumulating Wealth Or Prosperity. It Is About Serving God, Seeking The Lost, Being The Sacrifice Of God For His Purposes. Putting The Needs Of Others And The Body Before Our Own. Showing The Life And Love OF Jesus By Our Actions. Reflecting And Duplicating His Walk Upon The Earth.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
- Part 2 Will Be The Discourse On Sacrifice.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
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8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, (20) for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
Many who are sold a false soft Gospel are often woefully mislead. They do not even realize that when they accept Jesus, they are to become His disciple. As I heard it said, “Believing in Jesus without obeying Jesus, is what Satan does.” So by modern Christian practices, Satan is a disciple of Jesus. We know this is not true. Yet, many don’t even know what “Disciple” means. They also fail to understand that they are called to be a disciple of a ministry leader- someone who is called to watch over their souls on God’s behalf. No, this is not a cult leader. This is a person who instructs them how to follow their example, as they follow the example of our church forefathers, who follow the example of Jesus, who followed the example of God. Many are left thinking they are free agents to go willy-nilly about their spiritual experience, without any concept of the body of Christ being one. Nor having a rudder to guide their path outside of their own understanding, not that it is impossible to grow in Christ alone as the Holy Spirit can guide you. Yet, it is the same Holy Spirit that equips the Body of Christ with gifts to grow up the Body, like pastors and teachers. So when possible, it is God’s way for us all to be mentored in the faith and become disciples. To be connected to the whole. We are now going to read the Bible definition for “Disciple”:
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
- Definition
Strong’s Concordance: Disciple
G3101 – μαθητής – mathētēs – math-ay-tes’
From G3129; a learner, that is, pupil: – disciple.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Before We Begin.
Remember, while this is a roadmap in our walk with God, it is also the guidelines to love God and His people. Don’t feel condemnation in this, find truth and relief as you will surely know how to please God and make Him feel loved. If you fall short in the requirement, Praise God that He has showed you these areas of weakness in your walk. It is a kindness from Him to share the truth with us. So start fresh, get things right, and walk in a newness of mission with God and Jesus. Please also notice that this is laid out with the requirement, the reward for meeting the requirement, and the danger if we do not. So, Focus On The Reward!!!
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Key Concepts To Being A Disciple Of Jesus.
- Satan Doesn’t Care If You Believe In Jesus; He Cares If You Obey Him!
Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will tell me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?’ (23) Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’”
John 3:36 “One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Bear Fruit
- John 15:8 “In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.”
– Reward:
John 15:16 “You didn’t choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you will ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
-Danger:
John 15:4-6 “Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can’t bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. (5) I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (6) If a man doesn’t remain in me, he is thrown out as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Love Each Other
- John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another. (35) By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
– Reward:
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God, and knows God. (8) He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.”
-Danger:
1 John 4:20-21 “If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (21) This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Keep His Teachings
- John 8:31 “Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. (32) You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
– Reward:
John 8:32 “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
John 15:7 “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it will be done for you.”
-Danger:
John 8:44-45 “You are of your father, the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and doesn’t stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks on his own; for he is a liar, and the father of lies. (45) But because I tell the truth, you don’t believe me.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Keep The Commandments
- John 15:9-14 “Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love. (10) If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love. (11) I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full. (12) “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. (14) You are my friends, if you do whatever I command you.”
- 1 John 2:3-6 “This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments. (4) One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him. (5) But whoever keeps his word, God’s love has most certainly been perfected in him. This is how we know that we are in him: (6) he who says he remains in him ought himself also to walk just like he walked.”
THIS INCLUDES THE 4TH COMMANDMENT- THE SABBATH, FROM FRIDAY NIGHT TO SATURDAY NIGHT.
– Reward:
Revelation 22:12-14 “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. (13) I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. (14) Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.”
-Danger:
Revelation 20:15 “If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.”
Revelation 21:27 “There will in no way enter into it anything profane, or one who causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Bear Your Cross
- Luke 14:26-27 “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. (27) Whoever doesn’t bear his own cross, and come after me, can’t be my disciple.”
– Reward:
Luke 9:24 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it.”
-Danger:
Matthew 10:32-33 “Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven. (33) But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
John 12:26 “If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Renounce All That You Have In This Life
- Luke 14:33 “So therefore whoever of you who doesn’t renounce all that he has, he can’t be my disciple.”
– Reward:
Mark 10:29-31 “Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News, (30) but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life. (31) But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”
-Danger:
Matthew 16:26-27 “For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his life? Or what will a man give in exchange for his life? (27) For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Do The Works
- John 14:12 “Most certainly I tell you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also; and he will do greater works than these, because I am going to my Father.”
– Reward:
John 14:13-14 “Whatever you will ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If you will ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
-Danger:
John 8:39-42 “They answered him, “Our father is Abraham.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. (40) But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham didn’t do this. (41) You do the works of your father.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father, God.” (42) Therefore Jesus said to them, “If God were your father, you would love me, for I came out and have come from God. For I haven’t come of myself, but he sent me.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
• Requirement: Become A Disciple, Then Make Disciples
- Matthew 28:19-20 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
The Words: “Followers, Imitators, Disciple, or Disciples” are all interchangeable.
It depends on which Bible interpretations you choose. I chose “Imitators”, as it best describes the action of being a follower or disciple. One who does what they are being presented with by their leader. This is a key and often forsaken portion of our Christian walk.
After You Have Learned And Grown Up In The Faith, You Go Make Disciples!
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
– We Are Told By The Holy Spirit In Scripture –
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
- Follow The Example Of The Body Of Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:4-7 “We know, brothers loved by God, that you are chosen, (5) and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake. (6) You became imitators of us, and of the Lord, having “received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, (7) so that you became an example to all who believe in Macedonia and in Achaia.”
- Follow The Examples Of Our Spiritual Leaders.
Philippians 3:17 “Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example.”
1 Corinthians 4:14-16 “I don’t write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. (15) For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, you don’t have many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Good News. (16) I beg you therefore, be imitators of me.”
- We Are Told To Follow The Examples Of Those Who Came Before.
Hebrews 6:11-12 “We desire that each one of you may show the same diligence to the fullness of hope even to the end, (12) that you won’t be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherited the promises.”
- We Are Given Clarification On Who Is Worthy To Follow.
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
- We Are Given The Ultimate Goal- Be Like Jesus, Be Like God.
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. (2) Walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
We can lie to ourselves and we can lie to others, but our fruit will not lie. We can judge the content of someone’s spiritual walk by the fruit. We can also judge our own fruit for an honest picture.
Luke 6:43-45 “For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. (44) For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. (45) The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.”
We are told to judge ourselves on these matters to avoid judgment by God.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 “For if we discerned ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. (32) But when we are judged, we are punished by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.”
I have come to a realization that most people think of being a disciple and a ministry serving God as a vacation. Something you do and commit to for awhile, and then they go their own way, thinking they did something meaningful. And that’s good enough.
They don’t think of discipleship and ministry as a marriage- a long term, permanent commitment, maintaining a high standard of constant, consistent effort for life. Could you imagine telling your spouse “I have given, sacrificed for you, and been committed to our common goal. But I need a break. I’m going to be a little less committed, give a little less effort, and sacrifice a little less. I will now go meet my own desires and wants.” Or, you just straight up cheat and divorce. But that is what people are doing to God. Yet, Jesus never said to bear your cross and follow Me for little bit. He never gave us permission to say the sacrifice is too great, too long, or too much. What they are actually doing is backsliding.
Luke 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for God’s Kingdom.”
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. (21) For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. (22) But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Jesus Gives Us The 3 Reasons Why This Happens & People Turn Back.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Mark 4:13-20 He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How will you understand all of the parables? (14) The farmer sows the word.
BAD
(15) The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown; and when they have heard, immediately Satan comes, and takes away the word which has been sown in them.
BAD
(16) These in the same way are those who are sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy. (17) They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they stumble.
BAD
(18) Others are those who are sown among the thorns. These are those who have heard the word, (19) and the cares of this age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
GOOD
(20) Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Now That We Are Saved By God, We Must Do The Works Set Before Us.
Ephesians 2:8-10 “for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, that no one would boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.”
We can clearly see what Jesus has required for all those who wish to follow Him. You must make Him Savior, Lord, and Master. You must obey and do the works He set before you. You can be pleasing in His sight by abiding with His will and dictates. We must do all 8 to pass His test. In our next study “Part 2: The Discourse On Sacrifice”, we will cover a great deal on how to participate in sacrifice, and the best way to see it. How it is not something to be avoided, but embraced. I will call everyone in our group to higher levels of sacrifice, participation, and investment into the ministry work being done. We all must sacrificially give, work, and seek the lost, if we all want to be pleasing to God.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
Jesus Said…
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
8 Fold Test To Be A Disciple
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