Everyday Discipleship

1. Everyday Discipleship The Motivation For Discipleship

2. Everyday Discipleship • “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). • A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master…” (Mt. 10:24, 25a). • “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” (Jn. 13:13-15).

3. Everyday Discipleship What’s My Motivation? The actor before he gets into character and performs the scene asks the director, “What’s my motivation?” By definition motivation is that which moves us to action. It is not the action itself, but the purpose or reason behind it. If someone where to ask you, “Why are you a disciple?” How would you answer that question? What’s your motivation?

4. Everyday Discipleship We Are Moved By Love First, we know the depth of someone's love for us by what it costs them. Second, we know the depth of someone's love for us by how little we deserve it. Third, we know the depth of someone's love for us by the greatness of the benefits we receive in being loved. Fourth, we know the depth of someone's love for us by the freedom with which they love us.

5. Everyday Discipleship What Motivates The Disciple? In 1858, Frances Ridley Havergal visited Germany with her father who was getting treatment for his afflicted eyes. While in a preacher’s home, she saw a picture of the Crucifixion on the wall, with the words under it: “I did this for thee. What hast thou done for Me?” Quickly she took a piece of paper and wrote a poem based on that motto; but she was not satisfied with it, so she threw the paper into the fireplace. Later, her father encouraged her to publish it; and we sing it today to a tune composed by Philip P. Bliss. I gave My life for thee, My precious blood I shed, That thou might’st ransomed be, And quickened from the dead; I gave, I gave My life for thee, What hast thou given for Me?

6. The motivation for discipleship is the love of Christ

7. Everyday Discipleship “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2Cor. 5:14-17).

8. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ It is often debated whether this phrase is objective genitive or subjective genitive. Referring to our love for Christ or to Christ’s love for us. Grammatically it could mean either, but contextually it can mean only one thing. (cp. 1Jn. 4:16) Human love is often fickle, hypocritical and uncompelling. (cp. 2Sam. 13:2,4,14,15). Divine love is true, unadulterated and powerful. (cp. Eph. 3:18,19).

9. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ The Christ’s love “compels” us. What does that mean? Sunecho “compel” is hold something together. To exercise continual and complete control over something. It urges us on to action. (cp. Acts. 18:5)

10. Everyday Discipleship • “For the love of Christ controls us…” • “For the love of Christ doth constrain us…” • “For Christ’s love compels us…” • “For it is the love of Christ which is moving us…” • “For the love of Christ urges us on…” • “Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do…” • “Whatever we do, it is because Christ’s love controls us…” • “The very spring of our actions is the love of Christ…” • “We are ruled by the love of Christ…”

11. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ • Our discipleship is moved to obedience by the divine act of Christ’s love. • Our text says, “…One [Jesus] died for all. His death was substitutional. • Rom. 5:6-8 • Rom. 8:31,32 • Eph. 5:1.2

12. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ 5      Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7      For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8      But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9      Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10      For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

13. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ 5      Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. 6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7      For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8      But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9      Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10      For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

14. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ 31      What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also freely give us all things.

15. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ 31      What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not also freely give us all things.

16. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.

17. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ What does it mean for the disciple to personally, existentially, subjectively accept the death of Jesus in his place? It means that he has accepted Christ’s life and death as his own. It is now through the love of Christ that we see ourselves.

18. Everyday Discipleship The Love of Christ • The sacrificial death of Jesus leads the disciple to but one conclusion. He died for me, I must also die for Him. His death is representative of my own. • Rom. 6:3-8 • Col. 2:20-3:1-4 • Gal. 6:14-17

19. Everyday Discipleship Living For Christ’s love • Christ’s love compels us to see things differently. We see things from the view of Calvary. • We are called to live differently because of the love of Christ. • Rom. 14:7,8 • Tit. 3:3-7 • 1Cor. 6:9-11

20. Everyday Discipleship A New Person in Christ • God’s purpose in the Cross was to change us and thus change the focus of our lives. • The fact of the matter is this, the disciple has become a new person (something that had not existed before, new in quality and kind). • Col. 3:9-10 • Eph. 2:10; 4:22-24

21. Everyday Discipleship God lays hold of one who is spiritually dead--and quickens him into newness of life!

God takes up one who was shaped in iniquity and conceived in sin--and conforms him to the image of His Son! 

God seizes a drudge of the Devil--and makes him a member of His holy family! 

God picks up a destitute beggar--and makes him joint-heir with Christ! 

God comes to one who is full of enmity against Him--and gives him a new heart that is full of love for Him! 

God stoops to one who by nature is a rebel--and works in him both to will and to do of His good pleasure!

By His irresistible power, God transforms . . .a sinner--into a saint; an enemy--into His friend, a drudge of the Devil--into His beloved child! (Authur Pink)

22. Everyday Discipleship What Does It All Mean? • We are no longer egocentric, but rather Christcentric. We have been created anew, old value systems, priorities, beliefs, loves, and plans are gone. Evil and sin are still present, but as a disciple we see them from a new perspective, and they no longer control us. We are now under the direction and control of the One who loves us. • Rom. 6:11-13 • Gal. 2:20

23. Everyday Discipleship At Calvary Years I spent in vanity and pride caring not my Lord was crucified, knowing not it was for me He died on Calvary. By God’s Word at last my sin I learned; Then I trembled at the law I’d spurned, Till my guilty soul imploring turned to Calvary. Now I’ve given to Jesus everything, Now I gladly own Him as my King; Now my raptured can only sing of Calvary. O the love that drew salvation’s plan! O the grace that brought it down to man! O the mighty gulf that God did span at Calvary. - Mercy there was great and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me; there my burdened soul found liberty, at Calvary.