Qualities of Being a Disciple of Christ
In last week’s teaching and sermon at Browns Chapel, Ray told us that during the next few weeks we will learn a lot about the disciples and what it means to be a disciple. Learning to be a disciple to follow Christ and God’s Word is a challenge. There are so many distractions and difficulties in everyday life that add to this learning process. But as any student that struggles with what he or she needs to learn to be successful, you must take what you learn from your teacher and use it in your life’s journey. Thankfully, we have the greatest Teacher, Jesus, and most complete Book of lessons to help us learn what it means to be a disciple. We have many examples of men and women of the Old and New Testament who found it impossible to follow the basic commands that were given to Moses and the chosen people of God at Mt. Sinai. Even though all of mankind,then and even now, cannot adhere to God’s commandments, we have a God that did and does not give up on us. He loved us enough to send his Son, Jesus, to provide a saving grace for our salvation.
So what can we learn from the disciples of the Bible? What exactly does Jesus teach and require of us to be one of His disciples? What are some of the qualities of being a disciple of Christ? One important quality requires being a servant with a humble heart….. To be a disciple you must be a servant! We see in Chapter 4 of Matthew that as soon as Jesus begins His ministry, he calls Andrew and Peter to not just follow Him, but that He has a mission for them. They will eventually be given a mission of service in becoming “fishers of men”. These initial disciples will spend the next 3 years learning what it takes and means to be a true servant.
In Chapter 23 of Matthew, we see one of the many encounters with the Pharisees and scribes that was such a “teaching moment” for the disciples. In this chapter, Jesus admonishes the actions of the scribes and Pharisees for their need to have “the place or honor at banquets and the chief seat in the synagogues.” He goes on to tell those listening that “the greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11. If a person is truly doing the work that glorifies God, then there is no need to bring attention to it or yourself. I often wonder what God thinks about all the “posts and selfies on Facebook” or the “tweets” that are put out there to the world. They are for the sole purpose of getting attention for the author of them. There must be many lonely people looking for attention. I think of the lyrics of a song of the Beatles….
All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
All the lonely people where do they all belong? Eleanor Rigsby – The Beatles
There are so many more examples of Jesus being a servant with a humble heart. But,the one that comes to the forefront is what Jesus did at the Last Supper. Here was God incarnate showing the group of disciples what a servant He was in the last days of His life on earth. To take the servants position and wash the feet of his disciples had to be a moment that all of them would recall for the rest of their lives.
Finally, let’s look at 2 Timothy 2: 24 -26. “And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” Here we have things we must and must not be. To not be quarrelsome is probably the least difficult of the list Paul gives to Timothy. Why did he have to say be kind to EVERYONE. Being kind is tough to do even with the best of friends and family at times.Yet, isn’t this exactly what Jesus taught?
But learning to be a servant with all that Paul describes in the letter to Timothy will not be enough to convince a non-believer to follow Christ. God must touch a person with His Spirit. Only then do we come to the knowledge of the truth and be free from the evil one. We will always be in battle with our sinful nature and will always need God’s grace. So as we continue our learning from the lessons in the Word, let us be humble as we serve one another and be thankful for each day God gives us to serve others.
We will explore other qualities in the weeks ahead……. Hope you enjoy this song…..