Would you be a disciple?
Category: Obedience to God’s Will
Key Passage: Luke 14
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: December 26, 2021
In song, would you turn your Bibles to Luke chapter number 14? I was worried that last congregation of song; I hadn’t heard anything for Brother Dunford. It was on my mind. I said, “Oh, no, I messed up. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Right as soon as I thought that, he said, “Amen.” I said, “Praise the Lord, we’re still on board there. We’re good to go. That’s good. Amen.” Brother Anthony’s bringing reinforcements to the front row also. Man, we’re ready to go.
We’ve got revival going on. I’ll tell you what, that’s awesome. Amen. Luke chapter number 14. And the title tonight for the internet would be, “Would You Be a Disciple?” Would you? Would you be a disciple? And that’s what we’ll look at just a little bit tonight. Luke 14.
We’re going to start in verse number 25, Luke chapter 14, verse number 25, in God’s word tonight. And if you’re able to, would you please stand? If we read God’s word together, Luke 14, beginning in verse number 25 of God’s word tonight: “And there went great multitudes with him [Jesus]. And he turned and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brother and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.”
Now, let me just say a word before we read all about this “hate.” Such a strong language. It’s a tough verse sometimes to…
He’s swaying, especially at the world. But not necessarily saying he wants you to hate these people. It’s a comparison. Have you ever been driving down the road and you said, “Man, they passed me like I was standing still”? Now, you’re going 70 or 80; they were going 120. And by the way, it was Stacey Hunter that was doing the driving.
Brother Marlin, you’re going to say amen right there? There’s a little private joke there. But anyway, man, that passed me like I was standing still. Or you ever been in the parking lot and you think, “Man, I thought I stopped in this parking stall,” but you feel like you’re going backwards or moving? You’re not moving; the car beside you is moving. You know, you’ve been there? It’s that way he’s talking about.
Love for the Lord should be so supreme that the other relationships in comparison seem like hate because that’s so supreme. And by the way, if a husband or wife loves the Lord like that, it will not make them less of a spouse; it will make them more of a spouse.
So it is emphasizing greatly our devotion to the Lord. That’s what he’s doing in that verse. Verse 26. Would you keep reading, please? Verse number 27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest happily, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build and was not able to finish.”
Have you ever been riding along somewhere and you’ll see a foundation or slab or something laid, and it’s kind of grown over with weeds and whatnot, and they never finished it? And you said, “Boy, somebody messed up right there.” Now, he’s talking about there’s a cost to be a disciple, and I need to realize that going into it. And then you count the cost. It’s going to be a cost. And I don’t want to—all right, I’m going to do this for the Lord—and halfway through you say, “It’ll cost too much,” and you bail out.
And people say, “What about that preacher? What about this lady? What about this?” That’s what he’s talking about. That’s what he’s teaching us there.
Let’s keep reading, verse number 31. “Or what king, going to war against another king, sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage and desireth conditions of peace.”
Let’s go back. I’m sorry. I wanted to pause before verse number 31 to explain just about this saying you’re going to war. And he said, look, you better realize, especially you got ten thousand and got twenty thousand, there’s going to be some casualties. And if you live for the Lord over the long haul, you’re going to get shot sometimes. It’s going to hurt. There’s going to be some wounds.
And going into the battle for the Lord, you need to realize that. And you get shot, man, it hurts. And he says, you better consider that. And you better find out, are you willing to pay the cost to be his disciple? There’s a cost there to be a disciple.
And then would you help me? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to read it then, but let’s read it again, would you please? Verse number 33: “So likewise, whosoever of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”
Would you pray with me that the Lord would just give us a vision and challenge us a little bit tonight to be his disciple? Would you do that? Father, Lord, we come to you. And, Lord, I believe the great need is for your people to be disciples. Lord, I failed you, and I do so many times. But, Lord, I pray you to keep the vision and the challenge real and true and burning in our hearts to be a disciple for you, Lord. Would you just do a great work in our—in my heart tonight? We need that. And we’ll thank you and praise you for what you do, Lord. And, Father, we’re asking for this in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated. Salvation is a wonderful gift. We were over in my office a little bit, a couple of men praying before service tonight, and sometimes we’ll share a verse. One of the men pointed out Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ the Lord.” He said, “I typically, if I get to lead someone to the Lord, I’ll use the Romans road, and I like to emphasize how it’s a gift.” Most of you, I think, know it, especially tonight, Ephesians 2:8-9. You’ll know that. Would you say it out loud with him? Here we go: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works.” Let’s say it again. It’s a gift. I love it.
The last book of the Bible, Revelation, the last chapter of the Bible, 22, almost at the end, verse number 17: “And he saith, Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.” Praise the Lord! Salvation is a gift. Praise the Lord Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. I just receive that gift. It’s a wonderful thing. I don’t work for it. He did all the work.
I remember someone said—I think I read it in a book, an illustration about grace—and someone said, “That’s awful cheap.” And they worked in the mines back of the day. And he said, “When you went down in the mines in the mountain today, did you go down that shaft?” And he said, “Yes, I did.” He said, “Did it cost you anything?” He said, “No, it didn’t.” And he said, “Did it cost the company?” And the company spent a lot of money to put that shaft or that elevator in there—hours and hours and thousands and thousands of dollars. And he said, “Well, it was cheap for you, but it wasn’t for them.” Salvation’s cheap for us, if you will, but it wasn’t cheap for Christ. He shed His blood to purchase it for us.
And praise the Lord, we don’t have to work for our salvation. He gives it to us. It’s always—it’s always amazing to me. If they believe in work salvation, they’re never fully sure they’re going to heaven because you’re never really good enough. The only one that was good enough was Christ. My only one that was good enough was Christ. It’s a great—it’s a great question to ask someone that’s just stuck on works: “Well, are you good enough?” If they’re honest, they’ll say, “Well, I’m working on it.” They’re not there, as the honest truth of it all. I’m so glad it’s through Christ alone, and I can be assured. I know for sure I’m going to heaven. I remember my dad often—somebody said, “Well, I don’t know if you could ever know you’re going to heaven.” I can hear my dad saying, “Well, I know.” It all just said, “I know.” And praise the Lord, you can know through Christ. I love it. Praise the Lord for it.
It’s a gift, but discipleship is different. You may be a born-again Christian on your way to heaven, but far from being a disciple. This is a total different ballgame, if you will—discipleship. If I had to put a definition on a disciple of Christ, I’d say someone that has disciplined himself to follow the Lord.
They’re willing to get up early or stay up late and get in the Word. They’re willing to spend the time in the prayer closet. They’re willing to do without some things. They’re willing to make some changes. I’m not talking about salvation. I’m talking about someone that is willing to be a disciple for the Lord Jesus Christ. They’ll discipline themselves. They’ll work at it. They’ll try. None of us will measure up. I don’t want to disappoint my Savior. We’ll never make it, but we’re willing to strive and work and shed tears and toil and try to memorize Bible verses and try to witness and try to pass out gospel tracts. I mean, they’re willing to discipline themselves for the Lord Jesus Christ. The strict—strict qualifications for being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I think about the song: “Many of you, probably just about all of us here tonight: ‘My house is full, but my fields are empty. Who will go and work for me today?’ And seems my children all want to stay around my table, but who will work in my fields?'”
Now, friend, I say it again: I’m not talking about salvation here. Praise the Lord. He gave that to me, and he doesn’t renege on it. Once he gives it to you, he shall let no one cast it out, so never perish. But friend, to be a disciple, we’re talking about a different ball game here.
Can I say my belief is in America, the need of the hour is for disciples? Someone that’s willing to sell out and say, “I’m willing to—yes, I have freedom in Christ, and yes, I have liberty in Christ—but I’m willing to discipline myself to please my Savior.”
Someone that says, “Hey, he gave his all for me. He shed his blood for me. God gave his best, his only begotten Son, for me. I like to give my best for him.” A disciple. Still saved if you’re not a disciple. But you can’t build the tower for the Lord he’s talking about there. They’re not willing to pay the cost. And so the tower that God has led and wants you to build, that tower does not get built because you’re not willing to pay the cost to be a disciple. You can’t go to a lot of battles.
I mean, we’re outnumbered with the world. You’re going to be the oddball. You’re going to stick out like a sore thumb if you’re a disciple for the Lord Jesus Christ. Not everybody at work is going to be happy with you. You’re going to have a different lingo than they have. You’re not going to listen to the same thing they listen to. And friend, you might be born again—and I hope you are; I don’t know, only God knows your heart; I’m not the judge of that. I hope you are. But friend, to be the one that can go on the battle for the Lord Jesus Christ and stay in there, and the fact when you get shot at, there’s going to be a cost for that—cannot be my disciple.
It’s amazing. He gives it to us. And in his love, if you’re not his disciple, he’ll still love you. But the battles aren’t fought like they ought to be. The towers aren’t built like they ought to be.
I think about John Bunyan. He was in a jail cell for saying Christ is the only way to heaven, not in the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church will never save you; it’s only the shed blood of Jesus Christ, not any of your works, not any of your sacraments. No, it’s only Christ alone. And he was put in jail for preaching that.
At one point, they came, they say, and said, “Hey, we’ll let you out,” and he said this—and it says—“as long as you promise not to preach Christ alone, the gospel.” And some quote him as saying this: “If I was out of prison today, I would preach the gospel again tomorrow by the help of God.” You call that a disciple?
His daughter would bring in just little pieces of material, and he’d find just parchments and things the best he could. And that led to twelve years in a jail. And you could have got out, but he said, “Look, I’m going to be a disciple for the Lord, even if it costs me twelve years in prison.” And yet while he was in prison there, God used him to build a tower, and he won a great victory for the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because while he was twelve years in that prison, he wrote the book Pilgrim’s Progress. Millions of those have been printed over the years. Millions of Christians have been encouraged for the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Someone said, “I’ll be a disciple for the Lord Jesus Christ.” Those are the ones that the Lord can use in the battles and building the towers—those that are willing to pay the cost.
Would you be a disciple? Now, I’m not trying to coat it over looking real nice. I’m just being honest with it. There’s a cost. You’ll get shot. You’ll be the odd ball out. There’ll be times. In fact, God even said, “Yea, and all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
I was glad Caden came in tonight. I already mentioned him. He came in carrying his Bible. I’m going to write a little story. Boy, he’d carry his Bible at a public school, and everybody always picked on him and pushed him up against him. Finally, one boy pushed him up against the lockers and said, “You big sissy, you Sunday school boy, always carrying your Bible.” That little boy got a little courage in his heart. He already had courage carrying his Bible all the time. He got some courage in his heart at that moment. He grabbed his Bible and he said, “Hey, if you’re so tough, I want you to carry it for just one day.” Amen. If you’re going to live for the Lord Jesus Christ, it’s going to take some sacrifice to be a disciple.
Three different times he uses that phrase in this gospel right here, just chapter 14: “cannot, cannot, cannot.” I hope the Lord doesn’t say, “Paul, you cannot be a disciple.” It would be a sad thing. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and he said, “I want to be able to say, ‘Hey, Lord, I love you,’” and the Lord look down and say, “Charles, I know it.” It would be a sad thing if the Lord said, “Paul, you’re too full of this, that, the other; you won’t sacrifice. You cannot be mine.” It’s what a sad thing.
Let’s just briefly look at these three different things. You’re looking at verse number 26, if you would, please. Luke 14, verse number 26. Let’s just briefly hit these things that he says you cannot be to my disciple. Verse number 26. You all there tonight? Amen? Amen.
He says, “If any man”—it doesn’t matter who he is. He can be the best-known man, the best-known Christian in the world, according to everyone, whatever else says. But if any man come to me, excuse me, come to me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brother and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."
There may be a better way to order it. I’ve just kind of ordered it: You’ve got to make him supreme. I mean, above everybody, everything else, he’s supreme. I mean, you say, “I’m going to choose him.” Everything else pales in comparison to him. He’s so high above everyone else in your life that everything else just kind of just fades away in comparison to how you put him supreme.
John Rice used to tell a story about a young lady. She was engaged to a lost man. And God convicted her. She knew it, and right—I think Brother Rice said preaching—she knew it and right. God convicted her. That girl said, “I’m going to make the Lord supreme.” And she went to the young man, and she said, “I’m so sorry, but I cannot marry you because, according to God’s Word, I’m not supposed to be yoked up with unbelievers.” And as much as it hurts me, I have a lot of love for you, but I’ve got to put the Lord first. And I’m not trying to turn you away, turn you off to the Lord, but I’ve got to put him first.
They had already gotten wedding gifts. And so they agreed, “We’re going to take these wedding gifts back.” And they drove around to their friends and they gave the wedding gifts back. And they came back to her home, and they said she was so distraught, and her ex-fiancé was not treating her very kindly. And they say he just pulled up to the house and just stopped, kind of like get out. And she got out of the car, brokenhearted.
And they say, while she was walking from the car to the house, she literally passed out. She was just so distraught. But she said, “I’m going to make the Lord supreme, even over the guy that I love. The Lord’s the first love of my life. He’s everything. And I’m going to make him supreme.” The cost, they say, a good while later, she ended up marrying a preacher, and God used him, if you will. They built their tower and they went to war against the devil, but it cost her. And she said, “I’m going to make the Lord supreme in my life.”
Can I say it’s not always just one big decision? Yes, there’ll be big decisions in your life. There’ll be those moments, those stages, it’ll be those times. And she had to say, “Hey, hey, I’m going to put him first.” But many times it’s moment by moment. It might be, “I’m not going to look at that because that’s not what the Lord wants my eyes to look at.” And, “Lord, I love you better than that immoral dress woman over there.” It may be, “No, I’m not going to listen to that music because I believe the Lord wouldn’t like that, and, Lord, I’m going to put you above that music.” It may be, “Lord, I’m not going to go to that place. I’m not going to drink what I used to. I’m going to clear my refrigerator out because I love you more than I love that.” Lord, “I’m not going to go with everybody at lunchtime at work, even though they say, ‘Well, you can just go and have a good time; we won’t tell anybody.’” Lord, “I’m not going to go there because I know you don’t want me to go there, Lord, because I’m going to put you above my friends, Lord.” And someone that says, “I want to make you supreme above everything in my life”—that’s a disciple.
I’m asking tonight. I’m asking tonight, would you make him king? I’m asking tonight. I’m not talking about salvation. I’m talking about beyond salvation. I’m talking about making him a disciple. And I’m saying, in your throne of your heart—we all have a throne of a heart—and you say, “Lord, I don’t want to be there.” Yes, you’ve laid down your life. Yes, you’ve given me salvation. And I know I can still sit on the throne of my life and be safe, but I don’t want to be on the throne of my life. I’m getting off the throne. And, Lord, I want you. I’m begging you, would you get on the throne of my life? I’ll do anything you want me to do. I want you to be the king of my life. That’s a disciple moment by moment. They allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control them like a drunk man is controlled by alcohol. That’s what it means when he says, “Be filled with the Spirit,” and “be not drunk with wine.” You’re controlled by another influence—the Lord’s king. A disciple.
What does it mean? Well, it means to make the Lord supreme of your life.
Let’s look at the other time. Three times he makes that statement here in Luke 14: “You cannot be, cannot be.” Next time? What does he say there in verse number 27, verse number 27 there tonight? Y’all with me tonight? Amen? Amen.
Verse number 27: “And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.” Just like Christ had a cross, you have a cross. As far as your salvation, praise the Lord, he bore it. It’s done. It is finished. But if I’m to follow in his shoes, I have a cross, too.
They’re all different. It’s not wise to compare, the Bible says. But you have a cross. You might not know what all that means right now. You might just have a cross at this stage, but a different cross at every stage, but everyone’s got a cross. It may be because you’re not in the “in crowd” at work, because you’re trying to live and do right, and you don’t go the same place and talk the same way, and you witness to people, and you’re just kind of a little different, that you don’t get the raise, and you’re kind of left out. That may be your cross, or least part of it.
Your cross can be so many different things. It may be that you don’t quite fit in with your family sometimes. How can two walk together except they be agreed? And you love your family dearly, but you want to live sold out for the Lord, and you’re not thinking and acting like you’re better than them—no, that’d be wrong. “Were it not for the grace of God there go I”—but just don’t quite fit in because I want to make him my disciple. That’s part of your cross. I don’t know what your cross is. Everybody’s got a cross to bear. And if I don’t bear my cross, I can’t be his disciple.
A cross is very interesting. You know, and you, by the way, talking about a cross and Jesus going to the cross and I’m to follow him—nobody, those Roman soldiers—it wasn’t a Roman soldier big enough and strong enough to make his arms go out on that cross. I mean, the whole world could be trying to push his arm down. You know, you ever do it with your kids? I used to with my kids, but they’re too big and strong now. You know, but I used to have a penny or something in your hand, you know, see if they can probably open your fingers, you know, and they get one finger, I could do it. But then they get both their hands on your one finger, and then they put their leg up there and they pull it, and it’s not fair, you know. The whole world could be pulling on Jesus’s finger.
Nobody made him down the cross. The Bible says he laid down his life. I picture those Roman soldiers, and, well, we’re about to nail up to the cross. “Come on, we’re going to need help.” I imagine he’s laying out there, and I imagine the Roman soldier just the shock on their face as he puts his hand out. He said, “Go ahead. Go ahead, Joe. You better help us. This one’s trying to fake us out here,” you know. And they put that nail there, and Jesus, he didn’t move his hand. They couldn’t hold it down. He just keeps it there. And boom, they drive that nail through there.
“Well, hell, he won’t want us to do that. Come on over here. Hey, we need Harry over here. He’s a big guy. Come over here.” When he just sat on this arm, I would nail his other one down. And Jesus, nobody holding that arm out—he keeps the other one out—and nail it, boom. To be his disciple, whatever your cross is, I don’t know what it might be. No, God won’t make you to lay your life down; it’s your choice. Now, he’s bought you, and he says it’s a reasonable service, but your choice.
Another thing about the cross: once you’re on the cross, friend, there’s no way off. I mean, both your hands are nailed. I mean, you can’t reach over and pull the nail out or something. And then you even can’t bring your feet up if you’ve got a good core, you know. You still can’t, because your feet are nailed down. You’re there. When you say, “I’m just going to—I’m just going to go over where there’s too much water under the bridge,” I’m just going to lay down my life on the cross. Whatever it is in your life, I pray the Holy Spirit is speaking even now about your cross, and it’s different for everybody. But when you say, “Hey, you know what? I’m willing to bear a cross”—that’s a disciple. I’m just going to bear it.
Let me say another word about the cross. Other people—yes, you lay down your life. Christ laid down his life, but other people drove the nails. You can’t drive the nails in your own hand, both hands. You understand? I think much of the cross, us bearing our crosses, people do you wrong, and they mistreat you, and then they twist it and make it out that you’re the bad guy, and nobody knows the truth of it all. And the world looks at you like, “What in the world is wrong with you? You’re such a stuck-in-the-mud,” or whatever it may be. And everybody thinks you’re manipulating everybody. But God knows the truth. But that’s your cross to bear. And people will do those things to you. You say, “I want to bear my cross,” like Christ bore his cross. Christ bore his cross.
I think of Dr. Jacob Gardenhouse. Years and years ago, he was a Jewish man. He was raised very, very, very strictly—amazing how strictly he was raised for the Jewish tradition and religion. And it was in Austria, Hungary, in places. His brother got saved, and eventually he had to come, Jacob, to the United States, a very young man. Dad didn’t want to send him. They had to send him finances, and they wanted to get in the military and all these different things. And so he ended up in the United States, and his brother kept sending him things about Jesus Christ, the true Messiah.
But all, friend, there was a cross to bear. His dad, his family would disown him. In fact, Dr. Jacob Gardenhouse, he said, “He bore the cross for me. I’ll bear my cross.” And he got saved and was open about his salvation, and he was beat up literally more than once. His dad disowned him. He said, “I don’t have a son anymore,” for years and years and years and years. He bore his cross.
Yet God used him to build a tower, fight the battle. He started the International Jewish Mission Board. Thousands have been saved through that mission board. It used to be headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Highland Park’s heyday. It was a great part of it all. A little museum you could go there and visit. But he had a cross. He had a cross. All those years, he laid down his life on that cross. Of course, Christ had laid down his life. If I understand right—and, of course, he’s in heaven now, if I understand right—one of the greatest moments of his life was when his dad, at 90 years old, he led his dad to the Lord. For years and years and years and years and years and years and years and years, he bore the cross. That’s what the Bible’s teaching.
Look, if you’re going to build the tower, there’s a cost. If you’re going to go to battle, and the Lord can use you in the battle against the devil—there’s a war going on, friend—if you can be used in the battle, you’ve got to bear the cross. It’s amazing. He cannot be my disciple.
Let’s look at that last thing. He says, “You cannot be my disciple.” Would you look at it? Verse number 33: “So likewise, whosoever of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” Wow.
Before I continue on, I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I want to mention it again: None of us are perfect disciples. I’m far from it. So we strive for that. Well, that word “forsake” there—the Greek word that is translated into “forsake”—sometimes that same word is translated into “bid farewell.” You just—you’re willing to forsake all.
I’m not sure who it is. I was trying to find it out this afternoon a little bit, but one of the great preachers, one of my heroes—I’m not sure which one—but sometimes you could hear him pray, and I think it was sincere, not just for show, but he’d say, “Lord, if I knew you were in China, I’d do my best to sell whatever I have to, and I’d do my best to get on a plane and go see it today or tomorrow. If I knew you wanted me to go somewhere and do something, I’d give everything I have just to follow you.” That’s what it is to forsake all.
It’s amazing how this old world—you ever think about this old world—what all they do. Some people do some crazy things just to get their name in the Guinness Book of World Records. Or think about people that train for the Olympics for years and years. I mean, and they will not touch all the sweets I had over the holiday seasons. Praise the Lord, I’m not going to be in the Olympics, amen.
And they discipline themselves. And they get up at a certain time. I remember one weightlifter that, if I remember right, he would eat, I think it was, 36 eggs for breakfast—all that protein. Yeah, he was one of these, you know, bodybuilders. He was a true strong man. He was weightlifting in the Olympics. I’m talking about all, you know, that’s just training, how they discipline themselves, get up early, and they go running or jogging, whatever they may be, and then all day long and late at night and everything, they just train and discipline themselves for a medallion—bronze, silver, gold. They eat, sleep, and drink swimming or canoeing or whatever may mean.
Have you ever seen these guys that they push that thing down the ice and they’re sweeping? They’ve got the brooms in front of that, you know? I want to slide one across the floor of the church, and we just get the church cleaned up real quick, you know. But all these crazy things, man, they—I’m talking about people just businessmen. They will wake up 4 a.m. I heard one businessman, he said, “I made my money before 9 a.m.” From about 4 to 6 a.m., he said, “That’s when I kind of rose above the rest, and that’s how I made my money.” Something on my life. I’m just talking about people that would discipline themselves for things in this world, and they work so diligently. These NFL players—I mean, they start typically nowadays; their parents start when they’re about this little training them. And they spend their whole youth, I mean, just working to be a, you know, a great football player in college and then the NFL. I mean, they just devote so much to that.
And if I’m going to be a disciple, I’m going to have to discipline myself. You’ll not be perfect at it; nobody is. But I must forsake all, be willing to at least. He’ll give you salvation. He loves you. I’m amazed. I was—fall—it was great. We were saying, “Isn’t the love of Jesus something wonderful?” And it really is. I fall short a million plus times every day, and he still loves me. But if I’m going to be a disciple, I’m going to have to strive for that. You won’t be perfect at it; nobody is. But you’re willing. You work and discipline yourself. You’ll forgive those that don’t deserve it. You’ll even love your enemies, as Christ said. You go the second mile, like you said on the Sermon on the Mount.
The world will look at you like you’ve got two heads. Why do you dress the way you do? I think of a man one time—it’s not a curse word or anything, just maybe a little slang in an unknowing for years—and he said, “Why don’t you ever say that?” I just don’t feel right in saying that. He’s like, “Man, you’re weird.” And they’re going to think you’re weird sometimes. But to be his disciple…
David Brainerd, a great, great missionary to the Native Americans in the early days, and God used him in a great way. He built a tower. He was a general in the army, if you will. David Brainerd, in his book, he said it was a rainy Sunday night. He was riding on a horse—there’s a muddy trail, just a muddy trail. It’s raining here, but he’s praying, and he just—he wanted to get closer to the Lord, and he wanted God to be able to use him. It was a rainy Sunday night riding on a horse in the woods on a muddy trail. He said, “My desire to surrender to God grew so strong. He said, ‘I had to stop.’ And I got off my horse and I got on my knees in the mud.” He said, “My desire to surrender was so strong I had to.” And he says, “In that rainy night, a light came to my soul, and I knew God had answered my prayer. And I felt that I was accepted into the inner circle of his will.” Friend, if you will, he became a disciple.
Would you be a disciple? If you’re going to build the tower, if you’re going to fight in the great battles, you’ve got to be his disciple.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please, tonight? Heads bowed, eyes closed. Friend, I’m so far from the disciple I ought to be. Somewhere along the line, we’ve got to say, “I want to be there. I want to be there. I like to sell out. I like for you to be on the throne of my heart.” Would you tell him that tonight? Would you mean it? Would you give in? Yes, he still loves you. Yes, you’re still saved, but he’s given all for you. Would you say, “All right, I’ll forgive him. I’ll change. I’ll be different. I’ll stick out. I’d like to be your disciple”? Would you let him know that?
Original File: Would You Be a Disciple - Pastor Paul Chisgar Sunday PM 122621