Becoming a Stronger Disciple

WHO A DISCIPLE IS

Strong disciples come from many different backgrounds.

(Mark 3:13-19) Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve - designating them apostles - that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (to whom He gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him.

1. A REGULAR Person

A. The first disciples were real down-to-earth ordinary people.

B. Peter and Andrew were fishermen.

(Luke 5:1-6) One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around Him and listening to the word of God, He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then He sat down and taught the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and Let down the nets for a catch.” Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything, but because You say so, I will let down the nets.” When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break.

(Acts 4:13) When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”

C. Ordinary people do extraordinary things when they are with Jesus.

2. A RAW Person

A. In the beginning James and John were a bit crude.

(Mark 3:17) James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them He gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder.)

B. When they first followed Jesus, they lost their crudeness but remained rough around the edges.

(Mark 9:38-40) “Teacher,” said John, “We saw a man driving out demons in Your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.” “Do not stop him,” Jesus said... “for whoever is not against us is for us.”

(Luke 9:53-55) The people there did not welcome [Jesus], because He was heading for Jerusalem. When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them.

C. They started out raw – but they finished well.

· James was the first to die for Jesus.

· John wrote five New Testament books.

3. A ROGUE Person

A. Thomas was a rogue in a good sense of the word.

B. He wasn’t afraid to die for what he believed in.

(John 11:7) Then [Jesus] said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews tried to stone You, and yet You are going back there?” (16) Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.”

C. He wasn’t afraid to ask the tough questions.

(John 14:3-4) “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”

(John 14:5) Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”

(John 14:6) Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

D. He was the only one who had to “see” Jesus in order to believe.

E. He was the only one to declare Jesus to be, “My Lord and My God!”

4. A READY Person

A. Bartholomew was ready to be a disciple.

B. Bartholomew’s given name was Nathanael.

(John 1:45-49) Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (47) When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.” “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.”

C. All of them were ready.

(Mk 3:13) Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to Him those He wanted, and they came to Him.

D. He called them – and they came.