| Vessels Of Honor – A Call To Discipleship – Part 1

Christian believers are tied in with the heroes of faith from the time of Abel through the prophets and kings to the closing of the Old Testament. Just as each one of the heroes discovered the grace of God in their failures and endured the chastening of the Lord, so also did the members of the church.

As stated by Oswald Sanders…”The word ‘disciple’ means ‘a learner’, but Jesus infused into that simple word a wealth of profound meaning. As used by Him and Paul, it meant ‘a learner or pupil who accepts the teaching of Christ, not only in belief, but also in lifestyle.’ It means learning with purpose to obey what is learned. It involves a deliberate choice, a definite denial, and a determined obedience.”

In this series we will find that Jesus calls us to ‘go and make disciples’ in Matthew 28:19, but He also lays out clearly that to be a true disciple there will be a cost, Matthew 16:24-25. To make disciples we must be a disciple! The cost is to deny ourselves and take up our cross which means to lay down our own natural wills, say no to self daily, and follow His will and conform to it.  We will walk through the different characteristics of what it means to be a disciple. It does cost our flesh, but the reward of sowing to the Spirit is abundant life! When surrendered completely to Him we are sure to live ‘The Good Life’ in Him and lead people to that ‘Good Life’!

Part 1 – Mark 4:23-24 tells us to take heed to what you hear. God expects us to take seriously what He has spoken to us and then allow that Word to take root in us. We are responsible to look honestly at the type of soil that we are and tend to the soil of our heart so that we can bear fruit in our lives. The one who will hear and understand will continue to understand at even deeper levels and to those that are attentive more will be imparted. This passage of scripture implies that the reward will be out of proportion to the virtue; the knowledge acquired to the study devoted to the subject. There will be given over and above, not to those that hear, but to those who think on what they hear and then apply what they have heard. This is how we grow in discipleship, we take heed to what the Master is saying and then by His grace walk it out in our lives!