Our Role as a Disciple

Women's Ministry Series - Session II

Now we know that God has called us to be a worshiper of Him. The purpose of man is to bring glory to God. This is what we were created for. Another thing that God has called us to be is a DISCIPLE.

In the New Testament the word “Christian” is used only three times. The church started among the Jewish people in Jerusalem, but they considered themselves as Jewish followers of Jesus. They did not say, “I am a Christian” or “He is a Christian.” They said, “I am a follower of the WAY.” They said, “I am a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.” It was at the city of Antioch, years later, that the word Christian began to be used.

Now although Christian is used only three times in the New Testament, the word “disciple” is used over 200 times to describe the followers of Jesus. The word disciple literally means “student” and “follower.” If we are to be a disciple, we must be a student of Jesus. We must be a student of Jesus’ word. In order to be a “follower of the WAY,” we must know the way! Jesus shows us the way and gives us all the instructions, the “map” we need to follow the Way. If we don’t read our instructions, if we don’t look at the map, we won’t go anywhere. In today’s session we will talk about the power of the Word of God, why we need to know it, and how we can study it to truly be a disciple of our Savior Jesus Christ.

So why study the Bible? Isn’t it enough to come to meetings once or twice a week? Isn’t it enough to listen to a preacher preach the Word of God on Sunday meetings? I’m telling you, no it’s not enough. Why? Because God has called us to be transformed and made new by the renewing of or minds (Romans 12:1-2). If we come every Sunday and on the inside, in our hearts, we remain the same, then we are not growing. We are not becoming a student and a follower of Jesus. We are merely listening to someone else. God wants us to know His Word in our hearts and in our minds.

If you have your Bibles please turn to Acts 20:32

In this chapter Paul is leaving the church at Ephesus. Ephesus is in modern day Turkey. The apostle Paul spent three years in Ephesus and he is now saying goodbye to the elders of the church. As he leaves, this is what he tells them:

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

Paul is leaving. He will no longer be the shepherd over this flock. He commits the Ephesian church to God AND to the word of his grace, being the Bible. Now he says two things about what the Word can do. Here we see that the Bible, the Word of God, has supernatural power.
The word can build you up. When you build a building you start with the foundation and then you build up up up. Sisters by reading the Word of God you will grow in your Christian walk. Now I don’t mean merely reading the Word, but reading it, meditating on it, and praying it back to God. You must turn the Bible into conversation material with the Lord. There are two things you can do with the Word when you read it. There are scriptures, verses, that can cause us to praise God. We read in Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place O Lord Almighty.” If we only read this verse, it will not do anything to build us up. If we even memorize it will not do anything to build us up. We must use it to TALK to God. We can read it and say, “God – your dwelling place is so lovely! God I know that you have created heaven as a beautiful place. Wherever you live, God, surely must be the most beautiful place. God thank you that you are beautiful. God thank you that have created a beautiful place for me to live in heaven.” Now there are also Scriptures/verses that encourage us to obey God. Two weeks ago on Sunday the preacher shared from John 5, how you are the light of the world. You can read that verse and say, “God thank you that you made your people the light of the world. I know that sometimes I’m afraid and I don’t want to share the gospel with my neighbors, but God help me to be the light. I want to be the light of the world. Lord let my light shine before men that they may give praise to You in heaven.” With every verse of the Bible we can pray something from it. With every verse of the Bible we can turn it into a dialogue with God. God wants us to be in a relationship with Him, and that means we need to have conversations with him! And guess what, not only can we talk to Him through His Word, but He can talk to us. Once we start using the Bible to talk to Him, He will use the Bible to talk to us. He will give us wisdom and understanding when we cry out for it. But, if we don’t ask, we don’t have. We must get in the Bible, read it, meditate on it, and use it to talk to God. In this way the Word will build us up.

So back to Acts 20:32 – Paul also says that the Word can give us an inheritance. How do you get an inheritance on earth? Your parents have money and they leave some behind for you when they die. Did you know that you have an inheritance from God? Part of our inheritance is in this life and part of it is after we die, in eternity. Our inheritance in this life includes the things that God will allow us to do to serve Him and to serve others. It includes our ministry, our families, our relationship with God. Part of our inheritance is that we are lovers and worshipers of God. In this life we have part of our inheritance. In eternity we will have all of it, but as Paul said, it is the WORD of God that gives us our inheritance. Wow! In eternity our inheritance will be ruling and reigning with Christ Jesus as he rules over all. Do we want that? Do we want to be seated with Jesus? Do we want to serve Jesus in heaven? This is part of our inheritance. But God does not give us our entire inheritance freely, we must fulfill some obligations. We must know the Word of God. We must be a true disciple/student/follower of the Word of God.

The Word of God can build us up and give us an inheritance.

Now most Christians who love Jesus think that they spend time in the Bible and that they know it. They bring it to their Sunday meetings. They bring the Bible to the prayer meetings. They carry it on a trip or put it next to the bed. But they don’t read it! They don’t use the Bible to make conversation with God, and therefore they are not changed. It is the same thing in America as it is here. Most believers, who love the Lord, don’t spend time in the Bible. They do everything else they possibly could. They do ministry. They get involved in a youth group. They teach children about the Bible. They preach. They teach, but even then they may not have a connection with God through the Bible. Jesus promised us that our hearts would flow like a river. That means that each person individually will have a connection with Jesus as a friend and as one who loves them.

Turn with us to Hebrews 4:12 – “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

God’s Word is alive! It is not dead. It is not boring. It is alive and it can change your heart and make you more like Jesus. If you think the Word of God is dead then you will have no reason to read it, but if you think that it is alive and active then you will want to read it every day. Not only is the word alive, but Paul tells us that the Word of God is our only weapon which is offensive. This means that the Word of God is the only thing we can use to attack darkness. The Word is often represented in the Bible as a sword. If you own a sword, does it mean you know how to use it? If I keep my sword sitting next to my bed for twenty years, and suddenly a robber breaks in, will I be able to use my sword to fight him? Probably not. If I do not train with my sword I will not be ready for battle. If we do not read our Bibles and use them to talk to God, we will not be ready for battle.

Jesus is coming back to the earth. He is shaking the nations. Spiritual warfare is on the rise. Do we know how to use our swords? Have we spent hours and hours training with our swords so we can use them? I don’t think we have. I don’t think we are ready. We own our swords, our Bibles, but they are not in proper use. We don’t know how to use them. When the time comes, we will surely be defeated if we do not know how to use the swords. Not only will we be defeated, but many will fall away from the faith. Many people who call themselves Christians will turn away from Jesus because they don’t understand who he is. They won’t know how Jesus works. They won’t understand. They will be offended by his judgments and they will turn away from Jesus. They will turn away from Jesus and spend eternity in hell. Are you ready? Do you know who Jesus is? Do you know what it says in the word? Are you ready to use your sword? Because I tell you, if you don’t know the Bible, if you don’t know the Word of God, you will surely fall away when that day comes. It might be easy to say “I am a Christian” now, but things are going to get much worse as Jesus comes to judge the earth. Are you ready? Do you who He is? Are you His follower? Are you His student? Are you truly his disciple?

In James 1:21 it says that the Word of God which is planted in us can save us.

“Therefore get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

What does James mean? I thought we were saved if we confessed Jesus and believed in his death and resurrection? Many people confess Jesus with their mouths, but do they really believe in him in their hearts? Do you really believe in Him in your heart? Do you believe his word is living and active? Do you believe He is coming back to judge the whole of mankind? If you do, you’d study the Word. You’d be ready. You wouldn’t be happy with business as usual. Day in and day out doing the same thing. You’d see there was urgency and that you have NO CHOICE but to know the Word of God. For the Word of God can save you. In Revelation it says that those who stand firm to the end will be saved. It is the Word of God which will help you stand firm. The Word of God can save you.

The Word can build us up, give us an inheritance, be our sword, and it can save us. So what then, sisters will we do?