How to Be a Jesus’ Disciple
Do you remember the last Sunday’s message? Following Jesus should be the highest priority in your life. It seems a big burden to commit to being Jesus’ disciples. But, if you know how to be His disciples, it is simple and easy.
Please open your Bible, Luke 10:1-24.
In this passage, Jesus chose 72 out of His followers and sent them to the villages He was going to. They proclaimed the gospel and made people ready to listen to Jesus. Here is Jesus’ instruction.
First, Live a Simple Life
Read v4-8
4 Do not carry a money bag, a traveler's bag, or sandals, and greet no one on the road.
5 Whenever you enter a house, first say, 'May peace be on this house!'
6 And if a peace-loving person is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.
8 Whenever you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat what is set before you.
You should Learn how to trust in God by living a simple life
Verse 4 is a little shocking. Why did Jesus ask not to carry a money bag? If you have enough money, you can go wherever you want to go. You might trust in your money, not God. The reason Jesus asked them not to carry a money bag is to teach them how to trust in God. This is an essential part of the Christian life. God teaches us trusting through poverty.
Jesus says, v7, “for the worker deserves his pay.” God will provide when you work for God. Trust in God.
Why not to greet anyone? You would be distracted and lose focus on God’s work.
If your life is too complicated with a lot of works and schedule, you cannot focus on Jesus. Remember, we have limited time and resources. We have to choose Jesus or something else. If you spend too much time with friends and social life, you might not have time for God’s work. Have a simple life.
Don’t be bothered with judging others and live simple (v5-6)
We tend to treat others based on their looking or their behaviors. If a person is rude, we don’t want to bless him. But Jesus says, ‘don’t judge anyone, just bless them and love them. If he doesn’t deserve it, it will return to you. So many times, we waste our time and energy for criticizing others. If you stop judging, there will no dispute, no worry, no sleepless night.
Proclaim the gospel and love them regardless of who they are.
In a simple life, well-being life shouldn’t be your highest priority (v7-8)
Jesus said to them, “When you are invited to a house, stay there until you leave the town. Do not move to another house because of better food or a better environment.”
Today, we often focus on how to have a better job, a better car, or a better life, which they say, ‘well-being life.’ If we pursue to have a well-being life, we cannot focus on God’s work.
Why well-being life matters with ministry? When God sends you to poor people but you are rich, you cannot understand their hearts. When you are rich, your heart is callous and won’t listen to God’s guidance.
When I was in China, I had a chance to go a mission trip to far West China. It took 40 hours to get there. We tried to follow Jesus’ instructions to some degree. We carried a money bag, but it was just enough for food and transportation, not for the hotel room. We are supposed to get a place to sleep from the village we will visit. The village was on a high mountain area. All the village people gathered together and welcomed us. We shared the gospel with them. Thankfully they arranged us rooms to sleep. The bed was very dirty but I was tired and fell in sleep right away. During the night I got bug bites all over my body. Bug rashes lasted several weeks after the mission trip.
When you follow Jesus, you might need to share your bed with bedbugs. You might starve. But our life is short and temporary. It will pass away. Don’t be bothered with life situations. Because we have a more important task than pursuing well-being life. Life is a journey, like a mission trip. Don’t be bothered too much by what to eat and what to wear.
Second, Love and proclamation of the gospel
Read v9-12
9 Heal the sick in that town and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come upon you!'
10 But whenever you enter a town and the people do not welcome you, go into its streets and say,
11 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.'
12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town!
This is what we need to do. Pray for them and proclaim the gospel. What if God doesn’t answer my prayer when I pray for someone’s sick? Trust in Him. He answers every prayer.
What if they reject my gospel? Jesus tells you how to deal with rejection at v10-12
We should know this. We are witnesses. That’s why Jesus sent them two by two to make their witnesses valid. As a witness, we don’t have any accountability of their unbelief as long as we proclaim the gospel correctly. Believe it or not is their responsibility. If you don’t proclaim the gospel, it is your responsibility.
You don’t need to prove what you believe. You don’t need to persuade them. Just proclaim the gospel clearly. Look at verse 11, even when they have rejected your message, you should proclaim the gospel one more time.
However, when you confront with their rejections, you would be discouraged. Here is Jesus’ message.
Third, Have courage! You are representing Jesus
Let’s read v13-16
13 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you!
15 And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be thrown down to Hades!
16 "The one who listens to you listens to me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects the one who sent me."
When your message is rejected you think it is your fault. But it is not. It is their arrogance.
You would think, if they see miracles of God, they would believe. No, it was not so. Miracles are not the crucial factor for having faith. Two towns here in v13 are Chorazin and Bethsaida. They are towns at the Galilee lake. Jesus performed so many miracles in this region. But they didn’t believe. Why? Because of their arrogant heart. When they reject such a gracious offer of forgiveness of sins, they are saying, “I am not a sinner. I don’t need anyone’s help, even God’s”
They saw Jesus’ miracles but still have rejected His message.
That means, when they reject your message, it is not rejecting you, but Jesus. For you are representing Jesus. Isn’t this awesome? If they reject us, they have rejected Jesus and God. With this confidence, I preach the Bible. So you should proclaim the gospel to your friends. You are sent as Jesus’ representative, if not through you, they don’t have any chance to hear about Jesus.
Challenge
Did your mom ever say that you need to focus on studying when you are a student? If you want to be a doctor, you should study a lot. You would not have much time with friends and other things.
Jesus is sending you to your friends and family as His representative. It is so important task for their eternal destiny.
If you want to do this task, you need to focus on being a Jesus’ disciple. Live a simple life. Don’t waste your time and energy to improve your life. I am saying ‘do not work,’ or ‘do not study.’ I am saying, “focus on being a witness to Jesus wherever you are.”
Simple life and Love and Proclamation should be our life.