The Aim of Discipleship

Objectives:

1. To let them understand what discipleship means and looks like.

2. To make them understand that the aim of discipleship is God-glorifying obedience to Jesus.
3. To let them know and understand the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
4. To challenge them to have a God-glorifying obedience in Jesus.

Matthew 28:18-20

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19]
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, [20] and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I
am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I. What discipleship means and looks like?

A. It was derived from the pattern of Jesus.
Jesus ⇨12 Disciples/ Apostles ⇨Others ⇨Me ⇨You

B. What it looks like?

 He taught them (Teaching, Equipping)
 Been together with them (Fellowshipping)
 Prayed with them

C. Jesus’ goal:
— Is to make the impossible become possible, that is to observe/ obey
God in a glorifying way.
— Meaning, Jesus teaches because He desire His disciples to obey God that
glorifies God.

II. What is God-glorifying obedience to Jesus?

A. Jesus’ teaching is focused in the glory of God.
 Why emphasizing the glory of God?
-because Jesus did!

Matthew 5:16 NIV

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your
Father in heaven.”

- The ultimate goal of Jesus’ commandments and teachings that needs to be observed
and obey is not just do good works, but the that God be glorified!
 “The obedience of good works is penultimate. But what is ultimate is
that in our obedient lives God be displayed as the most reality in the
world. That’s Jesus’ ultimate goal and mine.”— John Piper

#Since the ultimate goal of our obedience is the glory of God, therefore,
God must be the center of our teaching so that the focus of our
obedience might be solely in the beauty of His glory.

III. The connection of the person and work of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.
“The person and work of Jesus are the primary means by which God has glorified himself in
the world. No revelation of God’s glory is greater.”— Piper

A. The person of Jesus Christ is manifestation of the glory of God.

John 14:9

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?
Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

- To see Jesus is to see the beauty of God.

- He is the Christ, the Messiah. (Explain Messiah, explain Jewish expectations)

Colossians 1:15 NIV

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.”

Hebrews 1:3 NIV

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, …”

B. The work of Jesus Christ is a manifestation of the glory of God.

 He came to serve, die for sins and rise again.

#To suffer and die for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 10:45 NIV

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.”

 But dying wasn’t His only mission, however, it’s central. In the
shedding of His blood, there’s a hope that dawned.
- Because in His death, God will never put His wrath on His people.
- God will see His people perfectly in His eyes.
- God will give His Spirit to His people so that they would now love and obey Him.

 When that mission was accomplished, God sealed it with His

resurrection.
- Meaning, our salvation is sure.
- Our life is sure because Jesus is alive.
 - Our transformation and obedience is sure because of the Spirit that is true.
- We can able to obey and glorify God because Jesus made it for us and He will continue
to use us.

Conclusion:

We’ve learned that discipleship is about God-glorifying obedience founded in the person and work of
Jesus. Thus, discipleship is growing together in the likeness of Jesus. We will grow by knowing God and
obeying Jesus’ commands. But, our growth and obedience is the fruit of the redeeming work and the
display of His personal glory.

Challenge: Do you want to know more about God? Do you want to follow and obey God?

Why?

To the unbelievers: You cannot know and follow God if you don’t have relationship with Jesus.

To the believers: Jesus demands a high cost of following Him.