25-0706p - Detailed Summary

Jim, the preacher, opens the evening sermon, titled “Come Follow Me, Part 2,” which continues a morning lesson on discipleship. He references Luke 14:27 from the earlier sermon, where Jesus states that carrying one’s cross is essential to being His disciple, underscoring that God must be the priority in a disciple’s life. Jim connects this to the scripture reading, particularly the metaphor of putting one’s hand to the plow and not looking back, which illustrates the necessity of self-denial and a daily commitment to placing God’s will first.

Jim elaborates on the consequences of not prioritizing Jesus, citing Luke 14:26 and Matthew 10:32-33. He warns that failing to acknowledge Jesus before others or being ashamed of Him leads to Jesus denying the individual before God, a devastating outcome. He emphasizes that acknowledging Jesus involves sharing faith and teaching about Him, as supported by 1 John 2:28, which encourages believers to live in a way that allows confidence at Christ’s return. Jim stresses that living for Jesus prevents shame or fear of judgment, urging the congregation not to relegate Jesus to a secondary role in their lives.

Jim defines a disciple as a baptized believer who is taught God’s word, teaches others, and prioritizes Jesus daily. He references John 8:31-32, where Jesus tells believing Jews that abiding in His word makes them true disciples, leading to knowledge of the truth and freedom from sin. Jim contrasts these believers with others whose hard hearts rejected Jesus, noting that abiding in His teachings is a condition for true discipleship. This section establishes that a disciple’s life is rooted in consistent study and application of Jesus’ words.

Continuing with John 8:31-32, Jim explains that abiding in Jesus’ word sanctifies believers, setting them apart for the purpose of sharing God’s truth. This sanctification enables disciples to recognize and reject falsehood, freeing them from spiritual ignorance and sin’s power. Jim then introduces John 13:34-35, where Jesus commands His disciples to love one another with agape love, a divine, selfless love unfamiliar to the world at the time. This love marks disciples as Jesus’ followers and is essential to their identity, fulfilling God’s commands and reflecting His nature.

Jim elaborates on agape love, referencing Galatians and Matthew 7:12, which state that love fulfills God’s law and motivates all actions. He cites 1 Corinthians 13:1-8, which describes agape love as patient, kind, and devoid of envy, pride, or selfishness. This passage underscores that even great spiritual gifts or sacrifices are meaningless without love. Jim emphasizes that love must be the driving force behind a disciple’s thoughts, motives, and actions, reinforcing its centrality to Christian life.

Jim continues to expound on 1 Corinthians 13, detailing love’s characteristics: it is not rude, self-seeking, or easily angered, and it rejoices in truth while protecting, trusting, hoping, and persevering. He reiterates that a disciple is a baptized believer who teaches God’s word, prioritizes Jesus, abides in His teachings, and is recognized by agape love for others. This love is a defining trait, visible to all, and essential to discipleship.

Jim introduces John 15:8, where Jesus states that bearing fruit glorifies God and proves discipleship. While the passage does not specify the fruit, Jim explains that failing to bear it results in being cut off from the vine (Jesus). He connects this to Titus 2:11-14, which describes how God’s grace transforms believers, leading them to reject ungodliness and live upright, godly lives eager to do good works. This transformation, from an ungodly to a Christ-like character, is the fruit disciples bear, reflecting God’s nature.

Jim clarifies that bearing fruit is not limited to winning souls, though that is valuable, as seen in Proverbs 11:30. Instead, fruit encompasses a transformed life marked by self-control, uprightness, and eagerness to do good works that glorify God. He references Noah’s limited success in winning souls to illustrate that fruitfulness extends beyond evangelism to a holistic change in character and actions. This section emphasizes that discipleship involves a comprehensive transformation that glorifies God through good deeds and a renewed life.

Jim continues his discussion on bearing fruit as a disciple, using Noah as an example to illustrate that fruitfulness is not solely measured by the number of souls saved but by obedience to God’s commands and the development of a godly character. He notes that Noah preached for a hundred years while building the ark, yet few were saved. Jim argues that Noah’s fruitfulness lay in his obedient efforts and godly character, as he faithfully carried out God’s instructions. He emphasizes that living a Christian life in obedience to God’s commands constitutes good fruit. Jim then references Romans 7:4-6, where Paul explains that believers, having died to the law through Christ, are freed to serve in the Spirit and bear fruit for God, in contrast to the fruit of death produced by a life controlled by sinful nature. He further cites Galatians 5, where Paul contrasts the works of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Jim underscores that these spiritual fruits reflect God’s nature and are what disciples must cultivate to transform into the image of Christ. He clarifies that while winning souls is valuable, a disciple’s primary responsibility is to obey God and exhibit His character, not to be judged solely by the number of converts.

In his concluding remarks, Jim summarizes the characteristics of a disciple based on the scriptures discussed in both the morning and evening sermons. A disciple is defined as a baptized believer who is taught God’s word, teaches others, prioritizes Jesus in their life, abides in and obeys God’s word, demonstrates love for other disciples, and bears godly fruit to glorify God. Jim emphasizes that these qualities encapsulate the essence of discipleship as presented in the “Come Follow Me” series. He closes the sermon by inviting the congregation to respond to the message, encouraging anyone with a need to come forward as they stand and sing, signaling the end of the sermon and the transition to a time of response.

This summary captures the key points of the final part of the sermon, focusing on the nature of fruitfulness as obedience and spiritual transformation, and concluding with a comprehensive definition of a disciple based on the scriptural teachings presented.