The Heart of a Disciple
“A Disciple’s Heart”
Matthew 4:18-22 [ESV], While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Matthew 28:18-19 [NIV], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples…teaching them everything I have taught you.”
Matthew 6:24 [NIV], “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
1 Kings 18:21 [NIV], “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him.”
1. Unwavering Loyalty
Luke 14:25-27 [TPT], As massive crowds followed Jesus, he turned to them and said, 26 “When you follow me as my disciple, you must put aside [hate] your father, your mother, your wife, your sisters, your brothers—yes, you will even seem as though you hate your own life. This is the price you’ll pay to be considered one of my followers. 27 And anyone who comes to me must be willing to share my cross and experience it as his own, or he cannot be considered to be my disciple.
Matthew 22:37-38 [NIV], Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest command. 39 And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.”
2. Undivided Love
Luke 9:57-62 [ESV], As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
“We believe to the point of inconvenience and then we quit.” -Leonard Ravenhill
3. Heart that isn’t Compromised