Jesus was the greatest disciple-maker of all time. We continue studying how He made disciples.

The world teaches that to be great we must feed the greed - get the best education so that we can drive to the best company in the best car so that we can live in the best area in the best house with all the best stuff. The world system teaches competitive succession - do whatever it takes to get to the top regardless whether we lie, slander, gossip, hurt or destroy any and all who might stand in our way – it is the American way. However, it is not God’s way. Jesus said that greatness comes from serving - giving of yourself to be a blessing to God and others. In so doing we discover that our service keeps us aware of others' needs – we become other-centered rather than self-centered. Jesus came as a servant and says: “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11).

Being a disciple is a life of denying fleshly pursuits, taking up your cross and following Jesus. Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). A disciple learns that crucifixion was a hideously painful Roman method of execution, and condemned criminals had to carry their crosses through the streets to the execution site. When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses to follow him, they knew what he meant. Following Jesus, therefore, is a true commitment, with the risk of death, and there is no turning back. This parallels Matthew 10:39 where Jesus says, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Suffering is very much a part of being a disciple. However, we often times think of suffering and persecution as a curse, not a blessing. Similar to Jesus’ suffering, Peter and John were beaten (the first time any of the apostles had been physically abused for their faith). These men knew how Jesus had suffered, and they praised God that he had allowed them to be persecuted like their Lord. As a disciple, if you are mocked or persecuted for your faith, not because you're doing something wrong, but because God has counted you "worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name”, praise Him, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29).

We do not consider suffering a blessing or privilege. Yet when we suffer, if we faithfully represent Christ, our message and example affect others and us for good. This same understanding and privilege is paralleled in Acts 5:21 where we learn: “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” Suffering takes our eyes off of earthly comforts, weeds out superficial believers, strengthens the faith of those who endure, and it serves as an example to others who may follow us. Suffering builds character – mature disciples embrace righteous suffering.

How is it that mature disciples see righteous suffering as a blessing? They know that God is faithful and that He promises they will live eternally with him in Christ's kingdom and share in the administration of that kingdom (Matthew 16:24-27; 19:28-30; Luke 22:28-30; Romans 5:17; 6:8; 8:10, 11, 17; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58; Colossians 3:3, 4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:21; 21:1--22:21.“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12).

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6,7).

Why will a disciple be persecuted? They refuse to worship the gods of this worldly system. They refuse ungodly moneymaking enterprises in this present evil age. They do not support the worldly ideals of self, power, competition, and conquest. They expose and reject the horrible immorality of this culture by living like Jesus.

Disciples accept trials as part of their refining process that burns away impurities and prepares them to meet Jesus. They have discovered that trials teach patience (Romans 5:3,4; James 1:2,3) and help us grow to be the kind of disciples God wants. The kinds of trials the Apostle Peter speaks of does not include flat tires, bad weather, or even God’s punishment for our wrong doing, but the response we receive from an unbelieving world as we become like Him. All true disciples will face such trials.

“So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:19).

Disciples know that sufferings produce spiritual maturity, brokenness and genuine faith in God – suffering should not be thought of as something that might happen, but something to be expected and never to be rejected. The Apostle Paul’s heart and maturity is seen in this statement: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10,11).

A disciple knows that before he or she can walk in newness of life, they must also die to sin - the victory of the resurrection cannot be realized without personally applying the crucifixion.

A disciple knows that just as Christ was exalted after his resurrection, so he or she will one day share Christ's glory (Revelation 22:1-7). We will all die soon, but we must have faith that God will raise us to life again.

Paul said he wanted to resolutely and personally embrace sharing in Christ’s sufferings. Only an unhealthy person would enjoy pain. But Paul was saying that he discovered true communion with God in those times when he was rejected and suffering. A disciple learns that the cross comes before the crown.

Jesus showed us that the cross precedes the crown – He suffered, we will suffer.

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:3).

Like us, Jesus struggled in his humanity with His obedience to God, “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). This gives us great hope for in our humanity we cry no, but just as Jesus affirmed His Father’s will, so too can we by saying, "Yet not as I will, but as you will." A disciple learns to say "as you will" because he or she firmly trusts in God's plans regardless of what they see or hear or feel.

And just as our lives are not scripted, passively surrendered, or mindlessly acquiesced, we too choose His life freely: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

A disciple learns that discipleship is a life-long, continuous process of making the will of God the Father his or her own. Jesus chose to obey, even though obedience led to suffering and death. Disciples must choose to obey, even though obedience can lead to suffering and death.

The result of such obedience was that Jesus suffered the Cross, was lifted up, and now draws all men to Himself: “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself” (John 12:32).

Likewise, Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19); and this was only one instance of much suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-33 Paul summarized his lifetime of suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul labored tirelessly, was whipped 195 times, beaten with rods three times, stoned, three times suffered ship wreck, traveled incredible distances, endured storms, was attacked by robbers, abused by his own countrymen and unbelievers, was exhausted, thirsty, hungry, hurt, cold, naked, weak, offended and carried the burden of care for the churches: “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them” (2 Timothy 3:10,11).

Today, many teach that “If you have faith you will not suffer” or “If you just believe and confess it, God will deliver you from your troubles.” Jesus rebuked such theology: “Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Matthew 16:23). God’s perspective is never man’s perspective.

There cannot be a disciple without the Cross and there cannot be a cross without a disciple. Jesus taught that there is no true authority without sacrifice, no true spiritual maturity without suffering, no true discipleship without the cross. Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matthew 16:24,25).

Jesus taught by word and life that a disciple is born in brokenness, produced in pain, honed in humility, perfected in praise, and forged in the fire of suffering.

Grow in grace and truth,

Doug Morrell

CORE Notes From Doug