The Cost of Discipleship
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
― Deitrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
DISCIPLESHIP: A lifelong, Holy-Spirit led journey of becoming fully mature in Jesus: motivated by love, obedient to God’s Word, while doing life with others and making disciples along the way.
Acts 8:26–39 ESV
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
The Cost of Discipleship
1. Disciples OBEY GOD, even when it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
Acts 8:26 ESV
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
Acts 8:29 ESV
The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
The Holy Spirit will LEAD if we’ll LISTEN.
God’s people are a people who serve at HIS Will, not our own.
The Cost of Discipleship
1. Disciples OBEY GOD, even when it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
2. Disciples ASK FOR HELP, even when it’s HUMBLING.
Acts 8:30-31 ESV
“Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
Isaiah 53:5 NIV
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 56:3-5 NIV
Let no eunuch complain, “I am only a dry tree.” For this is what the Lord says: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant—to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will endure forever.
The Cost of Discipleship
1. Disciples OBEY GOD, even when it DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
2. Disciples ASK FOR HELP, even when it’s HUMBLING
3. Disciples TAKE ONE STEP, even when it COSTS ALL.
Disciples refuse to stay at STEP 1 with God.
What Happens at Baptism?
There is a TOTAL Surrender
What Happens at Baptism?
There is a TOTAL Divorce
What Happens at Baptism?
There is a TOTAL Rebirth
Maybe you made a decision to follow Jesus today, or maybe you’re curious what life with Him is all about. Wherever you are on your journey, we invite you to share with us so we can help you discover your next step.
