Marks of a Disciple

Acts 2:42

4/19/26

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 

Any board game people out there? Any catch phrase people out there. 

We love to play catch phrase? It's the game with the timer and round disk that has different words on it, that insert it into a holder that clicks around to a new word each time you hit it on the side. The goal is to get people to guess the word and when they guess you pass it on to the next person. The key to the game is to give definitive characteristics of the word so people will guess it. So for example I might say

Penguin: animal, waddle, eat fish, bird, tuxedo, ice cold. 

Dump Truck: big machine, carries dirt and other stuff in the back bed, construction vehicle, hydraulic lift for pouring stuff out. 

We are in a vision series, and if you missed last week, we shared our new vision statement about where we are doing as a church. A key part of our mission is we want to make disciples. And a key question then is what is a disciple? What are the definitive marks for a disciple? 

Use Canva Slides

I want to give you six marks of a disciple. Six marks that identify one and that we want to create an environment fostering these. 

If you are here and not a Christian, I don't want you to feel any pressure on this. Feel free to say hey, I’m not there yet. But at the same, time know this is what Christians are called to. If you are a Christian I want you to hear this and take time reflecting if this is you or if you may need to make some changes. 

• Worshipper 

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. 

They were celebrating God. The word here is used to translate the Hebrew word hallelujah, which literally means “praise the Lord.” They are celebrating the greatness of God and what he has done. 

They are not debbie downers or Eores. They are thankful, grateful, hopeful.

A key connection to this is:

44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 

They have believed in the name of Jesus. They have believed the gospel story. They have believed God sent a Savior. They believed they needed saving. 

The biblical account of the word is that God created a good world and placed people in it to love and serve and worship him. They turned from God, worshipped themselves, and that is when death and frustration came into the world. They deserved death, but God continued to love his people and sent his Son to take the punishment they deserved. Jesus died on the cross, took our condemnation, and offered us the eternal life that he deserved. God has acted justly, righteously, gracious, mercifully, and wisely. He has given us a promise of eternal life in a renewed world. 

**If he did nothing else for us he has done everything for us– that is worth praising.** We always want one more thing, but he has already done the greatest thing. You can complain defiantly about what you don't have. Or you can receive his gift and celebrate. 

And you thought your team scoring a touchdown at the last minute was worth celebrating?? 

Worship is something we do with our voices, but it is an attitude for all of life. We are not worshipping the gods of our age– not worshipping money, careers, not political leaders, not people-not experts of our age, but Jesus Christ. He is the Lord and he has all of our affection. Worship with our heart, soul, strength, and mind. That is the greatest commandment. 

I heard a recent study done on how singing also produces other measurable physical effects found to improve people's heart rate and blood pressure. Singing in groups or choirs has even been found to boost our immune function in ways that simply listening to the same music cannot. I love when studies come out showing that what God calls us to do is best!

Disciples are worshipers because they recognize the greatness and worthiness of God who acted powerfully to save them from all their sins and who deserves their praise. Not one abandoned and forsaken but one who is blessed and celebrating what God has done for them.

• Follower

Jesus told his disciple to “come and follow me ” (Matt 4:18). They left everything and followed him. This is an aspect of worship. You are going to follow what you value most. 

 

It doesn't mean that you walked an aisle in fifth grade or prayed a prayer at age five. Being a disciple means you are following Jesus. Looking to him. Seeking to honor him. This is one of the words that people have used more recently to distinguish between cultural Christians and genuine Christians. 

Devotion. The early disciples were devoted to the gathering. They prioritized it. It doesn't say that they did this when their schedules allowed. They were committed. 

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Part of following Jesus is being committed to the things he calls you to be committed to, and certainly to his people. 

We have older members who were raised on this. This church has been able to meet because our older members value being at church on Sunday. They are willing to put their name on a lease. Willing to open the doors. Willing to show up 

What are you devoted to? Sports team. Star Wars. 

What God says matters most. Rearrange our lives around that. Believe he has our best in store for us. Believe our best life is found by being squarely in his will for our lives. Our greatest goal in life is to honor him.

I am following the Lord. I am most concerned with that. I might not see every movie. I might not see every political thing going on. I might not know the latest gossip. There are a lot of things that I might not be aware of, and I am OK with that because the most important thing I got. It is freeing. Because I am following Jesus there are a lot of things that I am not going to run after. 

• Steward

Steward is a person who manages another's property, finances, or other affairs.

45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 

The first thing with stewardship is there is a real entrustment. They possessed something. It wasn't right to just take them away– contra socialism. But the second thing to see our possessions are ultimately God’s. His ownership is the basis of our stewardship.  I am entrusted with these things but I will ultimately hand them over to the one whose they really are.

Marriage. I love my wife. She is my wife. She is not ultimately mine. I love my kids. They are not ultimately mine. I have been entrusted with them and I want to prove faithful. I love pastoring but the church is not ultimately mine. I am entrusted with a responsibility for a brief time, and I want to be faithful to that, because God is going to call me to account for it. That excites me and it also sobers me. I will have to give an account for how I have stewarded all of these gifts from God. 

Matt 25:14-19.  the parable of the talents. A man goes on a trip and entrusts his servants with different measures of money. Those who prove faithful God blesses and allows into his kingdom saying, My good and faithful servant. Another servant hides his talent and doesn't use it. When the master returns he says, You wicked and lazy servant, depart from me, and orders him cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

Finances: Throughout the Bible you see a practice and command of honor God with finances, money and possessions. Our is ours, but we will be judged on how we have used that for the Lord. 

The commands to tithe. People brought their ox and goat and barley harvest. Today we do bill pay. I’m open to you bringing an ox– we will have a feast. 

It is through the people's giving that the ministry of the temple, tabernacle and now the church were sustained. In Acts you see the church being set on fire, and their sacrificial giving is certainly part of that. Barnabas sells a field and lays it at the apostles' feet. 

I have neglected to teach on this. 

Be faithful to steward what he has given you. My goal isn't to do what others are doing or have what others have. My goal in life is to be faithful with what God has entrusted to me. My main goal is not trying to get what he has not yet entrusted to me. This takes so much pressure off. Dont be proud about all that you have thinking its because you are so great. God has given you a greater portion to prove faithful with. Don't be down because you have less. 

Family Member

What is a church? It is a gathering of believers committed to each other and committed to making Jesus known. It’s more than a service and it's more than a gathering. It is the family of God. 

In Acts the people are hanging out all the time, meeting in homes and eating each other’s food. 

19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

When you are a family member you realize you have a family to belong to, that cares for you. You got a house you can show up to on Thanksgiving. You need to hear that. We want to build a community that if something happens you have someone you can call. nets and not just lines. 

You are created to be in community. You need community. It is one of the great lies of modern society that you can just opt out of relationships and be OK. Not true. You need others. Others need you. 

Blessings. Come to church knowing you belong here because you belong in the Lord. The blood of Christ has made a way. Dont cheapen his blood by saying you dont belong or coming up with another excuse to not be a part of it. 

Responsibilities. If you are in a household, we love you, and you can sweep the floor. That is part of a family. And it is a joy. In church you are going to have to be patient, learn to forgive, learn to love, learn to deal with things. And what better place to learn how to do that. 

You need others. It is an absolute lie that you can just opt out of community. God calls you to love others and you can't do that if you just check out of relationships and don't even show up. 

We live in a time where everyone wants the benefits of a community but few are willing to own responsibilities. One of the things that keeps churches struggling is the lack of commitment and participation. 

Online church is not church. No one knows you are there. No one knows you are there for them. And you forget there are people there for you. If you are sick or traveling that is great. If you are not, get to church!

Commit to being at church. Commit to being at church for others.

We all have a responsibility to build this family. It takes us all. Sociologist have pointed out a Cohort Effect in the area of mental health. Everyone knows large quantities of social media is not good/or social media to the exclusion of real relationships. But one study showed for teens that if they pulled away from social media their mental health didnt improve necessarily, because if all their friends continued to spend 5 hrs a day on various platforms then they find it difficult to stay in touch with them. She would be completely isolated. It creates a trap. The best scenarios is to get everyone off for a time to actually be together. (Brad Edwards, The Reason for Church, p62-63). 

What better reason is there to get off social media than for church, for the Lord, for the community that he calls us to be a part of, calls us to serve and sacrifice for. We reorient our identity. This is why we do Sunday service, game nights, prayer nights, small groups, lunches. Creating contexts to know one another.

Value the church community. Value others so that you are there for them. Value the mission so that when people show up there is someone for them to talk to. 

Your family needs that. You need it as well. 

Part of your identity as a Christian is that you are a family member in the house hold of God! Don't say you are alone and have no one. Tell yourself that you are a child of God and your family is in the people of God, now and for eternity. 

• Servant

But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

You may say, where is that in these verses out of act. It never says servant. True, but anytime fallen people are living in peaceful community this attitude of a servant is present. Fallen people make mistakes, are shortsighted, and just out right sin. It takes humility to forgive. It takes humility to apologize. It recognizes that you are there to help the other know Jesus more. You are not trying to vindicate yourself or put others down. 

Servant. A greater server looks for opportunities to 

Love doing our round up. It is a lot of fun. People are serving in different ways. Showing up early. Going to the store multiple times to make it work. Afterwards we are there and realize the table cloths are dirty. 

Not arguing over who did it last and whose turn it is now. Just does it. Table cloths washed, cups ordered, chairs put out, and all of it is done by people giving of their time. 

It doesn't just happen. You have to cultivate it. Pride destroys relationships. You always feel like you should have been treated better. Humility, ironically, means being the bigger person. It means I am willing to be 

Organizationally. Lots of needs. What can I do to help? 

I find life by sacrificing for others. Life is found in giving it away. Not hoarding it to ourselves. Freed to live and give.

1. Witness

They are sharing the light of Christ. They are making disciples. Part of growing as a disciple is growing as a witness. 

47 And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. 

They are what I call “Living out Loud.” They are not hiding their light. They are committed to Christ, people coming over, meeting the needs of others, reading the word, sharing with those in need. It's a radical and unashamed live. 

Even in deuteronomy believers were to 

Deut 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 

7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

Here in the Old Testament we see a call to live out our faith and talk about it all the time. Talk about what God is doing and how he is working. 

What God has done in our lives we want others to know and to experience. It is hard and it can be intimidating, and it will cause us to trust the Lord and seek his power. 

In Christ we have a hope that is so precious, so valuable that we want to share it with others. 

He is the solution to all our problems. 

It is so easy to feel like you need to keep up with the Jones. Man this guy is so much bigger than me, more impressive, wow they got a ferrari, oh wait he got this for his 16 year old kid. 

We are the richest family on this street. What we have in Christ. There is no one richer than us. No one has better kids, better wife, better life. When I treat my family like that, they tend to grow into that. But the point is, I dont need to envy anyone. 

This is what our identity is like. When times are hard it causes us to press into these to see just how rich we are. To see what Christ has secured for us. To see where our treasure lies. 

Conclusion: These are all aspects of our identity as a follower of Christ. 

Which of these is most helpful for you to remember? Middle manager. Good but not great. Mental illness. Broken family. Or do you identify as a worship of the living God. A follower of the Savior of the word. A steward of the blessing of God. A family member in the household of God and an heir the inheritance he has promised. A servant of the most high God.

Which of these do you need to work on?

Which of these can you most push us forward in?

Discussion Questions

1. Which of these six marks is most helpful for you to hear about? Why
2. Which of these six marks do you most need to work on? Why? What will you do?
3. Which of the marks do you believe you could most help the church move forward in?