Our church is in the process of hiring a new pastor since our pastor of 13 years retired in June.  It could be up to a year before a new full time pastor is hired, so we have been having a variety of guest speakers filling the pulpit this summer.  The speaker scheduled for last Sunday cancelled, so I was asked to fill in.

My sermon was titled "Follow the Leader", and the topic was discipleship.  In researching for my message, I discovered some fascinating facts.  For example, in Scripture, Jesus is referred to as "Lord" 712 times.  He is called "Savior" 24 times.  Half of the times he's referred to as Savior the word "Lord" is attached within the same sentence, as in "Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."  That means the title "Savior" stands alone only 12 times in all of the New Testament.  It seems that the concept of Jesus being Savior (as in, our cashing in on forgiveness, eternal life, blessings, etc.) without our following Him as Lord (as in, obeying His commands to welcome strangers, give to the poor, visit the imprisoned, etc.) is a notion completely foreign in Scripture.

Next I discovered that the early believers were called "disciples" 258 times.  The word "Christian" is used three.  In fact, the three times the word Christian is used, it is always used as a slur against this new sect that was rising up on the Holy Land.   Tacitus, a Roman historian in the time of Nero, wrote "The vulgar call them 'Christians'."  It was a word used as a put down of the early church.  Now, that doesn't mean we shouldn't use the word 'Christian' to describe ourselves.  In the second century, the church accepted this word as an acceptable way of referring to themselves.  This is not entirely uncommon.  The Church of Latter Day Saints once took offence in the word "Mormons" and the Society of Friends were once mocked with the slur "Quakers".  Like Christians, they eventually took these names on as acceptable.

But, the numbers again caused me to think.  No where in the Bible does it talk about 'becoming a Christian' - or 'accepting Jesus,' 'Asking Jesus into one's heart', or any number of other religious cliches.  Overwhelmingly, conversion in the New Testament is referred to as becoming disciples (and, less frequent but equally poignant, becoming bond servants or slaves.)  All these terms imply: lifelong commitment, serving the Master, and growing more like Him each day. 

 The best synonym for 'disciple' in English would be 'apprentice'.  Apprentices enter into their relationship with the master  knowing very little and making many mistakes.  They never each a level of perfection, but they learn more from their mentor and strive to be more and more like him.  When did we make faith so easy and grace so cheap?

Anyway I continued by looking at specific areas where the middle class American church could do better in their pursuit of discipleship.  you can hear the sermon here:  http://www.bridgtonalliancechurch.org/Resources/SermonAudioClips/tabid/78/Default.aspx