#190 THE DEPTHS OF DISCIPLESHIP 9-25-26

There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and truly knowing Jesus. There is a difference between attending church and following Christ. There is a difference between believing the gospel and allowing the gospel to transform the way we live. Discipleship is not a shallow acquaintance with Christianity. It is a deepening relationship with Christ that changes our priorities, our attitudes, our choices, and ultimately our lives. Paul prayed that Christ would “dwell in your hearts through faith” and that believers would be “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17). God calls us deeper.

SURRENDER

The depth of discipleship begins with surrender, but surrender is more than giving God one particular area of our lives. It means placing the whole life before Him. Paul wrote, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). Notice the language: present your bodies. God wants more than our Sunday morning. He wants our minds, our hands, our voices, our time, our resources, and our relationships.

The surrendered disciple no longer asks only, “What do I want?” but, “What does Christ want?” Jesus told His disciples, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). Abiding requires remaining. It means allowing the words of Jesus to become more than information stored in our minds. His teaching becomes the foundation upon which we build our lives.

Surrender can be difficult because we naturally want to remain in control. Yet the deeper we go with Christ, the more completely we learn to trust Him. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established.” Discipleship deepens when control moves from our hands into His.

SACRIFICE

Deep discipleship also involves sacrifice. Jesus made this clear when He said, “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus was not teaching that every disciple must possess nothing. He was teaching that nothing can possess the disciple more than Christ.

Sacrifice means that Christ becomes more valuable to us than the things we are asked to surrender. Moses understood something about this. Hebrews 11:26 says he esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Moses had to make a choice between temporary treasures and eternal purposes. He chose what mattered most.

The deepest discipleship is often revealed when following Christ becomes inconvenient. It is easy to say that Jesus is important when obedience costs nothing. But when obedience costs time, comfort, money, popularity, or opportunity, our priorities become visible. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

Sacrifice does not mean that Christ takes everything from us and leaves us empty. It means that we discover what is truly valuable. The disciple may give up something temporary and discover something eternal.

SUBMISSION

Finally, discipleship reaches its depth through submission. Peter gives us a beautiful picture of this when Jesus called him to leave his nets and follow Him. Matthew 4:20 says, “They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” Peter did not have every detail of the journey explained before he started walking.

That is submission.

We often want God to give us the entire map before we take the next step. But faith frequently works one step at a time. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way” (Psalm 37:23). The disciple learns to trust the One who knows the destination even when the disciple cannot see around the next bend.

Submission means allowing Christ to have the final word. James wrote, “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Christian life is not self-directed spirituality. It is life under the authority of Jesus Christ.

There is always another depth to discover in Christ. Paul, after years of walking with Jesus, could still say, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10). He had preached, suffered, traveled, taught, endured persecution, and served the church, yet he still wanted to know Christ more deeply.

That should be the hunger of every disciple.

Surrender. Sacrifice. Submission.

The deeper we go, the more Christ becomes the center. We surrender because He is worthy. We sacrifice because He is more valuable than anything we leave behind. We submit because He knows the way. Discipleship is not merely about going farther with Jesus. It is about going deeper into the life, love, truth, and fellowship of Jesus Christ.

BDD