Show sunday at church ARE AKE YOU A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST are you dear reader a disciple 0 ot christ You probably answer 1 I hope so I 1 felt myself some soma years ago to be a great sinner I 1 repented of my sins committed my guilty soul to christ and realized that my sins were forgiven I 1 know that since that time 1 I have been a very different dit terent pirson person from what I 1 was before still I 1 am aware ot of the fact that I 1 am not what 1 ought to be I 1 long to be in the place of victory over the world the alesh and the devil and hope I 1 will sometime this is all very well but it does not mot answer my question are you a disciple 0 of christ it is one thing to be a babe in christ 1 cor 31 3 and quite another to be A a disciple a learner of christ every christian even of the lowest grade can know ow whether he Is a disciple or not tor for the savior describes in the plainest terms tel ins the the condition of discipleship so that when you read them you ought to have no doubt as to whether you are his disciple or not jesus it if any man come to nip me and hate hata not his own father and mother and wife aud and children and brothers and sisters yea his own life also he can not be my disciple luke 1426 now the savior does not mean that I 1 we must venomously hate detest or despise our nearest kindred or any oue one else or ourselves but it means that we aro are to hate ti the self life the ishmael nature the old man in them and in ourselves the most of all the new nature given to the believer in regeneration Is directly opposite to i the flesh of the natural man and it is this new life or ille he isaae isaac in us that opposes and hates the old man the tha ismael or the self life it if any one therefore would be a disciple or of jesus christ he must have the spirit and life of christ in him to such an extent as to take a po positive stand against the sinful nature in himself and especially against the old man or self life that has been controlling his life in the me past and he hates and opposes tho the same game thing in his kindred however near to himself in fact the true believers in ili christ who aspire to be his disciples must have an inveterate hatred of the self life in themselves and must be resolved to wago wage an un compromising warfare against it now every believer in christ ought to know whether hia new nature or the new man in him Is thus arrayed in deadly hostility to his old self life or old natures and certain it is that it if it Is not so arrayed he be is not a disciple of 0 christ A babe lie be may bo be but not a disciple may cod almighty by ilia his spirit thrust upon the conscience of 0 every babe in christ who is not a disciple the infinite importance of the subject now under consideration let the solemn announcement go forth every where that to be a babe in a christ is not to be it a disciple but that discipleship Is made to depend upon a babes compliance with the saviours Savi ours conditions of discipleship at after te r one has been aaen regenerated A second condition of discipleship Is found in luke 14 1427 27 and reads thus whosoever does not bear his own cross and come a after me ale can not bo be my disciple dear reader do you know what this means have you any idea as to what this cross is that jesus would have you bear the or cross ogg that la is here allude ds to I 1 is s no ornament for display but it is something that tha I 1 is designated to bear directly upon the old man the flesh the body of sin belt belf or ishmael rom 66 69 8 cor 10 11 gal etc the new man of christ ute in the believer can never grow beyond the realm of the babe unless the cross is made to do effective work upon the old man or the self life and it Is certain that no one will be willell willing 9 to apply the cross to self golf until he first hates self so you see how closely these two conditions axe are related to each other we first have a deadly hatred of self v pa and then apply the cross for its destruction v 27 fall self renunciation and a well all surrendered to godi see matt 1624 will bring brine christ to ones life and it Is christ who through the spirit who death to self see john jollu 38 ROM horn gal those who fall below the rank of disciple never know anything about this cross and consequently they lose the great benefit of a canceled self and a christly cha character acter with many other blessings too numerous to mention here leaving these two radically important conditions let us now notice a I 1 third jesus saith luke 14 1433 3 3 so therefore whosoever he be ot of you yet that renounces forsakes not all that lie be has all his earthly possessions lie he cannot be my disciple now you suro sure ly know whether yoh have reno renounced all your earthly possessions or not turning them over to god the rightful owner of all things jesus beaus owned all things yet ho voluntarily gave up all and became poorer even than the foxes or the birds that he might save us from our sins and ourselves and give us the true riches 2 cor 89 phil 25 8 are we willing to follow in our masters footsteps and thus relinquish all our possessions are we willing to have our sett sei liff die on the cross cross that so we may be conformed to ills his death and yet through suffering ills his full resurrection re lifo life phil it should be observed how remarkably this third condition ot of discipleship operates cooperates co with the second tor for to to renounce all earthly possessions is a deadly thrust at self self wo we know likes to have a fine home nicely furnished a big store a large farm faria much real estate a silver mine a big bank account etc but tb this third condition of discipleship knocks out all these things and leaves self without a single possession so I 1 long ong as one has money riches or possessions of any kind for or the self life to rally to true discipleship la is impossible surely there Is nothing better than riches held as ones own to keep self alive and active god Is seeking tor for stewards to manage his riches that nave fave providentially fallen into the hands of ills his redeemed ones but they cannot be ills his stewards so BO long as they hold property as their own will ye hear this 0 ye rich babes in the kingdom ot of god whether you have in your possession much or little you must really renounce it all and turn it over to god note I 1 do not say the church and then do with it just as he shall direct or you cannot be a disciple of christ the following poem by A S worrell throws much light on this subject id rather be a learner of the lord A true disciple cc to ills his word than gon een to have a universal throne and rule the world by my own right alono alone all human scepters soon must pass page away discipleship has honors that will stay then let us hate the dreaded dread d monster self belt and trade it off as vilest paltry pelf nor let us tall fail to well apply the cross croes that self may realize a constant loss 1 I 1 i nor let the coursed thing on riches feed to oen een supply its very smallest need now having baving with great earnestness begun to be a true tree disciple ot of gods goda son aon just keep obeying all ills hla precious prec lons word and soon oon be a learner of 0 your lord no other course im sure than eon een this can bring aeu her or in next ago shell bliss ROYDEN HOYDEN D ZOOK pastor methodist episcopal caia church rob sunday school 1000 10 0 0 a m evening worship 7 p al wednesday p in bible study and prayer meeting friday p in choir practice everybody welcome to all these services |