Scripture reading: John 3: 1-15

FATHER, we thank you for this beautiful day and for showering your blessings upon us. As we are going into your Word, open our eyes of understanding so that we can see the power in your Word. This, do in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We thank God for another opportunity to learn at His feet and for the opportunity to see another day.

Like I have told you before, 87 people die every minute all over the world, including Nigeria. That means that for every minute that you are going to spend here, 87 people like you are dying. That is why we should thank God for every opportunity we have to be alive.

The topic we are considering today is very important because like all of us know, the world is a mere marketplace. Heaven is where we are going to spend our eternity. Therefore, God will consider us as wise people if we will use every minute we have here to prepare for heaven.

The topic is, MARKS OF A TRUE DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

The text is in Lk 14:25–33. We  should all open to it and read:

The major priority of Jesus is the success of His followers. That was why He employed various methods to preach to them and teach them. He led them from the known to the unknown. He would move from what they were used to or conversant with within their social, economic or political environment to what they did not know about the Kingdom of God, the purpose of His coming to the world and His sacrifice on the cross of Calvary.

Something is clear throughout the scriptures. Jesus is not a deceiver or a sweet talker. He explained to his disciples how difficult the Christian journey had been, there would have been no reward for it. You give rewards only for things that are difficult, that everybody cannot do.

Some have been willing to pay the price of eternal life while some have been very unwilling to pay the price. But it will do us a lot of good as Christians if we know what Jesus desires from us so that we can know whether we are up to standard or not.

Therefore, from our text, Lk 14:25–33, let us see the marks of a true disciple of Jesus. But, first, let us define who is a disciple. A disciple is a believer in the person and teaching of Jesus Christ who has made up his/her mind to follow Him, no matter the difficulties encountered in doing this.

In Lk 14:25–26 of our text, Jesus says anybody who is His follower but does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and his own life also is not worthy of Him. Some in Christendom have misinterpreted this passage and have gone astray. They have interpreted it to mean that for them to be recognised as disciples of Jesus, they must hate all their relatives and must not assist them in any way.