Disciple: Following the Leader

Pastor Scott Applegate

Sermon Notes:

(1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)

Disciple: A disciple of Jesus is someone who has trusted in Him as Savior and is following Him as Lord. A disciple is someone who has become His apprentice and follower in eternal living.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Luke 6:40 ESV

What are the characteristics of a disciple of Jesus?

Characteristic #1: Connection

“Paul, Silas and Timothy,
To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Vs 1-3)

“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” John 15:4-5 NKJV

• We connect to Christ by faith and by arranging our lives around the same priorities and practices He exemplified
• We can know we are connected to Christ when our lives are bearing fruit: “work produced by faith”, “labor prompted by love” and “endurance inspired by hope”

Characteristic #2: Conviction

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.” (Vs 4-5)

Characteristic #3: Imitation

“You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it,” (Vs 6-8) 

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

Characteristic #4: Consecration

“for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (Vs 9-10)