In this piece, I want to share something with us by the Help of the Holy Spirit and I believe it is going to bless us. You see, some of the things that we will be hearing may not be convenient because we are disciples and disciplers. When Jesus was walking the face of the earth with His disciples, it was not all the time that He spoke to them like people who needed bread and water. There were times Jesus had to rebuke His disciples sharply. There was a particular account in Matthew 17, the Bible says a particular man brought His son who was suffering from epilepsy, and then he brought the child to the disciples and they could not heal him.

 

When Jesus was descending from the mountain with Peter, James and John, the man rushed to Jesus and said "Jesus, look at my son, many times this and this happen to him and I him to your disciples and they could not heal him.” And Jesus rebuked His disciples. He didn’t say “oh, they are young people, they are just growing and all that.” He rebuked them and told them they have little faith. So, there are certain things we will be hearing tonight and it is because we are disciples and disciplers and the best way to receive them is with faith in our hearts so that these words can do us good and I pray that they will be of tremendous benefits to us in Jesus’ name.

 

Now, if you look at the trajectory of Disciplers convocation in the last two weeks, the Lord has been dealing with us on the subject matter of glory. It began from looking at THE BENEFACTORS OF GLORY and last week, we examined MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF GLORY. So, in this piece, I just want to build on that foundation and structure that has been built because Paul said as a wise master builder, I build on a very good foundation. When you see a very good foundation, a wise master builder builds on it. So, I want to share with us very briefly on what has been titled: Discipleship: The Pathway to Glory.

 

So, I want to show us two things basically in this piece. The first I will be showing us I believe is something that I believe we all want to hear; it makes our hearts leap for joy each time we hear it. The second thing I believe is not something that we love to hear. It doesn’t sound very interesting, it doesn’t taste good in the mouth, and it is a pill that is sometimes hard to swallow as disciples, but we do not have any choice regarding it. When we are done, I will ask us whether we still want to be disciples or not, and the answers we will give will lead us into praying. Certain people when Jesus was done speaking with them, many people turned away. And Jesus turned to His disciples and asked them whether they still want to continue with Him or not. And one of them turned to Him, I think Peter and said where are going to go to? You alone have the word of eternal life.

 

So, after reading though this piece and have listened to the podcast therein, we also have the choice whether we want to continue as disciples or we would desist from following Christ. Let us open our Bibles to John 17:1-5, 22-23. The Bible says:

 

“Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ² as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ⁴ I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.

 

Jesus was emphasizing on the subject matter of glory. Jesus was not emphasizing on bread and butter, He didn’t say “God, I have done your will on earth, now it is the time for you to supply my bread and butter.” It says “glorify me” which tells us that there is something special about glory. There is something special about the glory of God and Jesus emphatically was stressing it here. It says: “glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.” ²² And the glory which You gave Me I have given them…” In other words, those who have followed me, those who have identified themselves as my disciples, He says the same glory. It was not another kind of glory.

 

Jesus was not pleading with the father and say “well, I don’t want to be in the class of glory with these people, give them a lesser gory.” Jesus didn’t say that. He was not a jealous being, the Bible calls him the firstborn among the brethren, Jesus is our senior brother. It says the same exact glory that I have with you is the same glory that you should give them, “that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…” meaning that when we are in the same league of glory that Jesus is with the Father, he says all of us together will become as one, there will not be division. So, when you see Jesus, you see the glory of God the Father and when you see me, you will see the glory of the Father.

 

So, this glory, the reason why it has to be the same glory is because all of us at the end of the day, will be one. What does that tell us? It simply means the glory of God brings us into a place where we become in tandem with the Father and the Son. So, Jesus is the firstborn among many brethren, He is the firstfruit, and when you see Jesus and you see me, you will see the same glory of the Father, not a lesser glory, the same glory. It reads further: “and that the world may know that You have sent Me…” This glory is what will make the world, this territory that we live in, to know that you the Father, you sent me, and now that Jesus has sent us as disciples and disciplers, it says it is this same glory that will distinguish them in the world.

 

So, what distinguishes us in the world as disciples and disciplers is not the eloquence of our speech, it is not how perfect we are, it is the glory of God. When people see this glory, they will know that truly you have been with the father. Now, there was this account in the Old Testament, Moses took the children of Israel to a particular spot. And when they got to that particular place, Moses said “I am tired, I cannot take this people further than this place. And He said to God that the only reason that will make us to proceed from here is if your presence will go with us.” Now, what did Moses say this presence is going to do? It says this presence will distinguish us from every other nation in the world. In other words, when they see us, and they see your presence with us, they will know that we are a special people.

 

Now, what makes us a special people in the world today is the glory of the Father that is in us. The glory of the father is what makes the world to respect you. As a matter of fact, there is no respect in the world. Nobody cares about you in the world. If you don’t have anything to show the world, nobody cares about you, as a matter of fact, you don’t even exist. That is why Jesus said without signs and wonders, these people will not believe. Until people see something that is different from their own experience, nobody is going to take you serious as a disciple. Until the experiences of your life are different from that of your neighbor, nobody is going to take you serious as a disciple. There must be something in your life that commands the glory of God, and before you open your mouth to say “Jack, Jesus is Lord”, people will say “take us to that your God.”

 

So, Jesus was telling the Father, what will make that the experience of these people that I am leaving in the world is that you share your glory with these people so that when the world sees them, they will know that you have sent me and that I also I have sent them. It says: “and have loved them as You have loved Me.” Now, I have discovered that many people love glory. I don’t think there is ever anyone that hates glory. A man or woman for example, seeking a political post is craving for the glory and grandeur that that office would bring to him or her. But not many are willing and ready to pay the prize for glory. There is no glory, no matter how big or small that does not come at a cost/prize. For example. Vladimir Putin of Russia is fighting with Ukraine. Part of that story is a man who wants glory. A man who wants to be revered by the whole world as a conqueror. And so, he is fighting with that nation just because he has the power and all the resources to deal with them. At the end of the day, people will say “well, look at that man, he is the conqueror of Europe.” It is because of glory.

 

But look at that kind of glory, it is coming at a cost. People are dying, properties and infrastructures are being destroyed simply because a man in his heart is seeking glory for himself and for the empire, he thinks that he has built. No matter how small or big the glory you are looking for, it comes at a cost. God doesn’t give any man glory because He loves their face. There is a prize you must pay for glory.

 

If the devil promises you glory, it comes at a cost. When Jesus was tempted by the devil in Luke 4:5-7, the Bible says: “Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. ⁶ And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. ⁷ Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” What does that tell us? It means that glory comes at a cost! When you are looking for glory as a disciple, the glory of God comes at a cost. God does not bestow His glory on people who are not willing to pay the prize. And the way and manner God bestows His glory on you is THROUGH DISCIPLESHIP.

 

God gives a man or woman His glory in discipleship. God will not bestow His glory on you until He has discipled you. Abraham did not become the father of nations until Abraham was discipled by God. It didn’t happen on a platter. You are praying for the glory of God and other things associated with it, and you are not ready to be a disciple, you will remain on the same spot for long. If you want the glory of God, you must be willing and ready to submit yourself to discipleship process. That is how glory comes. Let me show us something in 1 Peter 4:1-2. This part we are about entering into isn’t an interesting part.

 

I have said that the glory of God comes at a cost and what is that cost? That cost is discipleship. There is something at the core of discipleship that many people don’t fall in love with, whether you have been born again for long or not. And it is in that thing that glory of God is. That thing is a simple word that is called SUFFERING! The cost of glory in discipleship is called suffering and we will examine a few Bible passages to corroborate it.

 

SUFFERING - THE CORE OF DISCIPLESHIP

 

1 Peter 4:1-2, 12-19

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh (where did it say Christ suffered? Was it in the Spirit? It said ‘In the flesh’), arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

 

[12-19] “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; ¹³ but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. ¹⁴ If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. ¹⁷ For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ Now “if the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” ¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”

 

2 Corinthians 4:17

 

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen (your attitude as a disciple during suffering is not fixating on the sufferings. That is not the ultimate. We don’t consider the suffering because there is a glorious end). For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

 

Romans 8:16-21, 28-30

 

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, ¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. [The only condition that qualifies you as an heir of God is if you suffer with Christ. If you don’t suffer with Christ, you cannot share in His inheritance] “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of ^[f]corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son (the image we are talking about came through suffering. Jesus did not become perfect by simply following laws and orders. Jesus became the perfect image of the Son of God through SUFFERINGS), that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

 

Haven read all these? Do we still want to be His disciples? Are we still interested in going through this fiery furnace of suffering for the sake of Christ? 1 Peter 5:10-11 says: “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

 

May the Lord strengthen us in Jesus’ name!

Thanks for the gift of your time, We are Obayomi Abiola Benjamin and Gboyega ADEDEJI!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!