The Obstacles to Discipleship

Galatians 4:19

“My dear children, for whom I am again suffering the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.”

PURPOSE

• To identify the things that hinder us from moving forward in our formation as disciples of Jesus.

• To challenge ourselves to move forward and to remove whatever hinders our formation as His disciples.

INTRODUCTION

In the Gospels, we are not only given the command to make disciples, but especially through the relationship Jesus had with His disciples, we can see principles that help us understand how disciples are formed.

Just as Jesus faced challenges in discipling His followers, we also encounter difficulties in our own formation as disciples. Through the lives of the Apostles, we discover the things that hindered them from being discipled by Jesus. Their struggles often reflect our own lives.

I. THE OBSTACLES JESUS ENCOUNTERED IN THE LIVES OF HIS DISCIPLES

A. A LACK OF SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING

The disciples could not move forward in their spiritual lives.

Many times, they would say, “Yes, Lord,” while at the same time demonstrating that they had not truly understood what Jesus was teaching. It is not enough for us simply to be obedient; it is equally important that we understand what Jesus has taught us.

Matthew 15:10–18

10 Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a person’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth—that is what defiles them.” 12 Then the disciples came to Him and asked, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 

14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.”

KEY TEACHING

Discipleship involves learning from and understanding our Master.

We cannot say that we are disciples of Jesus while refusing to understand what He taught.

THE DISCIPLE MUST UNDERSTAND WHAT JESUS DID

A disciple does not learn only for himself, but also so that he can teach others.

Furthermore, how can we live like Jesus if we do not understand His actions?

How can we explain something that we have not understood ourselves?

Many times, the disciples struggled to understand what Jesus was doing.

John 13:5–10

5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him. 6 When He came to Simon Peter, Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”

8 “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.” 9 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” 10 Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”

KEY TEACHING

Discipleship means that I will follow the example of my Master.

A disciple must not only hear the teachings of Jesus; he must learn to understand His actions and imitate His example.

THE SOLUTION

CONTINUOUS CORRECTION AND CONSTANT TEACHING OF THE WORD OF GOD

Spiritual growth requires continual correction, instruction, and formation through the Word of God. Jesus did not abandon His disciples when they failed to understand. He continued teaching them, correcting them, and preparing them for their mission.

Acts 1:2–3

2 “Until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. 3 After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”

FINAL THOUGHT

The disciples needed time, instruction, correction, and continued formation before they were ready to fulfill their mission.

The same is true for us.

Discipleship is a lifelong process of allowing Christ to be formed in us. We must be willing to learn, to be corrected, to understand His Word, and to follow His example.

The goal is not simply to say, “Yes, Lord,” but to understand His teaching, live according to His Word, imitate His example, and eventually help others become disciples of Christ.

“Until Christ is formed in you.” — Galatians 4:19

B. SECOND PROBLEM: LACK OF HUMILITY

The twelve disciples were a group of men who struggled with pride, jealousy, and envy. Although they had all left many things behind to follow Christ, they still needed God to work in their lives, and this was one of the most difficult areas for them to surrender.

If the greatest teacher and disciple-maker who ever lived, Jesus Himself, struggled with His team, we should not expect our work to be easier. Like Jesus, in my own experience I have seen that this is an obstacle that many people cannot overcome. We especially struggle with pride. This means that behind many of the things we do, there can be a desire to be better or more important than others.

Mark 9:31–35

31 Jesus was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and three days after he is killed, he will rise again.” 32 But they did not understand what he meant, and they were afraid to ask him about it. 

33 They came to Capernaum. When they were in the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they remained silent, because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. 35 Jesus sat down, called the Twelve, and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Another area in which we struggle is accepting that we are wrong, or accepting that there may be someone else who can teach us.

THE SOLUTION

The solution is constant TEACHING and the EXAMPLE of Jesus, and in our case, leadership that has a SERVANT ATTITUDE. We see this clearly in Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet.

John 13:12–16

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

C. LACK OF FAITH

1. The disciple's life is a call to live by faith.

We are following Jesus and His words. This is an act of faith. Our lives constantly experience trials and challenges that test our faith.

Following Jesus Means Living by Faith

Matthew 8:25–26

The disciples went and woke Him. “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and everything became completely calm.

Doing the Works of Christ Is an Act of Faith

Matthew 14:28–31

“Lord, if it is you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” He said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus.

But when he saw the strong wind, he became afraid and began to sink. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said. “Why did you doubt?”

Believing the Promises of Christ Is an Act of Faith

Mark 16:12–14

After this, Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them as they were walking into the country. They returned and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.

Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; He rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.

Jesus addressed their unbelief by putting their faith to the test, especially by asking them to do something in which they would have to depend completely on the power of God.

John 6:5–9

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for He already had in mind what He was going to do. 

7 Philip answered Him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” 8 Another of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up: 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

2. Jesus challenged them to believe in God.

Jesus continually challenged and encouraged His disciples to trust God, even when they could not yet see how God would accomplish what He had promised.

Acts 1:3

After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to the apostles and gave them many convincing proofs that He was alive. He continued to teach them about the Kingdom of God.

The life of a disciple requires faith—not merely believing that God exists, but trusting Him enough to follow His Word, obey His commands, and depend upon His power.

D. LACK OF SPIRITUAL POWER

We cannot be victorious disciples of Jesus without spiritual power. Power is necessary for us to move forward and grow in our lives as disciples.

Jesus Corrected His Disciples for Their Lack of Power

Matthew 17:14–21

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before Him, saying,
15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he suffers greatly. He is afflicted, and often falls into the fire and into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.” 17 Jesus replied, “O faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that hour. 19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 Jesus said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I say to you, if you have faith like a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

The Correction: Jesus Promised the Power of the Holy Spirit

Jesus knew that His disciples would need divine power to fulfill their mission. He promised that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and strengthen them for their witness.

Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

As disciples, we are not called to depend only on our own strength. We need prayer, faith, and the grace of the Holy Spirit to persevere in following Christ.

E. LACK OF COMMITMENT

A Major Obstacle

One of the things that most greatly hinders our growth as disciples is a lack of commitment to Jesus. Commitment means that you have made a firm decision to follow Jesus regardless of the circumstances you may be experiencing. It means that you do not abandon Jesus simply because what He asks of you becomes difficult. A true disciple remains faithful even when following Christ requires sacrifice.

When the Words of Jesus Offend Everyone

What does this mean? It means examining how you respond when the words of Jesus are not popular or are not applauded by the people who are close to you.

Let us look at an example from Jesus and His disciples.

John 6:59–63

59 Jesus said these things while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. 60 When many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can accept it?” 61 Jesus, knowing that His disciples were murmuring about this, said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before?
63 It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life.”

Jesus did not change His teaching simply because some people found it difficult.

This challenges us as disciples:

Reflection Questions

a. What if what Jesus asks of you is not popular with your loved ones?

What if following Jesus requires you to make choices that are different from what others desire or approve of?

b. What happens when following Jesus requires you to pay a high price?

Are you willing to remain faithful when discipleship requires sacrifice, perseverance, or personal surrender?

When the Price Becomes Difficult

Mark 14:50–52

“Then all the disciples abandoned Him and fled. A young man, however, was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen cloth over his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and fled.”

When Jesus was arrested, His disciples faced a moment of fear and testing. They had followed Jesus, but when the cost became great, they fled. This reminds us that commitment is tested not only when following Jesus is easy, but especially when following Him becomes difficult.

THE SOLUTION: CONSTANT PRAYER FOR OUR DISCIPLES

We must pray continually for ourselves and for those whom we are helping to become disciples of Christ. Jesus Himself prayed for Peter when He knew that Peter's faith would be tested.

Luke 22:31–32

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have returned, strengthen your brothers.”

Jesus teaches us the importance of praying for one another so that our faith may remain strong and so that, after experiencing conversion and renewal, we may help strengthen others.

CONCLUSION

If we want to move forward and grow as disciples of Jesus, we must ask Christ to help us overcome the obstacles that prevent us from becoming the disciples He is calling us to be.

We must ask Him to help us overcome:

1. Lack of Understanding

Lord, help me to understand Your Word and Your will.

2. Lack of Humility

Lord, teach me to humble myself and allow You to transform my heart.

3. Lack of Faith

Lord, increase my faith and help me trust You even when I do not understand.

4. Lack of Spiritual Power

Lord, fill me with the Holy Spirit and strengthen me through prayer and grace.

5. Lack of Commitment

Lord, give me the perseverance to remain faithful to You, especially when following You becomes difficult.

Final Challenge

A disciple does not simply begin the journey with Christ.

A disciple perseveres.

We must allow Christ to transform our understanding, humble our hearts, strengthen our faith, fill us with His grace, and deepen our commitment to Him.

The goal is not simply to follow Jesus when it is easy, but to remain faithful to Him in every circumstance.

A.M.D.G.