Foreword

In the past two Sundays, we have discussed the church as God's army and the church as the body of Jesus Christ. These concepts should be gradually established among us. We often confuse the love of the Lord Jesus with many things, thinking that love can casually build the body of Jesus Christ. That's not the case! We build the body of Jesus Christ, and this body cannot contain garbage. Therefore, the Bible clearly describes the kingdom of God as someone casting a net, casting it down, and then hauling it up, picking out the good ones into vessels and throwing the bad ones outside. When we are building God's glorious church, it is a fatal mistake if we bring everything into the church.

The Lord Jesus Selects Disciples

The church is definitely not a charitable institution; it is a platform for transforming and perfecting people. This concept must be established, and it is a very important belief system in our Chinese Mingding Destiny. When you come to our church, you will find that you have to go through rounds of screening. One type of screening is roaring, roaring at you a few times to see your reaction. Another is saying you are a dog to see if you still think you are not a dog. If you think you are not a dog and think you are great, then this is probably not the place for you. The Lord Jesus' purpose was not whether the Canaanite woman was a dog, but to see if the goal within this woman was clear.

If you lived in the era of the Lord Jesus and you came to find Him, and the Lord Jesus said you were a dog, you need to clarify your purpose in coming and also understand the Lord Jesus' intention. So, let's not be water-headed; we need to know that we don't like to fix everyone, but building a victorious church requires holiness. Over the years, we have also experienced a lot of hardship. Every time we fix things, we are also very painful. Why? Because we really don't want people to be finished after we fix them. I want to tell everyone that the Lord Jesus wants disciples. He filters them layer by layer to select the treasures.

In fact, the Lord Jesus spoke very simply: are you a treasure? If you are a treasure, you must be a person of faith. If you are a person of faith, when you see the Lord Jesus, you will definitely feel that the Lord Jesus is also your treasure. Then you will completely devote yourself and become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is very important. Today, in the church, people are called believers, which is really worth discussing. We must be based on the Bible.

The Most Important Characteristic of a Disciple is to Pay the Price

Today, the topic we are discussing is a bit heavy, but it doesn't matter. Let's look at Matthew 28:18-20, which is the Great Commission: And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. (Matthew 28:18-20)

This passage clearly states that the Lord Jesus wants disciples. What is the difference between a believer and a disciple? A believer is someone who believes and receives grace; a disciple is someone who not only believes but also pays all the price they can for Jesus. That is to say, a disciple is someone who is willing to give themselves for the Lord Jesus, but whether they can give themselves depends on the degree of their faith.

Some people cannot give themselves because they feel that giving themselves is a disadvantage. I think giving myself is a bargain, so I give myself. In fact, these are all beliefs in people's thoughts and intentions that come into play. That is to say, in the process of making these choices, we will weigh this matter and that matter on a scale, and then we will naturally choose the one we think is more important. If the one you choose, you think is very important, but the Lord Jesus thinks is not important, then you are in trouble.

Don't think that the Lord Jesus is wrong; it is we ourselves who often cannot distinguish between what is important and what is not. I have often heard Christians ask this very stupid question: if I am busy with work, should I choose to continue working or choose to worship God? Then I tell you, in these years, from the end of 1991 when I believed in the Lord until now, I have never missed a Sunday, whether it is windy or rainy, or someone in the family dies, or someone gets married, it has nothing to do with me. This time belongs to my God. So you should know that there is a reason why I can receive such great grace. Why? Because I am willing to shed tears for the Lord Jesus, I am willing to shed blood for the Lord Jesus, I am willing to give all that I have for the Lord Jesus. No one and nothing can stop me from serving my God. The Lord Jesus is more important than my money, the Lord Jesus is more important than my work, the Lord Jesus is more important than my interpersonal relationships, the Lord Jesus is my everything.

My process of believing in the Lord is also a bit sad. I am a very ambitious Christian, but what the church can provide me with cannot meet my needs at all. Thank God! I am a self-taught person; I am self-taught in everything. Believing in the Lord and self-studying, how precious is a Bible! I have read three Chinese Bibles to tatters and one English Bible to tatters. You may be surprised: why do you desperately read the Bible? Because God has given me a lot of grace! I am a serious person. Sometimes I really want to get angry. You come to the meeting without a Bible. What are you here for? You are not willing to pay such a small price for the Lord Jesus. What price can you pay? You need to know that the Lord Jesus wants disciples, and the most important characteristic of a disciple is to pay the price.

In today's era, the most popular theology is the one that does not require paying a price. This theology just caters to the tastes of a group of Christians who are unwilling to pay a price. Once this concept is formed, what will you do in the future? You say you love the Lord and are willing to feed the Lord's sheep, but you want to take a vacation. When you have something to do, you shout loudly: Lord Jesus, please come and help me! When you take a vacation, can't you allow God to take a vacation? God knows those who love Him, and what God has prepared for those who love Him is what eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, and the human heart has not imagined. That is to say, God has prepared one thing for those who love Him and another thing for those who do not love Him.

Being a Disciple Means Paying a Price

If you just complete a religious ritual, doing this today and doing that tomorrow, these are all irrelevant. You must know that we have two commands, one is called the Great Commission, which is to go out and make all nations disciples of the Lord. You yourself are not a disciple, so who are you going to make a disciple? The second is the Great Commandment, which is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. If you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, you will shepherd the flock of God. Today, our church shepherds the flock of God, which is a matter of paying a price. I get a little worried when I talk about this. Why? Because I often hear people criticize me. For example, once I went to a place to preach, and there were many pastors below. They struggled for a long time whether to let me go up to preach, and finally decided to let me go up. I said, do you really want me to speak? They said, we really want you to speak. I said, I will offend many people if I speak. They said, offend if you offend! As a result, after I finished speaking, I really offended them.

The topic I spoke on was to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. I said that I really paid the price and gave everything for the Lord, getting up early and working late. If there is an opportunity to go through fire and water, I will definitely do it without hesitation. Some people don't understand, what kind of Christian is this? What kind of pastor is this? Why is he working so hard? But isn't that what disciples do? Giving their lives to God as a sacrifice. In fact, the Lord Jesus wants this, which is to completely dedicate one's life and offer it to God as a living sacrifice. This is a true Christian.

Don't think that just sitting in church and listening to sermons on Sunday is being a Christian. It seems to give the pastor a lot of face. Some pastors also care about face, feeling that it is ugly to see empty chairs below. But I tell you, even if all the chairs in our church are empty, we will not allow people who are not disciples to mess around.

You need to know that it is very important to pay the price for God. I have this concern. When I say this, people will say: only you can do it. The last time I preached, I talked about loving the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your strength, intending to encourage these pastors to pay the price for God. But people took it personally and said to me: only you can do it! I said I can't do it either. How did my words become only I can do it? I thought: okay! Don't look for me in the future, and I don't want to be involved with you.

Of course, I said this with a little temper. I really don't like being with people who are unwilling to pay the price for doing things. This is not only the case in building a church, but also when I was in the workplace. I hate those who are unwilling to pay the price in their work, doing things falsely. When it comes to a critical moment, they slip away. So I never take them with me on projects.

Singaporean schools have a characteristic: students automatically form groups. Some people are like smelly dog poop. No one takes them; no one wants them. I feel sad after seeing this. Why? Because they are unwilling to pay the price. No matter what you do, if you are unwilling to pay the price, no one will want you. Even children playing games or pretending to be a family will not want to take you along. If you are a disciple of Jesus but are unwilling to pay the price, will God want you?

We must remember one thing: being a disciple of Jesus means paying a price. What price do you have to pay?

He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (Matthew 10:37-39)

What does it mean? It means dedicating your life to God as a price. This is very important because this is called a disciple. A disciple is someone who pays all the price for God and follows God. Is it okay to only pay half the price? No. If one leg is in the kingdom of God and one leg is in the kingdom of the devil, do you think it is okay? The kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil are separated by a deep abyss. There is no way to bargain. The kingdom of God does not allow for fence-sitters.

And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29)

Can you understand this passage? In fact, I didn't understand it when I first believed in the Lord. As the days went by, I gradually realized that this is very important. Because if we are unwilling to forsake our own fathers, mothers, wives, children, and lands for God, it is difficult to receive blessings. Why? The reason is very simple. The Lord Jesus wants disciples. Disciples mean paying a price. Being a disciple is not a casual thing. You must forsake many things for God. Some people will not understand. Why is God so unreasonable? I can tell you very clearly that if you don't forsake, you will not be able to become a blessing to them. Because God wants you to receive a hundredfold, but the premise of receiving a hundredfold is that you must give everything for God.

Striving for Perfection, Attaining the Full Stature of Jesus Christ

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. (Luke 14:33)

God states it unequivocally: He desires disciples. But how does one become a disciple? A disciple is one who strives diligently.

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:13)

To become mature means to develop into the likeness of a disciple. We know that an infant cannot grow up instantly after birth, and neither can we be born as disciples. It is through gradual growth and experience that we become disciples.

We must cultivate a habit of striving, of continuous growth, to attain the full stature of Christ. In plain terms, you and I must be like Jesus, so that we are no longer children, but mature adults capable of fighting spiritual battles, for only those who can fight are counted. We must have this conviction.

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)

Therefore, it is not simply about believing in the Lord, being saved, and going to heaven after death. Do not wait until you die and open your eyes to face the guardians of the underworld. Do not blame me; I am telling you that striving diligently while alive is a life of exceptional brilliance. This is the core of our faith. When you read carefully, you will find that Paul's epistles constantly mention this concept, the concept of striving diligently.

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Our faith must return to the Bible, not be a casual affair. Today, if you aspire to study at Tsinghua or Peking University, you cannot be lackadaisical. Entering God's Church today must be regarded with even greater importance than entering Tsinghua or Peking University. Therefore, we must attain the full stature of Jesus Christ. The books of Ephesians and Philippians clearly record these matters. Brothers and sisters, ask yourselves if you are like Jesus; if not, you must strive diligently, lest you touch the treasure but let it slip away.

As these concepts are continuously established, we must strive diligently. You might ask, Why is being a Christian so tiring? I tell you, this is not tiring. Being a Christian who is not victorious and appears miserable is truly tiring. A victorious Christian is not tired. A victorious Christian pays the price for the Lord; an unvictorious Christian pays the price for the devil and is tormented to the point of death. Therefore, whether as Christians, university students, or project team members, we must learn to have a habit of striving diligently. There is a book called Craftsmanship, which speaks of this spirit of striving.

Today, if we Christians are unwilling to strive diligently in God's Kingdom, it is a profoundly sad thing. Why? Because Jesus Christ is a supreme treasure, whether compared to craftsmanship or anything else in the world, He possesses a special attribute. Whatever you invest in Jesus Christ will bring you an exceedingly great and eternal weight of glory and reward. The Church is the body of Jesus Christ, composed of disciples, certainly not a disorganized mob.

Disciples are a group of people who strive for perfection and attain the full stature of Jesus Christ. Such people, when united, will be one, and the devil will be trampled underfoot when it enters such a church. The brothers and sisters who come among us will certainly experience spiritual victory, and the problems in their lives and families will experience one turnaround after another.

Therefore, we must know that building a church should be based on sound theological concepts. These sound theological concepts must be established part by part. One part of this is what I am talking about today: The Lord Jesus wants disciples who pay the price for their Mingding Destiny and strive to enter into perfection.