An Old Disciple

Q: What does the Bible say about being an old disciple?

The Bible describes an old disciple as someone who has been faithful and growing in their faith over many years, serving Christ throughout their life. The term 'old disciple,' as seen in Acts 21:16 referring to Nason of Cyprus, illustrates the beauty of a long-term commitment to Christ. Nason, referred to as 'an old disciple,' not only implies someone of advanced age but indicates a journey of faith that has been steadfast and enduring. Throughout his life, he retained a relationship with Christ, signifying a faith that grew in depth and commitment with the passage of time. As individuals mature, their understanding of Christ's grace and their relationship with Him deepen, showcasing an ever-growing faith with real evidence of transformation.

Q: Why is commitment to Christ important for disciples?

Commitment to Christ is crucial for disciples as it represents a total surrender to His lordship and the foundation of genuine faith. Commitment to Christ goes beyond mere belief; it involves an entire surrender of oneself to His will. Jesus emphasizes this truth in Luke 14:26-27, where He indicates that true discipleship requires prioritizing Him above all else. This commitment is not perfect, but it must be real and encompass all aspects of life. Genuine faith in Christ translates into a life marked by steadfast loyalty, where disciples pledge every part of their lives to His service, recognizing that following Him is the core of their calling. When individuals commit fully to Christ, they align their hearts with His purposes, resulting in true discipleship.

Q: What can we learn from the life of Nason as an old disciple?

Nason's life teaches us about perseverance in faith, the importance of hospitality, and the joy of lifelong discipleship. Nason serves as a profound example of what it means to be an old disciple. His life exemplifies steadfastness in faith, showing that a disciple can continue to grow in grace and knowledge of Christ throughout their years. Nason welcomed the Apostle Paul into his home, illustrating the significance of hospitality in the Christian community and how even the simplest acts can aid in the work of the gospel. His long journey of faith demonstrates that discipleship does not end with age; rather, it deepens as we mature, fostering an enduring relationship with Christ. Ultimately, the life of Nason inspires believers to aspire to be faithful, loving disciples until the end of their lives.

Q: How do we know our faith in Christ is genuine?

Genuine faith is evidenced by a life of commitment, growth in grace, and trust in Christ as Savior. The authenticity of one's faith in Christ can be measured by observable fruit in one's life. As noted in the sermon, belief in Christ is not merely an intellectual assent but involves a heartfelt commitment to follow Him as Lord. In 1 John 5:1, we see that true believers are those who believe that Jesus is the Christ and, as a result, are born of God. Moreover, a life marked by consistent growth in grace and a desire to know Christ more deeply serves as a testament to genuine faith. Discipleship is evidenced by transformation—by increasing love, commitment, and desire to serve Christ, all of which affirm that one is indeed a loved child of God.

Q: Why is growing in grace essential for Christians?

Growing in grace is essential as it reflects maturity in faith and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life. The call to grow in grace is rooted in the understanding that every believer is called to a transformative journey of faith. In 2 Peter 3:18, Peter encourages us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord. This growth is evidence of spiritual vitality and health, reflecting how one is being shaped into Christ’s likeness. Just as with physical growth, spiritual growth requires both time and nurturing through prayer, the Word, and fellowship with other believers. Growth in grace helps mature one's understanding and relationship with Christ, leading to a life that honors Him and demonstrates His love to others.

Wisdom would tell a man who is
single that he would be wise not to instruct men on how to
be good husbands. And wisdom would tell a young
man who has no children that he would be wise not to instruct
folks on raising children. And wisdom would tell a man 36
years old, that he'd be wise not to talk to folks about being
old disciples. But I'm going to break the rules.
My subject tonight is an old disciple. You find my text in
Acts chapter 21. Acts chapter 21. Here we read in verse 16 of one
nation of Cyprus, an old disciple. There went with us also certain
of the disciples of Caesarea and brought with them one Nason,"
that's pronounced just as though it didn't have an M on it, one
Nason of Cyprus, an old disciple with whom we should lodge. This
old man, Nason, was Paul's host at Jerusalem. We know nothing
about him. except what we read in this one
verse of Holy Scripture. But I have spent many hours the
last several weeks, actually for well over a month now since
I first read this passage and it kind of leaped out at me and
I just couldn't get over this phrase, this man, Mason, this
old disciple. The phrase kind of caught my
mind and I've been studying it, meditating on it. I think I have
something here that will be profitable to us all. An old disciple. Those are charming words. They're
encouraging and instructive words. If I should live to be an old
man, let me live to be an old disciple. I want no more. Let me tell you what this text
tells us about Nason. His name, Nason, means one who
remembers. I find that interesting. He was
an old man. He had seen, heard, learned,
and experienced much of Christ, of his redemption and of his
grace. What precious memories he must have enjoyed in his old
age, remembering the words of his Lord, the acts of his Lord,
the grace and the goodness of his Lord. He was like Paul, a
Hellenistic Jew. That is, he was a Jew by family
descent. But he was one who was born on
Gentile soil and he spoke Greek as his native language. He came
from the island of Cyprus. That's the home of Barnabas.
Perhaps he and Barnabas were friends. We don't know. And Nason
was an old disciple. Now the phrase implies that he
was a man of advanced years, but literally it means quite
a different thing. It means something not really
different, but something in addition to that. Quite literally, we
read it this way. Nason of Cyprus, a disciple from
the beginning. So that we are told here by Luke
that Nason was one of the original group of believers. Remember
that by the time we come to Acts 21, over 30 years had passed
since the death of our Lord. Nason was one of those few disciples
left who had seen Christ in the flesh, who had been taught by
the Savior's own gracious words. Peter, James, and John were still
alive, that's true. There were a few others who were
still present in this group of believers who had been in the
original group. But most of Nason's old buddies
were gone. They had long ago entered into
their rest. Though Nason was an old man,
he was still a disciple. He was still learning from his
master, following his master's steps, and growing in his master's
grace. We see also that this man, Nason,
was a generous, liberal man in his hospitality toward Paul.
When Paul and his friends came to Jerusalem, Nason put them
up in his house. And the old man's acceptance
of Paul carried weight. You see, he was honored by the
men and women at Jerusalem. He had been around a long time.
He had proven himself faithful. And when he received Paul and
the brethren from Caesarea into his house, then the brethren
in the church at Jerusalem readily received Paul, even though they
had heard many, many rumors about him. Look in verse 17. We lodged
with Nason, and when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren
received us gladly. Because Nason, the honorable
old disciple, opened his heart, his hand, and his house to Paul,
the church at Jerusalem received him with joy as well. Now we
have before us here in Acts 21-16, perhaps the shortest biography
that's ever been written. But it is certainly one of the
most instructive. I want to show you five things
about this faithful and useful old disciple, Nason. First of
all, the fact that Nason is called a disciple tells us that he is
a man who lived by faith. That's the essence of what it
is to be a disciple. I realize that in this day, in
this religious age, men talk about believers who are not disciples. They talk as though it's one
thing to be a believer, another thing to be a disciple. One thing
to be a believer, another thing to be a steward. One thing to
be a believer, another thing to be a servant. It's not so. To be a disciple is to be a believer. That's what it is in its essence.
Nason believed God, and believing God, he believed on the Lord
Jesus Christ. We do not know when he was converted
or where. We only know that he was converted,
and that he was converted during the time of our Lord's earthly
ministry, for he was a disciple from the beginning. Turn back
to the book of Matthew, Matthew chapter 16. This much we know. I recognize
that God's saints in the Old Testament, as well as in the
Gospel era, that is during our Lord's earthly ministry, did
not have clear full clear light concerning gospel truth. They
did have clear light, but it was not full. The whole of the
revelation of the gospel had not yet been given. But there
are certain things that being believed in the Old Testament
and during the days of our Lord's earthly ministry, which we also
believe this day, certain things that were vital to the faith
of the gospel. This man, Nason, believed that Jesus of Nazareth
is the Christ, the Son of God. While our Lord was living upon
this earth, while Nason looked him in the eye, just like I'm
looking you in the eye, while he saw his face just as I see
your face, Nason fully believed that Jesus of Nazareth is himself
God Almighty, God over all and blessed forever. This is what
Peter said in Matthew 16, 16. Simon Peter answered and said,
thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. This is the
confession upon which the church of Christ is built. Peter said
again in John 6 69, we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the son of the living God. This man, Nason, believed
the testimony which God gave concerning his son, and that's
what we believe today. Turn over to John chapter 5.
Let me show you what that testimony is. Faith is not just some kind
of a leap in the dark. Faith is not just some kind of
an acceptance of things without any facts. But faith, rather,
is based upon the testimony of God. Faith is based upon the
revelation which God has made of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
In John chapter 5 and verse 32, our Lord said, well, look in
verse 31. He said, if I bear witness of
myself, my witness is not true. He said, you've got no reason
to believe me if I'm the only one who bears witness of me.
But, he says, there is another that beareth witness of me, and
I know that the witness which he witnesseth is true. Now, this
is the witness that we have of Christ. He gives us four things
here that bear witness of Him. First, he says in verse 33, ye
sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. John the Baptist
saw and confessed, behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away
the sin of the world. He told the Pharisees that this
Jesus of Nazareth is himself the Christ of God. He is the
one whom the Father has sent. He is the one who is David's
son. He is the one of whom the prophets spoke. This is the Christ
of God. And then we read in verse 36,
but I have a greater witness than John. For the works which
the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, they
bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me." That is, our Lord
came and He fulfilled the prophecies of Scripture. He said the poor
had the gospel preached unto them. The lame are made to walk,
the blind are made to see, widows receive their dead to life again.
And I have said to those living upon the earth, your sins are
forgiven you. This is what our Lord told John's
disciples. And this is what was given as
the testimony of the prophets. When Christ is come, this is
what he shall do. And so our Lord came and performed
those works which were prophesied in the Old Testament scriptures.
Then in verse 37, And the Father himself which hath sent me hath
borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice
at any time, nor seen his shape, and ye have not his word abiding
in you. For whom he hath sent him ye
believe not. Our Lord says, The Father at
my baptism announced publicly, This is my beloved son. There's
the Son of God in the flesh, in the water being baptized by
John, and John confessing that he is the Son of God. There's
the Father speaking from heaven, the Spirit descending in the
form of a dove, and our Lord says, you didn't believe. He
didn't believe that. When he was on the Mount of Transfiguration,
they heard a report of what had gone on. Peter, James, and John
came back and they said, we have this more sure word of prophecy,
but we have also this word from the excellent glory. God said,
this is my beloved son. And we believe the record of
God. Here in verse 39, there is yet a fourth witness. Our
Lord says, search, the script, choose. He's speaking specifically
of the Old Testament scriptures. He says, search the law and the
prophets and the Psalms, for these are they which testify
of me. The word of God has spoken plainly
concerning me. And this is what faith is. It
is believing the record of God concerning his son. Now, I recognize
that it must be more than just a mere assent of the mind. It
is an agreement of the heart, a reconciliation of the heart.
It is the confidence of the heart. But we who believe simply believe
the record of God concerning His Son. And if you believe not,
then you've made God a liar. You said the record of God is
not to be believed. Look here in 1 John 5. Read these
verses with me. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 6. Faith is simply taking God at
His word. That's what Peter said when the
Lord came and said, cast the net on the other side. Peter
said, well, we've toiled all night. We've not taken a fish
yet. Nevertheless, at thy word. Faith
is taking God at His word. Our Lord told Peter to go down
and take a fish out of the sea. The first fish he caught, reach
in his mouth and there'd be a coin there to pay tribute to Caesar.
Now, wait a minute. Wait a, you mean this is how
we're going to get money to pay our taxes? If you believe God. For God spoke. He said there's
going to be a fish there with a coin in his mouth. They went
down expecting to get the coin. Our Lord told his disciples to
go to a certain city and to take an ass's coat that they would
find in Jerusalem. Well now wait, who does the coat
belong to? What preparations have been made?
Our Lord just said, you're going to find the ashes cold and take
it and go to a man and tell him to prepare the room for me and
my disciples. And they went expecting it to
be done as the Lord had said. Now, this is what we do in believing
Christ. We simply take God at his word
with regard to his son. Look here in first John five
and verse six. This is he that came by water and blood. Our
Lord Jesus Christ, he came by the water of baptism as well
as by the blood of the cross. Even Jesus Christ, not by water
only, but also by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that
bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, that's Christ, and
the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. And
there are three that bear witness on earth. the Spirit, and the
water, and the blood, and these three agree in one. If we receive
the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is
the witness of God, which he hath testified of his Son. He
that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not God hath
made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave
of his Son. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. Now, Nason, acknowledging his
sin, trusted Christ as his mediator and as high priest before God.
When Christ came, this man saw Christ as the fulfillment of
the law and the fulfilling of the prophets. When Christ revealed
himself to him, Nason simply trusted the Savior, Saul. When the Lord came and made himself
known, Nason believed. He believed God. He knew, according
to Old Testament law, that he must have an atonement for sin.
He trusted Christ's blood. He knew, according to Old Testament
law, that he must be made righteous in the sight of God's law before
a holy God. He trusted Christ's righteousness.
He knew that in order to be accepted with God, he, a sinful man, must
have a mediator acceptable to God. And he trusted Christ as
his intercessor and his mediator between him and God. Believing
God, Mason was born again. His faith in Christ did not cause
him to be born again. But because he had faith in Christ,
he knew that he was born again. He knew that he was born again.
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Now this is the one issue to
be settled. Do you believe Christ? Dost thou
believe the Son of God? Question whether or not they
have really experienced the new birth. Question whether or not
they are really among God's elect. Question whether or not they
have been predestinated to eternal life. Question whether or not
they have really been the objects of God's eternal grace. Now listen
to me. Faith is the gift of God. Faith
is the fruit of grace, not the cause of grace. But faith is
the proof of grace. It's the proof of grace. I know
that I'm chosen of God, predestined to eternal life, redeemed by
the blood of Christ, and regenerated by the Spirit of God, because
I believe God. I believe God. I trust the Son
of God. I believe Him. Believing God,
I have eternal life. Now, if you believe, if you truly
believe, if in your heart you believe the Lord Jesus Christ,
you're born of God. You're his disciple. If you do
not believe, you've made God a liar and your unbelief is your
condemnation. Secondly, the fact that Nason
is called an old disciple tells us that he was a man committed
to Christ. Turn back to Luke chapter 14. Luke chapter 14. I keep referring
us to this passage of scripture. because I haven't yet gotten
it communicated. We haven't yet really learned
what this text is saying. My friends, true faith in Christ
involves a real surrender and commitment of the heart to the
claims of Christ as Lord. In Luke 14, verse 25, there went
a great multitude with him, and he turned and said unto them,
verse 26, If any man come to me and hate not his father and
mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes,
and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever
doth not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Look in verse 33. So likewise,
whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot
be my disciple. Now, this commitment of the heart
to Christ is not perfect. I do not pretend that it's perfect,
but it's real. It is not perfect, but it is
entire. I mean by that, there is no area
that's not committed to him. It is not a perfect commitment,
but it is sincere. Where there is no commitment
to Christ as Lord, there's no faith in Christ as Savior. If
I trust Christ, I give myself to Christ in unreserved commitment. That's what this text means.
That's what it means to be his disciple. Turn over to Matthew
13. Matthew chapter 13. Faith is something more. It's
something more than than just saying I believe in Jesus. It's
something more than simply walking down an aisle and saying a little
prayer and joining the church and making some religious changes
in your life. Faith is a heart, surrender,
and commitment to Christ the Lord. And that's what it is.
We can get folks to make decisions, and we can persuade folks to
confess a creed. We can get folks stirred emotionally,
but Lindsay, it's not in the power of a man to cause men to
bow to Christ. Only Christ can do that. Only
Christ can cause a rebel to bow to the claims of the sovereign
Lord, and that's where faith is. Our Lord says here in Matthew
13, 44, the kingdom of heaven is likened to the treasure hid
in a field. This is what Christ is like.
This is what it's like to enter the kingdom of heaven, to get
this treasure. The witch, when a man hath found, he hideth,
and for the joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath,
and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven
is likened to a merchantman seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had
found that one pearl of great price, You know who that is,
don't you? When he found that one pearl
of great price, he went and sold everything he had and bought
it. A fella read some comments I
made concerning that text of Scripture one time, and he said,
well, now that can't be sold. You don't buy Christ. Oh, yes,
you do. You sure do. You buy him without
money and without price, but buy him, you must. Buy the truth
and sell it not, but buy it you must. We buy Christ by an exchange
of heart, by an exchange of heart, loyalty, by an exchange of our
heart, surrendering to his dominion and not to the dominion of our
own lust and pleasure. What I'm saying is this, either
you and I will be bondservants under the dominion of King Jesus,
voluntarily giving up all to his claim, will perish under
his wrath. Now you may not have to give
up anything in reality, but surrender to Christ must
be just as total, just as real in your heart, as if you had
given up everything down to life itself. Now that's what I'm talking
about. Our Lord requires total, unreserved
surrender to himself. Mr. Spurgeon said, No man has
truly given himself to Christ unless he has said, My Lord,
I give thee this day my body, my soul, my power, my talents,
my goods, my house, my children, and all that I have. Henceforth,
I hold them at thy will as a steward under thee. Thine they are. As
for me, I have nothing. I have surrendered all to thee."
Discipleship is surrender to the rule of Christ. If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. Thirdly, this man Nason, this
old disciple, was a man who evidenced growth in the grace of God and
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You see, God's people grow in
grace. All of them do. All of them do. Nason had begun as a babe. He had grown and matured as a
young man, and now he's a father in Israel. Now he's an aged,
old disciple. God's people do not grow in holiness. We do not grow in sanctification. Our acceptance before God is
perfect in Christ. We are perfectly holy through
the imputation of Christ's righteousness and through the imparting of
a divine nature. We are complete before God in
Christ, having need of nothing. But we do grow. Every living
thing grows. Every living thing matures, every
living thing ripens. Faith grows. I believe, I can
honestly say, and you can too, you who believe, I used to believe God. I believed God like that woman
who with a quivering hand Said, if I can just touch the hem of
his garment, I'll be made whole. That's faith. It's not strong
faith, but it's faith. It's not mighty faith, but it's
real faith. It's faith as a grain of mustard
seed that'll remove a mountain. It's real faith. But I believe
more today than I did then. I have greater confidence in
Christ now than I've ever had. I grow in that confidence. Knowing
Him, I grow to trust Him. I grow to trust Him. My wife,
I don't know how to illustrate it except just to give you some
stories that you're familiar with, something you can relate
to. When my wife and I were engaged, she trusted me, but not quite the way she does
now. I went off to school out of Springfield, Missouri, was
gone for a year. She trusted me. And when we were
first married, she trusted me. But as we grow to know one another
and prove love to one another, the trust increases. Do you see
what I'm saying? There's not so much jealousy,
you know, not so much insecurity. Because if you know one whom
you trust and who is trustworthy, you grow to trust them more.
Knowing Christ who is trustworthy, the more I know Him, the more
I trust Him. Do you see what I'm saying? Commitment
grows. Commitment grows. It increases
as we know Christ and walk before Him in faith, our commitment
to Him grows. And love grows. No sooner Did the Lord reveal
himself to my heart? No sooner did I believe than
I fell in love. And I thought there was no love
like this love. But that love grows. It's steady. It's a love of commitment. Not all the fanfare, not all
the glitter, but steady and real. I don't believe Christ like I
should or as I would. I'm not committed to Christ as
I should be or as I would be. I do not love Christ as I should,
and I don't love him as I would, but I do love him. And I love
him more now than I have in the past. That love grows. And this
man, Nason, as he grew in grace, or as he grew in age, he grew
in grace. All of God's people do. Every
true believer, as he matures physically, as he matures mentally,
as he matures in age, grows in grace. Now that's just fact. If your faith doesn't grow, you
don't have anything. If your love doesn't grow, You
don't have any love. If your commitment doesn't grow,
you don't have any commitment. This man, Nason, demonstrated
it. Let me show you. He was a Jew. Perhaps he was
the oldest among his Jewish brethren, but he was willing to be taught
and to learn from the apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. Here's this old man, Nason. When
Paul was still wet behind the ears, he had been a disciple
for a long time. Here's this old man, when Paul
was persecuting the church, he was the object of persecution.
This old man, Nason, who had known the Lord during his earthly
ministry, comes now to be taught by this man, Paul, who was a
minister not to the Jews, but to the Gentiles. Though Nason
had long lived by the law, He gladly embraced a man who proclaimed
to him and was known, had reputation for proclaiming to others complete
liberty from the law. Though Nason had long been a
racially bigoted Jew, this old disciple opened his house to
the Gentile brethren in Caesarea. This old disciple was still a
disciple. He was still learning of Christ. He never outgrew that. He was
ever learning of Christ, ever seeking to know Him, to follow
Him and to be like Him. I wrote this down this afternoon.
It is my sincere prayer and desire before God. God help me as I grow old to
grow wise, as my strength declines Let my faith increase. As my
eyes grow dim, let my vision be clear. As my hair turns gray,
let my heart be warm. As my joints swell with arthritis,
let my soul swell with love. When my body's filled with weakness,
let my spirit be filled with Christ. I want to be an old disciple,
like Mason. A man who rose in the grace and
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. There's another
thing here. Our text implies that Nason was
a man of persevering grace. He was an old disciple and he
had been a disciple for a long time, for he was a disciple from
the beginning. Nason had been walking in the
way of faith for the better part of 40 years. That's encouraging
to me. Mason had been kept by the power
of God's grace in the way of faith. And after nearly 40 years,
he had not been moved away from the hope of the gospel, but he
just kept plodding along. He held fast to the faith. Many years had passed since he
heard the master's call, follow me. And a lot of things had come
and gone before his eyes. You stop and think about this
old man. He had seen the Son of God upon the earth with his
own eyes. Most likely, he was an eyewitness
of the crucifixion, an eyewitness of the resurrection, and an eyewitness
of the ascension from the Mount of Olives. This man, Nason, was
present when the Spirit of God fell upon the church on the day
of Pentecost. He experienced great revival
when on one day 3,000 souls were converted, when on another day
5,000 were added to the church. And he experienced great persecution
when this same man had come to Jerusalem persecuting the people
of God. Mason had passed from the zeal
of buoyant youth to sober old age. His thoughts about the world,
about time, and about eternity were different now. I couldn't help but to think
of this man when you were reading back there, Hubert. We look not
at things which are seen, but things which are not seen. For
things which are seen are terrible. Things which are not seen are
eternal. Young men know that. Wes, you
know that because it's written in the Word. You know that because
you're an old man. You see the difference? You see
what I'm talking about? This old man, Mason, he had come by
long experience to see the reality of eternity and the vanity of
time. This man had a lot of old friends
who had gone before him into glory. Matter of fact, most of
his friends were gone. A new generation was arising,
but one thing for him remained unchanged. Christ, his God and
Savior, was yet the same. Oh, amid the changing scenes
of life, how blessed to hear him say, I am the Lord, I change
not. How blessed it is to know him
who is the same yesterday, and today, and forever, with whom
there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Nason, in
his old age, still worshiped the God of his youth. His faith
was the same. He was a sinner saved by grace,
trusting the blood and righteousness of Christ, and though his faith
was the same, it was stronger. His hope was the same, Christ
alone, but it was shiver. His joy was the same, he rejoiced
in the Lord, but it was sweeter. His love was the same, he loved
Christ, but it was steadier. Alexander McLaren wrote concerning
this man, Mason, our true progress consists not in growing away
from Jesus, but in growing up into him. Not in passing through
and leaving behind our first convictions of Christ as Savior,
but in having these verified by experience of years, deepened
and cleared, unfolded and ordered into a larger, though still incomplete,
whole. He wrote, Blessed shall we be
if the early faith is the faith that brightens to the end. and
the faith that brightens the end. This old man, Nason, was
the same in his old age. He did the same thing in his
old age as in his youth. He trusted Christ. I admonish
you, like old Nason, this old disciple, to abide in him. I suppose the best phrase I can
think of The one I've heard Brother Morris Montgomery use so many
times. Just hug up to Jesus. Just hug
up to Him. That's what I'm talking about.
In you, you. Hug up to Christ. As you make
your pilgrimage through this world, hug up to Christ. And when you come to the old
age of maturity, still just hug up to Christ. That's all. That's
where our hope is. That's where our confidence is.
That's everything. There are many who seem to misunderstand
Paul's doctrine in Hebrews where he says, leaving the principles
of the doctrines of Christ. He's not talking about forsaking
the foundation truths or forsaking Christ and His righteousness
and His blood, but rather he's saying, having these things well
laid, build upon them, build upon them, hug up to Christ,
let nothing take Nason was an old disciple who
persevered in grace. He went on trusting Christ to
the end of his days. He was a man of faith, a man
committed to Christ, a man who grew in grace, a man who persevered
in faith. And lastly, this old disciple
was a man of great usefulness in the cause of Christ. Nason lived his whole life in
obscurity. We are told of nothing concerning
this man but that he was an old disciple. He had done nothing
of any great significance. He was not a teacher. He was
not a preacher. He was apparently not a wealthy
man. He had performed no heroic deeds. He possessed no distinguishing
gifts or talents. The only thing we're told about
Nason is that he was an old disciple. He believed Christ, he loved
Christ, and he followed Christ all the days of his life. What
more could you ask for? What more could you desire? How
happy, how blessed, how eternally thankful I would be if at the
end of my days I could have truthfully This epitaph written on my gravestone,
here lies Donald, an old disciple, a man who lived in faith, walked
in faith, and died in faith. Mason did what he could for Christ. It was not his gift nor his calling
to go about preaching the gospel. Paul did that. Peter, James,
and John did that, but not Nason. He may have been the oldest among
them all, but it wasn't his calling to go preach. But God had given
him a house, and when Paul came to town, Nason said, Paul, bring
your friends and come make my home your home. Probably he knew Nobody else
in the church would dare take in this man, Paul, and these
Gentile believers. But he did. And in doing so,
he had a share in Paul's work. Turn over to Matthew 10, verse
41. Let me show you something. Matthew
10, 41. Our Lord said, In verse 40, he that receiveth
you concerning his disciples receiveth me. He that receiveth
me receiveth him that sent me. Verse 41, he that receiveth a
prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward.
He that receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous
man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall
give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water
only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall
in no wise lose his reward." It had long been established
by the law that those who went out to battle and took the spoil
should come back into the camp and divide the spoil with those
who stayed by the stuff. You remember when David went
out and defeated the Amalekites? There were some who were weak
because of age, and they could not go out to battle as David
and the 200 men who went out with him did. But when they came
back, those men who went out to battle said to David, now
we'll give these folks who stayed by the stuff who stayed by the
stuff, who watched over the camp. We'll give them a good portion,
but it's not right that they should get the same amount of
gold and silver and sheep and oxen as we get. David said, Oh,
no, no, no. They'll get exactly the same
portion as you, exactly the same as you, according to the law
of God, according to what was right. And this is what Nason
received. You see, it doesn't matter. what
we do for Christ. It doesn't matter what we do
for Christ. I'll illustrate it for you. Bob Poncer came out
here yesterday and he, you don't have to tell him I did this,
Sally, but he came out here yesterday and mopped the basement floor,
straightened up things, getting things ready for Sunday for us
to have our fellowship dinner down here. That's the same thing as preaching
the gospel. Same thing. Same thing. Oh, now
wait a minute. That's right. Now listen carefully.
You might want to drop this down. It's good. It does not matter
what we do for Christ, but only why we do it. That's all. It doesn't matter what we do,
only why we do it. All these are the same which
are done for the same motive and with the same devotion. They're
all the same. All that's done for Christ with
a heart of faith and love to Christ is the same. It's all
the same. You remember that woman who couldn't
preach and she couldn't teach and I guess she couldn't sing.
All her life she'd been a prostitute, but the Lord had saved her. And
she had been, for some reason all her life, gathering together,
alabaster, spiky, very precious. She'd been gathering. And on
the night of our Lord's crucifixion, the eve of His crucifixion, she
came into the place where the Savior was sitting and she broke
that box. and poured out that costly, precious
ointment. And our Savior said she hath
done what she could. I can still smell the alone water.
This man, Nason, did what he could for Christ. His kind reception
of Paul into his house was the means by which God began to break
down that wall of partition separating Jew and Gentile. All his life
long, God had been preparing Nason for one specific work to
do. And when the opportunity was
set before him, the old disciple was faithful to Christ. He filled
his little place in faithfulness, unnoticed and unobserved by men. But God noticed it. And God inscribed his name in
this eternal book for all generations to come to see. One nascent of
Cyprus, an old disciple. He served Christ well. Served
him well. He believed him. He loved him. And they followed him right through
the grave up to the throne. And he wears the Savior's crown
as a disciple of his family. Well, that's what I want. That's
what I want. I want for you too. All that
we may be is disciples. Nothing more. God helped us nothing
less, nothing less.

An Old Disciple

What does the Bible say about being an old disciple?

Why is commitment to Christ important for disciples?

What can we learn from the life of Nason as an old disciple?

How do we know our faith in Christ is genuine?

Why is growing in grace essential for Christians?

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An Old Disciple

What does the Bible say about being an old disciple?

Why is commitment to Christ important for disciples?

What can we learn from the life of Nason as an old disciple?

How do we know our faith in Christ is genuine?

Why is growing in grace essential for Christians?

Sermon Transcript

About Don Fortner

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