More About Discipleship

More About Discipleship

Have you ever been discipled?

Being a disciple of Christ means more than merely holding to a particular view of who Jesus of Nazareth was. To be a disciple is to follow Him, ...to be an adherent of Him and His ways, ...to learn from Him and to carry out His commands. Being a disciple means to become part of Jesus' team, a proposition that will require change and growth from you. It means intelligently structuring your life so that you can develop your skills and abilities to be most effective in "Kingdom objectives". Being a disciple is to take the responsibility for your spiritual walk seriously. It means making choices which can sometimes be difficult or uncomfortable in order to accomplish a greater goal in service to Christ.

What is a "Disciple"?

The priorities for the serious disciple are:

(1.) to know God more intimately; and,

(2.) to discern and accomplish His will.

The Priorities of a Disciple

Oftentimes our day-to-day life patterns make it difficult to focus in on these priorities. There are so many distractions that continually bombard us with demands upon our time and resources. Discipline is a strategy we employ to help us sort through all the hurry and scurry of life, so that we can focus efficiently on our goals. A disciple embraces discipline as a welcome tool to use in the pursuit of a hearing-heart and a listening-ear with which to know God, or as a way to keep on target in the accomplishment of something that the Master has made us aware of.

Spiritual disciplines

Discipleship is helping another follower of Jesus in their pursuit of intimacy and obedience. This is a strategy, or discipline, where we put ourselves in relationship with another like-minded disciple to support and encourage one another, to help each other discern areas of strength and weakness, to pray for one another, to counsel and instruct one another, and to hold each other accountable in our growth process.

Discipleship

To be a disciple is the call or responsibility of every believer. Making disciples is the responsibility of every community of believers, and of every believer in the Body of Christ. Is that not what the Great Commission is all about, "...Make disciples of all nations..."? Did not the Lord give us spiritual gifts which are for the common good, the edification and maturation of us all? Are not some of these gifts specifically given to equip all of us to serve each other in the Body to the end that we might be fully grown in Christ?

The Responsibilityof Every Believer

What is a “disciple”? This word means an “active follower”. It was more than simply being a student. It implied action. The crowds that followed Jesus were called “disciples” because they left the comfort of their homes and daily life to go where Jesus was, listen to His teachings, and see what He would do. A serious disciple actually followed in order to observe and imitate his or her instructor. A disciple learns by example, practice and implementation. This was not just learning ideas, or doctrine. It was learning to do what the leader did. It is not surprising, then, that Jesus said, “A disciple is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher” (Lk. 6:40). Thus, a disciple invested in learning what the Master thought, taught, said and did. Jesus said, “If you continue in (lit., “abide in”) My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (Jn. 8:31). A disciple repeatedly studies and meditates on the Master’s teaching and example to gain new insights, in order to think like and act like the Master. Jesus gave us the charge to “make disciples of all nations”. As He broke down what that entailed, He concluded, “teaching them to observe all that I commanded” (Matt. 28:20). Clearly, Jesus is expecting that we will change the way we live so that we will learn to do His will, and represent Him clearly to the world around us. The goal for disciples is to become like their Master, in thought, word and deed. Are you ready to answer the call to follow Jesus, and become like Him?

Making disciples is -- Meeting People Meeting God