Discipleship

God has called us ALL to be missional. That means everyone who calls Jesus Christ Lord. Whether it is overseas or across the street, we are all called. But what does being missional mean? For most it can just be hip Christian lingo, but at its core I believe it means that we are ALL called to go and make disciples. (Matt. 28:18-20)

One important thing to notice is that Jesus didn't say go and make believers. Jesus said go and make disciples. The two are very different. The Scriptures are clear that even the demons believe, and shudder! (James 2:18)  This may sound harsh, but the reality is that there are many people who believe in Jesus that are on the road to hell.

Matt. 7:20-24 says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'"  These people were not only people who believed he existed but that they even wanted to do, and did, the things he did  i.e. prophesy, cast out demons, do mighty works. But even so they missed the point. The goal isn't doing something FOR Christ, the goal IS Christ! (Phil. 3:14)

To know Jesus and to glorify his name is the point of life. (Phil. 3:7-11)

It is out of a knowledge of him that you won't be able to help but make him known. Mission and ministry is just an overflow to those around you of YOU getting to know Jesus. Do you know him? The word 'to know' in Hebrew is 'yada'. It can mean: to know experientially. One place it is found in Gen. 4:1 "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived..."

Physical intimacy = physical 'fruit' (kids).
Spiritual intimacy = spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-24, and more disciples)

We must know this man Jesus! We must know our God! (not fully yet, of course) But how? The process of getting to know Christ IS discipleship...becoming a disciple of Jesus. You cannot lead others where you have not first gone yourself and thus you must be a disciple of Jesus in order to go and make disciples. Making disciples is teaching and equipping others on how to get to know Jesus for themselves. Some examples are: teaching them the importance of and how to read the Bible, pray (including how to hear/discern the voice of God), and the need for fellowship. Acts 2:41-42 is a perfect example of this. In verse 41, 3000 people come to believe in Jesus, but it doesn't stop there! In verse 42, we see that the first thing they did was start to devoted themselves to fellowship/breaking of bread, prayer, and the apostles teaching (the Bible: taught from old testament and wrote the new testament). Keep reading the rest of chapter 2 to see what happens as you become a disciple of Jesus.

This is not a light or easy thing and is easier said than done.
But the cost of discipleship is high.
It will cost you everything.

Why do this? Why be willing to give it all up? What do we get in return, one might ask?

WE GET CHRIST!

He is worth everything, but you aren't able to see much of his worth just as a believer, you must become a disciple and draw near to him and seek him out. As you do, He will be found by you and he will draw near to you. The heart of the Father longs for relationship with his creation, you don't have to work hard for his acceptance or nearness. In Jesus, you have it! Christ was left and forsaken by the Father so you wouldn't ever have to be.


If you are convicted and think you might not be a disciple, praise God for his merciful Spirit that convicts us and his kindness that leads us to repentance! Step #1 is to start doing what the disciples did and devote yourself daily to prayer scripture and fellowship. (There is no certain amount of time or any rules or regulations at all, JUST GO AFTER HIM!)  And please know that it is really ok if you don't understand the Bible, or know how to pray or have friends who are themselves disciples. Pray that God would open your eyes to his Word, and that he would teach you how to pray (Matt. 6 is a great place to start), and seek out people who shine Jesus and start hanging with them often.  It is not too late! Start now! Our God is SO merciful and he loves you! The cross is his love on display.

If you are a disciple of Jesus but aren't disciplining anyone then start praying that the Lord would give you people to pour into what the Lord has poured into you through your time of following and getting to know more and more our savior and friend, Jesus.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.""

Songs of Discipleship:
Take My Life - Chris Tomlin
Oh Lord, You're Beautiful - Jesus Culture