The Art of Discipleship
For those of you who know me know that I am passionate about disciple making.
Making disciples is hard work you have to get your hands dirty spiritually speaking. You have to spend time with people day in and day out. You have to spend time with those who are loveable and those who might press your buttons on occasions. As the body of Christ, I realized that we have a problem with disciple-making.
Only a few years into my ministry in the villages of Sub-Saharan Africa, I realized that we have done an excellent job of making converts. For years the evangelists and evangelistic ministries have come through and they did a great job functioning in their calling – but the results are that these precious people have gotten saved (gave their lives to Christ) over and over again. Nobody has taken the time to explain to them that there is life after the encounter with the cross. It is my personal belief that this is why Christians struggle with their authority as a believer.
This is why we don’t see the “More things than I have done, you shall do.”
Discipleship is a lifestyle. It is not only the responsibility of the church to do discipleship, but also the responsibility of the believer to seek out discipleship. Therein lays the secret of the individual’s personal relationship with the Father.
Realize that Jesus died to reconcile you/us back to the Father and because of His sacrifice you and I can now go into the throne room of the Father and make our petitions known directly to God the Father. This realization is the catalyst that could completely change the life of an individual. Can you imagine if you recognized when praying that you are in the throne room? How much power you actually have been given to move heaven and earth with your prayers?
That’s why our directive is to go and make disciples.
Mat.28: 18-20
Jesus said “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all the Nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe every thing that I have commanded you; and I will be with you, even to the end of the age.”
We are to go and help people learn about Jesus, to believe in Jesus and to obey His words. We also see here that Jesus never promised that it would be easy, but the promise is that He would be with us. So many times at the altar call, we are promised that if we receive Jesus He will help make our lives easier. Life is hard! I don’t know how people do life with out Jesus – I sure can’t.
So here is a question for you. If we are not helping people to learn more about Jesus to believe in Jesus and teaching them to obey His words – are we not the ones being disobedient to the one to whom all authority has been given to?
I write this not as a rebuke or to bring condemnation. My heart is to challenge you. What is your part in the body when it comes to the mandate of “go and make disciples?”
I believe you have a part to play, what that will look like is between you and the Father. All I know is you have a purpose and what you have to offer can make a difference in the lives of others! As for me, I decided a long time ago what makes my life worth living is using the time I have on earth to change the lives of others for the better. I love my God, I love His people and out of that ministry flows.
Amen.