| A Mandate From God |
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| Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16–20 A buzzword in Christian circles during the 1970s was discipleship. Everybody, it seemed, got on the bandwagon. I didn’t keep a written record, but during that decade I doubt that I read a dozen books or magazine articles on the church or some specific area of ministry that did not mention discipleship. Yet for all that talking and writing, so little discipleship actually took place. Lots of programs were started by well-meaning churches and pastors, but you can’t program discipleship. Disciples aren’t mass-produced; they’re reproduced one or two at a time as older disciples invest in the lives of younger disciples. While this emphasis on “making disciples” had become a fad, it was nonetheless a refreshing change from years past when much of the emphasis was on big, impersonal, mass gatherings. The shift from simply attending church meetings and evangelistic crusades to “body life” (another buzzword) and discipleship involvements was long overdue. But like all trends, the discipleship craze gave way again to mass gatherings—enormous collections of Christians packed into what we now call “mega-churches.” These movements were exciting to watch; they made church relevant again to a generation feeling disconnected from church life. But, as churches grew wide, they also grew shallower. Believers began to crave something more, something deeper, something even more relevant to them as individuals. So, we see again a resurgence of discipleship. The new term is mentoring, but the meaning is the same. I prefer the older term because it retains the spirit of the Great Commission, which is to “make disciples.” Furthermore, mentoring can apply to any human endeavor. Business professionals can mentor younger business people. Older artists can mentor new generations of artists. But “discipleship” remains uniquely Christian. Regardless of which term we use, Christians need other mature Christians to help them personalize their faith, to move them out of the spectator realm and onto the playing field. Discipleship is, after all, the mandate handed to us by Jesus Himself. |
| The Basics of Discipleship |
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| A disciple is someone who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, intentionally learns from Him, and strives to live more like Him. Discipleship is a widely-used word to describe a journey of spiritual growth. This growth happens as a person comes alongside another to witness to them, pray with them, study the Bible with them, and fellowship with them. Jesus told us to go and make disciples as he knew that was how the Good News would be spread to all the nations. And discipleship is how it would be shared from one person to another through relationships. “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’” Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV). Jesus illustrated a simple picture of what it looks like to share his love with others in everyday life. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” 2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV). Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, wrote about how growing in Christ will change our character (2 Peter 1:5-8). The best way to experience this type of growth and life change, while partnering with the Holy Spirit, is through discipleship. |
| Tools For Discipleship |
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| IWantToDefendMyFaith.org IWantToShareMyTestimony.org IWantToShareTheTruth.org |
Soldiers For Christ
Wielding The Sword Of Truth
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