Discipleship
Remember: discipleship is about relationships, and relationships are about people. And people are everywhere! Think about the people in your life—your family, your friendships, people at school, at your job, in your church, at the gym, at the coffee shop, and at the grocery store. People are all around.
As Christ-followers, we are called to discipleship. This isn’t meant to be an added burden or an additional program, but instead it’s a lens through which we can view our existing relationships in the life we are already living. This call of discipleship is not bound by specific talents, gifts, or stages of life. We can all disciple in our current spheres of life.
Jesus is our Model
So how do we do discipleship? We follow in the footsteps of Jesus. He is our example. He spoke discipleship into being and then lived it out. Jesus came to earth to provide salvation, reconcile us back to God, and build a church that would follow Him and take His message of the gospel to the world. This was Jesus’ purpose, and everything He did was in line with this purpose (Coleman 1993). Jesus is the beginning, the means, and the end of discipleship. He is our model. We strive to disciple like Jesus discipled.
The Call
In Matthew 28:18–20, after Jesus was resurrected from the dead, He said these famous words to His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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.” This is the Great Commission.
If you are a follower of Christ, this is your call: to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching the commands of God. Because Jesus defeated sin and death, God gave Him the authority to call us to discipleship. He has invited us into His work. How amazing! Despite our brokenness, He still wants to use us. He has called us to discipleship and He will empower us to live out this calling.
Simple
The call to make disciples can seem daunting. You might be thinking: I have never heard of the word discipleship. Where do I start? Whom should I disciple? What should I talk about? I don’t have the time for this. No one is interested. I’ve tried but it just hasn’t worked. Wherever you are, it’s okay! Discipleship is simple. Don’t overcomplicate it. It’s simple because discipleship comes by building relationships and investing in people. And people are worth it. Jesus is worth it. We get to demonstrate and share the good news of Christ—and that is worth it!
Be encouraged today by Jesus’ last words in the Great Commission: “And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Take courage: He is with us as we go forth and make disciples. Always. To the end of the age.
Help me to Beni the TIL always about relationships and showing glimpses of your face in them
I think there are 3 major things in these three verses that inspire me to actively seek to make disciples.
1. Jesus has the authority. That means that I am his servant and doing HIS work as I seek to train, teach, and encourage other believers to follow the Word of God and example of Jesus. NO PRESSURE because it is not my job to save souls, but simply to point and guide others to Christ.
2. All nations. THERE IS NO DISTINCTION. There is not a rule here about who, when, or where. Jesus does not say "men disciple men and women disciple women." Jesus does not say "you must go to another country," nor does He say "you must stay here." We are simply called to GO and make disciples. Anywhere. Anytime. Everyone.
3. "I am with you always." When I ask someone to meet for coffee to talk about their faith, when I invite a few friends into our house for dinner and to discuss current issues, when I greet someone at church and ask them how they REALLY are…Jesus is with me. Jesus is with us all. Even when we don’t notice it. He does not give us a charge to make disciples and then leave us with our own sinful and weak devises to complete the job. He is with us every step of the way. Giving us truth to speak, pouring love into our hearts that overflows into the people we interact with, drawing us near to him for encouragement and rejuvenation.
It makes me realize I am beginning discipling by investing in relationships and loving as Jesus loved, and showing this by example.
It inspires me to keep learning about our almighty Father so that I can teach others;) Great feeling…
It inspires me to live a greater life in Christ. It’s one thing to study Gods word and live our own lives in Him and allow Him to love through us; but it’s another thing when we’re portraying that on others.
So many people feel guarded when connecting with people and consider speaking their faith as a vulnerability, which makes connections with others on that level scary and difficult. To consider that discipleship is merely building relationships and loving others the way that we are loved by Jesus, it lessens the load of feeling like we have to beat people over the head with the Bible.
I think about how Jesus said to go and make disciples, and that makes me want to. And because I’m called to be a missionary, these verses really speak to me in ways I could never describe.
I want others to find the freedom I have found …
It inspires me to be more courageous to look for ways in my daily life to speak to others. To share and disciple. To follow up on ones I have already begun a good work with. To help them grow. To be a good guide and mentor and live by example.
Jesus’ words give me confidence in Him and His power and authority to be a vessel for sharing the gospel and showing others how to follow Him. I am not meant to do this alone, but God’s power in and through me shapes and disciples me so that I, in turn, can disciple those the Lord places in my life.
I am constantly surrounded by strong Christian people. I need to find some intentional places where I can go and be a light and meet people that need more Jesus in their lives.
Sometimes we’re called to go & grow. Lean into that.