Discipleship

In my last post I encouraged readers to consider the word "disciple". It seemed like a good way to lead into the next several weeks of blogging about it and having open discussion. What I realized as I began to dig deeper into the actual concept and prinicples behind discipleship is that I did not have the understanding that I thought I had. So I began to study this commonly used word in churches to see what it really means.

What does it really truly mean to be a disciple and even more what does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? As I mentioned in my last post I had been reading from the book, Tally Ho, The Fox, by Herb Hodges. His writings were encouraging me to take a deeper look into my calling as a Christian to "make disciples". Each believer in Jesus Christ is called to live a life worthy of the calling of the Gospel of Christ. (Philippians 1:27; Ephesians 4:1) It was at this time of study I read Mr. Hodges definition and I began to realize I had been using the term too loosely in my own understanding.

The word "disciple" in the New Testament defines a committed, lifelong learner
and follow. This is the definition that Jesus intended in the Great
Commission, and it constitutes our marching orders. We are to go
everywhere and "turn men into committed, lifelong learners and followers of
Jesus Christ." You see this meaning is an adherent (one who adheres, like
adhesive taep, to another), or an apprentice, of Jesus Christ. Indeed,
spend some time exploring the words. A disciple is a person in
training. Indeed, he is a leader in training. Herb Hodges, Tally Ho,
The Fox.

It is the resonsibility of those that are followers of Jesus Christ to help train more followers to act and live like Jesus Christ. This is not a job for the masses, but rather for one disciple to invest themselves into another so that they can then invest themselves into another. Discipleship is not about adding members to a church, but rather it is about creating world-visionary, world-impacting, reproducing disciples of Jesus Christ.

One of my prayers for this blog is that Christians will be encouraged to take a closer look at their lives and the calling God has placed on them to make disciples. Another prayer is that those who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior might begin to ask questions about being a follower of Jesus Christ. I know that the peace, joy and freedom that I find in Christ is only because of His work in my life and the forgiveness and grace and mercy that come from knowing Jesus Christ personally.

In His Service,
Pat