“ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” – Ephesians 4:11-16.
Most jobs have a job description. A job description is a broad, general, written statement of duties, purpose, responsibilities, and scope. If God gave you a job description for the Christian life, what do you think would be on it? If you started with core responsibilities, discipleship would certainly be included.
We read this clearly in Matthew 28:18-20: “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘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.’”
First, a definition. A disciple is a learner and a follower of Jesus who strives to faithfully follow Him in every area of their lives. Many Christians are intimidated by the concept. It seems above their pay grade and better suited for pastors and church staff. The reality is that it is fundamental and applies to everyone.
I do understand the confusion. There are more than a few paradigms about discipleship. Some people view it as reading the Bible. Others see it as digesting as many spiritual books as possible. Others view it as attending a small group. Still others pray. While all these aid the work of discipleship, they are not a prerequisite or the end of discipleship. It is not easy, but it is not complicated either. When Jesus commands us to make disciples, He intends for us to live our lives in obedience to Him in the presence of other people. This intentional living seeks to show others the worth and the power of Christ. In short, we let people in to see how we live out the Christian faith.
In 2016, our vision is to see our church step out in it’s faith and become passionate disciples of Jesus. Our Goal is to offer more resources, curriculum and teaching to grow and mature into disciples of Jesus Christ. We want to build solid foundations to become a life-long follower of Jesus.
I encourage you to avail yourselves of these opportunities beginning with small groups, Growth Track classes, and maybe consider a short-term mission trip.
If you want more information, talk to your campus pastor.
Discussion Questions:
- What is your definition of discipleship? What motivates you to be a disciple?
- Where would you like to grow as an individual and a follower of Jesus? What area is most challenging for you?
- How do small groups play a part in our church’s discipleship ministry?
- What areas concerning discipleship would you appreciate getting resources for and discussion about?