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Discipleship. That “thing” Christ told us all to do after He came back from the dead. Most Christians respond to Discipleship like Micah (the 3-year old boy my wife babysits) responds to cake. He likes cake, he knows cake is good, but he has no clue how cake comes to his plate or even what it is made of. But Christ told us to disciple (Matthew 28:18-20). If you are anything like me, the question is, where do I start? Best advice: Jesus.
1 | Jesus had to learn.
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46)
Yes, our God asked questions. He did not allow pride and arrogance stop Him from asking mature leaders for wisdom and knowledge. He sought knowledge about the truth in the world and openly dialogued with those who knew more.
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52)
It is impossible to increase in wisdom if you know it all. Jesus had to learn. He took time out His life to learn and grow in respect from His father and peers.
Questions to ask ourselves: How much time are we taking out of our day to grow in wisdom and stature? Who are we seeking out to teach and mold us? Are we setting aside our pride to allow someone to speak into our lives? Whose disciple am I?
2 | Jesus had close friends.
“After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.” (Luke 10:1)
He set the seventy-two up to do life together. He could have sent them out individually to cover more ground and prepare more souls; instead He paired them up, knowing their success would be better together.
Questions to ask ourselves: Who have we let into our life that is at the same place we are to share success and struggles with? Have we opened up to someone about our struggles and questions in the journey of sanctification? Who is my partner?
“Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)
Get a partner, get many partners, but don’t do life alone.
3 | Jesus shared His wisdom intimately.
We know that Christ spoke to great multitudes, but He also poured into His disciples in private.
Jesus walked many miles with His disciples. He spent hours with them, prayed with them, taught them, reprimanded them, encouraged them, challenged them, and fed them. He spent days on end with these men so that they may one day carry on the amazing gospel that Christ came to fulfill. Jesus could have spent summers on the Mediterranean watching sports and winters soaking His feet in the Dead Sea, keeping up with Facebook, but he didn’t. Jesus found some boys that needed to grow up and sculpted them into some of the most influential men in history. It took time, 3 years, and one betrayed Him in the end, but those men carried Christianity on their back and we still taste their fruit today.
Questions to ask ourselves: Who are we pouring our knowledge into? What do we know now or have experienced that we can teach someone else? How are we pointing someone else to the Gospel of Jesus in all aspects of life? Who is your disciple?
Jesus did discipleship.
To sum it up… Don’t come TO church, BE the church.
- Find a Christian who knows more than you and ask them to pour into your life.
- Find a Christian who is in the same stage of life and do life together; glean from each other.
- Find a Christian who may not know as much as you and pour hours of your life into them so they may become more effective for the Kingdom of God and the power of the Gospel.
In all of these relationships: pray, study, serve, celebrate, learn, teach, commune, and grow in Christ together.
“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, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18–20)