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)
As
Christians we are called to go make disciples, but what exactly does
this look like? Often people believe it means going out and converting
people to Christianity. However, discipleship is not about conversion. Rather, it is modeling and teaching Christians the precepts of the Bible
on prayer, doctrine, Christian living, and worship. Yes, we are to
evangelize. But discipleship is different. When we evangelize, it is the Holy Spirit's job to bring people into an intimate relationship with God.
A disciple of Christ grows in their relationship with the Lord; trusting him in every area of life, through every obstacle and every emotion.
A disciple is a student, a learner, and one who follows the Word. A
disciple bears fruit and loves other disciples.
Do you know what qualifies you to go make disciples of others? You must first be a disciple of Christ. That's it! There are no other special qualifications to making disciples. Unfortunately, many times we believe we have to have all the answers and have it all figured out before we will disciple others. We hold back and think we couldn’t possibly have much to offer another. We are insecure in the knowledge of our faith. We eat up God’s word for ourselves and never attempt to empower other peoples' lives with what he has taught us. Keep in mind that it is important to teach others to think for themselves and to study the Word for themselves. We should not teach them what to think but rather how to think for themselves. God’s Word teaches us to be bold and even though we may not feel bold we can choose to lean on him and step out with a bold faith knowing he will fill in the gaps where we may be weak.
Do you know what qualifies you to go make disciples of others? You must first be a disciple of Christ. That's it! There are no other special qualifications to making disciples. Unfortunately, many times we believe we have to have all the answers and have it all figured out before we will disciple others. We hold back and think we couldn’t possibly have much to offer another. We are insecure in the knowledge of our faith. We eat up God’s word for ourselves and never attempt to empower other peoples' lives with what he has taught us. Keep in mind that it is important to teach others to think for themselves and to study the Word for themselves. We should not teach them what to think but rather how to think for themselves. God’s Word teaches us to be bold and even though we may not feel bold we can choose to lean on him and step out with a bold faith knowing he will fill in the gaps where we may be weak.
As you disciple someone you
should teach by example with your life and your actions. Show them what
the Christian life is to look like according to the Bible. Be careful not to
lead them to believe you have arrived in a place of perfection. Be real
and vulnerable with them. Share your own weaknesses. Share your
own testimony of how God's mercy and His faithfulness has helped you. Be willing to invest some quality time in your
relationship. Most importantly, show them love. John 13 says : A
new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.”
God’s word clearly states we are to be making disciples. Choose to obey
him today. Ask him to place people on your heart and in your life that you can begin to
establish a relationship with and take some initiative in doing so. Lead
with love and ask for God’s wisdom in how you can boldly help that person grow
their relationship with him.
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