The Essence of Discipleship

The Essence of Discipleship

Matthew 28:18-20 - 
"18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen" (NKJV)

"18 Jesus came up and said to them, “All authority (all power of absolute rule) in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always [remaining with you perpetually—regardless of circumstance, and on every occasion], even to the end of the age.” (AMP)

The Great Commission is stated as given by Jesus in the NKJV and AMP versions of the Bible. The Great Commission is a commandment given by Jesus to all believers irrespective of their denomination, age, ethnicity, titles, offices, sex, size, or location. It is a universal command and bishops, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, deacons and the laity must obey. Disobedience to the great Commission or any other command of God is detrimental to spiritual growth. Period.

"The Christian life is the discipled life and the discipling life" (Mark Dever, 'Discipling', page 13)

Mark Derver's statement is simple yet very profound and interesting. From a sequential viewpoint, in terms of arrangement of the words and phrases, the implications reveal what Jesus really had in mind. The task of discipling is not for the undiscipled. It is impossible for one who is not a disciple of Jesus to make a disciple or be a disciplemaker. 

In Acts 11:26, we read of how the disciplies of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch. Note that the word, 'Christian' was not used as a means of commendation for the disciples;it was used in a derogatory sense. It can be inferred that the person who truly wants to be a Christian should be prepared for ridicule and mockery. 

The disciples did not suddenly become Christians. No!. Their Christian lives were demonstrated as a result of their discipled lives. Therefore a true Christian must be a disciple of Jesus. Otherwise his or her profession of faith in Jesus is false. That the disciples were called Christians does not mean that they were elevated in status. In fact, they remained what they were - disciples of Jesus whose newly acquired derogatory title, 'Christian' was a description of the visible outworking of their discipled lives brought about by following Jesus, wholeheartedly and unreservedly in the power of the Holy Spirit.

• They forsook all to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22; Luke 14:33)
• They remained with Jesus, even when their understanding was minimal and others forsook Him (John 6: 66-71)
• They voluntarily died for Jesus. All the disciples except John were murdered for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
• They loved Jesus more than their wives, children, siblings, parents, relatives, friends, and their own lives (Luke 14:33)
• They resisted any suggestion that implied putting man first (Acts 5:28-29)
• They were persecuted, imprisoned, and beaten all of which they considered to be an honour (Acts 5:40-42)
• They did not fast and pray to avoid persecutions like many Christians are doing today. They embraced God's Word that states that those who would live godly lives will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12)

Are you ready for persecution? The early Church did not grow in the absence of tests, trials, and temptations. Contrary to popular opinion, the early Church grew in spite of persecution. Stephen who was a deacon was stoned to death because he stood firm on the infallible and uncompromising Word of God. Today the underground Church is growing exponentially in countries where brutal regimes seek to dehumanise and wipe out believers of Jesus. 

My brethren, disciplemaking is an undisputable outcome of discipleship. Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." (Matthew 7, 15-20, NKJV)

Are you making disciples for Jesus? The fruit of a disciple of Jesus is another dsiciple of Jesus. A disciple of Jesus must be a disciplemaker.  May God give you the grace and strength to receive His Word and put it into practice.