What is a disciple of Jesus Christ?

  

One: One who walks in the dust of the rabbi and perpetuates his teachings and actions.

  

Two: One who picks up his cross and follows Jesus.

  

Three: One who places Jesus first above all other things.

  

  

First: Discipleship requires a teacher from whom you learn and discover the foundational truths.

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

-Ephesians 4:11-16

  

Second: Discipleship requires a mentoring relationship whereby a mentor pours biblical information and explanation into your head and life experiences into your heart.

Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come.

-Psalm 71:17-18

  

Third: Discipleship requires the spiritual disciplines of prayer, worship, personal Bible study and introspection.

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

-Psalm 100: 2-3

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

-Romans 8:26

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

-2 Timothy 3:16

  

Fourth: Discipleship requires duplication.

Little by little makes a bundle.

-African Proverb

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, ‘Follow me.’ Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.’ Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’

-John 1:43-50

  

Where do we go from here?

  

Stage One: We grow our campuses with prayer, worship, teaching, and revival.

  

Stage Two: We launch a discipleship movement that possesses four facets.

Facet One:

Facet Two:

Facet Three:

Facet Four:

  

Stage Three: We initiate a valley-wide discipleship movement whereby people far from God are invited to discover who Jesus is and the difference He can make in their lives.

  

Stage Four: We become a sending agency to take the gospel to the world.

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

1 - All Authority: Jesus has authority every place.

2 - All nations: We dare not stop with our shores.

3 - Obeying All I have commanded you.

4 - How long will I be with you? All the time!

  

Those who have accomplished the greatest things have often made the greatest sacrifices.

  

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me. But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’

-Luke 9:57-62

  

As for us and our house—we will serve the Lord.

  

  

What it will take to go far? We must go together!

  

One: We must give up things we love for things we love more.

Two: We must give up thing we cannot keep to gain what we cannot lose.

Three: We must ask Jesus to change us through this discipleship movement so that we in turn can change others.

  

  

  

  

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