Discipleship is a call to follow Jesus Luke 18:21-22 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984) 21 “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The starting point of being a disciple is the decision to follow Jesus. “It is possible to believe in Jesus and still not follow him.” “It is even possible to be a good church member yet not really follow Jesus.” Discipleship is a call to fish for people Matthew 4:19 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984) 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Following Jesus does not mean we cut off all contact with our non-religious friends. Rather we should continue in our relationships so that Christ’s love can flow through us to others. Change your definition of discipleship…discipleship is not a mentoring program to help encourage Christians to become better Christians. The discipleship process starts with introducing non-believers to the gospel and to the person of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is a call to fellowship with others Matthew 4-18;21 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984) 18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew had to follow along with Peter and John. He was not given the option to follow Jesus alone. • Discipleship is and always has been a group project. • Their faith was lived in community with other followers. • This is where we get the word fellowship – means a Christ-centered relationship. The simplest but most profound way to define discipleship is to understand it in terms of relationship: 1. With God (follow) 2. With people (fish) 3. With God’s people (fellowship) Discipleship is relationship Hotspot Week 1 - Source
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 09:36:51 +0000