Discipleship

Discipleship is the process of following Jesus, learning about Him through His Word, and being transformed into His likeness. Discipleship is a process, but it starts with a decision to make Jesus your savior. It requires humility - in order to become more like Jesus, your flesh has to surrender to Him. 

Just because you’re saved doesn’t automatically make you a disciple. A convert is someone who has made a decision to follow Christ, but a disciple is someone who is dedicated to following Christ throughout their life. A convert makes a decision, where a disciple follows through on this decision. Discipleship is making your faith known.

For example, imagine a person learning to play tennis. A new tennis player keeps it simple with their swing but that only gets you so far. A real tennis swing requires a full backswing and follow through. 

Discipleship requires a full follow through. This is what separates the weak players from the strong ones. As Christians, we're not called to make converts - we're called to make disciples.

Discipleship will cost you something. It costs you your own desires and flesh. You’re not self serving anymore. You’re following Jesus. 

What are the qualities of a real disciple?

1. Do I live like Jesus lived? (John 8:31-32) Read and follow His Word. If you’re not in your Word, people will know. 

2. Do I love like Jesus loved? (John 13:34-35) Genuine love is unconditional.

3. Do I look like Jesus looked? (John 15:8) Bear fruit - Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5.

He didn’t call us to make people who make decisions, He called us to make disciples. 

What are the consequences of not being discipled?

Matthew 13:18-22 tells us the parable of the seed and sower, where there are 4 types of seeds. Some seed dries up, some is strangled, some gets distracted... If you're not discipled, your faith can be fragile, you can lack depth and maturity, you can get stuck in the loop of constantly going to the altar to receive salvation week after week.

Discipleship is what breaks the cycle of getting saved over and over again. 

How do I know I’m being properly discipled?

2 Timothy 4:1-7 warns us to be careful who is speaking into your life. Are your teachers actually teaching what's in the Bible? Is it sound doctrine? Do they make you dependent on the Holy Spirit or on man?