WALKING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS: MAKING DISCIPLES THE WAY JESUS DID
This guarantees our own transformation and makes us take little for granted while making the most of every opportunity. As individual disciples and as a disciple-making church, we have a lot to gain this year by committing ourselves to learning and doing discipleship in the way of our Lord this year. We expect such an attitude to help us consolidate all that we have learnt since becoming a District position ourselves for the Lord to use us for greater works.
Jesus’ Discipleship Practices had Seven Key Principals
a. He came down to the level of people, to the extent that He was not very distinguishable from them, save in His righteousness;
b. He actively went round meeting the needs of people;
c. He spoke hope of forgiveness more than condemnation
2. Intercession: Jesus prayed often, and mainly
a. For those that deserve condemnation, that they might repent and be pardoned
b. For Divine intervention for those that even seemed to deserve their trouble
c. In thanksgiving for numerous graces from Heaven.
NB: We must do well to note here that, since this appeared to be God praying to God, He was modelling for us an essential Heavenly ethic that we cannot hope to joke with.
Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 6:9-14; Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 22:21-32; 1Tim 2:1-4
3. Preaching: Proclaiming and explaining God’s calling of every person to repentance and salvation was a major occupation of Jesus
a. Jesus planned and set out purposely to preach the good news to selected people and communities;
b. He deliberately initiated conversations for the purpose of putting this good news in the hearts and minds of people. His every conversation was therefore purposefully spiced to communicate the deep truths of salvation. We should learn this art.
c. He was always ready with an answer that points to life, sometimes made so simple with illustrations called parables, to make His hearers work out His meaning from everyday situations. He made time for everybody who wanted to know more about the Kingdom of God
4. Baptizing: Jesus did not baptize, but He was baptised, supervised His disciples to baptize and instructed them to baptize all would-be disciples.
a. Baptism is the disciple’s way of making sure that would-be disciples commit to the new life with full understanding and a mind prepared for the long haul.
b. The symbolism of the water baptism helps to show strongly the sacrifice that was made by Jesus to secure our salvation – the same that demands the sacrifices of discipleship.
c. Jesus ensured the baptism of all would-be disciples and He instructed His disciples to do same. This is done in the Church context where we carefully explain the symbol to the would-be disciple who is making the decision of a lifetime. Baptism is done on the Lord’s terms, and not on the would-be disciple’s terms.
Matthew 3:13-17; John 3:22; John 4:2; Romans 6:1-14; John 3:7-18
5. Holy Spirit Baptism: Another discipleship practice of Jesus that is carried out in the Church context is Holy Spirit Baptism. This comes from the Lord through the teaching of His disciples. It can take place anywhere, but the disciple-makers (the Church) must make sure that this has taken place in the would-be disciple with ample proof. It is proof that God has accepted the would-be disciple’s confession and has found a place in him to dwell. Jesus stressed this in three key ways:
a. To the enquiring Pharisee, Nicodemus, He showed that Holy Spirit baptism (or observable activity) will mark those who enter the Kingdom of God
b. He told the disciples that the Holy Spirit will be the key partner in the work of making others His disciples, empowering, leading them and teaching them things which will be important for their times.
c. He told the apostles to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and not to begin any mission until they can testify that He had come.
John 3:3-5; John 14: 15-18; 23-26; John 16:12-16; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; Acts 19: 1-6; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30
We will learn from this and give proper guidance to would-be converts until they are baptised in water, and after that we will diligently work on securing their Holy Spirit baptism. It will be good to put names and dates to these.
6. Teaching: Jesus taught regularly, and instructed His Apostles to teach
a. Jesus taught his disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven
b. The Apostles carried this on regularly as the Apostles Doctrine, taking their mandate from Matthew 28:19. Basically, this is what we call preaching at Church. It was called teaching, because they explained the Scriptures to bring direction, and what they taught was discussed until all had understood it.
c. When the exposition is done in the chapel, then trustworthy men carry on the discussions in the homes (cells and ministries) and help the people to apply them in their daily lives. As the word is practiced in daily lives the people shine in darkness, and souls are added each day to the Church.
Matthew 4:23; Matthew 5:2-10; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:42
7. Sending Forth : The purpose for which Jesus called the disciples to be with Him (why people come through all that we have discussed earlier), was to eventually send them off to carry on what He would do. With this in mind, He gradually increased their responsibilities until they were ready to carry the full responsibility of living and dying for the cross without turning back or considering it the responsibilities of others
Matthew. 4:19; Mark 3:14; Matthew 9:10-18; Matthew 10:5-8; Matthew 17: 16-21; Matthew 28:18-20
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