What is discipleship?
What does the word “disciple” actually mean? A disciple is a learner and a follower, so in a Christian sense, a disciple is a follower of Christ. Discipleship is actually part of the “Great Commission” that Christ gave to the church in Mt. 28:19-20.
“Go ye therefore, and teach (the word for teach is sometimes translated “make disciples of”) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Coming to personal faith in Christ as Savior is the essential first step. That makes one a Christian. But after salvation comes discipleship. Salvation is absolutely free to us because Christ died to pay the full penalty for our sins. But unlike salvation, discipleship costs us something. It requires that we yield our time, possessions, body, even our lives, in submission to Christ as Lord, for Him to do with as He sees best.
Salvation happens just once, in a moment of time. But discipleship is a lifelong process of learning from God’s word what pleases Him, and then bringing our lives into conformity with what the Bible teaches us to be and to do.
Discipleship has both a divine and a human element to it. On the one hand, it is a work of God’s Spirit in our hearts as the Spirit uses the word of God to bring about change in our lives. But as the Great Commission states, it is also has a human element as Christians use the word of God to teach others the truths of God.
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How do I make discipleship part of my Christian life?
Discipleship has two facets, receiving and giving. We must first receive the truth as others teach us God’s word. Then as we learn truth from those who teach us, we in turn can teach others who may not yet know what we have learned.
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (II Tim. 2:2)
A disciple is to be like a pipe that is open on both ends. At one end we take in from others who are ahead of us on the discipleship road, and at the other end we give out to others who may be behind us on the discipleship road. Blocking either end of that pipe will bring the process of discipleship to a halt. If we stop taking in from others, pretty soon we will get depleted and not have anything fresh to give to others. If we stop giving out to others, we will get full, bloated, stagnant, and have no room to receive fresh things.
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What opportunities are there for discipleship at MVBC?
Here at MVBC, there are many ways to be involved in discipleship. Every believer is encouraged to set aside time each day to devote to God and a personal study of His word. In these individual daily quite times, or devotions, the Spirit of God Himself teaches us. As well, there is the public ministry of God’s Word, the Bible, through pastoral preaching and teaching at our regular services. There are many discipleship opportunities listed elsewhere on our website under the headings of children, teens, college and career, women, and men’s ministries. Biblical Counseling, which is essentially intensive discipleship, is also available at MVBC.
All of these discipleship areas have the potential for you to be personally involved in the ministry of discipleship, either as a disciple, a discipler, or, ideally, both.
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