5 Qualities of a Disciple of Christ
Jesus didn’t commission us to build buildings, preach sermons and sing songs. He told us to make disciples!
Every activity in the church should be evaluated by its ability to make disciples. Jesus said in Mathew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make DISCIPLES of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Making disciples should be at the center of everything we do.
The term Christian was not used to describe the followers of Jesus until decades after the church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost. The word that was used to describe us was disciples. Disciples were common in Jewish culture. Every rabbi had them. They were a dedicated group of followers who tried to imitate their teacher in everything. Although large gatherings were not uncommon, the early church developed disciples in groups of less than 12 where true relationships were forged. They understood that building people, not ministries, was the ultimate purpose of the church.
Unfortunately, today we have exchanged making disciples for making good churchgoers. This is because mot church leaders are focused on church growth instead of spiritual growth. Below are five potential qualities of a disciple. I hope that you will join me in trying to fulfill each one.
1. You must have a desire to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. Without desire, no one ever grows in his or her walk with Christ.
2. You must be willing to be held accountable and challenged by others. No one is ever disciple in isolation. There is no solo-discipleship. We are disciple alongside others as together we grow closer to God.
3. You must be willing to commit to daily Bible reading, prayers and weekly gatherings. Loving God but being indifferent towards people is not a recipe for pleasing Him. We build a relationship with the HEAD and the BODY in order to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
4. You must be willing to be honest and vulnerable with God and others. Only in a state of total brokenness were the disciples of Jesus prepared to go to the next level of Kingdom advancement.
5. You must be willing to take what you have been given and share it with others for the purpose of making disciples of them. We are not a true disciple until we are discipling others!
Disciples of Jesus are not perfect people. The New Testament disciples were not and neither are we. But we are perfectly capable of following a perfect Savior and give our best to serve Him and bring Him glory. Let’s make this journe