Follow Up

We continue or repeat something that has already been started or done.

We carry out to further develop the work done.

We build on what's been done.

But what exactly?

Let's start with a question.

How are you as a disciple of Jesus?

Are we obeying His call to follow Him?

Are we imitating Him, carrying on His ministry, and becoming like Him along the way?

This is the essence of being His disciple. Yet some believe a person can be a "Christian" without being like Christ. If this is the thinking, then it defeats the purpose of our apprenticeship with Him.

As an apprentice to someone, you turn from the way you currently think and live and start afresh in learning from the master. It's the same with Jesus. We follow every commandment of Him because He's our Lord, who bought us for a cost and gave us the grace we don't deserve. And we can do it because we love God and enjoy Him. It's costly, but you're willing to count the cost if you seriously want to be His follower.

And we know His Great Commission: to make disciples of all nations. Do we think this command is for the pastor or the missionary, or for us? Do we consider this as the mission of our lives? We should reconsider what this Commission means to us.

This must-do is enormous yet worth the fight. We continue encouraging others to follow Jesus and teaching them to obey His commands. It's a mission that goes on and on and on. And it's not a solo pursuit. It's a partnership with other Christ-followers.

This will eventually be our role, a disciple-maker. And as disciple-makers, we need to check that our hearts are on it. Our motivations should be right on it. Because the wrong motives lead to useless efforts. It's not just in deed but also in word. And making disciples for Christ should be done out of love, and we ought to teach by example. Our life should be an example to teach them what it means to follow Jesus in every aspect, pursuing Him wholeheartedly.

When we do that, we live out our lives uniquely and attractively in that others can be intrigued by us, and they'll be eventually led to the love found in Christ. 

This can start in the church. It's where we can practice the discipleship Jesus taught us. We encourage, challenge, and help them in their walk with the Lord, and they do the same. And let's remember that it's not only in church we reach out, but also those in the whole world who need to know Him. We also need to do what we can for others in different parts of the globe actively working on the plan.

We work together in fulfilling God's plan for humanity. Wherever we are, we use all we can to accomplish the mission. 

In our disciple-making, an important key is knowing our Bible. It's where we find His commandments we need to obey. And we should also approach it with the right motives. We don't use it because of a Bible-reading quota per day we need to accomplish. Not because we want to appear as the best or most spiritual person in the room. And not because it's the only source of our teaching material.

The Bible is there for us for a purpose. Author Francis Chan lists them:

* It teaches us about Himself.
* It teaches us about ourselves and the world we live in.
* It enables us to live godly lives.
* It facilitates a relationship with God.
* It exalts Jesus.
* It prepares us for our God-given mission.

When we read the Bible, we're actually getting into the mind of God. Therefore, we approach it with humility and teachability. We study it carefully, devotionally, prayerfully, logically, obediently, and with faith. A good Bible study transforms us for the better.

The Bible tells a story, a true story. It's the story of our existence and every other story on Earth. We can look at the past and wonder as the story unfolds. And the Book ends with how the story will come to a close. We're not there yet, and it has yet to be finished. It continues, and we have a role to play. And this story should shape us to portray the role well.

It's the story of God, His created world, and His redemption plan of setting people for His glory. We see this in the story of humanity beginning with life in the garden. Then, the fall came, separating mankind and God because of sin entering the world. But the story continues despite this. We see this in the covenant of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David when the Temple is planned and built in the reign of his son Solomon. 

But given that sin dwells in man, it would be impossible for God's people to live sinless lives so that they can enjoy His presence.

But would He lower His standard? No. 

And with Him wanting to bind with human beings, the only solution to this problem is sacrifice.

This is seen in the sacrificial system in the Old Testament. But this makes a connection in the New Testament when Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf. Our way of atonement is through Him so that we can enjoy our Father's presence again.

And with what Jesus has done, we know that we need to respond to it. He calls us to follow Him and live even if it costs us everything. He also gives us this discipleship mission to accomplish.

We also need to note that part of the Great Commission is to baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through this, we identify with Jesus and His people. Just as Jesus was buried on the Earth and raised to new life, we are "buried" under the water in baptism and brought up again as a symbol of the new life received.

Also, we teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded. These tell us who Jesus is and the instructions to live as His followers in a hostile world. The Christian life should be a learning journey as we understand, apply our learnings, and teach these teachings to others.

Part of this mission is serious opposition. We will experience persecution. But while it's a reality and is intimidating, Jesus promises He'll be with us always, to the end of the age. As we do the work, we'll need to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to carry on this supernatural task in every part of the globe. 

What the early disciples started, we continue the work today to bring this Good News to all nations. We work on this until He makes all things new. It's a sure thing it will happen.

We know the end of the story. We know what happened then. We can do so much with now as we carry on this mission. We take this story to heart and be inspired to give our all for His Kingdom. 

Discipleship is a lifelong process where we're continuously made more like Jesus. We not only follow Him. We also reach out those who want to follow Jesus and help them follow Him more fully. It's a hope to make the following go up in bringing followers for Christ.