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Discipleship! Discipleship? Discipleship--- Step 1


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#1 Pastor Robert Young

Pastor Robert Young

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  • Ensley Alliance Church Pensacola , Fl

Posted 14 April 2013 - 12:20 PM

Discipleship! Discipleship? Discipleship-What exactly is this concept which we understand to be so very important yet know so little about. What is this ideology which has a plethora of books written about it yes so few who have caught the vision. What is it about discipleship that makes believers put on a face of bewilderment and ministers seek for a new topic. Most believers who attend church regularly would think of themselves as disciples because they go to Sunday School and church and Bible Study.. I mean what else is there.. I volunteer and serve and pray..come on what else is there? The answer from my point of view for the 21 century church is compartmentalization. Wow say that 3 times fast...smiles... ok I can't believe that some of you just tried to say that 3 times fast... Here it is you see.. We have become very good at putting things in their place. I have my family things and my employment things my hobby things and my church things. And I give God my all within my church things and yes God does somehow and in many ways cross over into my other compartments, but mostly i do my best to keep them separate. The hebrew term for disciple is taludeem, it ment to become like the rabbi you chose to follow, it grew to mean being covered by the dust of the rabbi. You literally were so close to the rabbi as you walked along that his dust that he kicked up covered you. So.. What does it mean to be a disciple in 21 century America? It ought to mean that I am involved in getting to know Jesus in an intimate, personal way which reflects who I am in every compartment of my life. My focus is to become like Christ. Romans 8 tells us that God Himself predetermined that we should become like or be conformed to the image of His son so He could be the first among many. That is discipleship. To follow Gods determined desire that we His children should be like Christ. Here is a bit of trivia for you. Did you know that after the book of Acts the term disciple is never used again. and used only once in the OT. in Isaiah, The term however, used most often to refer to those devoted to following God both in the old and new testaments, is the word saints. The word hagios in the greek and kadoshe in hebrew mean holy and pure and devoted to purity. The idea of being set apart to be completely devoted to Jesus, now there is a concept.. there is an ideology.. there is a way of life that answers the question what does it mean to be a disciple. My example is Jesus, my workbook is the bible, my teacher is the Holy Spirit, my life plan is devotion to Christ. Wow! and I didn't even have to write a book... smiles... God's blessings upon you all..
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