Growing True Disciples by George Barna

Author:George Barna
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-05-07T16:00:00+00:00

C HAPTER TWO

FOCUS ON THE FUNDAMENTALS

Jesus is seeking people who are absolutely serious about becoming new creations in Him .

In the original biblical texts, the term used for disciple refers to someone who is a learner or follower who serves as an apprentice under the tutelage of a master. The apostles are great examples of this relationship between a student and master: They followed Jesus, the master teacher and model of the Christian faith, learning from His words and deeds and growing through the practical, hands-on training He facilitated. Discipleship connotes that you are being prepared for a particular lifestyle more than for a specialized occupation.

We might define discipleship as becoming a complete and competent follower of Jesus Christ. It is about the intentional training of people who voluntarily submit to the lordship of Christ and who want to become imitators of Him in every thought, word, and deed. On the basis of teaching, training, experiences, relationships, and accountability, a disciple becomes transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Discipleship, in other words, is about being and reproducing spiritually mature zealots for Christ.

I believe the intensity conveyed by the word zealot is important for us to associate with discipleship. Most Christians lack a true understanding of the context within which Jesus’ disciples were developed. As a result, we tend to minimize the investment required to be a follower of Jesus Christ. When we hear that the apostles were followers of Jesus, the image that comes to mind is of people who tagged along after the Lord on His walks through the hot, dusty towns of Judea. The followers were there to listen, to watch, and to be amazed at what the Son of God did in their presence.

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