Disciples
Disciples - Cody Palmer,
I am often intrigued seeing someone get up at a church service to give an amazing conversion testimony, and then in just a short period of time, they are teaching Sunday school and leading a small group bible study. I am by no means knocking anyone. I’m just saying that I’m curious...
I love a new believer's initiative to become part of the church, to serve, their willingness to teach and to share, but just because the church has a spot open, doesn’t mean they’re ready for it. I personally have told the church no if there were things I didn’t feel spiritually ready for. If I’m not in the Word, how can I teach someone about the Word? If I don’t worship Jesus in my car, how can I get up and lead worship on a Sunday morning.
During my time in the Bible, I decided to do a study on the word DISCIPLE.
Matthew 28:19 “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”
We’ve all heard this, and we all use it to motivate our evangelizing. It’s what we’re called to do by Jesus, so obviously it’s important.
But what is a disciple?
The Oxford Language Dictionary defines disciple this way:
A personal follower of Jesus during his life
A disciplined student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher
Okay, number one defines most Christians. A personal follower of Jesus.
What about section ‘a’... a disciplined student?
Disciplined
1. Showing a controlled form of behavior or way of working
So now it gets interesting. Does that second definition define you as well? Do you show control in your behavior to be a disciplined student of the word of God?
Mark 12:30 comes to mind here. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
Love the Lord with my heart - my emotions. The emotional response I have knowing someone died for me.
Love the Lord with my soul. My soul is longing to be with Him and do His Will.
Love the Lord with all my strength. I workout so I honor His sacrifice with my body, to be ready and able to do what He asks. (Isaiah 6:8)
Love the Lord with my mind. Yeah…here’s where I and many others have struggled. I’ve said it, you’ve said it, all of us have at one point or another...READING IS BORING!
I’ve never been a book nerd. I was a C student and cared more about being in God's creation than worshiping the creator.
As I read through the Bible over and over again, different things stand out. But one thing I know is true: the greatest heroes of the Bible, the greatest teachers of our time, were/are all DISCIPLINED STUDENTS.
In order to lead, and lead well, you first have to follow. (That’s in every military leadership book known to man!)
If you don’t have a plan and are just flipping through the Bible, reading a book here and there, that doesn’t count as a disciplined student. Therefore you can’t be a disciple.
I know this is supposed to be a devotional, but leading guys, and seeing what’s going on through different ministries I figured this devotional could be a quick guide as well.
For 30 days, pick a small book - 1 John for example. Read it everyday, take notes, themes you notice, look up the original text, see the historical evidence, the context based on geographical location during that time.
At the end of 30 days you will know that book.
For bigger books like John (21 chapters), divide it up. Do the above for thirty days with chapters 1-7, then 8-14, then 15-21. In 90 days you will know that book. If you continue this, in three years you will really know your Bible!
Can you make a three year commitment to that? That is an example of a disciplined student. A true disciple. Day after day studying to fully love the Lord with your mind.
So I pose these questions to you today:
Are you a disciplined student?
Does your behavior show a controlled way of working?
If not, what do you plan on doing to fix it?
Anyone can reach out to me for help and guidance, and we can work something out. But it all starts with you searching yourselves and asking yourself the hard question…
Am I ready to fully commit to loving the Lord with all my heart, soul, strength, and MIND?