Title The Disciple/Matthew 28:18-20
Contents The dictionary meaning of disciple is 'a person who has received or has been taught by a teacher', and is otherwise called 'apprentice, writer, mundo, questioner'. Also, the meaning of disciples in Christianity and Catholicism is defined as 'those who received the teachings of Jesus and followed him, especially the 12 disciples who were chosen to live with Jesus, trained for the kingdom of Christ, and sent for evangelism'. There is.
If you classify people who come to church, you can classify them into three groups: 'members, believers, and disciples'. A church member is a person who attends a church but has no assurance of salvation, and a believer is a person who has the assurance of salvation but may fall when persecution or temptation comes. However, a disciple is a person who can go to heaven whenever the Lord comes, and can overcome any temptation or persecution. Also, it refers to a person who goes to heaven together by evangelizing not only himself but also other people such as family, relatives, friends, and neighbors. Therefore, such a disciple can receive a reward and a crown in heaven.
Those who criticize the Korean church
"There are many church members, but few believers, there are believers but no disciples." Therefore, church members must be transformed into believers, and believers into disciples. When that happens, the church can grow, families and societies change, and even the crisis of the IMF can be overcome. If so, can I really become a disciple of the Lord?
First, being a disciple is a command of Jesus.
The last command Jesus gave us was
It means "make disciples." “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world” (Matthew 28: 19-20). The main verb in the last command of this verse is
It says "make disciples", and the others are modifiers. In other words, the purpose of going, baptizing, and teaching them to keep is to make disciples.
Discipleship is Jesus' first example. Regarding the purpose of Jesus' life and ministry, what we need to understand is that Jesus accomplished the redemption of mankind as the last Adam, and the few who will faithfully spread the message of salvation to everyone in the world. It means that He chose the twelve disciples. In doing that, the Lord has found loyal people who will bring the gospel message to everyone everywhere. To that extent, Jesus set an amazing example in educating and training his disciples.
Second, a disciple is a follower of Jesus.
To follow Jesus means to have Him as Lord, and to serve Him as a servant. It also means to love and praise Him.
Being a Christian means that I have decided to follow Jesus Christ. Jesus is the example and object that I must follow throughout my life. Jesus will be my eternal teacher, and I will be his eternal student (Matthew 10:24-25).
Disciples must follow the Lord's way. The Bible says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in spirit, and your hearts will be given rest” (Matthew 11:28-29). The word is recorded. We like to hear only the first part of this verse, verse 28. But
I don't like Jesus' words, "Take my yoke upon you." But the disciples refer to those who not only come to Jesus and find peace, but are also willing to bear his yoke. To bear the yoke of Jesus means to live Jesus' way. But we try to follow Jesus in our own way. If Jesus is our 'Lord', then we must follow His ways. This is living according to the word of God, and living according to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
A disciple is a person who is always obedient as a servant of Jesus. Jesus is
He said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). From here
“Everything” includes everything from food, clothes, home, and daily necessities. But we reverse the order of our prayers and seek our needs first. We must first seek the kingdom of God. And we must always remember that whatever we do, we do it for the kingdom of God. To do that, we must first change our values.
Third, disciples need training and nurture.
Hudson Taylor
“Anyone can consecrate to the Lord, but if he is not trained, it is of no value,” he said. To become a disciple of Jesus, you must receive training. Only those who are trained can give birth to and raise other disciples.
The inner growth of the church depends on discipleship. In order for the church to grow today, one-on-one evangelism through the members is requested as the most important growth method. However, in order to reproduce, above all else, the church must take the lead in increasing and expanding the capacity of its members to reproduce, which can only be achieved through education and training.
We must be able to commit ourselves to others. By becoming a mature Christian who imitates the person and life of Jesus Christ, you will have to grow up as a devoted saint capable of spiritual reproduction. “Therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and entrust to the faithful what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses. they will be able to teach others] (2 Timothy 2:1-2).
Fourth, there are persecutions and rewards for disciples.
If we truly imitate Jesus and live, there may be some resistance or persecution. However, when we strive to live according to the Bible, the Holy Spirit helps us to overcome it. And there is a great reward guaranteed.
A good disciple is someone who can pay for everything he has (Matthew 16:24-25). We have overemphasized one aspect of salvation. Emphasizing only on believing in Jesus to receive salvation and eternal life, he did not teach how to live a life of service and devotion on this earth. Therefore, we should teach that there is a reward for those who have dedicated themselves to Jesus. [Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for me and for the sake of the gospel, There is no one who will not receive both persecution and eternal life in the age to come] (Mark 10:29-30). They should also be taught that the Lord is always with them and that the crown of life is also in store for them.
We are now facing the crisis of the IMF. If we all become disciples of Jesus and live a life of following Jesus, we will be able to overcome this crisis of the IMF and live a harmonious and happy life, and we will be able to become the protagonists that change the history of this country.