Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20. NLT.

When was the last time you acknowledged, identified, accepted the fact that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ? Living as a disciple should cause major shifts in our thinking. We are truly not our own, but His. A disciple must, inherently , be a learner. They set themselves to learn from their leader.

We find the heart of Jesus in this passage. He wants his followers to go and make disciples. I read something someone wrote called the 3 F’s of discipleship. These three F’s are: follow, fellowship and fish. Being a disciple means we follow Jesus. We learn to do things as He desires. It is not our will, but His will that is foremost in our mind. What would Jesus do? How would He do it? If we are not sure, we can search His Word, or ask trusted leaders. You may not always get it right, but a heart to do right is a substantial shift to begin with. Which is why He includes baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We must remember we cannot become disciples without the power of the Holy Spirit, and we do not have to. When we relegate our “discipleship” to mental assent and intellectual pursuit, we fall short of the power that changes us on the inside, because, foremost, discipleship deals with heart change.

To be a disciple, we must be teachable. We must allow the Holy Spirit to show us wrong thinking and wrong acting. Letting go of “what seems right to a man,”, and choosing to trust God’s wisdom takes humility. Included in that humility means finding the truth and letting that become your truth. When was the last time you learned something new? Or let go of old understandings? I’ve known all along the Bible teaches about forgiveness, but studying Matthew 18:35 in our Life Group has made it very clear we must forgive. It is not an option. I understood it on one level, but it has become much clearer lately. Learning these types of truths, which really do set us free, requires the renewing of our minds, which only our God can help us do.

Jesus clarifies: teaching them to obey all the commands. Wow, as a disciple, we must allow the Holy Spirit to give us commands. This definitely goes against our western independence! There are definite commands that, as a disciple, we must shift our thinking to accept. A mature disciple accepts these commandments because he trusts His master. He is willing to “endure the fellowship of his sufferings”. A disciple is not a fair- weathered friend, but perseveres to the end. Paul is such an amazing example for us. Read through Paul’s list of things he went through in Acts and 2 Corinthians 6. There is a cost of fellowship, but we must remember what we are purchasing.

As we develop our fellowship with Christ, we have the joy of seeing others set free as they taste of His goodness through our lives. Having a loving, caring relationship with Jesus is amazing, and worth the cost no matter what. He is always with us. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us , because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:3-5. NLT. Being a disciple really does mean laying down our lives and taking up our cross daily. Not just when it seems more convenient or easy, but at His wisdom. We often run into trouble when we hear our assignment, but then try to do it alone. When my children were little and I would assign them a task, they would want to run off and do it without taking the time for instruction. They probably felt it took too long, and “they knew how to do it”. I have some grandchildren who want to figure everything out themselves, but, once again, that is not the stance of a disciple. We are learners, listeners and submitters!

The last thing Jesus left them with was: And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:20. Dear friends, remember, we are not walking this journey of discipleship alone. Our God is with us. He is with us with all His provision, His love and His authority. We must learn how to use the authority given to us, the spiritual armor given, the fruit of the Spirit to become a fully mature disciple of Jesus Christ. He is well able to teach us. He has provided apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastors and teachers to equip the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11). Learning to learn from His leaders is another mark of maturity, then growing up into your specific calling. As disciples we move from milk to meat. We learn to love our brethren, and so much more. If you have forgotten that as a believer, you are called to be a disciple, then shift your thinking and get on with it! The body of Christ needs you.

Father, thank you for the privilege of being your disciple. Help us bring honor and glory to your name. I thank you for showing us how to persevere and follow you, no matter where You lead. Teach how to follow, fellowship and then become fishermen ourselves, in Jesus’ Name, amen.