This week, Pastor Matthew started us in a new series called ‘how to follow Jesus into today’s world;’ beginning with the sub-topic of discipleship.

We are living in and on the cusp of dark times. But when times get darker, the light gets lighter and the Lord needs His church to stand. The reason that we are here on this earth is for people to come to know Jesus. We are called to lay our lives down, and to know Him, love Him and obey Him. And the way we first and foremost do this, is by being His disciple.

The word disciple appears 266 times in the New Testament and generally means abandoning the things of this world and following Jesus.

Matthew shared ten points of discipleship:

1. A disciple counts the cost before following Jesus (Luke 14:28)

There is a cost to following Jesus and it’s everything; our body, possessions, time and futures. We need to be people who count the cost.

2. A disciple is totally committed to Jesus (Luke 14:26)

He is our first priority, and we need to be willing to go anywhere and do anything He asks.

3. A disciple is willing to carry his/ her cross and sacrifice for Jesus and His cause (Luke 17:10)

We are called to and will be called upon to lay our lives down for Jesus. It is a choice to yield to His will, and we must choose obedience at all costs. Obedience must be our only preference, but there is life in it.

4. A disciple is willing to give up all earthly possessions (Matthew 6:24, Matthew 6:21).

We must be willing to surrender all of our possessions if Jesus asks us to.

5. A disciple is immersed in God’s Word and experiences freedom in Christ (John 8: 31-32, Romans 12:2).

We need to soak in the Word so that we know and hear His voice. The Word of God can set us free from the lies of the enemy and empower us to overcome.

We cannot be a disciple without a hungry commitment to consume and obey the Scriptures.

6. A disciple really loves other believers (John 13:35, John 15:17)

If you don’t love other believers, you don’t know the love of God. We should love one another in such a way that it shows the world the character and reality of Jesus. We must be committed to love God, one another and those who don’t know Him.

7. A disciple abides in Christ, bears fruit and glorifies God.

8. A disciple is full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:52)

We need to bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit. We also need to serve and use our gifts.

9. A disciple is obediently following the desires of Jesus (Matthew 26:19).

Immediate, complete and cheerful obedience is the hallmark of a disciple.

We are members of His Kingdom, He is our King and it is a joy to serve and obey Him.

He will return one day and we will be held accountable. We can not assume the rewards of Jesus if we have not obeyed the wishes of Jesus.

10. A disciple is intimately involved in the mission of Jesus to make disciples (Matthew 26:16)

It is a command to go and make disciples, and He promises to be with us in the process. We need to be more than just believers in Jesus, we need to be His disciples.