Are You A Disciple of Jesus? What Does This Mean To You? God doesn’t want any more religious people (remember the Pharisees?). He wants disciples after His own heart with the express purpose of being more like Christ.
Luke 14:33 “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.”
What is a disciple? It comes from the Old English discipul (fem. discipula) which comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning, “pupil, student, follower,” and said to be from discere “to learn” from which we get the word “discern” and that comes from the root word, dek which means “to take, accept” (hint: Matt 28:18-20).
According to Barnhart and Klein, it comes from a lost compound word, discipere , which means “to grasp intellectually,” “analyze thoroughly,” and is from dis- “apart” (see dis-) + capere “to take, take hold of,” like “carpe diem” is Latin for “seize the day.” The Greek word for disciple is “mathēteuō” and it means a “student, learner,” or “pupil.” That’s what disciple means…now, what is a disciple?
What is a Disciple?
Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
What is a disciple? A disciple is someone called to live “in” Christ, equipped to live “like” Christ, and sent to live “for” Christ and called to “share” Christ. “Calling” includes salvation and abiding in Christ (John 8:31–32). “Equipping” includes spiritual formation and growth (2 Timothy 3:16–17). “Sending” includes discipling others, good work, bearing much fruit, and neighbor love (Matthew 28:18–20, John 15:8, John 13:34–35). Sharing means taking the gospel to all the world, even if it’s in your own part of the world.
What then is discipleship? Discipleship, then, is anything that calls someone to live in Christ, equips them to live like Christ, or sends them to live for Christ. Authentic discipleship is to raise up men and women who love above all else the God who loves them.
There cannot be discipleship without evangelism.
You cannot be a disciple without having God’s Word hidden in your heart. It shows you Jesus’ heart.
For more, Read What Does it Mean to Be a Disciple?
Heritage Evangelical Free Church 113 N. Church St Udall, KS 67146
Our focus is to join together in fellowship for study, worship, and teaching, in pursuit of living a life in Jesus Christ and glorifying God. If you are unable to worship with us, you can like us on Facebook as we post weekly worship services.
Please join us Sunday mornings
- 10 AM Sunday School, with classes from preschool to adult
- 11 AM Worship and Sermon with children’s church