Discipleship

 Jesus told us "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:19-20)

We are to be making disciples.  Teaching others the Truth and all that Jesus taught.  In other words, we are to be guiding others through the Word and showing them how to live It.  At the same time, we should have others that are further along in their walk who are doing the same for us.  Discipleship is a continuous process.  

Do we make disciples in our churches in America?  Not hardly.  Many churches are more like country clubs than discipleship schools.  Many churches are more about entertaining the people than about worshipping the One True God.  There are some churches that are really serious about discipleship (I happen to be blessed enough to go to one), but they are rare.  

So what happens when we neglect discipleship?  Check out Judges 2:7 and 10:  "The people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who survived Joshua, who had seen all the great work of the LORD which He had done for Israel. . . . All that generation also were gathered to their fathers; and there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel." (emphasis added).  These men had been great leaders while they were around, but they had not taught the next generation to be great leaders, nor did that generation teach the next to be great leaders.  Discipleship means teaching and leading in such a way that, when you are gone, there isn't a void in that teaching and leading.  There should always be someone coming behind you learning to be you.  (Of course, you had better be following God with everything in you so that they are learning to follow Truth and lead in Truth.)  

So who are you following?  Who are you leading?  "Go therefore and make disciples."