The Joy of Discipleship
Before Christ ascended back to His home and His Father, He said “make disciples”. The cost of discipleship is high. Jesus showed us that. He was persecuted, called a fanatic and heretic. He was abandoned in His greatest hour of need. He invested His entire life in the twelve disciples and in the end, they all scattered.
What could Jesus have seen that was not yet visible? What was He pursuing that was not yet attained? Did He see His disciples as yet to be? The Bible talks a little about that, we read that Jesus “who for the joy set before Him endured the cross” Hebrews 12:2. Here at the cross it looks bleak. Where is the joy of disciple-making? In John 17:12 Jesus says to His Father, “None has been lost…” Could the joy set before our Lord at the cross, be that He saw us complete? I believe so! Do we look like that now? I would say we look like true disciples-- sometimes. I wish it was more!
But once in a while, the Lord gives us, just as He gave Jesus, glimpses of how discipleship is going. When Peter pronounced that Jesus was the Son of God, Jesus must have smiled and experienced great joy! There is the fruit of disciple-making!
This past week, among so much pain and sin, we got glimpses of discipleship! I was at a partnering Church and in the congregation, I saw a familiar face! A patient was sitting there and being loved by the body of Christ. We hugged and thanked the Lord that she was among His people! She has moved from crisis to Christ and is now at a local partnering church!
This week, a couple who came from a very difficult situation came in to meet with their Advocate for their weekly class. Coming out of the kitchen, I saw him reading his bible aloud during the session. He was standing with his bible that had tabs sticking out all over! What joy!!! This hard, streetwise child of God was reading the Words His Father had written for him before he was even born!
These are the moments that spur us all on to great acts of love and faith! We all may not look like true disciples every day, BUT GOD through Christ and His indwelling Spirit gives us glimpses of what we are!
Jude 1:24 speaks of Jesus who can present us without fault (holy, blameless) with GREAT JOY to the Father! This week we experienced a glimpse of the joy of disciple-making as we take men and women from crisis to Christ to the local Church!
Thank you for joining us on this disciple-making journey!