"Discipleship" vs. "Mentoring" vs.
"On-Your-Ownship"
WHAT DOES YOUR BIBLE SAY?
A
disciple is a student, a learner, a servant, "one who disciplines
oneself under the teachings and guidance of another".
The Bible
uses the word, disciple over 270 times. A New Testament term to be
sure!
It
certainly can, and has been misused and abused by many false teachers. Some of
whom, meant well. So has the Cross, baptism, the Holy Spirit, and hundreds of
other doctrines and Scriptural practices. So, which of the above are we to
abandon because of the potential for misuse??? In fact, as there are those in
the world who would nervously challenge the active use of the "practice of
discipling others", I would like to pose the following questions for our
prayerful consideration. Please keep in mind that the answers to these
straight forward questions can be clearly found in your Bible!
- Acts
9:25 - Did Paul have 'his" disciples that he was working with?
___________________________________
- Acts
16:1-5 - Was Paul in the practice of bringing younger brothers in the faith
with him to train them in their service?
______________________________________________________________
-
2Tim.2:2 - Did Paul teach Timothy and charge him to, in turn, "teach other men
who would have the ability to teach other also"?
____________________________________________________
- Was
it wrong for me to understand that I was a "disciple", not only of Christ, but
also of my teachers while attending Sunset as well?
________________________________________ A student? ______________________
- Why
has "mentoring" or "big-brother/big-sister" become more acceptable for some in
the church? ___________
- Are
they any more biblical a term than the 270 time "disciple"?
__________________________________________
- Is it
faithful on our part to seemingly run from, or look suspiciously at, the Bible
responsibility of "making disciples"?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
-
Matt.28:19, 20 - Are disciples to just happen, or be self-made,
or are they to be made by others in obedience to Christ?
_____________________________________________________________________________
-
Matt.28:19,20 - Who are to be the ones "Making disciples" ?
_____________________________________________
-
What does the N.T. process of "making disciples" entail?
_______________________________________________
-
Lk.14:25-33;Mk.10:29,30;Mt.10:34-39 - What are the demands of discipleship?
______________________________
- Are
any of these demands "optional"?
________________________________________ Which ones? ____________
- Which
of these demands of Christ could a person NOT do and still be "worthy" of
Jesus? ___________________
-
Mt.10:37,38 - Did Jesus say that there could be those who can be "worthy" of
Him? _____________________ Who?
___________________________________________
- At
what point in a person's chronological development can they be expected by God
to meet these demands?
________________________________________________________________
I hope
that I have somehow "stirred the juices of your mind". Again, though my intent
is to provoke, Hb.10:24, it is never to "tear down what Christ has built up".
Ps.127:1. Let us continue to build on the one foundation of Christ and His
Word!, 1Cor.3:11.