Go: Be a Committed Disciple Who Makes Disciples

Go 3

Be A Committed Disciple Who Makes Disciples

By Marty Ocaya

Do you believe that God uses ordinary people ALL the time?

Can you imagine God using a simple and poor fisherman to share the Word? A skinny weakling to become a warrior in His spiritual battle? A sinner to testify His unconditional love?

YES, God does use ordinary people ALL the time.

Many of our favourite Bible characters were mere nothings before God used them for greater purpose. Moses was just Moses. Noah was just Noah. Paul was just Paul.

But God revealed His power in them.

You may ask yourself: “How on earth can God use a nobody like me?”

Let’s face it: you can’t split seas in half. Neither can you build an ark in a hundred years.

So... how?

As a Christian, we are known to be disciples of Christ. Yeah, disciples. Just like John, James, Peter and the other members of Jesus’ Twelve. When you are dubbed as a disciple, it means that you are learning from someone, following their ways just like the Twelve.

What are the traits of a follower of Christ?

God blesses those who realize their need for Him,

For the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them

Matthew 5:1

A disciple realizes that he needs God. He acknowledges the fact that he cannot survive on his own; that God is the only one he needs in this life. We don’t need the material things this world offers in our face: God should be enough.

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly,

For the whole earth belongs to them

Matthew 5:5

Those who are gentle exemplify humility in Christ. Rather than tell your classmate off harshly because you think your plan is better, it is more ideal if we react gently, out of humility.

God blesses those who are merciful,

For they will be shown mercy

Matthew 5:7

In relation to humility, a disciple of Christ is merciful, willing to forgive those who had wronged him. If you are a follower of Christ, you must follow His example of mercifulness. Christ forgave those who wronged Him and even chose to die for them. A disciple of Christ will also be merciful to those who committed wrongs against him, out of humility.

God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers.

Matthew 5:11

Wait, pause for a moment.

Mocked?

Persecuted?

This world is not in synced with the ways of God. Instead, it chooses to rebel, to go against His ways. Since we are in the world, we are expected to conform. When our friends tell us to join their drinking splurges, we feel this tug to go along, all because of our reputations, our want to belong. If we refuse them, they will laugh at us. If we tell our friends off for drinking or partying too much, they mock us and our faith, calling us goody two-shoes or killjoys.

If we are true disciples of Christ, we are surely going to be mocked for our belief. But God appreciates it when we stand for our faith, because He sees that we are genuinely in Him.

Let’s compare a life led by two factors: God and the World.

If your life is led by the World:

-          Proud (You’re on top of the world!)

-          Try to be happy (You’d do anything to achieve happiness)

-          Get what I want when I want it

-          Good but a little bit bad (The world loves mejo bad boys. Why not just be a bit bad on the side to be cool?)

-          You gotta have justice!

-          Selfish motives (no matter what it takes, you’d do everything to have it)

-          Power

-          Do what everybody is doing

The world is a complete mess. Everyone thinks for himself and not of others. We just want pleasure and we’ll do anything to achieve that pleasure. Eat, drink, have sex and be merry cause you’re going to die tomorrow!

How many lives have been destroyed by the lies of this world?

However, if you choose to let God lead your life:

-          Poor in spirit (Humble; you acknowledge the fact that you are nothing in God’s presence)

-          Broken before the Lord (You need Him, you know you do)

-          Gentleness

-          Righteousness

-          Merciful

-          Pure in HEART

-          Peacemaker

-          Insulted and persecuted for doing what is right

From the looks of it, not exactly someone who’d make a splash in the eyes of the World. But think of it this way: a person who lives in the ways of God is destined for greater and more fulfilling things.

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Matthew 5:13

SALT is a natural preservative. That is why most of our favourite processed foods contain high sodium contents due to the high salt content!

Jesus wants us to be like salt. Not like the literal salt, but in such a way that we show those who are still lost what Christianity is about and in turn, they are opened to the Truth, given the choice to follow, and therefore, preserved in Christ.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14

We are the light of the world. God has placed you where you are for a purpose. He placed you in your campus, in your circle of friends, in your family because He has a strategic mission for you: to become a light in their eyes.

How can you become a light?

1.       Show the way!

Show them what it means! Your family and friends may still not understand, therefore, they need your help. Don’t be fearful in sharing to them. How can they know the truth if no one points them the way towards it? As verse 16 says: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

2.      Share the way!

Don't stop sharing! A lot of people still need to hear the Good News and you could be the one chosen 

to deliver it to them. Share because you care!

A disciple of Christ is willing to do anything for his Lord’s sake. SHARING is one of them. As a follower of Jesus, we should be willing to catch fish for Him, future disciples who will also share about Him in time.

GO AND SHARE! 

Written by: Ashley Petallano (c) 2013