How shall we be a disciple of Jesus?

What does the Bible teach as to how we are to be the Body of Christ together? How shall a Biblical assembly be led? How should each of us take part? How shall we be disciples of Jesus together?
jimbaum
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How shall we be a disciple of Jesus?

Post by jimbaum »

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?

What should a disciple be doing?

What is the goal?

Jim B.
Jasmine

Post by Jasmine »

First off we must act on 1 John 1 : 9 ( confess our sins to God and He is faithful to forgive us .

Secoundly act upon Revelation 3 : 20 , and John 3:3 , 5, & 7 .

We must respond to Jesus by inviting him into our life , than we will be born again believers .

Thats where we start if we want to be true disciples .

Than immerse ouorselves in His Word . The Disciples lived with Him and were ever learning from Jesus , to equip and enable them to be 'evangelists ' if you will .

Teach , prreach , and live the Gospel way .
Jasmine

Post by Jasmine »

I have to ask though . I was always taught that the Apostles were the special men called to learn from Jesus in order to bring the message of salvation to others . That their would never be other Apostles .

I was taught that Disciples are the people who have given their hearts to Jesus since the Apostles . And Disciples of course are the ones who carry on furthering Jesus' message of salvation .

But now in the newer versions of the Bible most of them make no distinction between the two terms . Does it matter that some versions may call the Apostles ' Disciples " ?
wackzingo
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Post by wackzingo »

I know this is very late into the topic, but I had to post this, I took this from parts of the last chapter of 'In His Steps" which is probably one of the best books ever written after the bible. Anyways, I like to keep this to remind me of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. Its kind of long but here goes:

“What is the test of Christian discipleship? Is it not the same as in Christ's own time? Have our surroundings modified or changed the test? If Jesus were here today would He not call some of the members of this very church to do just what He commanded the young man, and ask them to give up their wealth and literally follow Him? I believe He would do that if He felt certain that any church member thought more of his possessions than of the Savior. The test would be the same today as then. I believe Jesus would demand—He does demand now—as close a following, as much suffering, as great self-denial as when He lived in person on the earth and said, ‘Except a man renounce all that he hath he cannot be my disciple.’ That is, unless he is willing to do it for my sake, he cannot be my disciple.
“It is the personal element that Christian discipleship needs to emphasize. ‘The gift without the giver is bare.’ The Christianity that attempts to suffer by proxy is not the Christianity of Christ. Each individual Christian business man, citizen, needs to follow in His steps along the path of personal sacrifice to Him. There is not a different path today from that of Jesus' own times. It is the same path. The call of this dying century and of the new one soon to be, is a call for a new discipleship, a new following of Jesus, more like the early, simple, apostolic Christianity, when the disciples left all and literally followed the Master. Nothing but a discipleship of this kind can face the destructive selfishness of the age with any hope of overcoming it. There is a great quantity of nominal Christianity today. There is need of more of the real kind. We need revival of the Christianity of Christ. We have, unconsciously, lazily, selfishly, formally grown into a discipleship that Jesus himself would not acknowledge. He would say to many of us when we cry, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ‘I never knew you!’ Are we ready to take up the cross? Is it possible for this church to sing with exact truth,
If we can sing that truly, then we may claim discipleship. But if our definition of being a Christian is simply to enjoy the privileges of worship, be generous at no expense to ourselves, have a good, easy time surrounded by pleasant friends and by comfortable things, live respectably and at the same time avoid the world's great stress of sin and trouble because it is too much pain to bear it—if this is our definition of Christianity, surely we are a long way from following the steps of Him who trod the way with groans and tears and sobs of anguish for a lost humanity; who sweat, as it were, great drops of blood, who cried out on the upreared cross, ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’
“Are we ready to make and live a new discipleship? Are we ready to reconsider our definition of a Christian? What is it to be a Christian? It is to imitate Jesus. It is to do as He would do. It is to walk in His steps.”
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Words from "In His Steps"

Post by jimbaum »

Words from "In His Steps"

Zach, those are awesome words about discipleship that you quoted from "In His Steps".

I had not heard of the book (1896) or its author, Charles M. Sheldon so I researched them a bit. It seems that Charles M. Sheldon was part of the "Social Gospel" movement and he helped popularize the phrase and concept, "What Would Jesus Do?". He is associated with the philosophies of "optimism" and "idealism".

Some of what could be characterized today as the "Social Gospel" I would consider to be a false gospel. There is a lot I admire and respect about the attitude of service and humility that various social gospel activists demonstrate, even though I could not endorse them.

So, even though I may not be able to endorse Charles M. Sheldon or his books, the words you quoted, Zach, are very convicting and encouraging to die to self and pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Love, Jim
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Apostles & Disciples

Post by jimbaum »

Jasmine, I have noticed some of the same things over the years where people seem to confuse the meaning of the Apostles and the disciples. It is my understanding that apostles were those brothers-in-Christ who personally witnessed the resurrected Jesus and who were appointed by Him to establish His Church.

A disciple would be anyone, including the Apostles, who denied themselves, picked up their cross and followed Jesus. That is the calling of anyone who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. Jim B.
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Post by wackzingo »

Jim,
I was just wondering what exactly is it about the "social gospel" that you believe is a false gospel? I don't know if I fully understand all that it teaches. Please help me out here. Whats so bad about the social gospel and how does it differ from evangelical Christianity?

In Christ
zach wingo
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The Social Gospel

Post by jimbaum »

The Social Gospel
wackzingo wrote:Jim,
I was just wondering what exactly is it about the "social gospel" that you believe is a false gospel? I don't know if I fully understand all that it teaches. Please help me out here. Whats so bad about the social gospel and how does it differ from evangelical Christianity?

In Christ
zach wingo
The worst case "Social Gospel" is one where social action and good works become a denomination's or movement's or individual's "Gospel" in the place of preaching believing on the Lord Jesus. Some in the social gospel movements have also been associated with "Christian Socialism" and/or Utopian visions of creating heaven on earth.

The Social Gospel on the Christian Left is equivalent to the Kingdom Now - Dominion - Reconstructionism on the right. Both, I believe, promote a Tower of Babel Vision - Global Transformation - crusade to take over the world type of agenda.

Most definitely, our calling as the Bride of Christ includes serving and helping and doing good because freely we have received and freely we should give.

But these are people-to-people callings not global crusade agendas. Our hope is not in this world. Our hope is in heaven.

I acknowledge that there are many disputable matters when it comes to how to be true to the Gospel and helping people without letting doing good agendas compromise the Gospel. I'm eager to examine these things with brothers in Christ. Jim B.
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Post by wackzingo »

Thanks,

Let me see if I understand this correctly about the social gospel. The social gospel says that we as christians have to meet the social needs of the world around us in order for the gospel to have any real effect. Meaning, if we fail to meet the social needs around us we have no gospel? Is this to far off or in the wrong direction?

zach
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Social Gospel

Post by jimbaum »

Zach, you have expressed very well, I believe, another way of describing the Social Gospel:
wackzingo wrote:Let me see if I understand this correctly about the social gospel. The social gospel says that we as christians have to meet the social needs of the world around us in order for the gospel to have any real effect. Meaning, if we fail to meet the social needs around us we have no gospel? Is this to far off or in the wrong direction?
What is so powerful about this approach of Social Gospel advocates is that it attempts to shame professing Christians into their camp.

There are many examples of this tactic out there; using our own concerns to twist our understanding of the Gospel.

The thing is, from the real Gospel WILL flow agape love manifested in service, helping, good works, feeding the poor, visiting those in prison, etc.

But the Social Gospel gets the cart before the horse and confuses good works with the Gospel itself.

The only way to sort out truth mixed with error is to examine the New Testament and rightly divide the word of God and see what it says and does not say.

Jim B.
wackzingo
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Post by wackzingo »

Jim,
I completely agree. However, even if Charles Sheldon was involved in the 'social gospel' movement, that doesn't change the fact that the book 'In His Steps' is still a very good and biblical book. The book itself is very good, Charles Sheldon may have been off but this book doesn't cover those topics.

The book basically follows the lives of several people who committed to do nothing for 1 year without first asking the question "what would Jesus do?" It covers the lives of a singer, pastor, business owner, and more. Although Charles M. Sheldon may have had some theology problems he still wrote a very good book that really challenges the reader to follow Jesus.

Zach
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Charles Sheldon

Post by jimbaum »

Zach,

I just ordered a copy of "In His Steps" and I'm looking forward to reading it.

Thanks for discussing important things with me.

Jim
queenofeverything

Re: Words from "In His Steps"

Post by queenofeverything »

jimbaum wrote:Words from "In His Steps"
...Some of what could be characterized today as the "Social Gospel" I would consider to be a false gospel. There is a lot I admire and respect about the attitude of service and humility that various social gospel activists demonstrate, even though I could not endorse them.

So, even though I may not be able to endorse Charles M. Sheldon or his books, the words you quoted, Zach, are very convicting and encouraging to die to self and pick up our cross and follow Jesus. Love, Jim
I agree. Image

Hi Jim! :D
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Welcome

Post by jimbaum »

Welcome, Queen!

Thank you for participating... and not just because you agreed with me!

Jim B.
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Post by Biblebeliever »

What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?

What should a disciple be doing?

What is the goal?


Summed up right here, isn't it, by God the Holy Spirit through the pen of the Apostle Paul, our example of true Christianity...

1Co 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Now, how many DO what he did? FEW

-vs-

How many think they do a WORK for God by the way they VOTE? MANY

The FEW

-vs-

the MANY,

summed up for us HERE,

Mat 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
In the service of the TRUTH, the LIVING WORD, JESUS CHRIST,

Craig

Psa 138:2 ... thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
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