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BIBLICAL STUDIES | BOOK REVIEWS | CHRISTIAN LIVING | CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT | DISCIPLESHIP | LEADERSHIP | MISSION & OUTREACH | PRAYER & DEVOTION

When Does Discipleship Start?

There is a common misunderstanding that discipleship is for the spiritually mature Christian to help another Christian. There are three biblical accounts that I would like to discuss that illustrate that “Go” in Matthew 28:19-20 means now, not waiting until you are spiritually mature.

Andrew

Let’s first look at Andrew recorded in Matthew 4:18-20; Mark 1:16-18 and John 1:40-42. In these accounts, after Andrew comes to faith, he immediately joins the kingdom call that the gospel calls for by sharing the good news with his brother. Andrew also proclaims that Jesus is Christ—another element of a gospel response.

The Philippian Jailer

When the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:29-33 witnessed the miraculous events surrounding Paul and Silas, he asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They responded, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” The jailer and his household believed and were baptized immediately, demonstrating the urgent obedience of their faith.

The Samaritan Woman

When Jesus went to Samaria in the middle of the day, He met the woman at the well. Knowing of her shame and place in society, Jesus broke cultural norms and approached her. In her coming of faith, she left her clay pot behind because she was filled with the living water, also known as the Holy Spirit. What was her first step of faith in her Messiah? She ran to her village, sharing the good news. The beauty in this story is that Jesus used all that shame and her being a societal outcast, and she was able to evangelize her whole village, and the village came to faith. Her testimony advanced the kingdom because she took that baby step of faith and was on mission for Jesus.

Now What?

At that moment of saving faith and repentance, our first step is toward Jesus and joining His kingdom’s mission of making disciples. These biblical examples illustrate that true faith in Christ compels immediate action. The transformative power of encountering Jesus leads to life-changing decisions and bold steps of obedience. As we reflect on these stories, may we be inspired to respond promptly to God’s calling in our lives, demonstrating our faith through our actions? While this walk is different for everyone, that step is building in growing our faith and the fruit of our faith.

Randy is an IT consulting executive with an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary, where he is pursuing a Doctor of Educational Ministry in Discipleship, Mentoring, and Coaching. As a certified giftedness coach trained by Bill Hendricks and The Giftedness Center, Randy helps evangelical executives and organizational leaders discover and align their leadership with their divine design. He also provides one-on-one mentoring to help men faithfully walk out their faith in the workplace and in life.

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Article Topic(s): Christian Living | Discipleship

Themes Covered: Biblical Women / Gospel / Kingdom / New Testament.

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