(John 1:37) “And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.” As we move once again into another new year, it’s good to look back and challenge ourselves concerning our service and walk with God. In the above verse we read for the first time in this gospel account the word “disciple.” John the Baptist had disciples and when Jesus came onto the scene the disciples that followed John left him to now follow Jesus. Why, and what is so special about making disciples? 1) We are all called to be disciples of Jesus. A disciple is a “trainee” or an “apprentice.” He or she is someone who is expected to follow the trainer, learn their skills, and then pass them on. If these skills are not passed on, they will die with the trainer. In salvation we are all called to not just be saved but to pass on the skills and truths that we have both learned and practice in Christ. 2) We are called to make disciples. Our job is to seek out disciples through the preaching of the gospel. God is the one who does the saving, but he expects us to do the follow-up and the training.3) We are therefore to train his disciples. A discipler must first know what he has been discipled in. If he doesn’t, he cannot pass on truthfully his master’s skills. That’s why we must study God’s Word, spend time in church and learn, and have a close relationship with God. The disciples above had to follow and spend time with John and Jesus to be like them.
( Gen 41:41-43) “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt... A nd he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.” When Joseph was introduced to us in chp.37, he was a young inexperienced 17 year old boy, and yet 13 years later God raised him up to rule the nation of Egypt. So, what made him different ? The Answer : “ Time,” and his faith in God ! You see time is a wonderful teacher; 1) Time strengthens endurance . Endurance and faith can only be strengthened over time. Like exercise, we start out not able to do much but over time we find that we can do more. You see, God allows us to go through the ups and downs of life, to help us gain not only spiritual maturity, but also spiritual abilities. Spiritual endurance therefore enables us to handle life’s trials better. 2) Time strengthens patience . Although Joseph, ...
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