Jesus is gathering His Church for a mission. It is true that the Church should be like a family, with its members encouraging one another, praying for one another, and enjoying the fellowship that comes to those who are in Christ. But at the same time, we must not forget that here on earth as we await the return of King Jesus, the Church is militant, not triumphant. By the Church militant, we mean that the body of Christ is on a mission to spread the gospel from shore to shore so that the knowledge of Christ will cover the earth like the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9). This means that the Church must be ready and able to build up each of its members so that they are capable and equipped to take the gospel message both in their own homes and around the world. It should be no surprise then, that one of the last things our Lord Jesus Christ gave to His disciples before His ascension was a command to make disciples, teaching them to obey all that He had commanded. At Christ Church, therefore, we are committed to following the lead of Jesus, obeying His command and doing all we can to equip each believer. At Christ Church, we move forward with “Our Vision: Make Disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20).

I. The Foundation of Discipleship
A. The Authority of Christ
B. The Command of Christ

II. The Means of Discipleship
A. Teaching
B. Living

III. The Consequences of Discipleship
A. Following Jesus
B. Changing the World for Jesus

Questions for consideration: (1) How is Jesus’ authority important for us in the everyday practice of discipleship? (2) In what spheres of your life can you disciple others by teaching? In what ways can you be discipled? Why do you think sharing life with other believers is so important to discipleship? (3) How should discipleship express itself in the local church? How should it affect the world around
us?