Discipleship is a growing experience in which I surrender myself to His will, walk in obedience to Him, and allow Him to use my life as He pleases.
Read: Matthew 4:18-22
Acknowledging Christ as Savior means coming to Him as a sinner, recognizing He took my punishment on a cross, and trusting Him alone as my only way to heaven. Discipleship is a growing experience in which I surrender myself to His will, walk in obedience to Him, and allow Him to use my life as He pleases. Suppose, though, someone were to ask, “Why does Christ want you to be His disciple?” What would you answer?
Although the answers could be many and varied, they might not be as specific as Christ is in Matthew 4:19. As He walked by the Sea of Galilee and saw Peter and Andrew casting their net into the water, He introduced them to fishing with an eternal purpose. His exhortation followed by a promise, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men,” left no doubt about His intention. He wanted people who would follow because He wanted people who would evangelize. Robert Coleman, in his excellent book entitled The Master Plan of Evangelism, commented, “Evangelism is not an optional accessory to our life. It is the heartbeat of all that we are called to be and do.”
Although they knew nearly everything about fishing for fish, they knew next to nothing about fishing for men. Nevertheless, “they immediately left their nets and followed Him” (v. 20). They understood that if they’d simply be the learners, He’d be the teacher.
How about you? Have you committed yourself to growing as Christ’s disciple? If so, have you realized that the primary way He wants to use you is to introduce the lost to Himself? Whether you’re a plumber or a preacher, a homemaker or a high school teacher, He wants to use you in evangelism. Interestingly, the Great Commission is set in the context of discipleship. They were to disciple others to do what He had called them to do (Matthew 28:19–20).
Someone once said, “The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.” God wants to use you in your present profession for something that will outlast it. Are you letting Him do it?
Dr. Larry Moyer is an evangelist and the founder of Evantell, a ministry to encourage and equip individuals and churches to reach the world with the clear and simple good news of Jesus Christ, all to ensure that more people hear the gospel in more places every day.
This article was previously published through Evantell and is used with permission.