It's About A Relationship

Last week in our Men's Tuesday morning group, we were talking about discipleship. We were talking about  the characteristics of how each man in the group was discipled and then we compared those characteristics with how Jesus discipled the Twelve. There were two quotes that came from one man in the group that I thought hit the "nail on the head" in regards to discipleship. 


“Jesus didn’t teach legalism/religion, he taught relationship” 

And then the question was asked, "Why do you think Jesus didn’t select the “best of the best”, the smartest, the most intelligent Rabbis to follow Him?"

“It wasn’t who they were (that mattered), but who they knew (that mattered).”

In order to be in relationship with someone, you need to "know" them. Jesus took the time to get to know His disciples. Here are some of the characteristics we had written down that Jesus did with the disciples:

He "called" them to follow Him.

He lived with them.

He ate with them.

He prayed with them

He questioned them-and they were allowed to question Him-2 way communication.
He taught them the Truth and The Way.
He challenged them.
He reprimanded or rebuked them.
He sent them out.
He set an example for them-modeled for them.
He Transparent/real with them.
He built trust with them.
He rested with them.
He was patient with them.

He loved them and they loved Him-2 way.

We are all called to make disciples if we are truly Christ-followers. In the book we are studying on Tuesday mornings, "How God Makes Men" by Patrick Morely, he says "Discipleship is a moral issue. In fact, we could say this: Anything less than a plan to disciple every willing person is a catastrophic moral failure."

 ¹⁷ “Follow Me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people!” Mark 1:17

Jesus called them to a "relationship" that would change their lives and would change the world.