Some thoughts on Discipleship

Posted on April 22, 2009 
Filed under Resources

Bishop Peter BrainBishop Peter Brain contributed these challenging quotes in The Link – the magazine of the Diocese of Armidale –

JESUS said:

– “Go and make disciples of all nations.” (Matthew 28:19)
– “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” (Luke 9:23-2)
– “Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17)
– “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
– “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

What follows are some words of Christians over the years that might challenge and encourage you on the discipleship path.  

1. “If we only give up the wrong things for Jesus, we cannot say we’re in love with Jesus. It is only when we give up our rights – the rightful things – that we demonstrate our love for Jesus.” J. Oswald Sanders

2. “O God, help us to be masters of ourselves that we may be servants of others.” Sir Alec Paterson

3. “When men truly honour God, God honours their faith. His servants may not grow wealthy as the world understands riches, but they will not lack.” L.L. Morris

4. “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him.” C.T. Studd

5. “Only one life, which will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.”

6.   “S/He is no fool who gives what s/he cannot keep to gain what s/he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

7. “When Christ calls a man He bids him come and die.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

8. “In the Christian life we do not stand still, we use our gifts and make progress or we lose what we have.” L.L. Morris

9. “We are all cowardly. We are ashamed of being true, whole-hearted Christians. With half-hearted Christianity  one can be at ease in all circles and at all social functions. Vital Christianity has always been despised and more or less persecuted.” O. Hallesby

10. “The scandal of the church is that the Christ event is no longer life-changing, it has become life-enhancing. We’ve lost the joy that makes real disciples, and we’ve become consumers of religion and not disciples of Jesus Christ.” Archbishop John Sentamu

11. “Show me you are redeemed and I will believe in your Redeemer.” Nietzsche

12. “We do Jesus a grave disservice, if ever we lead people to believe that the Christian way is an easy way. There is no thrill like the way of Christ, and there is no glory like the end of that way; but Jesus never said it was an easy way. The way to glory always involved a cross.” William Barclay

13. “We have accepted a life-style which is so similar to the covetous world around us as to be indistinguishable from it.” David Watson

14. “I read in a book that a man called Christ went about doing good. It is very disconcerting to me that I am so easily satisfied with just going about.” Toyohiko Kagawa

15. “You are writing a gospel. a chapter each day, by the words that you say and the works that you do. Men read what you write disturbing or true; what is the gospel according to you?” African proverb

16. “Discipleship growth is the kind of growth expected of every Christian. The Bible uses two particular illustrations of this kind of growth: the picture of a baby growing, changing from a diet of milk to an eventual diet of strong meat or solid food and the picture of a tree growing upwards by pushing its roots downwards.” Peter Cotterell

17. “Christ has taken our nature into Heaven, to represent us, and has left us on earth, with His nature, to represent Him.” John Newton

18. “Live by the word of God or by the whim of the moment.” Charles Colson

– from The Link, March 2009 (PDF direct link). (Photo: Russell Powell.)