Discipleship

Without Jesus there is no discipleship.  This singular truth should guide all our attempts to disciple those who have received Jesus as Savior.

It is no accident that Jesus made Himself the subject of His own teaching.  All that He said of Himself leads us to the conclusion that He is the way, the truth and the life.

We hear Him saying He is essential for anyone who desires to return to the Father. We also hear Him say He is central to discipleship.

In John 15:1-8 Jesus describes His Father’s vineyard.  In this spiritual ecosystem where love is sent into the world as fruit the essential role of the True Vine is very clear.  So there wouild be no doubt Jesus uses these powerful words:  “Without Me you can nothing.”   In any language nothing means nothing.

In the Father’s ecosystem of love Jesus is central.  If Jesus not is central, present and active there is no discipleship.

Imagine a beautiful ecosystem where all the elements are in perfect harmony for the cultivation of grapes.  The only thing missing is the Vine.  Simply put, there will be no grapes, juice or wine. All that harmony is useless if the goal is a particular fruit.

Finding the Vine is the essential element if one wants grapes. This does not diminish the other parts of the ecosystem.  In God’s plan everything else that surrounds Jesus is for Jesus.  Why?  Because He is the source of all that surrounds Him and the goal of all that surrounds Him.  The ecosystem exists for Him to be and do what only He can be and do.

When our discipleship does not begin and end in Jesus it is useless for producing what the Father wants.  The Father wants what is only in Jesus.  

Discipleship is Jesus present and active in a surrounding ecosystem that exists so Jesus can reveal the true nature of the Father which is love.

Discipleship is essentially Jesus. Center on Him. 

Bud McCord

Abide International