I recently spent the evening with an Army soldier as he was discipling a group of younger soldiers. I was deeply encouraged by the passion all these men had for Jesus, the Word, and the mission of making disciples among the next generation of leaders in our military.
Discipleship is at the core of what Christ commissioned His followers to do when He walked the earth. He taught, modeled, and commanded it. Jesus called others to follow Him and do likewise. In Matthew 4:19 He says, “Come, follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men.” These words are not just for those in “vocational ministry.” They are for every believer.
Jesus taught discipleship. Sometimes Jesus taught large groups. But on many occasions, He taught His small band of disciples. In doing this, He modeled “life-on-life” discipleship. Jesus modeled being among the lost and broken (Matthew 9:34,35) and sacrificial servanthood (John 13). He also modeled proclaiming the Gospel (Luke 4:43) and spending time alone with His Father (Mark 1:35). As we disciple, we need to model what we teach.
Jesus also commanded His followers to practice discipleship. In Matthew 9:37,38, His command was for us to pray for laborers because there were not enough of them. This is still true today. In Matthew 28:19,20, He commands us to make disciples of all nations. His vision for discipleship is for all His followers to advance the Gospel into all nations.
Today’s military is “white for harvest” (John 4:35). Will you pray with us to see the next generation of leaders reached with the Gospel? Will you do the same right where you are? Who is the one you are discipling?
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