I like Billy Graham's definition of a disciple, someone who believes in Jesus and seeks to follow him in his or her daily life.* The word disciple also means student. There are plenty of fans and followers in the world but a student goes deeper and explores and investigates. Jesus isn't physically present on the earth any more but we have his Word, the Bible, which includes some of the actual words he said plus accounts from his first disciples. His Spirit lives in us and can help us as we read the Bible and pray. Being a follower of Jesus isn't like following someone on Instagram, it is studying his word and devoting yourself to living like him and for him. Jesus' final instructions to his disciples was, go and make disciples in all the nations (Matthew 28:19) so it must be pretty important.
* Read more here: https://www.kansascity.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/billy-graham/article77272832.html#storylink=cpy
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1 Corinthians 11:23-26
The Lord Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks to God for it, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new agreement between God and you that has been established and set in motion by my blood. Do this in remembrance of me whenever you drink it.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup you are retelling the message of the Lord’s death, that he has died for you. Do this until he comes again. The bread (or wafer) and wine (or grape juice) represent the body and blood of Christ. They remind us that he died on the cross and rose again to forgive our sins and restore us to right relationship with God. There is nothing magical about the bread and wine, they are just a reminder - just like a wedding ring is a reminder of the two people's endless love for each other. Communion is also known as the Lord's Supper, the Lord's Table, and the Eucharist. When Jesus shared the bread and wine with his disciples, they were celebrating the Passover (more about that in the future). It was actually the last meal Jesus ate with his disciples because Judas betrayed him and he was arrested later that night. Some churches share communion each time they meet, some do it once a month. The Bible instructs us to keep doing it until Jesus comes again. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29 You should each examine yourself first, and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. For if you do not recognise the meaning of the Lord's body when you eat the bread and drink from the cup, you bring judgment on yourself as you eat and drink. You should make sure you participate in communion with the right attitude, otherwise you are sinning. Communion is a time of reflection and repentance, a time to confess your sins to God and ask for forgiveness. Baptise (or baptize if you're in the US) means to dip, plunge or immerse in water. The gospels tell us how John baptised believers - that's why he is called John the Baptist. He said, I baptise you with water to show that your hearts and lives have changed (Matthew 3:11). You don't have to be baptised to be a Christian. Baptism is symbolic of God washing away your sins, just like water washes away dirt. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus said, Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If Jesus said it, then it's a good idea to do it.
I became a Christian and was baptised when I was 10 years old. I felt an overwhelming sense of peace and God's presence when I was submerged in the water. I'm so glad I did it as an act of obedience to God's word. You don't have to be baptised in a church - you can do it in a swimming pool, river, lake or at the beach. An apostle is someone who is a messenger or has been sent on a mission. This word is only found in the New Testament. Jesus, was a disciple, sent by his Father to earth. Hebrews 3:1 says, think about Jesus, the one we call our apostle and high priest!
Jesus sent out twelve disciples or messengers during his ministry on earth. Matthew 10:1-7 tells us about them: 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John, the sons of Zebedee; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew, the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Patriot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. 5 These twelve men were sent out by Jesus with the following instructions: “Do not go to any Gentile territory or any Samaritan towns. 6 Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. 7 Go and preach, ‘The Kingdom of heaven is near!’ 8 Heal the sick, bring the dead back to life, heal those who suffer from dreaded skin diseases, and drive out demons. Jesus sent the Apostles out to tell the Israelites the good news that he was going to save them. When Judas betrayed Jesus, Matthias was chosen to replace him. You can read all about the twelve disciples in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) and the book of Acts. After Jesus returned to his father in heaven, God called Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles (non-Israelites). Romans 1:1 says, God chose me to be an apostle and gave me the work of telling his Good News. We find a lot of words in the Bible that we don't use outside of church. Often, we don't even know what they mean so we will be looking at a new word each week. Sometimes hallelujah is spelt alleluia. It means praise the Lord and is found in the book of Psalms and Revelation.
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