Evangelism and Discipleship

As a Christian Author and Speaker, I have been asked what good it is to write a book like Checklist Jesus.  The answer is simple.  I want to share the beautiful message of Jesus Christ, and allow the reader to know the joy of following him in real fellowship each day of his or her life.  Christians and those not yet believing in Christ, can all be blessed by Checklist Jesus, but for clarity sake, I’d like to share my thoughts about why Checklist Jesus can be valuable to any person interested in beginning or furthering their relationship with Jesus Christ.

Evangelism is a word that describes the conversion of an individual from one particular belief system to another.  Evangelism has been the hallmark of the churches where I have served, but has fallen incredibly short of the overall mission of people who follow Christ.  Evangelism is the starting point for most followers of Jesus; in that, most people have a religious or spiritual mindset, prior to confessing Jesus Christ as Lord.  When that conversion takes place, these individuals are adopted into the family of God, and are granted eternal life with Christ.

However, that’s not the end of the story.

Discipleship is the rich experience of following Jesus Christ here on earth.  All Disciple means is a person who studies the teachings of, and follows the direction of a leader.  In the case of the Christian, we follow the direction of Jesus Christ by studying the Bible, and yielding to the direction of the Holy Spirit.  In short, a disciple follows.

Many Christian and non-Christian individuals assume that to follow Jesus through Discipleship means that you give up all worldly pleasures.  This is simply not true.  Though Christ never says that you will have your best life now if you follow him, he does promise us the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is not only our guide through the study of the Bible; He is also our Encourager to walk with God throughout each day of our lives.  Real Discipleship is a journey away from our own wickedness, toward Christ Jesus, through the direction and encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

 

Scriptural references: Galatians 2, Romans 5, 8, and 12, and Jude.