Many people who give their lives to Jesus have a spiritual desire to serve Him well, but don’t know how to start. And others who start out well give up along the way ... all because they lack an understanding on what the Bible teaches about discipleship. That’s what SPIRIT-FILLED DISCIPLESHIP: HOW GOD PREPARES CHRISTLIKE DISCIPLES is all about. Authored by Dr. David Fleming, a Spirit-filled minister who has experienced the life changing dynamics of discipleship in his own life, will help you discover the principles and power of Biblical discipleship and how being a disciple of Jesus will transform your life.
The fact that God has called all disciples of Jesus to represent the life and ministry of Jesus is foundational to understanding true Biblical discipleship and is the approach taken in the Spirit-filled Disciples Series (3 books). The series was written to help the reader gain insight into how God calls, prepares, and reveals Christlike disciples. The Full-Gospel tone of the series sets it apart from other discipleship study books.
The author uses the preparation of Joseph as a template for teaching the principles of discipleship preparation for a disciple of Jesus Christ.
The "Pause & Reflect" questions following each sub-section promote personal involvement with that which is taught in the series. The questions make the book perfect for personal Bible study as well as group discipleship classes.
Preparation is a process that is needed to develop Christlike character in you, which will at the same time enable you to fulfill your destiny. It is much like the metamorphosis process that a caterpillar must go through to become a beautiful butterfly. The potential is there, but the caterpillar will never become a butterfly unless it is willing to undergo the process of being in a cocoon. In the same way, disciples of Jesus Christ must also be put in a “cocoon” of preparation where they will be changed into Christlike disciples who exemplify Jesus in their lives and ministries.
Unfortunately, too many Christians want instant spiritual maturity. They want to be able to fulfill their destiny without having to go through the process of being prepared. Yet, the process of being prepared by the Lord to fulfill one’s destiny just can’t be rushed. There may be times that the Lord will deal with a person in such a way as to accomplish more in them in a shorter period of time, but it is still not an instant process! When it does seem that the Lord has done something instantly, you’ll always find that there was a great deal of preparation that preceded the event.
Preparation Takes Time
Before the Lord created man He established the law of time and then made man to function within its boundaries. Thus, nearly everything that involves man on this earth will involve the process of time. This is seen in the way that the Lord set up His creation. He linked time with the ability of His creation to grow, mature, and reproduce itself. For instance, the seeds that the Lord put in plants have the potential of becoming a full-grown plant or tree, but it takes time.
Jesus deals with His disciples in much the same way. Through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus you are given a brand-new start in life. Like a seed you have been planted in Christ where you have the potential to grow and become tremendously fruitful in God’s Kingdom. However, growth and fruitfulness are not automatic. As with God’s creation it takes time. Therefore, it is important for you to begin to value and respect the time that the Lord will take in preparing you. Don’t try to rush your preparation, or even worse, try to fulfill what you believe is your destiny without being prepared; to do so will always lead to disappointment and could even lead you to disaster.
A good example of this is seen in the life of Joseph. He would have been a miserable failure as the patriarch of his family and prime minister of Egypt had he not been fully prepared by God. It took a considerable amount of time to complete the process of preparation in Joseph’s life.
When God first revealed to Joseph his destiny in life, he thought that he was already ready to rule over his brothers. At first Joseph didn’t understand that such leadership required much more than a priestly coat and favored status with his father. It would require that he be changed from within if he was going to fulfill his destiny in a Christlike way. He needed to experience an inner metamorphosis orchestrated by the hand of the Lord. Thus, the Lord put Joseph in a “cocoon” process of preparation that eventually led him to fulfillment.
Pause & Reflect
(1) It takes time for God’s creation to grow, mature, and reproduce itself. How is this a spiritual object lesson to those who are being prepared by Jesus to fulfill their destiny?
(2) Explain how it was a timely process for the Lord to bring Joseph to the fulfillment of his destiny?