We thank God for His goodness and faithfulness. This year’s CBLC will be the 4th conference we are holding.
The first was titled ‘Building According to Pattern’. We believe that God has a pattern for ministry. He told Moses, see that you build according to the Pattern shown you on the mount. (Heb.8.5). This led us to looking at ‘the Minister’s Home’. We learnt that God also has a pattern for building homes, including those of Ministers.
Last year we felt a need to move from the work of the ministry and the home and concentrate on the man God uses. We looked at the ‘Inner Life of God’s Minister’
It is my firm belief that the Lord has been leading us up to learning about His passion, which is Discipleship.
In His final charge to His own disciples, He told them to go into the world, and make disciples -not converts or members- but disciples. (Matt.28.19)
If our Lord and Saviour gave explicit instructions to us, it is clear that He will measure us all with the parameters he set. (Matt.25.19)
Is there a difference between a disciple and a new convert or a church member? How does discipleship fit in?
Two scriptures that help to answer these questions simultaneously is found in Matt.11.28-29
28 Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
A quick perusal of these 2 verses reveals that there are 2 rests in both verses. One in verse 28 and another in verse 29
The first ‘rest’ refers to the rest given to the unbeliever who is heavy laden with sin, sickness, debt, demons etc. Once a person accepts Jesus as his personal Lord and Saviour, he is given ‘rest’ from the Lord and Bishop of his soul, the Lord Jesus.
However, there is another ‘rest’ available to the ‘new Believer’ found in verse 29. This is a different rest from the one in verse 28. This is a rest that is ‘found’, not ‘given’.
This ‘rest’ is found by voluntarily taking Christ’s yoke upon yourself and learning from Him.
What is a yoke? A yoke is a wooden bar put across the neck of 2 animals of the same kind to hold them together for the purpose of ploughing a field.
A yoke does not allow one to do what he likes or goes where he likes. A yoke compels a man to walk in the same step (and manner) as the one he is yoked to. In this case the Lord Jesus Christ.
This yoke controls the actions, reactions, behavior, response, attitude etc. of the Believer in line with the Lord’s.
When one this, It is only then that one finds rest for your souls.
Anyone who voluntarily does this is a Disciple. The process is called Discipleship. It involves reproducing the life of Jesus in the disciple or imparting the life of Jesus in the disciple
We see then that the process of making a man conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus is discipleship, and it is a transformation relationship.
Today, we find that many have become Believers, and have been given the rest promised, but are not yoked to the Lord.
Though Born-Again, we still find many who still carry our dubious business deals, lie, cheat, fornicate, and are easily justify their questionable actions once results are obtained.
A greater number are self-willed and still do things that satisfy the carnal flesh. Mammon is still what gratifies, defines and motivates many in the ministry simply because they are not yoked to the Lord.
Yet the scriptures tell us that we have been called to discipleship and to follow His steps (1Pet.2.21)
It is clear that towards the end of His ministry, the Lord, after preaching to multitudes concentrated on ‘making disciples’.
He was no longer interested in multitudes. In fact, just a few days to fulfilling His destiny at Calvary’s cross, He prayed only for the disciples, not the world (John.17.6-22)
At the end of this conference, there are some questions you need to ask yourself
Am I a disciple? Are you being discipled? Who are you discipling?
Remember, the mandate is make disciples. Make them!
May the Lord speak to you as you attend this crucial meeting in Jesus mighty name.
With every blessing,
Your brother
Femi Popoola
