Casting Crowns – Follow Me

The words “Follow Me…” is what discipleship is all about.

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” – Matthew 4:19  ESV

If we were to put a job description together so that a potential disciple or disciple-maker could see what they signed up for, I think these words would describe best what a committed relationship with Jesus looks like. Simply put, I am a person who has made a decision to follow Jesus with my head, am open to being changed by Jesus in my heart and am serving Jesus in mission with my hands.

“We point our people to the definition of a disciple found in the familiar passage
of Matthew 4:19. In this verse, Jesus gives an invitation to His future disciples, who are fishing at the time … we believe that this invitation describes the definition of a disciple and that to follow Jesus will mean a life change at the head, heart, and hands level of our beings.” – Jim Putman

I wrote about this as a guest writer in Sixty-six Books in a Year as a key building block in the life of a disciple and a disciple-maker.

David Platt goes further. He states we actually cannot be a person of such a mission unless we understand our identity as a disciple of Jesus. He believes there are six primary marks from this passage of scripture that identify a disciple – a transformed heart, a transformed mind, transformed affections, a transformed will, transformed relationships and a transformed purpose. Implication – every disciple should be aware of, depend on, and seek to grow in God’s transforming work of making us more like Christ.

When I really come to terms with this, I know it will change and continue to change my life completely. Becoming a disciple of Jesus, and I know it sounds so simple, is obeying His call to follow.

I think it is fair to say that it might be impossible to be a disciple of someone and not end up like that person.