Are You A Disciple Of The Lord Jesus Christ?

The word, "disciple", is very similar to the word, "discipline." This is no accident. The life of discipleship is a life of discipline. This is the point which Jesus made, when He said, "If any man would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me" (Matthew 16:24).
This is the lesson which Paul had learned when he said, "For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). When Paul said, "Necessity is laid upon me", he was not speaking of a shallow or superficial emotion. The Holy Spirit works within us so that we might learn the discipline of discipleship. The discipline of discipleship - this is the challenge which Paul's life sets before us. Are you a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ?

Learning From Paul - A Man Filled With The Holy Spirit

In his message to the elders at Ephesus, Paul describes his ministry in this way - "I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying to both Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:20-21). As he speaks of this Christ-centred ministry, Paul makes it clear that he does not carry out this ministry in his own strength. He speaks of the next step in his missionary journey - "now ... I am going to Jerusalem, bound in the Spirit" (Acts 20:22). We learn from Paul that the Holy Spirit is leading us on to greater things - in the service of Christ. Paul was not content with what he had achieved in the service of Christ. led by the Holy Spirit, Paul was moving on to greater things. This is the way the Holy Spirit is leading us today. We must not rest content. We must go on.