So we are co-crucified, co-buried, co-raised to life and now we co-reign with Christ. What I know I need to learn to do is to co-labor with Christ and fulfill our co-mission.

God has chosen to work in and through man in this world. This is the amazing thing. It would seem God has limited Himself by depending on us. Yet, Paul tells us that God will be glorified and His greatness made clear by the work that He does through mankind.

We have been saved by the grace of God and empowered by that same grace to co-labor with Christ on the same mission that He was on while He was among us. That is why it is called the great commission.

The commission that we have is to make disciples, not just preach the gospel.

It is what we are called to do, and it is how we will all grow up into Christ. Together we are stronger! As we share with each other the hope we have found in Christ and as we learn of the Lord together, we grow stronger.

We must learn what true discipleship is and we must learn how to make disciples. We cannot keep simply trying to get people to pray some magic salvation prayer and not do what we were commissioned to do! It requires very little to pray a “salvation” prayer, but costs everything to be a true follower of Christ and to make disciples. This is part of our co-laboring with Christ.

Discipleship is about helping each other learn to live our new life in Christ.

So discipleship goes beyond leading someone to Christ and means being involved with helping them grow up into Christ!

I want to point out that discipleship and friendship are not the same thing, though they can be related. Please don't confuse the two! You can be friends with someone and not be helping them grow in Christ. In fact, you could be detrimental to their growth.

To truly disciple someone, you have to focus on them and not on you.

It is hard to focus on someone's needs and still get offended about not getting your way. The aspect of being like Christ that blows me away is learning to be selfless instead of selfish. If I am a disciple of Christ, then I am laying down my life to follow Him and serve others and I will teach others to do the same. To be a true disciple of Christ is to lay down your life.

As a disciple of Christ we should progressively learning the Word of God to become a matured growing Christ follower and encouraging other believers to do the same. We need each other. Discipleship is simple math. You learn, you help others learn, you grow together, and the body of Christ grows up!

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to do discipleship.

The creator of all the universe has invited us in on the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. We are co-laboring with Him in His kingdom! He created all things, sustains all things, is in all things and all things exist because of Him.