It Takes a Disciple

It takes a disciple to make a disciple. We cannot give what we do not have. We cannot pass on what we have not received. We cannot teach what we do not know. We cannot share what we do not own. We cannot make disciples if we are not a disciple. We can only lead someone as far as we ourselves have gone. Jesus knew this. He knew that the Great Commission of making disciples of all nations would be unachievable if he did not train his followers to lead others. This is why the disciples did not do much more than watch Jesus work for a year or more. Following Jesus was on-the-job-training. He modeled ministry, then delegated assignments to the disciples, let them succeed and fail, and then gave feedback, correction, and encouragement. The more that people came to Jesus, the more opportunities Jesus had for teachable moments with his disciples.