

CHRIST CREATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
HOW TO BECOME A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST

How To Become A Disciple Of Christ
A Christian is a person who believes in Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord. When you first accepted Jesus Christ in your heart, you became a Christian. You made Jesus Christ your Savior. However, in order to become a disciple of Christ, you must make Jesus Christ your Lord. This is not automatic and most born again Christian never go on to this level with God. A disciple of Christ has made Jesus Christ the Lord of his or her life. A disciple of Christ has a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. A disciple of Christ has an on going fellowship with Jesus Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who follows Jesus Christ as his or her Savior and Lord. A disciple lives his or her life as Christ like as he or she can. The word Christian means "Christ like or like Christ." A disciple of Christ lives and act like Jesus Christ.
A disciple obeys Jesus in all things and draws on His strength to help him or her with the situations of daily life and living.
You were born again to walk and talk and act like Jesus Christ on this earth. You were born of the Spirit to live and move and have your being in Christ.
To become a disciple of Christ, you need to know the following basic truths.
1. A Disciple Is Not Above His Or Her Teacher
Because God wants us to grow, God wants us to humble ourselves under Him. God wants us to know that He must increase in importance while we decrease in importance. God does not want us to do anything that would put ourselves over or above Him.
"The disciple is not above His master, nor the servant above his lord. (Matthew 10:24 (KJV))"
"It is enough for the disciple that he be like his master, and the servant like his lord… (Matthew 10:25))"
2. A Disciple Must Take Up His Or Her Cross Daily
In order to be a disciple, every Christian must individually decide on a daily basis to take up his or her cross. An actual Roman cross was an instrument of torture, death, and shame. The spiritual cross, which Jesus refers to in the gospel of Luke, is anything in our lives that gives God the glory but others may feel is something of shame. Giving God praise in public, witnessing for Jesus, helping the poor and needy, or visiting the sick and those in jail may be viewed as something of shame but it gives God the glory. The process of taking up your cross daily and doing things that others may feel is beneath them is the process of denying yourself. It is the process of denying our natural selfishness and natural self-centered tendencies and doing what God wants us to do for Him. Jesus showed us this process in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed to His Father for the bitter cup of the Cross to pass from Him but then He accepted it by saying, "…Not as I will, but as thou wilt. (Matthew 26:39 (KJV))"
"And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23 (KJV))"
3. In Order To Save Your Life As A Disciple You Must Lose Your Life
For those who are young in Christ, those who have limited knowledge about Christ, or those who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior; this sounds like double talk. But for a disciple of Christ, this is the process that opens up the secret of experiencing salvation in your day to day life. God has a different way of doing things than us human beings. God's ways are not naturally our ways and our ways are not naturally God's ways. But if we stop and think and realize that the ways of the world are 100 percent in the opposite direction to the ways of God, then we can begin to understand way our natural logic is not the natural logic of God. God ways are not our ways and our ways are not God's ways because as high as the heavens are above the earth so is God's ways above our ways. God tells us the first shall be last and the last shall be first but the world tells us the first shall be first and the last shall be last. God tells us in order to save our life we must lose it but the world tells us to save our life we must hold on to it. This sounds like double talk. However, if you can see with the eyes of faith as a disciple, then you will see that the only way you can save your life is to give your life away in service to God and in service to others. Jesus lost His life on an old rugged Cross but He gained His life in His resurrection from the dead with all power in His hands. Fifty to 100 years from now nobody will remember that big deal you made today. What shall it profit a man or a woman if he or she gains the whole world but lose his or her soul? But if you give your heart and soul in service to God and to others, you will always be remembered. The positive principles of God that you lived will live on forever. Only what you do for Christ will last!
"For whoseoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. (Luke 9:24 (KJV))"
4. A Disciple of Christ Will Bring Forth Christian Results
When a man or a woman becomes a disciple of Christ, he or she will bring forth results or fruits. This is one of the most important ways to distinguish a born again Christian or babe in Christ from a disciple of Christ or mature Christian. Just because a person is born again does not mean that he or she will automatically bring forth fruits or Christian results. In order to bring forth fruits, you must be connected to Jesus and the Holy Ghost must be flowing in your life. The Holy Ghost has to be powerful in your life. You have to be filled with the Holy Ghost. This is more than just the born again experience. This is going on to be a disciple of Christ. It is the process called sanctification. It is the process called holiness. It is the process called Christian growth. It is the process of being, doing and acting more and more like Jesus Christ. It is the process of letting the Holy Ghost live the life of Jesus Christ in you, on you, and through you.
"In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (John 15:8 (KJV))"
"For He gave some apostles, and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 (KJV))"
"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you… (Acts 1:8 (KJV))"
"And be not drunk with wine, in which is excess, but be ye filled with the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18 (KJV))"
5. A Disciple Is Ready, Willing And Able To Forsake All
A disciple of Christ will grow to a point in the Lord where he or she can and will forsake all if the Lord directs him or her to do it. A babe in Christ or newly minted born again Christian cannot do that. A carnal Christian or a Christian who is more concerned with the things of this world will not do that. Only a growing disciple of Christ can come to a place in his or her life where he or she is willing and able to give up everything for the cause of Christ. This is the result of a process of growth over time, not an instantaneous event.
"So likewise, whosoever he is of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:33(KJV))"
6. A Disciple Is A Manager Of The Things Of God
A disciple of Christ is a steward or manager of the things of God in this earth. A disciple of Christ is a servant of God. God has entrusted all disciples of Christ with the Word of God and the truths of God and the Church of Jesus Christ. A disciple is to teach, preach, protect, defend, and live the Word of God. A disciple is to be a wise and faithful steward.
"Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (KJV))"
"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant; thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy Lord. (Matthew 25:21(KJV))"
7. Through Prayer And Growing In The Word, You Can Become A Disciple Of Christ
Your focus for your salvation was to look at Jesus Christ as your Savior. However, now your focus to become a disciple of Christ is to look at Jesus Christ as your Lord. If you want to begin or continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, pray this simple prayer from your heart:
Father,
Your Word says You love me and you saved me from my sins. Your Word also says You want me to be more like Jesus. You sent Your only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for my sin on an old rugged Cross so I could live with you forever. I have believed in my heart the Lord Jesus and confessed with my mouth that You have raised Him from the dead. I now understand that because He is resurrected from the dead with all power in His hands, is seated at the right hand of the Father and have saved me, You want me to go on to become a disciple of Christ. I know that I am a sinner saved by grace but Jesus has made me the righteousness of God in Him. I ask you Lord to lead me and guide me into all spiritual truth. I ask you Lord to strengthen me for the journey. I ask you Lord to take me forward, take me to another level, and make me a lifelong disciple of Christ. I want to save my life by losing it in You. I want to be faithful to You. I want to bear much fruit for You. I want to be more like Jesus. I want to grow in my faith so that I walk more like Jesus, talk more like Jesus, act more like Jesus, and be more like Jesus. Thank You Jesus for hearing and answering my prayer and for giving me the power to be a disciple of Christ, every day.
In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
Congratulations!
If you prayed that prayer from your heart, you have now began or restarted the process of being a disciple of Christ! Remember this is not an instant event. This is a life long commitment! God the Holy Ghost will lead you! God the Son, Jesus Christ, will guide you! God the Father will protect you! You now are in the process of earning your rewards in heaven. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding! Discipleship is a lifelong process where the Holy Ghost is building your spiritual home in your mind and soul as you yeild to the Spirit and use the spiritual materials of gold, silver and precious stones (not the carnal materials of wood, hay and stubble) (1 Corinthians 3:12).
Please contact Christ Creative Baptist Church, The Rev. Dr. George Ferguson, Pastor, and tell us that you made the decision to be a disciple of Christ. We can be reached at telephone number: 301-808-2222, address: 9171 Central Avenue, Suite 303, Capitol Heights, MD 20743, or EMail: drsax989238@msn.com.
If you do not have a church home, you need to join a local Church. Christ Creative Baptist Church invites you to join us, to fellowship with other Christians and to grow in the grace of God. You can join Christ Creative Baptist Church as (1) a candidate for baptism, (2) with your letter of Christian experience, (3) on your statement of Christian experience, or (4) under church watch care.
You also need a quiet time in the morning to fellowship with God.
Reading your Bible daily will renew your mind. Begin in the book of Romans chapter 1. Praying daily will strengthen you. Consistent communicate with God will develop a personal relationship with God.
Don't be discouraged if you stumble or fall. If that happens, REPENT to God, ask for forgiveness and make a quality decision to keep on living for the Lord. The Apostle Paul said, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2 (KJV))"

CHRIST CREATIVE BAPTIST CHURCH
9171 CENTRAL AVENUE, SUITE 303
CAPITOL HEIGHTS, MD 20743-3837
301-808-CCBC
(301-808-2222)
FAX: 301-249-4159
EMail: drsax989238@msn.com
THE REV. DR. GEORGE ST. ANTHONY FERGUSON, SR., PASTOR

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AT CCBC!
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Dr. George St. A. Ferguson, Sr., CPCM, President & CEO
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