Pleasing God, Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

The Simple Steps of Discipleship

EZRA 7:10: For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.”

Perhaps it is a stretch, but I believe one would be hard-pressed to find a better definition of discipleship than what is revealed in today’s scripture. As one reads of Ezra’s actions, we are reminded of the Lord’s exhortation in His Sermon on the Mount – Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand (Matthew 7:24-26). The common link between Ezra’s actions and the Lord’s teaching is being a doer of the Word of God heard. And that reveals the key lesson; it is not the Christian knowing the Word of God who prospers spiritually and grows in the Lord, but the Christian who knows AND does the Word of God. As such, Ezra becomes our example of a believer walking the simple path of discipleship. Let us follow him and learn . ..

First, the believer walking the path as a disciple of Jesus Christ is committed to the study of the Word of God – For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD .It goes without saying, but here it goes . . . “There is no growth in Christ without the desire turned discipline to be in God’s Word and that beyond a shallow reading.” Read the Word, yes, but reading is not studying. Learn the difference for our spiritual growth is stunted if we only read the Word. To study the Word produces no spiritual growth unless we follow Ezra in the next step of discipleship.

Ezra takes what he studied in God’s Word and acted on it – For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it. Here is where many of us get “disconnected” in our spiritual lives. We may desire to grow spiritually and even pray for growth and study the Word, but if there are not decisive acts of obeying what we learned, there will be no growth. Learning must be followed by doing. Yet, another step is involved in discipleship. Again, Ezra models for us.

The disciple of Christ studies His Word, obeys His Word, and then teaches others what was learned – For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. God has not made us “storage bins” of His truth to be kept to ourselves. We learn to share. We obey to teach. And, yes, every one of us are teachers of God’s Word and that does not mean in a formal way, but in a day-to-day life way in our families, churches, and communities. We teach by actions. We teach by speech. We teach by attitudes. Each day, all day.

When it comes to the steps of discipleship, they are simple, not easy, but simple. Like Ezra, we study, we obey, we teach. May the Lord help us not make complex what He has made clear and become Ezra – like in following Him.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to be a disciple of Your Son; one who learns, does, and teaches.”

QUOTE: “True spiritual growth is a threefold process; we learn, we do, and we teach.”