Go . . . Make Disciples - DO ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE A PART IN MAKING DISCIPLES?

 Every Christian minister is involved in helping to find honest-0hearted ones.  We could liken this work to finding a lost child. In what way?  Consider the real-life example of a three-year-old boy who wandered away from home.  About 500 people were involved in searching for him. Finally, some 20 hours after the child went missing,  a volunteer discovered the little boy in a cornfield.  That volunteer refused to take credit for locating the boy. He said: "It took hundreds of people to find him."

Many people are like that child.  They feel lost.  They have no hope, but they want to help.  (Ephesians 2:12)  Over eight million of us are involved in trying to find these deserving ones. You may not personally; find someone who will study the Bible with you. However, other publishers working the same territory may find someone who wants to learn the truth found in God's Word.  When a brother or sister meets someone who becomes a disciple of Christ, everyone in the search has good reason to rejoice.

Even if you are not personally conducting a  Bible study, you can assist  in making disciples in other ways. For example, you can welcome new ones and befriend them when they come to the Kingdom Hall.  In that way, you can help convince them that love identifies us as true Christians. (John 13:34, 35)  The answers you give during the meetings, though brief, can teach newly associated ones to express their convictions in a sincere and respectful manner.  You can also accompany a new publisher in the ministry an help him to use the Scriptures to reason with people. By doing that, you will be teaching him to imitate Christ. - LUKE 10:25-28. 

None of us should think that we need exceptional abilities to teach others to be disciples of Jesus. Why not?  Consider the example of Faustina, who lives in Bolivia. She could not read when she began association with Jehovah's Witnesses. Since then, she has learned to read to a limited degree. She is now baptized, and she loves to teach others. Usually, she conducts five Bible studies each week. Although Faustina cannot yet read as well   as most of her students, she has helped six people to the point of baptism. - LUKE 10:21. 

Many Christian are very busy caring for important responsibilities. Still, they make time for conducting Bible studies, and they get much joy from it. Note Melanie's example. She was  a single parent raising her eight-year-old daughter in Alaska.  She also had a full-time job and helped care for a parent with cancer. Melanie was the only Witness in her isolated town.  She use to pray for strength to face the cold and go out preaching because she really wanted to find someone with whom she could study the Bible. Eventually she met Sara, who was thrilled to learn that God has a personal name.  After some time, Sara accepted a Bible study. Says Melanie: "On Friday Evenings, I would be exhausted, but my daughter and I both benefited by going out to conduct that study.  We enjoyed researching answers to Sara's questions, and we were pleased to see her become Jehovah's friend." Sara courageously faced opposition, left her church, and got baptized. 

Next time: Go . . . Make Disciples - WHY MAKING DISCIPLES REQUIRES PATIENCE

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