To Follow Him : The 7 Marks of a Disciple

Rating:
Summary: Looking for the will of God?
Review: "I can think of no other time in history where the name of Jesus has been so frequently mentioned and the content of His life and teaching so thoroughly ignored". - Brennan Manning, Lion and Lamb

The teachings of Jesus Christ shook the traditions that had arisen during the four hundred years between the testaments and He fulfilled the Law in a way that few had ever anticipated. To follow Him requires the utmost, yet those who do so find that they gain the abundant life that Jesus came to give.

In practice, discipleship was arguably the most difficult teaching of Jesus. In this book Mark Bailey explores what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. He finds seven distinct characteristics that must be found in the life of anyone who ventures to "take up his cross" and follow Christ. I have listed them below with a few of the Scripture references that Bailey used to support them (so you can study their impact for yourself):

Supreme and incomparable love for Jesus - Matt. 10:35-37. Regular study and devotion to God's Word - Jn. 8:31-32; Heb. 5:11-14 Renunciation of yourselves as the authority and focus of our lives - Matt. 16:24; James 1:23-25; Gal. 5:16-25 A life of submission and sacrifice to the cross - Matt. 16:24; Rom. 6:1-14; 1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Cor. 4:11; Gal 2:20. Allegiance to Christ's compelling leadership -1 Kings 19:19-62; Matt. 4:18-22; Lk. 9:57,59,61,62. Recognition of the true ownership of our possessions - Lk. 14:28-33; 1 Cor. 6:19,20. Reflection of Christ's love in our attitudes and actions toward others - John 13:34-35; Jn. 15:1-17; 1 Tim. 1:5.

This is just the skeleton of the book and it already looks convicting. Well, it is...and it should be. Bailey has grabbed a very unpopular teaching from Jesus and placed it in a society of Christians that desperately need it. He comments on Matt. 16:24 by saying "if Jesus were extending that call today, He might say, 'If any of you wishes to follow me, wire your own electric chair, then buckle yourself in, and follow Me. Drop the cyanide capsule into the solution to start up the gas chamber, and follow Me.'" (p.85).

The Christian life should be a radical breach from the life of our culture, but it is the highest life. It is to this life that we were created, to live and enjoy. It is this life that will flourish in the kingdom when Jesus returns to rule over it Himself. The difficulty of the task lies in the fact that He wants us to exemplify it here and now and represent Him to the world through our lives as His children. What an awesome privilege and responsibility.

Mark Bailey has written To Follow Him in an easy to read style and is even a bit conversational at times. Each chapter is filled with potent illustrations, mostly from his own life, and vivid descriptions of the biblical passages in consideration. Each chapter is followed by discussion questions to provoke the reader's thinking and readiness to follow the example of the Master. This book is obviously the product of William MacDonald's book, True Discipleship, which was published in 1975. I could have only wished for a more exhaustive treatment of this supremely important teaching. In summary, this contemporary book will help Christians who read it to understand and live out true biblical discipleship.

Rating:
Summary: Looking for the will of God?
Review: "I can think of no other time in history where the name of Jesus has been so frequently mentioned and the content of His life and teaching so thoroughly ignored". - Brennan Manning, Lion and Lamb

The teachings of Jesus Christ shook the traditions that had arisen during the four hundred years between the testaments and He fulfilled the Law in a way that few had ever anticipated. To follow Him requires the utmost, yet those who do so find that they gain the abundant life that Jesus came to give.

In practice, discipleship was arguably the most difficult teaching of Jesus. In this book Mark Bailey explores what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. He finds seven distinct characteristics that must be found in the life of anyone who ventures to "take up his cross" and follow Christ. I have listed them below with a few of the Scripture references that Bailey used to support them (so you can study their impact for yourself):

Supreme and incomparable love for Jesus - Matt. 10:35-37. Regular study and devotion to God's Word - Jn. 8:31-32; Heb. 5:11-14 Renunciation of yourselves as the authority and focus of our lives - Matt. 16:24; James 1:23-25; Gal. 5:16-25 A life of submission and sacrifice to the cross - Matt. 16:24; Rom. 6:1-14; 1 Cor. 3:3; 2 Cor. 4:11; Gal 2:20. Allegiance to Christ's compelling leadership -1 Kings 19:19-62; Matt. 4:18-22; Lk. 9:57,59,61,62. Recognition of the true ownership of our possessions - Lk. 14:28-33; 1 Cor. 6:19,20. Reflection of Christ's love in our attitudes and actions toward others - John 13:34-35; Jn. 15:1-17; 1 Tim. 1:5.

This is just the skeleton of the book and it already looks convicting. Well, it is...and it should be. Bailey has grabbed a very unpopular teaching from Jesus and placed it in a society of Christians that desperately need it. He comments on Matt. 16:24 by saying "if Jesus were extending that call today, He might say, `If any of you wishes to follow me, wire your own electric chair, then buckle yourself in, and follow Me. Drop the cyanide capsule into the solution to start up the gas chamber, and follow Me.'" (p.85).

The Christian life should be a radical breach from the life of our culture, but it is the highest life. It is to this life that we were created, to live and enjoy. It is this life that will flourish in the kingdom when Jesus returns to rule over it Himself. The difficulty of the task lies in the fact that He wants us to exemplify it here and now and represent Him to the world through our lives as His children. What an awesome privilege and responsibility.

Mark Bailey has written To Follow Him in an easy to read style and is even a bit conversational at times. Each chapter is filled with potent illustrations, mostly from his own life, and vivid descriptions of the biblical passages in consideration. Each chapter is followed by discussion questions to provoke the reader's thinking and readiness to follow the example of the Master. This book is obviously the product of William MacDonald's book, True Discipleship, which was published in 1975. I could have only wished for a more exhaustive treatment of this supremely important teaching. In summary, this contemporary book will help Christians who read it to understand and live out true biblical discipleship.

Rating:
Summary: A popular treatment of Jesus' discipleship sayings.
Review: Building on the work of William MacDonald, (True Discipleship, Kettrick Press, 1961), the author illuminates the meaning of Jesus' seven "discipleship sayings" with a liberal selection of cogent personal anecdotes. This volume, which omits the substantive exegetical work for which the author is known, was clearly edited for the layman. This lucid volume will help unlock Jesus' command to "go and make disciples." There is one unfortunate shortcoming. Although each chapter includes questions intended to help the reader interact with the material, more help answering the "So what?" question would have been helpful.

Rating:
Summary: A popular treatment of Jesus' discipleship sayings.
Review: Building on the work of William MacDonald, (True Discipleship, Kettrick Press, 1961), the author illuminates the meaning of Jesus' seven "discipleship sayings" with a liberal selection of cogent personal anecdotes. This volume, which omits the substantive exegetical work for which the author is known, was clearly edited for the layman. This lucid volume will help unlock Jesus' command to "go and make disciples." There is one unfortunate shortcoming. Although each chapter includes questions intended to help the reader interact with the material, more help answering the "So what?" question would have been helpful.