Discipleship is about investing

Luke 19:13 NIV

So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.  'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'

After Jesus's resurrection, He spent 40 days appearing to the disciples before He ascended.  He walked with a couple of guys along the road to Emmaus.  He appeared to the disciples a coupled of times when they were meeting in a room; He appeared to the disciples at the lake.  He spoke with them about the Kingdom of God.  

And before He ascended into Heaven, these two exchanges are recorded:

Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Christ calls us to follow Him and make disciples.  He calls us to be disciple-makers.  This is sobering to me, because most of my life, I have focused on making attendees and converts.  The call to be a disciple is a call to die - to die to self.  The call to be a disciple-maker is a call to live - to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to grow the Body of Christ.

Heavenly Father, I pray that I will embrace the call of Christ to follow Him and make disciples of all nations.  I pray that i will be a devoted, radical follower of Jesus - meditating on the Word and joyfully walking in obedience.  I love you, and I pray in the name of Jesus.