Discipleship is the Spirit-empowered process where we learn to think and act more like Jesus every day. That is not a definition but an explanation. But what I find most distressing about people’s thoughts on discipleship is the confusion that every person who puts their faith and trust in Christ is a Christian, but that not all Christians become disciples.
That is a confused and false way of understanding the New Testament. The term disciple was used 230 times in the Bible, while the word Christian is only used 3 times. Jesus thought and taught in terms of those who chose to follow Him as His disciples. The term “Christian” was applied by the world upon those who had committed their life to following Jesus.
William (Bill) Kynes, a noted New Testament scholar, offers an expanded definition: “A disciple is one who responds to the call of Jesus in faith, resulting in a relationship of absolute allegiance and supreme loyalty through which Jesus shares his own life and the disciple embarks on a lifetime of learning to become like his Master.” You see in this definition how the concept of Christian and disciple is intertwined in such a way that a Christian is a disciple. Every believer in Jesus is a disciple.
Because that is true, we should actively engage in the process of discipleship. This is a life-long process, so I cannot express everything that goes into it in one article. We can and should discuss discipleship regularly, considering where we need to grow in each phase of life. The discipleship needs of a young teen is very different than that of a 22-year-old single adult, a 25-year-old newly married couple, first time parents, a family dealing with death, a couple starting the empty nest, or an aging adult caring for an ailing spouse, or suddenly widowed. Those are all pretty normal phases of life.
Then there is the discipleship needs of those who go through the very unexpected phases of life. The death of an infant, cancer diagnosis, the incarceration of a family member, the tragic death of a spouse, experiencing the loss of your home or business due to a natural disaster. You might not think about discipleship in relationship to these expected and unexpected life issues, but when we face these things, we should be asking, “How do I follow Christ in this moment?” And as fellow church members with those who walk through these phases and circumstances of life, we should be asking, “How can I disciple my friend in this moment?”
God calls us to “make disciples.” If we take the definition shared earlier by Bill Kynes, then that necessarily means more than getting someone to respond in faith to the death and resurrection of Jesus. It means helping people embark on a lifetime of learning to be like Jesus.
What we see Jesus do in making disciples is a wonderful place for us to start thinking about how we can be disciple makers:
- Jesus modeled discipleship before His followers
- Jesus shared truth that was new to them
- Jesus equipped them and released them to do ministry
- Jesus connected them to God and to other disciples
- Jesus gave them real teaching about God and His Word
- Jesus brought them to places where they could see others in need
When we do not know exactly what to do in making disciples this list might give you a place to jump in with people. It starts with our own willingness to take seriously the call to follow Jesus. Begin living a life that others can pattern themselves after. Learn from God’s Word and share what you learn in conversation with other people. Let other people know how you read the Bible, how you pray, what kind of gospel conversations you are having, how you care for hurting people, how you minister to your lost neighbor, etc. Point them to God and His Word over and over and over again. Let people be with you in life and be concerned about the lost, about the needy, and about the hurting.
If you do this, you are a disciple and you are making disciples. The early church devoted themselves to this, not in addition to following Jesus, but because they were followers of Jesus.
By His Grace and For His Glory,
Pastor Mark
