Re-Examining How the Church Defines Discipleship
The unthinkable had just happened! Feelings of fear, sadness, and doubt had been replaced by overwhelming joy and an infusion of faith. Could it be? Was Jesus really alive?
As the disciples approached the mountain Jesus had designated in Galilee, there remained some lingering doubt. But amid the distrust, there was also a buzz of excitement in the air. What would He say, what would He do, and what would we do now? This was the moment they had all been waiting for. One thing was for sure, whatever happened, this would be one of the most important moments of each of their lives.
Finally, the tense anticipation broke as Jesus arrived, alive from the dead, and faced those who had just abandoned Him to be crucified. But there was no sense of condemnation in Christ’s voice; instead, He intended to reveal to the disciples their new life mission. So, what would it be?
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
The Simplicity of the Great Commission
There was no five-point sermon on that day, but instead a simple yet revolutionary command to “go and make disciples.” This is what filled the mind of Christ after His resurrection from the dead and what still consumes Him to this day. This is the reason He had labored so long with His twelve disciples while on the earth.
It was time for His disciples to spread the kingdom of God by going and making more disciples until the day comes “that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
Following the Ultimate Disciple-Maker
Many will be surprised to learn that the term discipleship never appears in the Bible. Though this term has infiltrated the church’s vocabulary, the word does not exist in either the Old or New Testament. Because of this, trying to define the word can be a bit tricky.
When considering what discipleship looks like, most modern churchgoers probably think of a Bible study, Sunday school class, or some sort of spiritual growth seminar. And they would not be wrong in considering these activities a form of discipleship. But to limit discipleship to merely a program or event would be an unfair definition of the word.
Though the Scriptures never use the word discipleship, the concept is splashed across every one of the sixty-six books of the Bible. The passage that sheds the most light in understanding this term comes from Jesus himself in Matthew 10:24-25:
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!
Using these two verses, we can identify that the primary aim of being a disciple is to become like the one you are being discipled by. In our case, that means becoming like Christ.
You Don’t Disciple People ... Christ Does!
Even if you are being discipled by another person, Christ is ultimately the one at work. The apostle Paul understood this and did not hesitate to give God all the credit when declaring, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5).
Paul never presumed that his ministry was the fruit of his own abilities, for he recognized that it was only “by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).
Understanding this principle helps us know that regardless of who God uses to help further our walk in the Lord, it is ultimately God Himself who engages in the great work of discipleship.
Defining Discipleship
With this revelation as a backdrop, we can now try our hand at defining the concept of discipleship. In its broadest sense, discipleship is anything that leads people to become more like Jesus. This definition breaks the box of limiting discipleship to merely a church program or Bible study.
As mentioned previously, these activities fall under the realm of discipleship, but understanding the word’s true definition helps us embrace discipleship as a lifestyle instead of a program. It also inspires us to be more creative in our pursuit of discipling other people.
We are all active in the process of discipleship; most of us just don’t think of it as such. Recognizing that discipleship is anything that leads people to become more like Jesus helps us to value our current relationships and the role we play in them.
Breaking the Mold
One of the significant barriers to growth in the modern church is our tendency to force people into pre-existing molds of what ministry has always looked like. In the realm of serving, most churches have specific needs in order to run their weekly service. For the general church attendee, volunteer opportunities typically fall under the categories of greeter, usher, childcare worker, or if you’re talented enough, musician/singer.
There is nothing wrong with these roles and serving in this capacity is a legitimate way to do your part in building up the body of Christ. But what do we do with those who have no interest in serving in these ways? What about people who have been gifted in the arts, intercession, business, athletics, etc.? Unfortunately, most of these people are forced to either fit into the mold or sit on the sidelines.
We have done a similar thing when pursuing discipleship. Whether it is a weekly Bible study, leadership seminar, sermon, we have created predefined molds of what discipleship is supposed to look like. But if we really buy into the fact that discipleship is anything that leads people to become more like Jesus, why do we limit it to these traditional activities?
Discipleship Tool #1: God’s Word
Before we begin breaking the mold of what discipleship has always looked like, let’s first examine the vital components of discipleship. First and foremost, everything done in the process of discipleship must align with the teachings of Scripture. Jesus went so far as to say,
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me (John 14:23-24).
In the first verse of the book of John, the beloved apostle describes Jesus by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Since Jesus is called “the Word,” the only way to be transformed into His image is to abide by the teachings found in the word of God.
Dwelling on God’s word, or better yet, allowing the word to dwell in you, is one of the primary means of becoming more like Christ.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples (John 15:7-8).
Discipleship Tool #2: God’s Spirit
Second, discipleship must be led by the Spirit. Unfortunately, this is where many in the church have dropped the ball. Many well-intentioned disciplers miss out on the dynamic power of the Spirit because they focus too much on following a program or agenda.
Now don’t get me wrong, I believe in schedules and plans. In fact, I think that if you are not preparing where you want to lead people, you are far less likely to disciple them effectively. Still, we must always be ready to abandon our plan if the Spirit leads in a different direction.
Remember, it is not us but God who is at work in the discipleship process. We need to release complete control into His hands. God graciously uses us in people’s development, but it is the Spirit who reveals Jesus and guides men and women to become more like Him.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me [Jesus], for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:13-14).
Giving the Spirit full control will always result in love abounding in the discipleship process. Love must be the motivation behind all authentic discipleship. “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16).
If the goal of discipleship is to lead people to become more like Christ, and if Christ is the true embodiment of love, then love must be at the very center of all our discipleship efforts. We may have many giftings and talents that we utilize in discipling others, but they will all be futile if they do not come from a place of sincere love and affection for the individual.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
God and people are not as interested in how much you know but in knowing how much you care.