Early Discipleship

Early Stages of Discipleship

Week 5 of Great Commission Study

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Introduction

Fundamentals: In sports there are the basic fundamentals of how to play the game. In little league baseball or softball, a kid has to learn how to run the bases, catch and throw the ball, and how to swing the bat. If they don’t learn these elementary level things, they can never advance to be good baseball or softball players.

But when it comes to the fundamentals of discipleship, we often struggle with where to start. And it is here that I want us to focus on this evening as we think about the task of discipleship.

Focus tonight

Maybe some are sitting here and you have never formally been discipled. Regardless of where you are at, I invite you tonight to see where a more formal discipleship can begin for you.

Then there are those who have been discipled but are unsure of how to begin doing discipleship with others. I too hope to equip you in this task.

The Word as the starting place

Someone has recently confessed Jesus as the Christ as we looked at this morning from Mark 8:27-9:1. But they are new to the Christian faith and unsure where to begin, how to study the Bible on their own, what it means to follow Jesus in its fullness. With all of this looming, how do we start?

Take your Bible and turn with me to 2 Timothy 3:16 (Read 2 Timothy 3:16-4:2)

We start with this reminder that all Scripture is from God, both that of the Old and the New Testament. It is all profitable for teaching, for giving reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness. Therefore we start discipling others by immersing them into the pages of Scripture, God’s holy word. One of the things I have typically recommended for new Christians is to have a good Study Bible. As you all know, I love the ESV, that is the English Standard Bible. One of the many reasons I love the ESV though is the ESV Study Bible. The ESV Study Bible is one of the best Study Bibles out there. It has great notes in thinking through the text and helps present in fairness the variety of views on different points. While there are other good Study Bibles out there, none of them that I have found represent the other views outside the author or editor with fairness. And I think it is extremely helpful for new Christians to be equipped in understanding a variety of views, not just that of the discipler. And the Study Bible will help them in the day to day be in the word, giving them a place to look for answers when they aren’t with the person discipling them.

But notice how this word is to be used in equipping the new disciple. It is to be preached, that it is proclaimed in season and out of season by reproving, rebuking, and exhorting the disciple. But notice the last part of verse 2, it says with complete patience and teaching. The discipler is to be patient in teaching the new disciple. It will take time, effort, and energy to help them understand the pages of Scripture. To understand what it looks like to follow King Jesus. And even knowing what is essential to press early. For example, say you have a baby Christian with you, something happens and their response is the use of profanity in a gathering of people. It is not the time to rebuke them in the midst of the crowd and embarrass them in front of others. This is not helpful or edifying. Show patience with them in this and set an example and over time and in private the conversation of speech will come up and teach them how to speak in edifying ways. In fact, when it comes to helping disciple a new believer on how to speak, it would be more of an advantage in helping them overcome the temptations to speak in a manner of gossip, slander, and harshness with or towards others than the profanity. Now, to be clear, I am not advocating for profanity, but it isn’t as dangerous to the heart as these others that tear down. Yet, often those are never addressed in our discipleship. Again the example is given here to show us the need to be patient in our teaching of the word. Allowing the word to shape and to form them as disciples of Jesus.

Therefore, one of the first places we can start in discipling new believers is to simply read and study the Bible with them.

Teach them how to read through books of the Bible, for it is in reading books of the Bible that we see the context and the whole of the point of those books.

Teach them to spend time both in the New and Old Testament. Many today think that because we are Christians, we should solely or primarily focus on the New Testament. But the reality of the matter is we are not just to be New Testament Believers. We are to be Christians who hold to the entirety of the Bible. In discipling new believers we want to help them see that the whole of the Bible is all pointing to Jesus. That Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s rescue plan from the very beginning.

We also want to help teach these new believers simply how to study the Bible.

Showing them that Bible reading isn’t first and foremost about us, but about revealing God to us. And that is where we must start in our reading and study.

If they miss God and how he is being revealed in their reading, they have not learned to properly read the Bible.

Here are some helpful questions that I have used and shared with others through the years:

Understanding the Bible:

What does the text reveal to us about who God is?

What does the text reveal to us about people?

What does the text show us in relating to God?

What does the text show us in relating to others?

Applying the Bible:

What does God want me to understand?

What does God want me to believe?

What does God want me to desire?

What does God want me to do?

Doctrine

The next place that disciples of Jesus need to be equipped in is sound doctrine. Sound doctrine follows immersing a new believer into the word, because doctrine is the teaching of the Bible. A poor or wrong doctrine causes us to miss the point of the church, discipleship, and the Christian life. A poor or wrong doctrine causes us to miss the point of salvation even.

Doctrine matters not just for the pastor, but for every church member. Turn with me to Ephesians 4:11. Follow along as I read Ephesians 4:11-16 (READ).

A poor or false understanding of doctrine will cause disciples of Jesus to be blown around by every new fad and false teaching that comes about. For instance a poor doctrine of conversion is that one can come to Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. The Lordship, that is the Kingship of Jesus was mistaken. And because of this, there is a generation who think that Jesus is their savior, but they still call their own shots. And this has led many to miss Jesus and have false assurance of faith. Other examples of false doctrine is that the church is optional. The church is not optional, it is Plan A for the furthering of God’s kingdom, and there is no Plan B. The church is the bride of Christ and is the acting Embassy for the Kingdom, furthering its mission and message to the world. And yet, a poor doctrine of the church causes many to jump from church to church as they please without ever being held accountable, without ever committing to one another in membership in which we hold one another accountable and where we strengthen and care for one another.

Doctrine is essential for discipleship. It isn’t just for the mature, but for the baby Christian as well. And if we as the church fail to teach doctrine, how are we to keep one another from straying into false teachings? How are we to ensure one is not tossed to and fro?

Good places for discipling in sound doctrine are working through either The Heidelberg Catechism or the Westminster Shorter Catechism.

Bringing along with you in life

The other area that is most helpful in discipleship, especially that of a new believer, is simply inviting that person into your life.

Invite them over regularly for dinner and spend that time together.

Invite them to join you as you do evangelism, that way they can see how you have a gospel conversation.

Invite them to share life with you as you go and visit other church members.

Invite them into family worship.

By inviting them into your life, they learn as much from observing these daily routines of life as they do in formal study.

Both are a great help in training and shaping a new disciple of Jesus.