Disciple

Main Idea

Be one. Make one. Discipleship is both an identity and a mission.

Story at Biltmore. The Vanderbilts had built their house, and George now turned his attention to the cleared landscape, envisioning what it might look like when it was fully restored. He planned and planted, knowing he would not see its full beauty. He planned and labored for a beauty that would outlast him. That is the essence of discipleship.

Passage

Matthew 28:18–20 CSB

18 Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I - What is a disciple?

noun - be a disciple. In its simplest terms, being a disciple means being a student, pupil, learner, or apprentice. I really like the description of an apprentice for a few different reasons.

First, it is a term we use today, so it is very easy to understand. An apprentice dedicates themselves to learning a specific craft, which means they also choose not to pursue many other pursuits. If a person wants to learn the craft of pottery, for example, they cannot pursue welding, woodworking, and color painting as well. To achieve mastery in a particular craft, you must focus entirely on that craft. The description of an apprentice reflects that concept clearly.

Secondly, an apprentice usually learns from one master in the craft so they can absorb all of that teacher’s tips, tricks, practices, and nuances. While you can gain general knowledge through YouTube, if you want to become a master, you need to follow a master. In Judaism, this is exactly what occurs in a teacher-student relationship. A Rabbi would choose disciples (or apprentices) to teach, and the students would dedicate themselves fully to that one teacher. They would spend all their time at their teacher’s side, soaking up knowledge and learning to emulate their way of life.

The call to be a disciple is simple, yet profound. As Christians, we are called to follow Christ—absorbing His knowledge and learning to imitate His way of life. That is the straightforward definition; however, the way we become His disciple is profound, because our apprenticeship doesn’t start with something we do (obey commands and teachings) — it begins with what Jesus did. Jesus is no ordinary Rabbi and teacher.

•  Jesus died so that we may live.

•  He gave freely of Himself and became our atoning sacrifice on the cross, so that we could be freed from the bondage of sin to follow Him.

•  Before we could love Him, He first loved us.

•  He started the relationship by seeking us out and giving us the invitation to deny self, take up our cross, and follow Him (Mark 8:34).

Only then can we truly enter into a teacher-apprentice relationship. From that point forward, we become followers of Christ. To be a Christian is to be a disciple. The two words are interchangeable. Being a biblical disciple involves a daily commitment to learning, living, and loving like Jesus. This journey encompasses every aspect of the Christian walk - from the initial call to "follow me" to the lifelong process of character transformation (sanctification) and community impact.

II - What does a disciple do?

A disciple goes on a journey. But discipleship is not just a journey; it's a transformative adventure.

When Jesus called fishermen with the words, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), He wasn't just recruiting students for a theological class. He was inviting them into a relationship that would fundamentally change who they were.

Just as a potter’s apprentice emulates the master potter’s techniques and lifestyle, we emulate Jesus. Everything we need to live a godly life was modeled for us by our Master.

Learn

1. Learning the Word- Immersing ourselves in Scripture and in Christ's teachings, parables, and questions.

2. Pray- We learn to pray to the Father, just as Jesus taught us to in the Lord’s Prayer.

3. Submission to the Father - Jesus never did anything without first seeing the Father do it. He submitted to a life of serving others and accepted a brutal death on the cross that achieved our redemption.

4. Suffering -Part of our submission to the Father involves learning to depend on Him, which often occurs through clinging to Him during difficult times. Hebrews says Jesus learned obedience through what he suffered (Hebrews 5:8). We can gain a lot of insight when we observe how Jesus demonstrated long-suffering.

5. Rebukes -Jesus did not shy away from rebuking the Pharisees or the disciples’ lack of faith and improper motives.

6. The Ministry of the Holy Spirit –The Spirit guides us into all truth and consistently teaches about and points us to Jesus.

Emulate

7. The application of the Word - Our character is refined and transformed when we take what we have learned and apply it. Becoming more Christ-like in thoughts and actions is the natural outcome when we put these teachings into practice and obey His commands in everyday life, just as Jesus modeled them.

8. His character -Jesus showed what true righteous living looks like. Our role is to mirror that character. Jesus came to earth and took the form of a servant. He was meekand humble (power under control). He was faithful to the Father’s instructions. He was compassionate and patient with the shortcomings of his followers. He embraced growth through suffering. His life was dedicated to prayer. He rightly upheld the truth of God's word. To be Christ-like means developing our ability to embody His characteristics.

9. His focus on relationships - It starts with our connection to Jesus, but it expands outward to others. We can’t live in seclusion and independence at the same time as we grow in servanthood. Jesus didn’t live in a mansion in a gated community, fly a personal jet to conferences, stay in a green room until it was time to speak, and then leave the conference behind a wall of security guards. Not only did Jesus teach large crowds on hillsides, but He also deliberately sought out others to teach by sharing His life with them. That's what a Rabbi does. He gathers apprentices to pour into. Jesus assembled twelve and lived life with them daily for over three years. He chose three of those twelve to go even deeper as an inner circle of leaders.

10. His love. While love is also a part of Jesus’ character, it is at the very heart of who He is as God. 1 John tells us that God is love. Jesus also taught that the fullness of God’s commands can be summarized by how we love: we love God with all our faculties, and we love others with the same level of love that we love ourselves. Ultimately, growing in our ability to love this way will motivate us to step beyond our personal bubbles, comfort zones, and places of security to fulfill what the Great Commission instructs us to do—make disciples.

Following Christ means not only learning and emulating, but also guiding others to do the same. Missing this point means neglecting half of your responsibility as a follower and student of Jesus Christ, because the word disciple is also a verb. You are a disciple, and you make disciples.

This is why we were very intentional in crafting our church’s mission statement to end the way it does: “The mission of Ashe Alliance is to establish and grow a Christ-centered, biblically grounded, and servant-hearted community of believers who become and multiply committed Christ followers.”

To be a disciple also means to make disciples. You embrace the noun and verb forms. Or, in other words, you are both a disciple and a discipler.

III - What does a discipler do?

Maybe you've heard the saying, “you are what you eat.” What does that really mean? Is it that you become a reflection of the nourishment you consume (or don't consume)? If you eat healthy foods, you're likely to be healthy. If you eat garbage all the time, you’ll feel like garbage all the time.

In this case, the saying can be similar: “You do what you become.” This could be the 11th item on the list of learning and emulating, which is teaching.

11. Teach others. Jesus was a teacher. That is what a Rabbi did. Listen to what Paul describes to the church at Colossae as his job description:

Colossians 1:28–29 CSB

28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me.

In his book, Discipling, Mark Dever defines the act of discipling as “deliberately doing spiritual good to someone so that he or she will be more like Christ.”

Consider biblical examples of relationships where this occurs.

•       We’ve already discussed Jesus and the twelve and even the 3.

•       Moses and Joshua

•       Eli and Samuel

•       Elijah and Elisha

•       Paul and Timothy

In each case, a loving mentor dedicated time to invest in another person, and in these specific instances, it was one-on-one. Teachers on stages can teach thousands, but discipling others happens in pairs.

But, let’s now return to today’s core passage and examine our responsibilities.

In Jesus’ words of the Great Commission, He defines the scope of discipleship. Oftentimes, we read the Great Commission, and we get passionate about the word ‘go.’ When we think of ‘go,’ we often interpret it in the context of ‘all the nations,’ which naturally leads us to think of evangelism and missions. However, the imperative command is “make disciples,” not “go.” Evangelism definitely plays a part in discipleship, and where declaring and discipling overlap, but once they become part of the family, they must be nurtured so they can mature in Christ. The scope of discipleship in the Great Commission is:

1.     Go

2.     Baptize

3.     Teach

Go

This is the companion piece to the command to go to church (Hebrews 10:24–25). We go to be filled, and we go to pour out. Again, this doesn’t mean everyone has to go to the international mission field. Our neighborhood is just as much a mission field as Nigeria. In our pursuit of making disciples, we can go anywhere. The only option not given to us is going nowhere.

For people to become disciples, they must first be won to Christ. And as Paul says in Romans 10, how will they hear and receive the gospel unless someone is sent to tell them?

Baptize

Baptism accomplishes so much.

1. It is a sign of belonging to Christ - Once a person is transformed internally, they proclaim it externally to their new brothers and sisters. It is a public declaration that you have been adopted into God’s covenant family and publicly dedicate yourself as a follower (or apprentice).

2. Obedience - As disciples who help other disciples obey, we can encourage new converts or seasoned saints who have not yet been baptized during their Christian journey to be baptized. It is not just a sign, but also a command from Jesus.

3. Identification - But baptism goes beyond just a sign and a command. It also signifies identification with Christ and imitation of Christ. As our head, Jesus was baptized, and so should the rest of His body (the church). He set an example for us. Additionally, we are baptized into Christ—buried in the likeness of His death and raised to new life in the likeness of His resurrection. Therefore, baptism fulfills all the different aspects of being a disciple and, for new believers, marks the beginning of spiritual growth and maturity.

In short, this is both the starting point for running your Christian race within a community and an anchor of commitment you and your discipling mentor can return to when times get tough.

Teach

This is the primary role of a discipler. To teach another person Jesus’ commands and help them take action is how you “deliberately do spiritual good to someone so that he or she will be more like Christ.” And if we are going to imitate Jesus in our discipling, we must be willing to give our time selflessly. Jesus lived daily with twelve other men. He shared every aspect of His life (except during times of prayerful seclusion) to teach them through His words, actions, and lifestyle.

This is what you and I are called to do.

And remember, as you make disciples, Jesus is always with you. The Great Commission is bookended with Jesus’ presence. We go because He has been given all authority, and that authority is extended to us in this mission so we can be effective. And as we go with the mindset of a marathon runner rather than a sprinter, we need to constantly be reminded that in moments of victory and heartache, He is still there.

🔥 Application Points:

Now that you are motivated, here are three ways to begin:

1. Start at Home

Discipleship begins in your own household. Family is your first mission field. It’s a requirement of elders, and an exhortation to Timothy personally (1 Tim 5:8).

Faithfulness at home is the foundation of fruitful ministry.

➤ Reflect: How can you be more intentional in discipling those under your roof this week?

2. Commit to the Church

Baptism connects you to a community, and discipleship flourishes within an engaged church family. Baptism is an ordinance of the church, and if you are a member, you have expressed your commitment not only to your brothers and sisters in the global church but also more specifically to the local church. The people you worship with on Sunday mornings are those you are committing yourself to.

Your local church is not a crowd—it’s your calling.

➤ Consider: How are you actively building up your church family through service and relationships?

3. Walk with One

Big impacts start with small steps. Biblical discipleship grows one person at a time. Elisha had Elijah, and Timothy had Paul. If everyone took one other person under their wing and intentionally spoke the Word of God into their life while sharing the truths they've learned over the years, everyone in this church would be built up. All it takes is inviting one person into your daily rhythms and setting aside intentional time for word-filled conversations.

The greatest spiritual movements begin with a single, faithful relationship.

➤ Challenge: Who is one person you can walk with intentionally this month in gospel-centered conversation?

Intentional Discipleship is one of our seven core values, but do you think it has become part of our church’s culture and DNA?

There is a popular book for church planters called ‘The Trellis and the Vine’ that rightly distinguishes between the structures that enable growth (a trellis) and the cultivation of a vine that can grow on that trellis. Have we properly distinguished between celebrating building trellises and cultivating vines? Over the past few years, we have built ministry trellises, which have enabled some to lead and serve. However, does building ministry teams equate to successful discipleship? We need these structures in place, but are we satisfied with the construction of our trellises only? I think we are at a point in time in the life of this church where we need to ask some hard questions:

Are we more committed to building ministries or building people?

Have we confused full calendars with fruitful discipleship?

Are we celebrating filled rooms while overlooking empty relationships?

Are we more comfortable funding programs than forming people in Christ?

When was the last time you shared life intentionally with someone here to help them follow Jesus?

Are you investing in the next generation of believers—or assuming someone else will?

Have you invited anyone into your rhythms of life to learn from how you follow Christ?

Are you being poured into by someone who’s further along in the faith? Do you see value in that?

Does your life reflect discipleship as a lifestyle, or merely a church activity?

How different would our church look if every person (children, teens, and adults alike) radically embraced the call to tend vines?

Like George Vanderbilt, are we focused on the house we have built for ourselves, or are we focused in the opposite direction on laboring for the beauty outside of us that will outlive us? If the answer is no, today is a good day to reassess and make the necessary changes.

As your pastor, I want to help you obey the Great Commission. As you absorb the three application points, here are three different soils where you can begin planting and tending vines.

1. PT Program - Paul-Timothy / Mentor-Mentee. There will be a signup sheet that every person should fill out. There will be a request to have a Paul in your life to mentor you, or a Timothy you can invest in.

2. Discipleship Groups - self-organized groups of 3 to 4 people who meet on a regular basis to be grounded in the word of God and live transparently with each other.

3. Volunteer Fair – The church offers many opportunities for you to find your place of service. In the Christian race, there are no spectator bleachers. There is only the playing field. For those who choose to be a disciple and a discipler, complacency is not an option. In a few weeks, we will hold a volunteer fair where you can meet ministry leaders and discover all the ways you can use your gifts to serve.

Don’t get distracted or delayed because you don’t see a place where you think you fit in or want to serve. Instead, get plugged in somewhere and give God the room to maneuver you where He wants you. You have a lifetime to grow.

Discipleship isn't a sprint; it's a lifelong journey towards spiritual maturity.

Biblical discipleship represents one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of Christian faith. It demands that you engage everything - your time, attention, habits, and priorities - yet it offers something far greater: transformation into the likeness of Christ and participation in His redemptive mission as you disciple others.