Discipleship: Growing to Maturity

Currently, the Discipleship team is made up of leaders from the Children’s Team, Youth Team, Men’s Team, Women’s Team, Nursery, and The Most Excellent Way (TMEW). I would imagine you will hear the same thing each week from our Team Leaders, we can always use more help. People willing and able to serve in the area of discipleship. And when I say that, we all probably understand what “willing and able” people are, but do we truly understand what discipleship is?

Today, let’s examine the framework God has given us to accomplish that mission. We find it in

The Greek word translated as “disciple” means “to be a pupil”. Doesn’t that bring things a little clearer into focus? We had classes called discipleship because we were encouraging people to be a pupil, a student. I get it now. But wait, Jesus didn’t call us to BE disciples, it is assumed if you take the Great Commission to heart that you already ARE a disciple. Instead, Jesus commanded us to MAKE disciples. To MAKE pupils. To MAKE students. Do you see? You may not be a teacher in the formal sense of the word, but if you belong to Jesus, you are called to teach. After all, how can you make a student unless you begin to teach them? Yet, I’m sure you would agree with me that none of us wants to have a little following of students who are intently looking to us for the answer. John the Baptist gave us the answer to that in

John 3:30 ESV

He must increase, but I must decrease.”

We are doing a good job at making disciples when we are pointing others to Jesus. When we are decreasing because Jesus is increasing. Let me show you what I mean. Call someone to walk across the front however they please. Then, show them the cross and lead them to it.

That is discipleship. It is showing people how to get to Jesus. It begins with evangelism that Pastor Gene preached about last week. It continues as long as we draw breath. The one thing I have learned on my personal discipleship journey is this: the more I grow, the less I know I know. There was a time when I thought I had this Christianity thing figured out. But as I have grown closer to Jesus. As He has opened my eyes to love the unlovable. As He has shown me truly that I am looking in a glass, darkly. I realize the only thing I can do is what the Bible says. Or, as I told someone a while back, “Read it, study it, and do what it says.” This is the mandate of Scripture. We are to make disciples. Today, let’s examine the framework God has given us to accomplish that mission. We find it in

Eph 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

We’re going to look at the who, what, where, when, why, and how of discipleship.

Who should disciple?

From the first part of verse 11, our initial thought might be that it is up to church leaders to do the work of discipleship, but then we keep reading and it says church leadership is to “equip the saints to do the work of ministry.” Also, in we see that the body is made up of many parts that all work together. Every part is vital. And in , we read that everyone is to user their particular gifts to serve one another.

The point is this: discipleship cannot be relegated to the discipleship pastor. It cannot be isolated to the discipleship team. Jesus commanded all His followers in to “make disciples.” So, the answer to the question of who should disciple is every believer, every Christian.

What is discipleship?

When I was a kid, church looked much different than it does today. We had Sunday School for all ages and then worship on Sunday morning. Then, we would come back to the church building on Sunday evening for discipleship classes and another worship service. To us back then, discipleship was a series of classes you took, not a process. Fast forward 20 years and discipleship became a series of limited time classes (usually 6-8 weeks), often based on a video. Once again, discipleship was based on classes and not a life transformed. Fast forward once again to today. Every Sunday, either Pastor Gene or I will say, “Let’s go make disciples in our world, one heart at a time.” Most of you know that is the vision statement of the church. Maybe we’re getting a little closer to what discipleship is. After all, we have the word “disciple” there. Well, I asked Google to give me a definition of “discipleship”. It returned just under 800,000 hits. I don’t have time to filter through 800,000 definitions, do you? And even if I did go through that work, what would it accomplish? Okay, so let me fall back on my education. I went to seminary. I learned the Greek language. The word “disciple” is in the Great Commission. Maybe we can come up with a better definition that way.

The Greek word translated as “disciple” means “to be a pupil”. Doesn’t that bring things a little clearer into focus? We had classes called discipleship because we were encouraging people to be a pupil, a student. I get it now. But wait, Jesus didn’t call us to BE disciples, it is assumed if you take the Great Commission to heart that you already ARE a disciple. Instead, Jesus commanded us to MAKE disciples. To MAKE pupils. To MAKE students. That is discipleship. It is showing people how to get to Jesus. It begins with evangelism that Pastor Gene preached about last week. It continues as long as we draw breath. The one thing I have learned on my personal discipleship journey is this: the more I grow, the less I know I know. There was a time when I thought I had this Christianity thing figured out. But as I have grown closer to Jesus. As He has opened my eyes to love the unlovable. As He has shown me truly that I am looking in a glass, darkly. I realize the only thing I can do is what the Bible says. Or, as I told someone a while back, “Read it, study it, and do what it says.” This is the mandate of Scripture. We are to make disciples.

John 3:30 ESV

He must increase, but I must decrease.”

We are doing a good job at making disciples when we are pointing others to Jesus. When we are decreasing because Jesus is increasing. Let me show you what I mean. Call someone to walk across the front however they please. Then, show them the cross and lead them to it.

That is discipleship. It is showing people how to get to Jesus. It begins with evangelism that Pastor Gene preached about last week. It continues as long as we draw breath. The one thing I have learned on my personal discipleship journey is this: the more I grow, the less I know I know. There was a time when I thought I had this Christianity thing figured out. But as I have grown closer to Jesus. As He has opened my eyes to love the unlovable. As He has shown me truly that I am looking in a glass, darkly. I realize the only thing I can do is what the Bible says. Or, as I told someone a while back, “Read it, study it, and do what it says.” This is the mandate of Scripture. We are to make disciples.

If we are all supposed to be making disciples, we all better be clear on what that means. In it says the saints are to be equipped to do the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. And in , Paul tells Timothy

2 Timothy 2:2 ESV

and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

In other words, teach others what you have learned so they can teach others. Discipleship, then is learning in order to teach. Now, you just thought, but I’m not teacher. There are 2 kinds of teachers. Those who have a formal role of teaching. Like in where Paul says elders or pastors are supposed to be able to teach. Then there are those I would call informal teachers. They would never stand in front of a group of people and try to walk through a lesson, but they would happy to show you how to do something one-on-one. Both kinds of teachers are needed. Not one or the other, but both! Discipleship is teaching what Jesus commanded. Jesus gave us the Great Commandment to love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Teaching, through word AND deed, to obey those commandments is discipleship.

After years of thinking and praying and studying, I have come to a simple definition of discipleship. It is simple to say, but not simple to live. Here it is:

Discipleship is leading someone one step closer to Christ.

See what I mean? It is simple to say, but it takes a lifetime of work to accomplish. It doesn’t depend on how much, or how little, you know. It’s about helping others get closer to Jesus. It could be as simple as asking someone about their daily quiet time, or praying with someone through a hard time. It could be challenging someone to let go of pre-conceived notions of what church should look like, or introducing someone to Jesus for the first time. No matter where we are today, we can all get closer to Christ. Do you see? You may not be a teacher in the formal sense of the word, but if you belong to Jesus, you are called to teach. After all, how can you make a student unless you begin to teach them? Yet, I’m sure you would agree with me that none of us wants to have a little following of students who are intently looking to us for the answer. John the Baptist gave us the answer to that in

John 3:30 ESV

He must increase, but I must decrease.”

We are doing a good job at making disciples when we are pointing others to Jesus. When we are decreasing because Jesus is increasing.

Every Christian is to bring others closer to Jesus. That is the who and the what of discipleship.

Where is discipleship to take place?

Acts 2:46 ESV

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

The first church was meeting in the temple and in their homes.

tells us the first church was meeting in the temple and in their homes. tells parents to teach children when you “sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Where should discipleship take place? Anywhere and everywhere. Discipleship limited to classes at a building will not engage people where they live and work and play. Discipleship limited to classes anywhere will not help people get through the rough spots of life. Oftentimes, discipleship happens best as people weep with each other. As they laugh with each other. As they do life together. You can’t limit that kind of discipleship to any particular time or place. It is simply part of life.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 ESV

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

tells parents to teach children when you “sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Where should discipleship take place? Anywhere and everywhere. Discipleship limited to classes at a building will not engage people where they live and work and play. Discipleship limited to classes anywhere will not help people get through the rough spots of life. Oftentimes, discipleship happens best as people weep with each other. As they laugh with each other. As they do life together. You can’t limit that kind of discipleship to any particular time or place. It is simply part of life.

Parents are to teach children when you “sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Where should discipleship take place? Anywhere and everywhere. Discipleship limited to classes at a building will not engage people where they live and work and play. Discipleship limited to classes anywhere will not help people get through the rough spots of life. Oftentimes, discipleship happens best as people weep with each other. As they laugh with each other. As they do life together. You can’t limit that kind of discipleship to any particular time or place. It is simply part of life.

Every Christian is to bring others closer to Jesus everywhere they go. So, we have the who, the what, and the where.

When is discipleship to take place?

Again, in we see they were meeting day-by-day. And in we see that it was pretty much all day every day that God’s commands were to be taught. Let me ask you a question to emphasize the point. If you see a kid running out the front door of this building, charging for all they are worth across the parking lot toward 19th, what would you do? I hope your answer is to try and stop them. Either by word or deed. You don’t want them to get to that street because it is dangerous there. Cars wouldn’t necessarily be able to see the kid until it was too late. Would your desire to stop them from going the wrong direction change because it was early morning? How about mid-day? Late at night? Not really. The time of day doesn’t matter because that kid is endangering their own life!

Bring that attitude to discipleship. Any step we take in life that is not toward Jesus is away from Him. So, if we see someone who is not moving toward Christ when should we try to move them closer to Jesus? Wait until Sunday? Don’t worry about it until it becomes a real problem? I’m not talking about being mean and demanding perfection from everyone. I’m talking about helping people get closer to Jesus. And just like we should be looking anywhere and everywhere, we need to be ready anytime. Discipleship limited to church on Sunday is simply not going to be effective. If the only time I need to worry about getting closer to Jesus is on Sunday, I’ll never get closer. 6 days to set my own course and try to correct it in an hour or two on one day. Do you see? Discipleship needs to happen every day.

Every Christian is to bring others closer to Jesus everywhere they go whenever they can. So, we have the who, the what, the where and the when.

Why disciple?

Ephesians 4:14–16 ESV

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

There are at least 3 reasons in these verses to make disciples.

1 - So we are not l children - A child in this context is someone who simply doesn’t know the truth. So everything that sounds true works for them. It might be false doctrine or human cunning or crafty schemes. A child falls for it. They are drawn in. The answer to not being a naive child susceptible to all those things is to be discipled. Folks, there are at least hundreds and probably more like thousands upon thousands of websites out there talking about how and what to believe. How can you know the difference? By being Biblically discipled.

Eph 4:14-16

2 - So we can grow up - Not being a child is being a grown up. But, here, Paul is talking about not just maturity in years, but also the strength that comes from growing up. I remember when I thought my dad was the strongest man in the world. It wasn’t many years later that I thought I could probably take him. What changed? I grew up and I grew stronger. Paul says the individual parts of the body need to grow up into the already full-grown head, name Christ. We need to grow up. Our attitudes need to be Christ-like. Our words need to reflect our Savior. Our lives need to be lived for Him and not ourselves. That is what growing up means. It is loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. How do we grow up? By being Biblically discipled.

3 - So we can help the body grow - Paul switches from the individual parts of the body that are to grow into Christ to how they all work together to build the entire body. Each and every person at Heartland works together under Christ. And it works both ways. If every part of the body is working properly, the body grows and builds itself up in love. But if every part is not working properly, the body does not grow and is not built in love. Did you know every member of a church has the ability to undermine the church? That’s right. If you are not seeking to grow and do your part, you harm the entire body. Now, the truth is, most of us can sort of slide under the radar. We can be anemic and weak. And we won’t be called out for it. But Jesus knows. And if you think the church is doing fine without your contribution, how much better would we be doing WITH your contribution? We could reach more people. We could do more ministry. We could impact all of Siouxland with the love of Jesus. Everyone of us should want to be part of that. And we help the body grow by being discipled.

1 Peter 2:2–5 ESV

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Discipleship: Growing to Maturity

Every Christian is to bring others closer to Jesus everywhere they go whenever they can so the whole church can grow to maturity. I hope you see how important discipleship is. But I want to leave you with one last picture of discipleship. Call someone to walk across the front however they please. Then, show them the cross and lead them to it.

Let me show you what I mean. Call someone to walk across the front however they please. Then, show them the cross and lead them to it.

As I said before. Discipleship is simply helping someone get closer to Jesus. Which leaves us with 2 questions to wrap up.

1 - Who are you leading to be closer to Jesus? Who are you discipling?

2 - Who is leading you to be closer to Jesus? Who is discipling you?

Every believer should be in both kinds of relationships. We should be seeking to help others and we should have others who are helping us. If you don’t have both of those, why not? Who do you need to help get closer to Jesus? Who do you need to ask to help you?

Takeaway: Discipleship is helping others to faithfully follow Jesus so that the church is built up in love.

Let’s pray...