Follow Me: The Call to Become and Make Disciples

Introduction: Discipleship Defined

All the teaching that follows assumes the following:

The one being discipled has already confessed Christ as Lord

The one being discipled has already been joined to the Body of Christ & is a member of the church.

What It Is…Not!

Discipleship is not a “ministry” or “auxilary; it is the lens through which we view our ministry efforts, and the culmination (end result) of those efforts. It occurs through the Church and for the building up of the Church

We do not need another program or book on discipleship, we need a process of individual growth & accountability.

Followship: Prepping for Discipleship

This process of follow up must begin immediately, when a new person is brought into the fellowship. The newer the person is to the Faith, the greater the urgency. “You can’t really postpone caring for babies once they’re born…they need to be fed.” (D. Davis, Capstone M 12 Lesson 3)

1 Peter 1:23 “for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”

1 Peter 2:2-3 “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.”

Eph 4:11-13 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

The early church had to figure out how to tend to new born babies and the mature in the Faith, and everyone at every stage in between. And they not only had people to disciple in different stages, but also from different backgrounds. I want to use 2 categories that you are familar with in scripture to symbolize the 2 major types of people we encounter:

Jews- they represent the the “religious, the “churched” who have some familiarity with the Faith. They may have been mishandled or mistaught, and they bring the baggage associated with this.

Gentiles- they represent the irreligious and unchurched. This does not mean that they have no concept of spirituality, but they lack depth and understanding. There’s is a tie-dye theology…a mixture of different influences & experiences that have merged to become their worldview.

Neither are blank slates; they’re books in need of revision & correction. Both groups had to experience renewal of the mind; both were to be grafted into the vine (Romans 11:17-23; John 15:1-6)

Three steps of necessary follow up, which is the beginning of discipleship:

Incorporation- to introduce & welcome people into the family of God. (Romans 15:5-7)

Edification (fruitfulness)- members need to be built up (literally- edify in the Greek a construction word), with the end goal of becoming fruitful. Matuity will express itself in fruitfulness. “Those who are won, become those who win [others]; those who are saved become those who become redemptive” -D. Davis John 15:16; Col 1:9-10 ; Eph 4:14-15

Glorification- God deserves to be glorified in His Church! While this is obvious, it is not always considered one of the byproducts of discipleship. We incorporate people into the family of God, for the sake of edification & fruitfulness, to glory of God. God is the end of all things. Matt 5:16; Eph 3:21;

Biblical Discipleship

Acts 2:42-47 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

Acts 9:31 “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

I’ve always wondered what caused the transition from addition to multiplication in the growth of the Church. Discipleship is the answer.

Acts 2:42 “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” - There was a consistent GROUP effort to learn & live according to the scriptures. And fellowship was a priority- they knew that they needed each other.

By chapter 9, the Church was still being built up- there was peace & unity (THEY were walking in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit). In preparation for the “weight “that was coming, the “structure” of the Church was being built up! In scripture, we can clearly see that God expects us to grow TOGETHER with the Holy Spirit in the Body of Christ. We are baptized into the Body, we experience spiritual blessings in the Body (Eph 1:3), we are healed in the Body (James 5:16), and many more examples can be cited. EVERY New testament citation on the Gifts of the Spirit is about what we experience together. Discipleship is indispensible in the discovering & development of our gifts.

The Varying Roles of the Disciple-Maker

The Role of the Model- taking on the responsibility to be a personal example (a type or pattern to follow). 1 Cor 4:16; Phil 3:17; 1 Thess 2:10-14; 1 Cor 11:1; 1 Thess 1:6; 1 Tim 4:12; Heb 13:7

Misconceptions- it is natural that those who are trained by us will take on some of our traits & habits (Luke 6:40), but the goal is for conform to Christ’s image, not our own (Romans 8:29). I call this the “Copier/Printer principle”- you don’t want to make a copy of yourself (and while you may reflect the image of Christ, the next generation “copy” will also inherit the imperfections of the previous, and so on). Technically, you can’t reproduce yourself in another- only Jesus makes disciples (John 15:4-5; 1 Cor 3:7). The goal is to reproduce a copy of the original- to “print” from the primary source instead.

The Role of a Mentor- one who coaches another to excellence. Modern equivalents would be a coach, teacher or counselor. They assess another’s gifts, strengths & weaknesses and help a person to use what they have been given to the best of their ability. They help to develop discipline and to be a good steward of the 3 T’s (time, talent, treasure). A mentor make also be a model at times, but he/she will provide the tools, strategies and encouragement to loving provoke another to good works. 2 Tim 3:10; 1 Cor 4:15-16; Phil 4:9; Acts 20:35

Misconceptions- some confuse mentorship with being a task master. While there is some sense of axcountability in the mentor/mentee dynamic, remember that you are both ultimately accountable to God Himself. Don’t try to be the Holy Spirit in another person’s life- the job is already taken & you’re not qualified. At the opposite end of the spectrum is setting low expectations- not challenging another to go higher or further in their efforts to develop discipline. Excellence comes from the continuous application of discipline. The final misconception relates to the prior two: an inability to balance encouragement & challenge.

The Role of a Friend- one who befriends another for mutual support & care. This role refers to walking together in mutual agreement & desire; we share a common goal. Biblical friendship allows both parties to make the other person better. Prov 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” The verse refers to two pieces of metal rubbing one another; in other words, it implies not only the possibility but the benefit of friction. There are some things a friend can say that a model or mentor never could. And in fact, because they love you they take seriously the obligation to speak the truth (Eph 4:15). Some ascepts of discipleship can only be accomplished through the intimacy of the friendship dynamic. John 13:34-35 ; Amos 3:3; Rom 1:11-12; Prov 27:9; Isa 35:3-4

Misconceptions- There are a few common mental blocks to viewing friendship from the perspective of discipleship. For example:

“True friends don’t confront, they only strive to understand one another.”

“Friends do not interfere with the personal affairs of one another.”

“Friendship precludes (prevents) acts of admonition and mutual accountability”

Time to Take Action: Next Steps

I want to conclude with a few action steps- what we will do to drive & manage this initiative, and what we need everyone to do inorder to support it.

To make disciples, we must BE disciples. Remember, we are discplies as well. In the same that good followers become good leaders, those who practice mutual accountability & submission as leaders will be productive in disciple making.

Be intentional. Have a process for individual growth & accountability for those within your sphere of influence & ministries. It will not just happen because we want it to.

Let love rule. Again…this is not a program or auxilary. We do not want to perceive this as “work” despite the effort required.

Your Source & Resource

Leadership support- we will schedule brief zoom meetings with all leadership to help with the development of this initiative within your area of ministry.

The Discipleship board- we are also in the process of establishing an interdisciplinary board to help the ministry in keeping this initiative in focus. These members will serve as the eyes & ears within our day-to-day activities, providing info to Min. Smiles & myself so we can take the pulse of the ministry, and pivot if necessary to meet new needs. 5 members have been selected; more to come!

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