The “Great Commission” is often used as a call for evangelistic efforts to be a witness to the world of God’s grace through Jesus Christ. In order to keep the command of this great commission, please notice that the words of the Lord Jesus Christ are to “go and make disciples.” Granted a disciple is first a convert to the faith, but Jesus’ command is to make sure converts grow in their faith, particularly in the areas of the sacraments, as in knowing, understanding, and participating in them for such is a means of God pouring His grace into our lives. Jesus’ command also included teaching the converts to observe all that He commanded. Remember this is the commission to every believer from the Lord Jesus Christ who reminds us of His authority to make this command and His promise to be with us as we carry out His command.
Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV) — 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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 all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Let’s get specific in discipling (making disciples). Most Christians bulk at any thought of discipling another person because they have never been discipled themselves. This is the norm in churches today. People are encouraged to join a Sunday School class or a small group, which is fine for additional learning and fellowship, but one on one discipleship is taking the Bible to a practical level though life on life meetings called discipling. One way to consider the value of discipleship is through an expression an old preacher told me long ago. He said every believer needs a “Paul’ and a “Timothy.” In other words, every believer needs a person to come along beside them and mentor them for life but in turn every believer needs that protégée, someone into which to build.
2 Timothy 2:1–2 (ESV) — 1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 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.
The first step into the wonderful life of discipleship is to realize the call of God in the command of the Lord Jesus Christ and be ready to answer the call, knowing that as God calls so He provides grace to perform the task.
Secondly, you are not called to pass along something you have not received, which eliminates the paralysis through over analysis that causes some people to procrastinate under the excuse of “not knowing enough.”
Thirdly, the system of discipleship offers the greatest joy in seeing multiple generations of believers discipling and being discipled. (By the way, the multilevel marketing industry found success in taking a proven biblical principle of connecting and growing people and using it for something other than Christian growth and maturity.) Nevertheless, under the banner of discipleship in the church, it’s the God honoring way of helping believers in their faith and in the fulfillment of the great commission.
Make a commitment to God that you will follow the orders of the Lord Jesus Christ and be involved in discipling another person. Follow up with another person in the church such as your pastor, elder, or leader in letting your commitment be known as well as seeking advice on who to mentor or disciple. You do not need to feel like you aren’t old enough or wise enough. Discipling is as much about “iron sharpening iron” as it is about taking the person to a new level. It’s more about coming along beside the person so you can live life together.
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV) — 17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Here are a few tips for an actual discipling session. It’s essential that the word of God be at the center of the conversation, so it’s good to have a lesson from a portion of scripture or a scripture-based book as the focus. I’ve created almost 200 lessons from various portions of scripture, so I provide a lesson syllabus that I ask to be filled out before the next session. Please note that although the scripture is the centerpiece of the time together, it’s not a Bible class. The scriptural lesson or book is a means to an end but not the end goal. I make it a point to listen during the times of small talk as well as time in the lesson to learn about what is going on. Asking questions and showing interest is important because it brings the two of you together. Many times, the person I’m discipling needs a listening ear about things going on in life and a person who will pray for them. As these times happen, you are not required to fix them or the situation. Of course, any experience you can relate (if appropriate) then share, but remember it’s not about you it’s about helping that person see the answer to life’s questions in the word of God.
One of the frequently asked questions is about how often to meet. That depends upon the availability of the individual. Once per week is great. Once every other week is okay. Once a month is alright in a pinch, but it’s hard to build momentum meeting only 12 times per year.
What about being late or having to cancel? All I ask is consideration in letting me know if there’s a problem. (An important aspect of iron sharpening iron.) Life often gets in the way causing delays or reasons to cancel.
One more thing about discipleship meetings. Prayer is an important part of the time together. Some people pray at the start and at the conclusion. It really doesn’t matter but it does matter that you pray sometime during the session. You can ask for prayer requests or base your prayer for the person based upon any need or circumstance they have mentioned in your conversation. It could be that it’s the only time the person experiences someone praying for them. Think of how meaningful that could be.
Luke 9:23 (ESV) — 23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
The most important part of discipleship is that you, as a disciple, imitate the Chief Himself, which is what you are doing as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Godspeed,
Bob Brubaker, Pastor
Christ Community Presbyterian Church
Clearwater, FL
Check out the PowerBreak Podcast wherever you download podcasts or from the website: www.bobbrubaker.com.
