The Prophetic Work Of Making Disciples
The greatest issue facing the world today, with all its heartbreaking needs, is clear. Will those who are identified as “Christians” become disciples—students, apprentices, practitioners—of Jesus Christ?
The last command Jesus gave the church before he ascended to heaven was the Great Commission, the call for Christians to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28: 19).
Making disciples is fundamentally prophetic work.
The aim is to call people back to the core work of loving God (the Great Commandment, Matthew 22: 37) and loving neighbours (the Great Commission, Matthew 28: 18–20) by helping followers of Jesus become disciples who make disciples.
A disciple is a person who has decided that the most important thing in their life is to learn how to do what Jesus said to do.
Are you in a disciple-making church?
The Defining Priority of a Disciple
In the last conversation with his disciples, Jesus basically said, “Look, I’m about to leave. Here’s one thing I don’t want you to forget: I’m giving you a new command to replace all the other commands, and it’s very simple. Love one another. As I have loved you, you’re to love one another.”
Jesus said the world would know they were his followers by the way they loved others.
Pretty simple, eh?
A disciple is not a person who has things under control or knows a lot of things. Disciples simply are people who are constantly revising their affairs to carry through on their decision to love like Jesus loved.
The Foundational Competency of a Disciple
The foundational competency of discipleship is learning to hear and respond to God.
The disciple continuously asks, “What is God saying? How is God getting my attention? What am I doing about it?”
Disciples steadily learn how to live the life of the Kingdom of the Heavens into every corner of human existence.
The Critical Practise of a Disciple
There are no disciples without disciplines. A disciple builds muscles of hearing and responding.
John Chandler, in Uptick, describes following Jesus as a lifelong journey from
self-awareness (understanding your own internal world)
to self-regulation (tempering behavioral reactivity to your internal world)
which can lead to social awareness (understanding the dynamics at work in others around you)
and social regulation (responding properly in group situations because of strong understanding of yourself vis-à-vis others).
The Relational Equity of a Disciple
Discipleship happens best in relationship. Disciples thrive in the accountability, support and encouragement a healthy group affords.
Authentic community can be found in the physical and the digital world. Hi-tech doesn't mean low touch. Vulnerability is contagious and is not limited by a screen.
Local churches are redefining what they are on a weekly basis. The way of the future local church could very well be small and linked.
Jesus had his twelve. Do you?
The Effective Maturity of a Disciple
Mature disciples are not known for their cognitive ability, apologetic savvy, or sanctified lifestyle.
They are known for their fruitfulness. Disciples reproduce disciples. They bear good fruit.
Reproduction is the hallmark of mature disciples.
Have you decided to be a disciple and learn how to do what Jesus said to do? It’s the most important thing in your life and what the world needs now.
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.