Make Disciples

Introductory Remarks

Discipleship – everyone is talking about it, which is cause for rejoicing. After all, it was foremost in Jesus’ mind when he spoke to the disciples prior to his ascension (Matt 28). Little else ranks as important to the church’s mission as the making of disciples; the history of God’s church rises or falls on how well we make disciples of Jesus.

Covid – many churches faced losses during Covid lockdown that to date have not been replaced (numerically). We simply lost untold thousands who having not gone to church during this season, decided it wasn’t that important after all. We were caught with our discipleship pants around our ankles. For all our cute phrases the church truly was only a building we/they went to.

Refocus – or first-time focus on discipleship has become the new means. My question is, are we merely following another how to grow your church (as if it is ever ‘your church’) trend, And, as is the nature of trends, it will pass.

Shepherding – those of us longer of tooth remember when it was a hot topic - 1970-80’s.  Teachers became the new gurus much to the chagrin of the average pastor who had toiled with and loved on these people in the first instance, subsequently losing them as disciples to the shepherding movement – that typical of most short-lived emphases like them saw the churches as lacking in the truth of their ‘revelational’ teaching and therefore ripe for the picking. They were often heavy-handed, making disciples of their teaching and themselves, less obedient to the commandments of Jesus, and creating distinctions amongst God’s people. Paul spoke to this in no certain terms saying. “So let no one boast about human leaders … whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas (Peter) – all belong to you.”  He was referring to the habit among the Corinthians of saying “I belong to Paul, or I belong to Apollos, or I belong to Cephas.” 1 Corinthians 1.11-13; 3.21-23 They were sectarian preferring one person and their teaching, and were therefore, by Paul’s standard, worldly - Corinth minded.

Shepherding ended in discouragement for many and, consequently and more tragically, the denigration of discipleship itself.

Making Disciples

Discipleship – to be like Jesus is the goal of church life and teaching. We are all agreed on its value and primacy, but I am not so convinced we know how to implement it. To simply translate it into the church calendar or do a series on it as a means of church growth is to miss the point. Discipleship is the point, it is the calendar, it is the reason for gathering, worship and prayer, the more so in smaller groups.

I contend it is very difficult to disciple solely or primarily from the pulpit. Jesus clearly spoke to large gatherings but they, by and large, turned from him in the end. They didn’t like the implications or demands of his teaching, especially the bits about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Nor could they be held accountable to his teaching, most of which was communicated to the disciples in the environs of community and living/travelling together. Seldom did he talk one-on-one, and seldom, if ever, did Jesus use a knowledge-based classroom style of teaching. In this sense, he wasn’t typically rabbinical. It was community, teaching, action, reflection (after action), and consistent challenge that was the pathway to discipleship, not a short course.

The Means

Matthew – is the discipleship gospel. It contains four main blocks of teaching that are summaries of his discipleship methodology. This is what Jesus taught the disciples and held them accountable to. He didn’t teach topically or to scratch their itch. He reframed the law and demanded (if that is the right word) that they obey his teachings which were framed around himself, more important and definitive than the law of Moses.

We have ingeniously worked around discipling by appealing to grace – or to be more correct, a misunderstanding of grace, one that avoids holiness and obedience to Jesus’ commandments – see Matthew 5-7. Were we to teach passages these more we would obviate the need to speak on fulfilling relationships, better marriages, financial responsibility, etc. If we learnt Jesus, we would learn these things by way of a changed way of thinking, reacting, and responding – a new life reflecting the Christ of the cross and resurrection. This is our strength and our secret.

God forbid we move on from discipleship – it is the means the early church grew by – patiently, perseveringly, obediently, sufferingly, and world-changingly.  More importantly, it is the command of the Risen Saviour – “Go into all the world and make disciples … baptise … teaching them to obey what I commanded you.”

We are his disciples if we so do, but we may have to change some things to do so.