This is continued from last week …
Discipleship is a very important topic. You will be discipled by someone – good or bad. God places people in our lives who can have a good influence over us. You need someone to help you along, and aldo to help someone else along. You only need be just a little ahead of someone else to disciple them.
“You’re gonna have to serve somebody. It may be the Devil or it may be The Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody” – Paul Simon
You cannot mass produce disciples. Though meetings are great it is one on one where the most important work is done.
“You can care about the crowds but you can only love one person at a time.” – Mother Teresa
“It is more noble to give yourself completely to one individual than to labor diligently for the salvation of the masses.” – Dag Hammerskjold
“Poverty cannot be overcome until we stop thinking of it as an issue and start seeing it as a person.” – Richard Stearns
Jesus’ plan is multiplication not addition.
Without discipleship people will never be able to overcome the obstacles that keep them from their spiritual potential. Christianity is complicated when you’re told how to do it; it is simple when you are shown how to do it.
Through discipleship a church moves from being an audience to an army.
The key to a church’s impact is not in the gifts of the few but in releasing the contribution and potential of everyone. A world-changing church is a church of ordinary people equipped and released to do extraordinary things for the glory of God.
Acts 8:4
We are a generation over-taught and under-discipled and under-equipped.
How we become spiritual fathers who change the world: VCF Temple will reach its redemptive potential in discipleship when everyone learns to continuously be one, reach one, and train one.
But, before we can make a disciple we must be a disciple.
All disciples are Christians but not all Christians are disciples. A true disciple is someone who has totally committed his life to forsake all, to obey all, and to share all that God has given them, so that there life in Christ is passed on to others.
Luke 14:33
Matthew 10:8
“It’s not what you believe that matters; it’s what you believe enough to do.” – Gulbranson
Everyone is called to reach someone. All true discipleship is focused on the harvest.
Everyone is called to help train and develop someone.
Qualities of effective spiritual disciple makers:
1. They are encouragers. They are devoted to seeing God’s best and bringing out the best in the other. It is their dream to help make their friend’s (children’s) dream come true. Jim tells about how he has the privilege to talk to his son’s football team before games on Friday evenings. He gets to encourage them right before they hit the field. It makes the boys feel good and it makes Jim feel good. There’s something great about getting close to someone and encouraging them.
2. They share the experiences of life together. Everyone has a story (or lots of stories) to tell. Teaching about your experience and how it can be applied to their lives is far better than just “teaching” a lesson. Discipleship is more about a life than a lesson. Disciples do what disciples see. Passion for God is more caught than taught. We’ve all succeeded and failed and learned from those experiences. We need to be willing to share those things to help others.
3. They help set a level of expectation to help one another become their best. People grow when a high bar is set and there is mutual accountability for holding ourselves to God’s best. Accountability is good. It’s not just an “under my thumb” thing. It’s a way to help us stay on track with lots of grace and forgiveness. It helps us be honest with ourselves because we’re having to be honest with someone else. Accountability to someone else is an excellent tool for our personal growth.
4. They explain and exchange their journey in the Word. Teachers focus on teaching, disciple-makers focus on listening and helping each other apply God’s Word to their lives. Again, it’s more than just teaching and “lessons.” It’s showing by practical example to help others be more wise. If you pour out your best to others, both you and they will grow.
John 8:31-32
Titus 2:4
5. They equip them to reach, train, and develop someone else so that they continue to double the difference their life makes. Encourage those you disciple to, in turn, disciple others. Make this a part of their DNA so they will pass it on to others – this is where the multiplication comes into play.
Think about those who invest time and energy into your life and what a difference they made to you. You can invest in others in the same way, and make the same difference to them. In turn, they will learn to deposit part of that investment into others.
2 Timothy 2:2
photo credit: davedehetre
