Discipleship is arguably the most ignored of the twelve essential
Church activities we have identified. Zealous to lead people into Christ’s
kingdom, churches spend precious hours and dollars on evangelism. Discipleship,
in comparison, is neglected. The result is a group of Christians who have
believed and repented but have only a vague idea what to do next.
I am certain that the earliest disciples would be shocked at this
unfortunate trend. Jesus, in what has become known as the Great Commission,
implies rather strongly that discipleship is an essential activity of the
Church. After urging us to “baptize all nations”, he commands us to “teach them
to observe all things I have commanded you.”
Are we, the Church, following Christ’s commission to disciple our new
converts? Consider these two true-to-life scenarios, one from athletics and the
other from a local church:
1
A high school football recruit commits to play for a college team. As
soon as he signs the papers, he receives from the head coach a playbook to
study and an off-season fitness program to follow. That night he goes to dinner
with four senior players who share with him how he is to conduct himself as an
athlete for the university. The orientation continues when he enrolls at school
in the fall. During his entire freshman year, he is supervised and instructed
by his coaches and upperclassmen until they are convinced he has earned the
right to supervise and instruct future recruiting classes himself.
2
A man believes, repents, and commits his life to Christ. After he is
baptized, he receives from the church a congratulatory letter and some offering
envelopes. He goes to Sunday School the next week and is directed to a class of
people close to his age. There he hears a lesson not meant for a newborn Christian,
including theological phrases unfamiliar to him. No one offers him a means to
become acquainted with the “how to” of following Christ, i.e. how to be a
disciple. Before long, he becomes disinterested and quits coming to church
altogether.
The solution, again, is simple: churches
must prioritize discipleship. They must be creative and consistent in
training new converts. They must never forget the following:
1
Discipleship should begin immediately after baptism and is the job of
mature Christians. No one else will do it, simply because no one else can. It
takes a disciple to make a disciple.
2
Since local churches have the largest numbers of Christians in one
place, the task of turning a new believer into a lasting disciple falls
squarely on the shoulders of the Church.
3
Discipleship, reduced to its simplest expression, is following Christ.
Following Christ involves obedience to Christ.
4
Christians cannot obey Jesus without first knowing what he commands
them to do. To know what Jesus commanded, a Christian must study what he said.
5
As the name implies, a disciple is
disciplined. Put another way, he
or she practices the disciplines (prayer, Bible study, worship, giving,
etc.).
6
Churches must direct attention (i.e. time and money) to discipleship,
giving it as much weight as evangelism, worship, and missions.
If the Church will follow this advice, the unfortunate scenario above
can be rewritten:
A man believes, repents, and
commits his life to Christ. As soon as he is baptized, he receives from his
pastor a book on discipleship to study and details about a discipleship class
he is to attend. That week he is invited to dinner by four church members who
share with him how he is to conduct himself as a citizen of Christ’s kingdom.
The trend continues for the first year of his Christian life. Every week he is
supervised and instructed by ministers and members until they are convinced he
has earned the right to supervise and instruct new Christians himself.
Part 6:
Evangelism
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