I recently had an incredible conversation with a wonderful Christian lady who confessed with new found clarity and concern, "Cody, I have grown up in the church my entire life and I love Jesus, but I'm in my 40's and I don't know what discipleship means and what it is supposed to look like." My heart was filled with compassion for her, and my heart also ached for the many Christians like her who, if they were honest, would share in the same confusion.
What is Biblical discipleship? Is it only for those "super elite" Christian people (sarcasm intended)? Is discipleship meant to be a mystery that needs decoded?
I went on to explain to this sister in Christ what the Bible teaches us about this important topic (as I will for you below), and her response was, "I've never experienced that type of discipleship".
How did we get to a place as the church where someone can "go to church" for 40+ years...listening to sermons, giving financially, and serving faithfully...and still not be clear on one of the primary callings from Jesus for every single one of His people? Some of the last and final words of Jesus after His resurrection and before His ascension was this (typically referred to as "The Great Commission"):
Matthew 28:18-20 - "18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
The call to be a disciple, help make new disciples, and teach/equip current disciples is literally at the core of every Christian's calling and mission (or at least it should be according to Jesus). A recent poll taken of U.S. Christians revealed the major unawareness on this primary command of Jesus:
(You may need a log in to access this link, but here is where this graph came from: https://barna.gloo.us/videos/barna-minute-great-commission)
First of all, why did Barna feel the need to break down "U.S. Christians" into three distinct categories, with one of those being "Practicing Christians"? Is there another type of Christian? Are there different types of Christians in the Bible? I think that this is literally a symptom of the confusion surrounding the topic of what it really means to be a disciple of Jesus.
Secondly, this poll reveals the sad truth that only 26% of "Practicing Christians" say that they have heard of the Great Commission and that they could tell someone what it means. REALLY? Is this ok? Only 26%! What about the other 74% of "Practicing Christians"? Shouldn't this be concerning to us, since this is the primary command and mission for the people of God, the church? I mean, we could all easily rattle off the mission and slogans of businesses through things like jingles and taglines, but as Christians, we seem lost on this primary mission (not that we need to turn it into a slogan or jingle, but hopefully you get my point).
Has the church gotten too focused on our Sunday services, our programs, and maintaining our buildings/budgets and in the process lost our focus on this critical command? Have we become better at creating and enabling a consumer mindset instead of becoming better at cultivating the heart, devotion and mindset of a true disciple? You can't give someone something that you don't have or have never experienced yourself.
So what is Biblical "discipleship"? What does it mean to be a disciple? What should discipleship look like? One thing that is important to note on this topic is that the word "discipleship" never appears in scripture...never. The word "disciple" appears all over the place. What is the difference you ask? A disciple is a noun and an identity, not simply an activity or a program. It is a way of life. What we often call "discipleship" (which I don't think is inherently wrong if applied Biblically), should be a deeper pursuit of growing in their identity and character as a disciple (follower) of Jesus.
What does scripture say will help us grow as a disciple of Jesus? The good news is that it isn't complex or confusing, but there are no shortcuts to these biblical principles transforming your heart and mind. It will require a devoted, steadfast, and committed heart of surrender toward the Lord. It will also require humility and vulnerability. Here is what you must be devoted to in order to grow as a disciple of Jesus:
Knowing scripture for yourself: Writing it on your heart and re-training your mind with the truth. Scripture will teach you and remind you of who God is, what He has done, who He says that you are to Him, and how He calls you to live as a believer. Stop taking everyones word for it and go to the source for yourself, anchoring your whole life to His word. Does this describe your relationship with the Bible?
Being intimately connected to God's people: You don't just need to be aware of other Christians who are in the same room as you. You need to be intimately and consistently known by people in a way where they know how to specifically be praying for or encouraging you, and that you have given them permission to challenge the areas of your life that may not be faithfully representing Jesus and His truth. This usually requires regular and intentional conversations with trusted disciples, including fellowship and having fun together (it doesn't all have to be so serious). Another important part of this is regularly communing (taking communion) with God's people to help celebrate and remember the Gospel work of Jesus that has saved us. The Lord's Supper calls us to examine our hearts before the Lord. I believe that this is best experienced in relational settings that aren't treated like "fast food/drive through" communion. Do you have these types of intimate discipling relationships consistently in your life?
Being devoted to prayer: If we love Jesus and we believe that Jesus truly loves us, then we should desire to engage in a two way conversation with the Lord. God speaks clearly to us through His word, but how do you communicate back to Him. That is through prayer, and He desires that you constantly keep Him on your mind, in your heart, and literally on your tongue (yes, prayer can be out loud or simply in the heart, as both have value in different settings). How often do you desire to communicate your heart to God through prayer?
We read about this devoted way of life through the earliest disciples in Acts 2:42-47:
"42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."
This isn't isolated to Acts 2:42-47, but I doubt that you want me to quote every passage on this topic. This is why it is important for you to read scripture for yourself each day (if possible), to pray and ask God to teach you, and allowing the people of God into your life in a personal and intimate way. I love how the disciple's way of life in Acts 2:42-47 is dynamic and diverse. It doesn't read like a discipleship program or to-do list. It reads more like a group of people (the church) who are deeply in love with God and genuinely devoted to loving the people around them, both believers and non-believers. They enjoyed meals and time together. They prayed together. They financially helped one another. They encouraged and taught each other the word of God. They celebrated communion together. And they shared the Gospel together, seeing daily new people come to know the Lord. I want to see that! Don't you?
Have you been living as a devoted disciple of Jesus? Does your "church" experience resemble anything that looks like what we read about in Acts 2:42-47? Are you helping to encourage other believers to live this way as well? Are you praying about how God can use you to make new disciples through the Gospel of Jesus? If not, it isn't too late. You can start today and intentionally grow in these things.
If you've made it this far, congrats and thank you! Please leave a comment below or email me at: betterequippedwithcody@gmail.com and let me know what your thoughts are. I'm genuinely curious to hear how this hits your ears and heart. I'm praying for you, and I'm praying for the people of God, His church. 🙏🏼
Cody Balch
Better Equipped
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