Introduction
There is a great need in our country today and in our generation that calls for the attention of Christian leaders . Godliness is fast disappearing among our young people and the general church population. The church is no longer different and separated from the world as compromises and the love of money has become the order of the day. The church has become increasingly worldly, and the fear of God has disappeared from the heart of many church goers. Many attend churches just for formalities and to satisfy their conscience, but their love for God and his word has grown cold. They have actually backslidden at heart while they still go about their normal church activities. The pulpit is also not spared from these decadence unfortunately. The multiplication of churches and prayer houses in our communities and cities has not helped the matter at all; in fact it made things worse. If nothing is done to arrest this situation, many of our young people will weep at the time of their old age and die in sorrow because of the evil generation of young people we are producing now. Our country has no hope unless we arise now to contribute our God-given role as church leaders to correct the situation by following the commands of the Lord Jesus Christ in discipling our Church population. Judges 2:7, 10-14 says:
“So the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the Lord which He had done for Israel. When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work, which He had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baals;…And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel. So He delivered them into the hands of plunderers who spoiled them; and He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, so that they could no longer stand before their enemies”.
This account is a summary of what happens in any generation where discipleship is omitted.
Moses laboured upon the lives of the children of Israel generally to teach them and lead them in the way of the Lord. Not only that, he also specifically drew Joshua and some other young men close to himself in discipleship so that by the time he was dying, he had a well trained Joshua (a man in whom the Spirit is) to hand over leadership to (Nun. 27:18). However, Joshua did not disciple anyone specifically. By the time he died, there was a generation gap. There was no one to lead the people in the way of the Lord. The people began to do evil in the sight of the Lord and trouble started.
It is sad to note that this kind of thing is already beginning to happen in our days and in our very eyes. There is already a generation gap in godly living. God is looking for people who will stand in this gap to save our country and the generation to come from destruction. We therefore have a need to arise and close this gap by making a discipleship link between us and the next generation.
Purpose
This seminar is aimed at sensitizing, training and mobilizing Christian leaders to raise up to the challenge of raising strong Christians by Discipleship. Our discussion shall seek to realize the following objectives:
a) Definition and Concept of Discipieship; the need for Discipleship and the great Commission.
b) Discipie-making: Practical tips and tools
c) Discipler – Disciple reiationship
Definition and Concept of Discipieship
(1) The Word “Disciple” simply means “follower”, “learner”, “pupil”.
Discipleship is therefore a “Teacher-student” or “Master-Apprentice” relationship (Lk 6 40). It is a traming, “molding” or “making” relationship (Matt 11: 28-30, Matt 4.19)
(2) Discipleship is God’s own means of making His children to become like Jesus, matured in character and fit for the master’s use and equipped to handle their inheritance in Christ Jesus. (Rom 8:29, Matt 10:24-25, Gal 4 1-2, Matt 4 19). This is the goal of discipleship.
3) Discipleship is a relationship geared towards fulfilling the great Commission. It is not a Christian activity group or Bible study class. Not a doctrine. It is also more than ordinary follow-up of new converts.
(4) It is God’s means of perpetuating His work from generation to generation (Ex 24:13, Num 27:15-18, 2Tim 2:22). Whenever discipleship is omitted in any generation, God’s work is hindered and decay sets in (Judg 2 10, 1 Sam 8: 1-5).
(5) Discipleship is personal (Matt 10:24, Lk 9:23). it involves the disciple being with the discipler (Mk 3: 13-14).
6) it is not a single time experience. It is a process consisting of several steps systematically arranged to make a disciple to become like Jesus. (1 Pet 2.21, Isa 28:9-10). So you must be willing to allow your disciple to walk with you and learn from you as long as the Lord gives you the opportunity to be together.
(7) One basic qualification of both the disciple and the discipler is that each must have experienced the new birth (Jn 3:6). Not only that, the discipler must be more spiritually matured than the student (Lk 6.39).
The Need For Discipleship
The necessity for discipleship in the churches today are as numerous as the diversities of our problems. But chiefly; these are some among the several overwhelming reasons:
(a) The major task that the Lord Jesus Christ commanded us is to make disciples, and not ordinary converts or believers (Matt 28:18-20, Jn 8.30) The omission of discipleship from the great commision perhaps could be the reason for the high level of misbehaviours, scandals and contradictions in the midst of a seemingly overwhelining percentage of professing Christians in our churches, institutions and the nation at large today
(b) It is also amazing to discover that discipleship was the strategy utilized by our Lord Jesus Christ to bring a permanent solution to the myriads of problems that bedeviled the human race (Matt.11:28-30)
Though He meets people’s immediate needs, no one could actually find rest for his soul until he has put his neck into the yoke of discipleship. The process of discipleship is God’s preventive measure to solve people’s problems.
(c) The level of growth and maturity of a believer in the knowledge of the Lord and in apprioprating all that Christ stands for determines the level of his deliverance, liberty and fulfilment (Isa. 5: 13-14).
To therefore grow from being a perpetual baby in Christ and become mature in character Iike Jesus, is only possible through discipleship, not only under the invisible hand of Christ but also under the moulding hand of a human discipler. (Eph 4 11-14, Gal 4 1-2, Lk 16 12)
(d) A very essential ingredient for growth and life formation in human beings is that of “role-model”. The church today is made up of many young men and women at their formative stages, the point of seeking meaning, reality, direction and essence for living. The absence of a ready-made example of men and women who exemplify victory, fulfillment, and success is the bane and battering of such unfortunate young men or women. This often is the genesis of the restlessness, antisocial behaviours and the various degrees of blindness that characterizes them. Dangerous, but available mentors soon become idols that steal their hearts… While costly assumptions, irretrievable and irreversible experiments become their lot.
Only discipleship relationship affords the young believer the opportunity to lean from the experience of matured Chnstians. He does not need to go through the trouble of learning the hard way from his own personal mistakes (Jn. 8:12, ITim 4:12)
(e) The discipleship relationship also helps to make the disciple available to be properly brought up in the way of the Lord. (Act 3:13-15, Lk 9: 57-62).
(f) Discipleship is God’s own way of recruiting labourers and leaders into His work. Those who will be fit for God’s use tomorrow must become disciples today. The disciples of today are the ones that will become apostles of tomorrow (Mat 4:19-22, Acts 2: 14-15). The asses that He will ride upon into His “Jerusalem” tomorrow must agree to be tied down in discipleship today under the “trees” of His choice. (Mk 11:1-10). He will not use free-rangers.
Further more, discipleship is God’s own only way of perpetuating His work from one generation to another. This is clearly stated in Ps. 78:2-7.
“I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us…. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which Should be born who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments.”
Moses discipled Joshua, Barnabas disciple Paul (Acts 9:26-28, Acts 11:25-26), Paul discipled Timothy (Acts 16:1-4, Phil 2:19-22) and charged Timothy to pass it on to the others. That was how Christianity and kingdom lifestyle was passed on to us. It must not be allowed to die with us in our generation.
As soon people give their lives to Christ, there is need to carefully disciple them and show them the way of the Lord. There will be a big gap in their lives if Church leaders and mature Christians fail to raise up to this challenge. Even nature abhors vacuum. If we don’t, “somebody” else will. We don’t need to guess far who that is. Our society is presently a witness to the evils of this negligence.
In conclusion, our lack of focus on discipleship in time past has been the great omission of the great Commission. This is “heaven’s” primary but unpublicized motivation for having Christian leaders. Every Christian leader needs to be armed with the ability to supply this costly but indispensable ingredient to the life-long journey of the new believers that has been providentially strung across his or her path. We must be deliberate about discipling the younger generation!
Discipie-making: Practical tips and tools
(1) Practical Tips
a) Recruitment Methodology
The discipleship of believers at different level is quite possible today despite their large number, and the enormous task involved.
Taking a cue from our Lord Jesus Christ who is the pattern Discipler, He started recruiting disciples by preaching to them repentance from sin.
“From that time Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and i will make you fishers af men.” Matt.4: 17-19.
Repentance from sin leading to the new birth experience is the first message to preach to anyone who must be discipled. You must ensure that the believer you intend to disciple is born again before embarking on the discipleship relationship because you cannot disciple a sinner to become a saint just as you cannot disciple a dog to become a sheep. You will also discover that in His recruitment message, He made His intention clear, He told His disciples that as they follow Him, He would make them fishers of men. It is therefore important to make the goal of discipleship clear to each student you want to disciple right from the onset so that he may also pursue that focus with you.
Furthermore, even though Jesus Christ ministered to the multitudes, His main focus was to seek and to save the lost and disciple them. He used His opportunities to preach to the multitudes as opportunities to recruit disciples. On one of such occasions, the Bible says,
“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘whoever desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me.” Mk 8:34.
Since the great commission is basically that of disciple making, we should follow in the steps of the Master. As you preach and teach, whether to multitudes or individuals, don’t stop there. Those that have repented must be discipled.
Some basic practical tips in recruiting and making disciples in the churches include:
(i) Your availabilty to the believer (Matt. 4: 12-16).
Jesus had to make Himself available to the people who needed Him. He came down from His Nazareth to Capernum and started dwelling among the people.
You can also do likewise. Any duty that will bring you to be regularly in touch with
the young believer is an opportunity for recruiting and making disciples.
(ii) Ability to deliberatetly create opportunities for soul winning and recruiting disciples among your church members. You can take advantage of occasions like naming ceremonies, birthday parties, send off parties etc, for that purpose. Just as some responded to the call unto discipleship during the time of Jesus Christ, some will also respond as you throw them the challenge. Then you can begin to work on their lives individually and personally since discipleship is a personal relationship.
(b) Selection
When the number of disciples on your hand increases beyond what you can cope with, you must make selections as Jesus did so as to be effective, First He chose twelve to be with Him (Mk 3:43-19, Lk 6:12-16); then Ho appointed seventy others and later they became one hundred and twenty by the time He was ascending to heaven (Acts 1:13-15). Even from among the twelve, He selected three (Matt 17:1) to concentrate upon for deeper exposure, so they can provide leadership for the twelve. And among the three, He concentrated on Peter (Jn 21: 15) who would provide leadership for the three and for them all. Selection is a very important strategy in disciple-making. It was also the method used by Moses in the wilderness (Ex 18:17-22).
We can adopt this method in effectively discipling the multitudes of believers that will respond to discipleship. It is not possible for one person to personally disciple a crowd. You can select a few committed believers to concentrate upon in discipleship, train them to disciple others and then put some disciples under each of them. This way, they will help you to disciple others while you focus your own
attention on their own lives. We could also make use of the already existing relationships as a means of raising disciplers among them. For example, home cell leadership and members, departmental leadership and members, women and men fellowship groups, Youth church and the youth pastor, church societies etc can be used to foster discipleship relationship. This way, every believer who desires to be discipled can receive a personal touch of discipleship.
2. Practical Tools in Disciple-Making
As we recruit disciples, there are certain tools that we need to make use of in order to build up their lives to become more and more like Jesus in character and to equip them for an acceptable Christian service. These tools must be used concurrently if disciple-making must be effective.
(a) The teaching of the Word of God/Bible studies.
(2Tim 3:16-17, KJV, NEB)
“Every inspired scripture has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, or for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind” (NEB).
The Lord Jesus Christ gave priority to the teaching of God’s word in raising disciples (Matt 5: 1-2). The word of God must be highly upheld as central in discipling every believer. Teach the word. Don’t assume that they know.
(b) Prayer (Jn: 1-26, Lk 22:31-32).
Constant communion with the Lord in prayers over the welfare of every disciple is necessary so as to receive help and direction for him or her. It takes the grace of God to understand spiritual things and to make it one’s lifestyle. Prayer for, and with the disciple is very crucial in effective disciple-making. We are nothing but co-labourers together with God over these disciples.
(c) Fellowship meeting of disciples (Acts 2:41-42. Acts 11:26, Heb 10:25).
Even though this alone is not enough in effectively molding the lives of disciples, it is an important tool in enhancing disciple-making. Meeting together as disciples, sharing together the word of God, our joys, sorrows, our belongings etc, has a way of bringing encouragement and growth to a disciple’s life. It is important to create a forum for regular genuine fellowship among disciples.
(d) Personal human disciplers (Mats 28:19-20, Col 1:28, Acts 9:27)
Every disciple under your care must be personally handled and discipled. This gives the disciple the opportunity to relate with you informally at home and at work. If they become too many for you alone to handle, carefully attach each disciple to a more matured disciple (another leader or matured disciple) who will personally care for, teach and watch over his spiritual growth. Without this, discipleship becomes formal and ineffective.
Discipler-Discipie Relationship
(a) Example: Paul and Timothy
(i) Both of them were born again; so discipleship relationship was possible between them. Jn 3:3, I Cor 2:14, Acts 9:1-9, Acts 16:1-2.
As I said earlier on, this is a necessary foundation for a successful discipleship relationship.
(ii) Consider how their discipleship relationship started in Acts 16. 1-4. Even though Timothy was already a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, growing generally among the disciples in Lystra, he needed to be personally discipled. Paul decided to take him along for this reason. As a leader, you can also allow the Lord to use you this way to personally and deliberately take up younger ones and labour on their lives in discipleship untill Christ be formed in them.
(iii) Note that as they went together from place to place, Paul was responsible for the physical and spiritual welfare of the young man, Timothy (Acts 16 4-12), Discipleship is a relationship of adoption. It is a form of parenting of souls. It involves the physical and spiritual care of a soul until Christ be formed in him and he is equipped enough to handle the purpose of God for his life. Christ did it for His disciples especially the twelve. (Mk 3: 13-14, Matt 1724-27). He literally adopted them as his personal responsibility. He was responsible for teaching them God’s word and bringing them up spiritually; He also took up the responsibility of their physical upkeep. Paul also did the same for Timothy.
Care is one important responsibility that must not be omitted in discipling souls. It has a way of endearing the heart of a disciple to his discipler. We must prepare our hearts by the grace of God not only to care for these believers spiritually but also physically especially when necessary. Even though some of them may have parents who are willing to take care of their physical needs, we must not totally remove our hands from this. As much as God provides for us, we must stretch forth-loving hands to meet their physical needs or at least pray for them and with them over such needs as the Lord enables us. Discipleship will neither be meaningful nor effective if we neglect the matter of care.
(iv) Timothy was exposed to Paul’s life (character) and ministry as he went along with Paul in that relationship. Acts 16:16-24, 2Tim3: 10-11.
Transparency is an important ingredient that enhances discipleship relationship. We must be willing to expose to them, not only our sweet experiences but the bitter ones too.
(v) Paul took time and effort to instruct Timothy personally in God’s word and not just generally along with other disciples. (See the first and second Epistles of Paul to Timothy, (Matt 28: 19-20)). God’s word is God’s method for changing men. There is need to dedicate quality time to teach and instruct every disciple in the word of God. This could be done to them both individually and corporately when God helps you to gather them together. It could be formal or informal.
(vi) Paul was not totally exclusive in relating with Timothy. He allowed Silas to contribute to Timothy’s life. Acts 17-15, 1 Cor 4:15, 2 Tim 4:14-15,
In relating with disciples, it is necessary to note that we are not “all-sufficient” for their needs. We are only appointed by the Lord as care-takers over the Lord’s heritage. We must allow disciples to be exposed to other men and women of God who could contribute meaningfully to their growth. However, it is also our responsibility to warn them about preachers who are wolves in sheep-skin.
(vii) Paul delegated Christian service to Timothy at various points and discipled him into ministry. Acts 19:22, Phil 2.19-22, 1Thess. 3-1-2.
Note the true commendation of Paul about Timothy. That shows that Timothy had grown in character and in Ministry as he followed Paul. He was now able to handle other souls and other spiritual duties. The goal of discipleship was being fulfitled. As we labour on the lives of disciples, we must always keep the goal of discipleship in mind. As a disciple grows in character and experience, we can begin to delegate Christian service and responsibility to him. In addittion, whether in church or at home with you, you could delegate some of your non-specialised works to your disciple both to foster relationship and enable him prove his faithfulness.
(viii) Even when Timothy became a bishop overseeing many churches, his discipleship relationship with Paul continued (though mainly by correspondence at that stage) 1&2 Tim, 2 Tim 4: 13,21.
(ix) By the time Paul was about to die he had Timothy as a trusted hand to hand over the work of God unto. 2 Tim 2:1-2, 2Tim 4 1-8
The move of God did not die with Paul because he paid attention to the issue of personal discipleship. The general lukewarmness and superficiality we see among our young people today in their attitude towards Christ is largely due to our omission of discipleship. There is need for us to rise up to the challenge of discipling our converts and church members now that we have the opportunity so that God’s move and godly lifestyle may not end with our generation.
God’s basic requirement from the life of a Discipier
A good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit (Lk 6:43). Every tree will only produce after its own kind. Discipleship is a relationship of incarnation. If you desire to produce a disciple that is holy, you must not only preach holiness to him but be holy yourself. It is your holy life that will give power and effect to your teaching on holiness. It is life that begets life. You cannot give what you don’t have. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself said, “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth,” (Jn 17:19). Does it not touch you that even the Lord had to follow this principle in discipling souls? Even if you don’t want to live a sanctified life, it becomes mandatory if you seek to be fruitful and effective in discipling souls. It is what you are in your personal
life and character that you can make of disciples, not necessarily what you preach. If you are a talkative, you will produce disciples that are talkative; if you are greedy, that is what your disciples will be. Disicplers are audio-visual aids to disciples. Therefore take heed to your life and to what you teach. By so doing you will save both yourself and those that hear you (1 Tim 4:16). Since God’s desire is for every disciple to be like Jesus, it means every disciple-maker must actively press on to be like Jesus. You cannot produce in a disciple what you are not.
How is your inner life? How is your personal walk with the Lord?
Finally, the young believer of today are the leaders of tomorrow both in our churches and the society. What a glorious and joyful experience it will be to see the young believers you properly disciple today standing firmly for Jesus in positions of authority in our country tomorrow? Even such believers will never forget your labour of love. The heavens also will rejoice and reward you for obeying the command of the Lord. Great shall be your reward both on earth and in heaven.
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Dan 12:3).
The only way this generation can pass on godly virtues to the next generation is deliberate soul winning and discipleship. Secular education cannot save any soul or any generation from decay and destruction. A close attention must therefore be paid to the matter of raising young believers in our churches thereby contributing your God given grace and effort to the fulfillment of the great commission in our own generation. May the Lord depend on you.
References: (1) Becoming Like Jesus: God’s key to abundant living” by Gbile Akanni.
(2) “Understanding The Concept and Conditions For Discipleship” A collection of Bible Study outlines from Peace House Discipleship Work.
IT IS WHAT YOU ARE THAT YOU EVENTUALY REPRODUCE. HOW IS YOUR INNER LIFE!
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