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Kindle Notes & Highlights
Discipleship is intentionally equipping believers with the Word of God through accountable relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ. When people become disciples, they learn what Jesus said and live out what Jesus did (Matt. 28:19 – 20).
Before people will do what you ask, they will watch what you do. Pastors, you can’t expect your people to do something you aren’t doing. What group of men are you meeting with once a week for prayer? With whom are you studying the Scriptures? With whom and to whom are you holding yourselves accountable? A church member once said to me, “Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.” The way you live speaks volumes about the degree of disciple-making taking place in your church.
I’d rather see a sermon, than hear one any day; I’d rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear; Fine counsel is confusing, but example’s always clear. The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds. For to see good put in action is what everybody needs. I soon can learn to do it if you’ll let me see it done. I can watch your hands in action, but your tongue too fast may run. The lecture you deliver may be very wise and true, But I’d rather get my lessons by observing what you do. For I might misunderstand you
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Do you remember the staggering impact of exponential growth that we discussed in chapter 8? It’s a slow process, but that’s how God designed it. Discipleship is not a system based on “huge numbers, fast!” Rather, it is entirely dependent on human connection and an honest journey together. Once we are willing to grow together into the image of Christ, massive change will come.
I encourage every follower of Jesus to meet with people who don’t know Jesus — over coffee, lunch, or dinner. Find time to share your story with them, to introduce them to your rabbi. We should continue to share the gospel with unbelieving friends and teach the Bible to them. But let’s not confuse evangelism with discipleship.
Evangelism and discipleship are two oars attached to the same boat. With only one oar in the water, you will row in a circle. Both oars are required to navigate in a straight line to reach your destination. We need evangelism and we need discipleship to carry out the Great Commission. The gospel is received through evangelism and then lived out through ongoing discipleship.
Our churches must retain an evangelistic emphasis, even as we cultivate and grow our discipleship efforts.
In addition, we must take into account the continued revelation of the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Christ. The first disciples received the Holy Spirit right after the Resurrection (see John 20) and then later on the Day of Pentecost, empowering them for mission and ministry.
But that was not all. Following Jesus also involved repenting of their sin. We see this in the calling of Peter in Luke 5:7 – 11. Peter underwent a miraculous transformation in which he shifted from calling Jesus “Rabbi” to calling him “Lord.” What changed for Peter?
The Great Commission is not a logical order of steps. It’s a set of three participles — go, baptize, and teach — all of which support the verb “make” with the same object “disciples.” Go is not a onetime command. It describes a daily routine of life. You could say it this way: “As you are already going through life.” Jesus anticipated our making disciples through the natural routine of life with the people around us.
Think about it. You don’t baptize unbelievers. Baptism is like a “marriage certificate” that outwardly signifies the vows and commitments between a man and a woman. It’s an outward expression of your inward desires, evidence that you intend to follow Christ.
Baptism is an act of obedience that proceeds from salvation, not something that precedes it.
“Teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). Embedded in this phrase are a few truths worth noting: • Discipleship must be centered on the Scriptures — the Bible is the textbook. • Discipleship must involve teaching/preaching. • Discipleship is more than transfer of information. Jesus doesn’t just say, “Teach them all my commands.” He says, “Teach them to observe or obey all that I have commanded.”
Sadly, this is more common that we might think. Ministers can fall into the trap of loving the ministry of Jesus while neglecting the Jesus of the ministry.
Every believer has been entrusted with the task of being “witnesses in Jerusalem [our community], in all Judea [our surrounding region] and Samaria [our surrounding country], and to the ends of the earth [the world]” (Acts 1:8).
No.
Mack Stiles, in his small book Evangelism, suggests meeting with lost friends to read the Bible together.5 If “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17 ESV), reading the Word will soften the hearts of hardened sinners to accepting the gospel. As we mentioned earlier, this isn’t a regular D-Group, since the nature of the gathering is evangelistic. By sharing the word and praying for the person, your hope is that they will eventually submit to Christ as both savior and Lord.
1. Have you spent time in the Word and in prayer this week? 2. Have you shared the gospel or your testimony with an unbeliever this week? 3. Have you spent quality time with your family this week? 4. Have you viewed anything immoral this week? 5. Have you had any lustful thoughts or tempting attitudes this week? 6. Have you told any self-promoting lies or half-truths this week? 7. Have you participated in anything unethical this week? 8. Have you lied about any of your answers today?
The Word rushed from God’s mouth and established the heavens and the earth,
Isaiah begins his book with these words: “Listen, heavens, and pay attention, earth, for the LORD has spoken” (1:2).
Likewise, Jeremiah, after the introductory comments, begins, “The word of the LORD came to me” (1:4).
One group in Chattanooga questioned what they saw as our overemphasis on the Bible in our discipleship. They asked us: “Why don’t you read men’s books? Men need practical, real world truths to apply their lives.” Our answer was simple: “The Word of God contains all the practical, real world advice a man needs. When you get in the Word, you learn how to be a better father, a better parent, and a better follower of Christ.”
At Brainerd, we say, “Get into the Word until the Word gets into you.” The Bible is the textbook.
