Can I actually make disciples? (Part 1)

Most of us know Jesus commanded us to make disciples (Mt. 28:18-20), but many Christians struggle to do this. Time is tight, life is busy, and, if we’re honest, we tend to over-complicate discipleship and think we can’t do it for a plethora of reasons.

I believe the over-complication of discipleship is Satan’s lie to make us think we can’t get in the game and play on the court. But the Christian life is not passive; it’s not meant to be observed from the bench. Not only can we play in the game, but we can make a huge difference for the Kingdom, and I believe it is significantly simpler than we often make it. 

What is discipleship?

Let’s first look at the basics to make sure we’re playing on the same team! A disciple is someone who loves, follows, and serves Jesus. Therefore, discipleship is simply helping people love, follow, and serve Jesus. That is discipleship in its most basic form. In fact, anything you help people love, follow, or serve is you discipling them towards that thing. 

For example, I think Android phones are better than Apple, despite what the brain-washing of anti-green-texts people makes you think. Every time I make this argument, I am trying to disciple someone to “love” Androids (and experience better, more advanced phone features!). I’m on “Team Android.” 

Another example: I think hard work is an admirable quality. As I instill this in my kids, I am discipling them to follow my actions and to serve those they’re working for in this way. I want them to follow me in my hard work. So, you’re making disciples every day with the things you value and evangelize. Christian discipleship is the same thing but with an orientation towards the things of God. This is making disciples for Jesus. (Team Jesus! That sounded cheesy, so I had to put it in parentheses to let you know I don’t talk like that!) 

The definition is simple. But, for us to feel like we can “get in the game,” we need to break some preconceived paradigms we tend to carry with us that prevent us from being effective. We need to un-complicate discipleship and see how Jesus calls us to live for Him.

Personal & Corporate: You’re Not Doing Discipleship Alone

Discipleship is both personal (one-on-one, accountability groups, etc.) and corporate (Sunday gatherings, Bible studies, ministries, etc.). Part of our problem is that we don’t see this holistic nature. Depending on our background, we tend to lean heavily into one form over the other. However, we should receive and give both personally and corporately so that we all grow holistically.

Discipleship (and being a disciple) is a fully integrated process (see Fig. 1).

We need individuals encouraging us and the whole body nurturing us if we’re to grow into the full image of Christ. Individuals can give the personal care that the corporate body cannot. However, no individual is empowered with every single spiritual gift, and there are formative things we need that can only occur when the collective Body comes together. We need both to help us know, love, and serve Jesus. 

So, is discipleship a one-on-one at a coffee shop? Yes, it can be. Is it more than that? Yes, so much more! Everything that helps someone better love, follow, and serve Jesus is a part of discipleship. And Jesus commanded and expects each of us to play a part!

So, very simply, in whatever way you’ve learned to love, follow, or serve Jesus, help others do the same, and you’ll be making disciples. 

Everyone is Needed

The temptation is to think, “Well, I don’t know as much as ___, so I can’t make disciples.” But this simply isn’t true. The culture you’re from, the way you interact with God, the spiritual gifts that you have… there are countless ways in which you know, love, or serve Jesus that many others do not. 

Might you be as “mature” as someone who has been walking deeply with Christ for 40 years? Sure, maybe not. But even then, they need your discipleship. If they have never experienced a miracle of God and you have, you have a unique understanding of an aspect of Christ to offer. If they grew up in wealth and you grew up in poverty, the way you view God as "Provider" may be very different and impactful. If you've listened to different preachers they've never heard, you may understand an aspect of God they may not yet grasp. In other words, you can help them better love, follow, and serve Jesus. You can disciple them! Even if you are only helping them move fractions closer in their love and knowledge of God, a fraction of Jesus is worth every ounce of gold this world has to offer… and then some! 

The Church needs you – yes, you! – to be intentionally active in making disciples if we are to see and experience the fullness of Christ. If we punt our calling to make disciples because we over-complicated discipleship or believe we have nothing to offer, the Church will miss out on knowing Christ more. Can you actually make disciples? Yes, and we need you! It’s time to get off the bench and get in the game.  

In the next newsletter, we’ll look at a tool for how we can practice discipleship with the ways we’re growing in Christ. Very practically, you’ll see that some of the ways the Lord has wired you is desperately needed in the Body of Christ. 

Christ in All,