Can I actually make disciples? (Part 2)

In the last article, I explained that discipleship isn’t complicated. Each of us, as we practice personal and corporate discipleship, has the opportunity to advance the Kingdom in significant ways. However, I’m about to say something that will sound like discipleship is complicated! Stick with me though – I promise it’s not! 

We saw in the last newsletter that Jesus gave us what we call the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18-20). Within this command, Jesus instructs us to "teach people to obey all that He commanded." There are 1,050 commands given to us in the New Testament! That is a lot for someone to follow or help teach to others! That sounds complicated, even though I just said in Part 1, it isn’t! Are we sure we can make disciples? How are we supposed to disciple people in 1,050 commands?!

Bringing It All Together: Great Commission & Great Commandment

Here’s where we bring all of these truths together and why each of us can be deeply involved in the discipleship of others. Jesus gave us a framework by which to “test” how we’re loving, following, and serving him. This “test” is making sure we’re loving the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). This is called the Great Commandment. It marries well with the Great Commission. And, because of how you’re hardwired by God, you likely do parts of this better than others. And this is exactly where you can get in the game of discipleship. Here’s what I mean:

Let’s take a simple command, like reading our Bible. For some, doing this (actions) is “easy” but feeling (emotions) joyful when reading is hard. So perhaps they’re loving Jesus by following this command to read with their strength (they’re actually doing it), but not loving Jesus as well with their heart. For another, they can connect theological points and love learning truths about God (mind), but struggle to even believe the effectiveness of it, so they don’t read often (soul is lacking). Two different people, each with a strength that could strengthen the other and help them love, follow, or serve Jesus better in their Bible reading. Meaning, they could disciple each other. 

Our temptation is to think the person who is theologically apt is the mature one in this scenario, but, if they have no heart in their theology, perhaps they’d be served meeting with someone who feels the truths of the Scriptures deeply. As the feeler is moved to tears, perhaps by the theological depth the other person brings, both grow to love, follow, and serve Jesus more.  See Fig. 2 for how this tool works with another command of God, prayer: 

As you learn to love, follow, and serve Jesus, in every area of your life, with all of yourself, you see Christ more clearly. Think about this like a picture frame. If you’re missing a side of the frame, the picture falls out! You can take any command and filter it through that frame and ask, “Am I following this command with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength? As a disciple’s frame expands, they see more of the picture (more of Jesus). They should then help others to do the same. This is discipleship, helping someone love, follow, and serve Jesus better. 

Once we learn how to take the individual commands of God and filter through this frame and assess, “Am I doing this command, and am I doing it with all of myself,” we’re going to grow exponentially in Christ. As we seek to be discipled through personal and corporate avenues, and then in turn disciple others in personal and corporate avenues, we begin to become fully formed followers of Jesus, following the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. 

So the preaching on Sunday might help our mind or our soul and the worship might help our heart as we feel/experience Christ (corporate discipleship), but then meeting in accountability or smaller groups that week (more personal discipleship) might help us apply this and put it into practice (strength). It all plays together! Personal, corporate, every command, heart, soul, mind, strength. 

This may sound like a lot. It is! To be completely transformed into the image of Christ (Eph. 4:11-16) is a lot! That’s overwhelming, but it is not complicated. And Christ isn’t looking to condemn us, but rather transform us from one degree of glory to the next (2 Co. 3:18). In fact, although Jesus loved with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength, on the cross His heart was full of sorrow (Mt. 26:38), his soul was in anguish (Mt. 27:46), his mind was filled with suffering (Isa. 53:3-4), and his strength was dried up (Jn. 19:28). Jesus faced the penalty for our sin, so that we, who do not love with all of ourselves, might find forgiveness in Christ’s sacrifice, and strength through His resurrection power to know and help others know Him. 

Application

So, practically, when we’re thinking about helping others love, follow, or serve Jesus, we could use this tool and simply ask “What command of Christ does ____ (person) need to grow in with their heart, soul, mind, and strength? How can I help?”

We can then do this personally, in life-on-life relationships, and corporately, helping to lead ministries or pushing people towards corporate forms of discipleship such as attending a class or listening to a particular sermon.

The more we can apply this framework of discipleship to the various commands of Christ, the more our frames will grow. And therefore, the more of Christ we’ll see.

Remember, we need you in the game of making disciples! Each of us is needed to make the body whole. You likely see Jesus in a way I don’t, and even if I am following a command with a “part” of myself, perhaps you're more faithful in another part, and therefore we need each other for our frame to hold this command more faithfully. So, go therefore and make! 

(For an example of how to use this tool with prayer, you can download an example here, on page 2.)