Discipleship: More Than A Buzzword (1/5)

Welcome to a 5 part series called: Discipleship: More than a Buzzword.

Discipleship. We all talk about it. We all want it. But what if discipleship was more than just a buzzword? What if we lived it out. Once you see discipleship in the Scriptures, you can’t unsee it. It is present cover to cover. Discipleship was God’s idea. And it is God’s plan. It is something that you can do. It is something that I can do. We can live this out. It may be one of the most important things that we do with our family, friends, co-workers, and church members. I know one thing is for sure - my life would not be the same without intentional discipleship.

Before we can talk about the process of discipleship, we have to talk about the heart of discipleship; the command of discipleship. Enter Matthew 28:16-20.

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” // Matthew 28:16-20

We see some critical things here to guide how we enter into the discipleship conversation.

The Setting (16-17)

These are some of Jesus’ last words with His disciples before ascending into heaven. Matthew 28 and Acts 1 both speak to discipleship. He has spent 33 years on earth. He has spent 3+ years with these men investing in them. They have had the training. They have seen the miracles. These are some of Jesus’ last words to them. And as you know last words matter.

The Authority (18)

Jesus tells them. All authority has been given to Him. Whatever He is about to tell them… whatever He is about to tell us… Two things are true:

1) We can be confident.
2) We better listen.

Jesus was speaking life into them. They have to be scared. All they knew had just been rocked. Jesus was crucified. He was buried. He was raised. And now He is leaving. He was reminding them. This is who I am. All is good. You can trust me. You can listen to me. And oh by the way… you should.

The Command (19-20a)

Jesus tells them. GO! Or as some can translate it As you are going. Which shows us that followers of Jesus are on the move. Maybe not physically moving from place to place. But spiritually we are looking for where God is working as we are living our lives and we are joining Him in that work to see disciples be made. He tells them to go. But what does He tell them to do? Three things:

1) Make Disciples - EVANGELIZE.
2) Baptize Them - ENLIST.
3) Teach Them - EDUCATE.

He tells them! Go and make disciples of all nations. The first step in making disciples is helping people trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus tells us to baptize them. This was seen as the public proclamation of their faith by immersion after salvation end entrance to the local church body (formally). And then we are called to teach them. To educate them. To teach them what? To teach them how to walk with God. To teach them how to obey God. To teach them how to be self-feeders of God’s Word.

Jesus does not speak against large gatherings or dynamic gatherings. But He does not command us to go and make large and dynamic gatherings. He commands us to go and make disciples. This is something that we can all do. This is something we are all commanded to do.

The Power (20b)

Jesus said, “ And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This brings confidence. But it also shows us that discipleship is a primary plan of Jesus to reach the world. There is power in discipleship multiplication. Think about this:

Can you imagine if you lead 1 person to Jesus each week for the next 16 years? Pretty cool thought right. You would reach 932 people.

Can you imagine if you lead 1 person to Jesus each day for the next 16 years? You would reach 5,840 people. Wow!

However… if you lead 1 person to Jesus every 6 months and intentionally disciple them - so 2 people per year. Teach them to share their faith. And help them do the same for others (and it worked out perfectly).

Year 1 - 6 people (your 2 and their 2 each)
Year 2 - 24 people.
Year 3 - 96 people.
Year 4 - 384 people.
Year 5 - 1,536 people.
Year 6 - 6,144 people
Year 16 - 6,442,450,944 people.

Yes, I know it will never work out this perfectly. But one thing is clear. There is power in discipleship multiplication. If we want to leave a footprint on the world for Jesus it starts with discipleship. It was Jesus’ idea. And never forget: Things just go better when we do them God’s way.

Discipleship should be more than a buzzword in our lives & churches. Discipleship should be the focus.

All of our lives. All of our gatherings. All of ministries. All of our events. Should be seeking to make genuine, authentic disciples who transform their families, workplaces, friendships, and the world for Jesus. Gatherings are great. But there is a greater goal. Disciples. It is not about a formula. It is about a mission.

We, at One Step Closer Discipleship, exist to help you with resources, training, and other things bring discipleship from a buzzword to a reality. From a dream to a culture. Check out our next post in this series coming soon diving into the conversation of, If discipleship is so important then what is a disciple?

As always, if we can do anything for you, don’t hesitate to reach out.