The disciple-making machine is broken. Though most church leaders would say discipleship is a crucial part of their mission and ministry, they fear it’s not working.
A recent Barna study revealed that only one percent of church leaders say “today’s churches are doing very well at discipling new and young believers.”
The church’s role in discipling people was a major point of discussion at Group’s annual Future of the Church summit. (We’ll look at other major trends from the summit in future articles here.)
Churches typically view their work in “making disciples” to be largely a mass-production academic endeavor. The thinking seems to be if people just know enough doctrine, memorize enough scripture, accumulate enough Bible knowledge, sit through enough sermons, attend enough classes, they’ll become disciples.
That’s not working—for a number of reasons. People are spending less time at church, especially in academic programs. Fewer churches even offer an education hour.
And, the old academic model itself is crumbling. The concept of an all-knowing teacher lecturing a room of passive students produces few lasting results. Outside the church, academia is recognizing this collapse. Experts in primary, secondary and higher education are abandoning the old methodology. Eventually this epiphany will reach the church, and ministry people will reconsider the routine of monologue-based teaching in sermons and studies.
The church has attempted to propagate the faith as one more academic subject. But here’s the problem. Faith is not a subject to be studied. Faith is a relationship to be nurtured.
If we truly care about helping people grow a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we need to understand how relationships develop. Relationships—with people and with God—develop relationally, not academically.
Effective churches will relook at how the original discipling process worked. Following Jesus’ example, ministry people will approach discipleship with more relational emphasis, interactivity, dialog, question-asking, teamwork, risk-taking, participatory experiences, shared adventures, mentoring, and deep prayer.
Academic endeavors have their place. But discipleship isn’t merely about academics. It’s not merely about the transmittal of information. It’s about personal transformation.
And it’s about reaching that point, as did the original disciples, that Jesus no longer calls us mere servants, but calls us his friends. (John 15:15)
Well said brother Thom. It’s all about love and authenticity.
And Thom, maybe the church male dominated leadership can grow some balls (as we earthly kiwis are wont to say) and as part of the risk taking and so-called adventure ( a rather strange way to loo at Gospel business, can’t think of where that attitude is in the scrips?? 😉 ) mission minded boys might be encouraged so that the appalling ratio of single women to men might begin to be rectified.
i like what you said but you may have forgotten to mention, that discipleship was about getting out of geographical comfortable familiarity, i.e. GOING not staying with ones family, nor keeping ones retirement and health benefits, for crying out loud, do you know many usa misso’s still arrive out here with blinking container loads of their comfort foods and toys (like big fancy SUV’s etc)
The real field is proportionally where no nice safe christians really want to go, esp sex trafficking in really really poor countries where civil unrest means even young robust usa citizens run for cover 🙁 ‘cos they can?
and becos that the culture?
just saying….. 🙂
now that would require real self-discipline aka discipleship led by real leaders
as we are wont to say in NZ, i am
just saying………. 🙂
In His grip
Paddy
Daniel posted on Facebook: “Disciple making doesn’t happen in church. Church is the result of disciple making.”
Christ came to give us life and life abundant. You can’t experience life without living it. I would think people would recognize this simple truth and start living the Christian life in a living way, whether that be in a corporate way or in a personal way. Discipling is showing as well as telling. Even 1’st graders love show and tell.
No question that relationships are at the center of making disciples but the great commision highlights the importance of teaching and one can assume teaching by every means and in every way.
No doubt that teaching is a valuable part of ministry. Part of this discipleship, or lack of discipleship problem stems from the lack of teaching in a much wider sense. At the end of Heb. 5 Paul deals with this very issue when he tells us that he came and wanted to give us meat but were only on milk and not ready for what he had to give. He goes on in Heb 6 to let us know that if we want to go on to maturity the time comes when we need to leave these elementary teachings behind.
It is this “unwillingness to leave those things behind” that plays a major role in the lack of disciples and disciple making.
What was the last thing that Jesus said…Go into all the world and preach the gospel? No. Go into all the world and build churches? No. Go into all the world and set up seminary’s? No. Go into all the word and start a new denomination every week? No. Go into all the world and keep christians happy? No.
The last thing that Jesus said was “Go into all the world and make disciples…” if we are not doing that we are disobeying the explicit instruction given by Jesus to his church.
Not trying to be a smart aleck, the last ‘thing’ Jesus said was, “It is finished!”
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) It is through that teaching and walking in His light that make disciples.
For so many of us, we don’t want to do anything that will make us look foolish.
Remember that the sinner already thinks we Christians are foolish.
We want to have programs and sources that attract the sinner. It is more than teaching, showing a video or reading a manual that convinces the sinner of their sin.
Remember Christianity will never attract the sinner by doing something to make them feel comfortable.
When a sinner is around a Christian, there should be enough of the presence of God illuminating from them to make the sinner uncomfortable.
We must remember, that the Holy Ghost was given to give us power to witness. Not in our natural, fleshly way. But the Spiritual way, for the most part is foolish to the sinner.
Acts 1:8 (KJV)
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Quit teaching and talking about Jesus as a professor of this world’s wisdom, But start preaching under the anointing and power of the Holy Ghost and the Spirit will convict sinners and make them feel uncomfortable.
Listen how apostle Paul, under the anointing of the Holy Ghost instructed us to do it.
1 Corinthians 1:17-3 (KJV)
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.
20 Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.
30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING FOOLISH FOR JESUS.
Not really sure what you are trying to tell me. One has to have a fire underneath them to realize they are sinners? I am reminded of a famous Christian comedian who after witnessing to a group of young people where he could see clearly one of them was not sober. After he was done a person came up to him and asked him if he could still do drugs and be saved. He was told yep. Again the individual asked him the same question. And again he said yes, then he added: “Once the Holy Spirit comes into your life He will at His speed change your mind and heal your body so you no longer need to do drugs.” In that one statement not only did he witness the Glory and Grace of Jesus but showed him that he not be in fear…HE DID GO OUT AND DO SOMETHING FOOLISH FOR JESUS…its okay to be wrong, its not okay to think everyone else is and you aren’t…been there done that…
But is that what Jesus would have said in light of this scripture?
Matthew 19:16-22 (KJV)
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
This young man looks pretty good to us. But Jesus said one thing you need to do.
Look at this scripture closely. Jesus said the man was one thing away from being perfect. But also look at it. Jesus was saying you had to be perfect before you could have eternal life.
Here is what Peter said to be save.
Acts 2:38 (KJV)
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Repentance comes first. That means changing your ways.
Finally here is Apostle Paul’s view of repentance.
Ephesians 4:17-32 (KJV)
17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil.
28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
For many Churches discipleship means submitting to authority , becoming a faithful and generous tither and staying with the Church even if there are catastrophic errors of judgement committed by those in authority.
David commented on Facebook: “‘Disciple making’ is an anachronistic misnomer. You can make a sandwich or you can make cookies but you can’t make disciples. In the twenty-first century, you sell the gospel by being the gospel, not by beating people over the head with a religious version of it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a living illustration is worth a million.”
Pray to Jesus for the harvest field. God gives the increase, not our talents nor capability. The tares are many and they will always be tares. Only the wheat will grow.
Friendly invite to post this commentary on Discipleship.Network
How do you make a disciple? There are a lot of answers to that question.
But the ultimate way is to be a friend.
How long has it been since we, you or I, have taken a new convert and been a fried to them?
Think about it.
We are suppose to be a disciple (follower) of Jesus Christ.
How did Apostle Paul make disciples?
Do you have these verses memorized?
1 Corinthians 4:16 (KJV)
16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV)
11 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
A vast Majority of the time we say: “DON’T FOLLOW ME, FOLLOW CHRIST.”
But is that scripturally correct?
Did Paul fail after conversion and planting churches? Yes
But what did Paul say? FOLLOW ME
How did Jesus say to make disciples?
First, Let’s acknowledge what we are as a follower of Jesus Christ.
How will people see Jesus Christ in this world? Remember He is Heaven.
The people of the world will see Jesus Christ in his disciples (followers.)
Here is Jesus Christ’ instruction to His disciples.
John 8:12 (KJV)
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 9:5 (KJV)
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
Matthew 5:14 (KJV)
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Philippians 2:14-16 (KJV)
14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Have you seen the progression here?
We are the lights that bring glory to the Father and Jesus Christ.
We are the ones that are to be followed as long as we follow Jesus.
People are watching you and following you, whether you admit it or not.
How much light are you putting forth for your disciples?
Fighting Leviathan, With a Puny Wooden Sword!
By Robert Winkler Burke
Book #8 of In That Day Teachings
Copyright 5/25/11 http://www.inthatdayteachings.com
Notes from Nelson’s Quick Reference Bible Dictionary:
“The book of Job is not only one of the most remarkable in the Bible, but in literature. As was said of Goliath’s sword, ‘There is none like it,’ none in ancient or in modern literature.” – Kitto. “A book which will one day, perhaps, be seen towering up alone far above all the poetry of the world.” – J. A. Froude. Nelson’s comments say that the true identity of who wrote Job has remained throughout time: a mystery.
“Do not break the person, break his desire to attack you. Provide the illusion that your opponent still has control, but make sure he does not.” – Mikhail Ryabko, Russian Martial Art Systema Master
I must not hurt huge Leviathan,
As it swoops down on me!
Dragon’s flame kills and maims,
I’ll soon be history!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
Yet, I must not hurt Leviathan,
Its skin is tough and brittle!
His pride is ridiculous big,
And I am less than little!
We fight for hours,
Oh, we fight for days on end!
Then, when it’s over,
The beast gets up again!
My puny wooden sword damages it not,
I’m like a grasshopper against a giant!
Then it lays down, coughs up its heart,
Upon its tongue, now on me: reliant!
Leviathan now relies on me,
To treat its heart with care!
No longer enemies, but fast friends,
I approach on God’s dare!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
With my too-small wooden sword,
I walk into the danger zone, such biting teeth of dread!
To the heart, now on the tongue,
I gently touch my sword, out gush bright drops of red!
From the sword come good drops,
Of God’s ancient-wisdom self-sacrifice,
Then Beast wakes up changed,
Swallows heart and renews its old vice!
Cruelly taking advantage of my nearness,
Leviathan scorches me in full-blown rage!
I fight him off again with wooden sword,
Behold! Beast doth weaken! says my Page.
For my Page greatly knows what’s going on,
Not long ago, HE was THE bad Leviathan!
You see, we fought for years! Way too long!
His dual was an excruciating marathon!
But after a thousand drops from God’s cross,
My Page was, of Beast, set free!
Now he’s learning to be God’s Man-of-War,
Who fights evil, just like me!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
After days and months and years,
My Page and I have succeeded!
Leviathan whom we fought,
Is full humble now: defeated!
My Page has become a Swordsman,
That Leviathan: HIS own Page,
I have left off sword for pen,
That you understand this age!
So then, pride of religion and its blinding selfish-rigidness,
Is killing man!
Just as loving kindness, humility, patience and flexibility,
Kills Leviathan!
Job learned this In That Day,
Of his: long ago!
Now we must all learn the same!
You do not know?
Holy flexibility,
Is where Christ-in-You is at!
You’ll remember the fight,
When the Rigid lose all that!
You’ll remember the fight,
When, as rigid Leviathan, you with great enmity: hated your betters!
Who took your blows nobly,
And with kind, wooden, bloody swords, removed your blind fetters.
How you’ll hate that forgiving blood of Jesus,
Applied drops at a time on your stony heart!
Until you see it is not the end,
But the Christ-in-You: Page-Warrior start!
You’ll then, Rigid Ones, be on the,
Other side of the sword!
You’ll say, as Job did, I repent!
In dust and ashes, Lord!
And if you were particularly mean,
And hurtful to your dear-brave Warrior-Savior,
God will give you a willow-wimpy sword,
To fight Leviathan, inside of your neighbor!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
You might say,
Well, it serves me just about right!
Rip me up,
Leviathan! It’s time to fight!
I shall not return evil for evil,
From proud, religiously-rigid man,
He may hurt me, but me never: him,
He’ll get what I have in me: I AM!
The great I AM,
Wants to live in us all!
In That Day it’s,
A strange work: yet not small!
It’s a BIG thing,
When Leviathan pride dies!
And Christ-in-You,
Trumpets: loud victory cries!
Yet and even much so,
Your pride in all this will be choked: by your own reins,
By the smallish sword,
You’ll be given, to do the large work that remains!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
You might ask me, where did I learn all this?
That it’s a pride-fight and that Leviathan isn’t a dinosaur true!
I learned it by reading the Book of Job,
From the Warrior-Prophet, not a Page, whose name is Elihu!
This great, but young, Warrior-Prophet,
Had heard so much talk of churchy-religious pride,
Elihu wrote all of Job’s book,
Yet pride in work: egoless, he did prodigious hide!
Elihu hid his authorship,
And prophetic voice with Job!
That following Workmen,
Would put this in their brain’s globe…
Religious-Pride is Leviathan! (It’s a smallish issue with beginners!)
Leviathan is Religious-godly-Pride! (Clericalism makes biggest sinners!)
I write this, as your proud author,
Oops! That beast is hard to hide!
Where is my bent, old wooden sword?
God, I lay my heart upon my swag tongue!
Knowledge puffeth me up… in pride,
Touch me now, oh blood of God’s Son!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
But you protest,
Only Jesus! Jesus alone! He alone (ALONE!) is your Savior!
Never you’d let,
Yourself acknowledge: He can be greater in your neighbor?
Can you, then, see now,
What has been your, and all of milk Churchianity’s, problem?
Sub-taught leaders vow,
To never slay their damnable, supercilious, god-pride goblin?
Even tho you say: just reading the bible sans leaven,
And listening to, or becoming, another Milk-way, Mandarin Madman,
And with Jesus, stuck somehow (by you?) in heaven,
Works to expunge pride? Nope! It makes naught but bad-bad bad-men.
So swallow your pride, oh religious daughter or son,
Prepare to meet your shorter, younger, older, taller… Much Betters,
Where dead body is, vultures on you will pick on,
Your religious pride. So honor who removes necrotic, hubris fetters.
You know, only Christ-in-You (in one) can do it,
Almost kill a soul, non-violently, to get rid of religious pride… to move it,
Eyes to see, ears to hear… are a better shoe fit,
Pride kills. Humility heals. Hear ye, All pride-bots so ill-begot… get to it!
Oh, woe is me! Oh, woe is me!
I have but a wooden sword!
From the cross, that victory tree,
Of Christ, my humble Lord!
Isaiah 27:1-4 (MSG) – “At that time (a time in the future when conditions are ripe) God will unsheathe his sword (ITDTs?)… his merciless, mighty sword… (and) he’ll kill [Leviathan – religious pride!] that old dragon [debauched clericalism living in harmony and support of Progressive Slavery or Tribal Slavery] that lives in the sea [of minds.]”
Vs.
The sad but extremely typical early Twenty-First Century Milk Church Leadership meme: “You have everything to learn from us; we have nothing to learn from you!”