Discipleship 101

Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

This week, our Small Group Bible Study started back up from a holiday break. The video presented that night was one on the Lord’s Prayer and remembered when we used to recite it daily in Elementary school (before the US Supreme Court banded the practice in the 1960’s). In our group discussion after the video presentation, talk focused to the systematic removal of all mention of Christianity within the Public School system and the steady degeneration of moral values, ethical behavior and courteous manners since, when the worse problems in school were running in the halls, talking in class and chewing bubble gum. Compare that to today’s problems of drug use, weapons and shootings, sexual promiscuity, and bullying. What was the root cause of the changed? Sin.

Our discussion then migrated to role of the Christian church in our society to influence and affect our culture for Jesus Christian. Being politically correct in a God-rejecting world system is not the mission of the Great Commission by Christ. Our Associate Pastor voiced earlier his concern about the biblical illiteracy within the church today to another small group gathering. The question arose: What is our church doing today to make disciple of all nations, starting within our own church campus discipleship. Bore baptisms, are there a class explaining what the sacrament of Baptism truly means and does? It ain’t just a dip to get wet! Also, what is the follow-up discipleship of this newly baptized Christian, who just began their walk with the Lord? What is the plan, the program and the process of making disciples and guiding them on paths of righteous growth and maturity?

It starts by defining the terms. The word “Disciple” is defined in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary as: 1. A learner; a scholar; one who receives or professes to receive instruction from another; as the disciples of Jesus Christ. 2. A follower; an adherent to the doctrines of another. Hence the constant attendants of Christ were called his disciples; and hence all Christians are called His disciples, as they profess to learn and receive His doctrines and precepts. “Discipleship” is the state of a disciple or follower in Christian doctrine and precepts.

A couple days later, I had a lunch meeting with that Associate Pastor to discuss the questions raised at our Small Group Bible Study and he told me that it was a Divine coincidence that he had brought up the exact same issue at this week’s church staff meeting. The re-institution of the “discovering Church” seminars for new members, introducing pre-Baptism sessions and post-Baptism follow-up lessons, and establishing discipleship classes, along with Bible Study courses are now in the planning process for mapping, organizing and implementation this first quarter of the year. It is not about getting head-knowledge and following rules, the ministry of transforming lives a heart filled with the Holy Spirit, overflowing in holiness and righteousness in the love of God and the love of our fellow man. The goal is to glorify God and advance the kingdom of Heaven in our culture by discipleship that brings others to a "saving" knowledge of Jesus Christ, fulfilling the Great Commission. Be a disciple that makes a disciple for Christ's sake.

In Christ, Brian