Disciple: Discipleship #2

What is it? What is a disciple? As a Christian, most can recite the great commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” But what does it mean to make disciples? What exactly is a disciple? A disciple is one who is an apprentice of a master, learning their ways, and eventually passing it on to another disciple.

But that doesn't fully give us a picture of what is it they are or what it is they do. For this definition it may be easier to look at the characteristics of a disciple for further explanation.

Here are a couple that Jay Blackburn and I have put together with Matthew 4:19 as a starting point:
“Follow me, and I will make, you fishers of men.”

“Follow Me”

• Believes in Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and is baptized (immersed) into new life in Christ.
• Loves the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength.
• Seeks the Kingdom first.

“I will Make”

• Practices Prayer, a person who regularly spends time with the Father.
• Studies scripture for transformation not just information.
• Lives life in community with other believers.
• Carries out the great commission.

“You fishers of Men”

• Looks for and has the heart to address physical, emotional, and spiritual needs in others, via the Holy Spirit. (Has compassion for the hurting.)
• Shares the “good news” regularly (the gospel: that Jesus came and died that we might live).
• Helps others to become maturing disciples.
• Find men and women of peace.

What characteristics would you add? How have you seen these evidenced in your life? Looking at this list are there areas that are "gaps" in your discipleship?

Followership: Discipleship #1

Yeah, I know, followership isn't a word...but I like it anyway. In our culture today we don't have very many working ideals of what discipleship/apprenticeship is, so I created a word: followership (Just for clarity, I'm not sure I created it, but I don't remember hearing it before). From the time we're small we play a games like follow the leader and Simon says. These teach us to listen closely, to watch closely, to follow what we're being told and shown. This is how many of us work best. Tell me what to do and I may be able to get it right. Show me what to do and I'm much more likely to do what you intended. We are wired that way.

So when it comes to following in an organization, I'm going to do what my examples are doing. This often happens unintentionally. If the leader shows up to meetings 5 minutes late to meetings, employees eventually show up 5 minutes late too. Culture is created by followership. What we see people do makes more of an impact that what they say.

It works the same way in faith. If all of my examples of what a "Christian" looks like is just showing up on Sunday mornings or being a "nice person" then that is what I will assume Christian faith looks like. But Jesus called us to be disciples and to make disciples. That is something entirely different. We must look like Christ. We must act like Christ. We must proclaim the good news like Christ. We must have others that we are bringing along on this journey with us. As we follow him, others follow us. That is followership. That is what we're called to as we daily take up our cross.

I'm going to start posting articles by others on this subject of following of discipleship. I'm still learning and it's always good to look at what others are learning on their journey too.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Colossians 2:6-7 NIV