What is Disciple-Making? - Prolegomena (2)

So, I can grant that I am no expert on disciple-making. Yet, any significant experience in disciple-making is these days more than most. I tend to find that many people have different ideas about just what disciple-making is.

So maybe this is moving toward a second "first thing" to discuss. (See my last post for the first "first thing.") :) I didn't plan on writing another "prolegomena" post, but now that I've begun, I can see it is heading that direction.

Defining "discipleship"? Goodness. It's a word that registers many different things for people. Some pleasant, some not so pleasant...after all, it shares a root and bears striking resemblance to "discipline." Certainly that word has negative connotations with most people. Even the Bible attests that "no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful..." (Hebrews 12:11a).

But in the Christian life, discipline is not just important, it is absolutely essential. There are several scripture passages, Biblical and theological concepts that I could toss out in support of this statement. Perhaps the most telling of all is the fact that "Christians" are seldom called "Christians" at all in the New Testament. Instead, they are called "disciples." And what is a "disciple"? The root meaning of the word is "learner."

So let's go back to Hebrews 12 and read the rest of the verse...."No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it...." (Hebrews 12:11).

What are we "learning"? The Way of Redemption. The Way of Salvation. The Way of Wisdom. The Way of Life. The Way of Truth. The Way of the Master, Jesus.

Discipleship is a "learning" that's not just doctrinal (i.e. one has to know a bunch of facts)...it's not just experiential (i.e. one has to do a bunch of things)...it's not just emotional gobbledy-goop (i.e. you have to feel a certain way). None of these previous ideas offer the complete picture of discipleship. This learning that we speak of is all-encompassing. It is better to think of this sort of "learning" as a submissiveness unto God through Jesus Christ, a teachable heart that comes from knowing God, experiencing Him, and walking with Him daily in obedience.

Now, how can this be "taught"? The answer? It is so very easy and yet so very complex.

-RCW

Making Disciples - Prolegomena (1)

Let's lay some groundwork here.

Somewhere in the midst of our quest to make disciples is the assumption that we already ARE a disciple.

It grieves me at times when I get to know someone who has been in church for years and years and yet has very little fruit of the spirit or signs of spiritual growth. In my mind, it makes me wonder things about them like, "Why do they even go to church exactly?" or "Have they not applied anything that they have been taught all these years?" If you think that may be you, praise God because things might just be on the verge of changing.

This blog or my other one might just help you open a new chapter in your spiritual growth. The difference between this blog and my other blog titled "Faith Firmly Rooted" is that this blog (Matheteusate) assumes you already ARE a disciple and you're passionate about helping others grow spiritually. The "Faith Firmly Rooted" blog is simply a blog aimed at helping believers begin to grow and become disciples.

Some may want to choose to read one or the other. Some may need to read both. (The masses won't read either one!) Whatever you see fit to read or not, I look forward to the new discussion(s), postings, and all that God is going to do through these humble writings and this new blog.

Nevertheless, lesson number one before we go any further is remembering Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount - before we can help our brother remove the speck of sawdust in his eye, we had better make sure to remove the plank from our own. Even though Jesus is speaking in about judging others in Matthew 7:1-5, the application carries over easily: Nobody is fit to make disciples if he or she does not already fit the description. How will you assist someone in following Christ if you yourself are not? An apple tree won't produce oranges (another of Christ's teachings in Matthew 7:17-18).

So, (for now) we all must ask the question: Am I really a disciple of Jesus Christ? Am I growing in Christ daily and learning from Him? Am I really patterning my life around Him in such a way that I am able to point others toward Him and speak confidently about Him?

If your own answer to the question(s) above is "no," you may want to check out my other blog(s). If the answer to all of those is "yes," I think you are in the right spot.


-RCW


P.S. And if for some reason, you are still wondering what the word "prolegomena" (proh-leh-gah-men-uh) means, click here for a definition. My paraphrase would be "opening remarks we should probably talk about before we even start talking about the subject" (of making disciples).