Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 1Q: What is a disciple and why should we make them?
A: A disciple is a Christian who is fully devoted to Jesus Christ, living daily in His Word and by His Spirit, making other disciples. We make them because Christ commands it.
INEFFECTIVE DISCIPLESHIP
According to Christian researcher, George Barna, most parents abdicate their responsibility to spiritually nurture their children (Barna 2000), a majority of youth abandon their faith when they leave home (Barna 2000), and most church discipleship activities are ineffective in producing disciples (Barna 2003). Ouch. Since I’ve criticized the consumer-driven church model in previous posts, I’ll cut straight to the chase. Radical reformation is in order. The modern evangelical church needs to prune the programmatic individualism and start cultivating DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION.
DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION
I believe that adequate reformation in discipleship will only occur when we return to Biblical orthodoxy (right beliefs) and orthopraxy (right practices). Here are some flash points.
- God is sovereign and His Word is sure and sufficient
- We must read obey the Scriptures pertaining to discipleship
- We must return to the Biblical, home discipleship model of child training and youth preparation
- We must relationally train followers of Christ to make disciples through systematic instruction
The marks of a disciple include bearing one’s cross (Luke 14:27), suffering as Christ suffered (1 Peter 2:21), loving the brethren (John 13:35), bearing much fruit (John 15:8), being chosen by God (John 15:16), making disciples ( Matthew 28:19-20), and expecting reward (Luke 18:29-30).
Disciples are known for their:
- Faithfulness (commitment to the person and Word of Christ in obedience)
- Fellowship (commitment to love and serve other believers)
- Fruitfulness (commitment to do good works, share the gospel and make disciples)
To sum things up, DISCIPLESHIP REFORMATION means Christians must be committed to the long term process of systematic, relational training. Churches must emphasize the equipping of parents to disciple their children for multigenerational faithfulness. Churches must train and equip followers of Christ to invest their lives in making disciple makers.
Follow Up Assignments:
Prepare to share your testimony of faith (When did you repent and believe?), including the event of your baptism.
