Disciple-Making at Mobberly

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20 

“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 

“We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.” 

1 Thessalonians 2:8 

Disciple-making isn’t just a helpful suggestion in the Christian walk—it’s a commandment. In the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), Jesus instructs His followers to not merely spread His name (make converts), but to make disciples of all nations. Making disciples requires going beyond evangelism and service to intentionally invest in the lives of fellow believers and see them reproduce it with others. It’s teaching and modeling biblical truths in the context of a genuine, personal relationship. 

Let’s be honest. As you pour truth and life experience into others, you will find that disciple-making is messy. Everyone has baggage and circumstances that they’ll need to work through. Our job is not to “fix people,” because people are not projects; but we DO need to walk with them and help them through those times. Be patient and persistent.

Most importantly, let your disciple-making be “rooted and grounded” in love. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8 the apostle Paul wrote, “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

These definitions come from a biblical/Christian worldview:

Disciple– A person who actively follows Jesus as a result of faith in Him.

Discipleship– The process of training to become more like Christ.  

Disciple-Making– The interaction between a disciple and a disciple maker to be more like Christ.  The natural result of discipleship is obedience. 

This investment in the lives of others is through accountable, authentic relationships in order to see others come to faith in Christ (if they haven’t already done so), teach spiritual foundations, and encourage ongoing spiritual discovery that leads to a lifestyle of multiplication. 

It’s been said that “If you make disciples, you always get the Church; but if you make a church, you rarely get disciples.”

Disciple-making is not a program.  

We must be careful not to have a “program culture” that just moves from one Bible study to the next.  That type of culture repeatedly attends the next event, video series, and neatly packaged/branded program over and over again. If we, the church, are not careful, we can stray from what Jesus modeled in His life and ministry and in what He commanded us to do in the Great Commission.  

Disciple-making is not about becoming the “expert” or being “puffed up.” 

The goal of disciple-making is not about gaining more and more knowledge for the sake of pride and personal satisfaction.  Our job is to gain knowledge for the purpose of imparting biblical wisdom toward building God’s kingdom.  We are to give away freely what we have been given because Jesus did. He modeled this for us during His earthly ministry through disciple-making.  When we become consumed with just gaining knowledge, we quit moving the kingdom forward. 

Disciple-making is not just a Bible study.

Bible study alone without ownership and leadership does not produce disciples or disciple-makers.  Although we should and do spend a lot of time in the Word of God, we must also model what the Christian life looks like through “life-on-life” relationships. That happens practically in a very small group (one-on-one or one-on-two or three).  We must have the life capacity to pour into everyone we are discipling as Jesus modeled.  He didn’t spend every minute teaching them, but He did live life with them (eating, traveling, laughing, crying working and so many other things). 

Also, just because you are getting together in a small group (one-on-one or one-on-two or three), it doesn’t necessarily mean disciple-making is taking place.  Make sure there is truth and life being transferred with the stated understanding and goal of future multiplication.   

QUOTE: It’s something we are commanded to do by Christ. I never thought I would be fully equipped to do it, but it isn’t that hard. It’s incredible to see others grasp what is being taught through our time in Scripture.  —Paul

From the very beginning of human creation, we see God’s design for people to need other people. Both believers and non-believers need others for support. The same is true spiritually. Whether you are engaging someone through evangelism or helping a believer to mature, disciple-making is God’s design for growth. Healthy discipleship relationships provide teaching, godly examples, accountability, support, fellowship with others in the gospel community and equipping for reproducing kingdom work.

Through discipleship, God desires to see His gospel shown and spread throughout the world. 2 Timothy 2:2 says, “…and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” Disciple-making is a lifestyle of reproducing. As we help grow others in truth, we must emphasize their responsibility to reproduce what they have gained into another.

Dr. Robert Lewis defines it like this, “Disciple-making is pouring God’s truth and your life into someone else until they ‘get it’ and go do the same with others.”

TRUTH + LIFE = DISCIPLE-MAKING

QUOTE: It is thrilling in that we were designed by God to do it. It is challenging in that it demands your focus, creativity, time and gifting. It is effective in bringing about fully devoted followers who make other disciples.

—Danny

The Holy Spirit is at work in you and He wants every believer to be a disciple-maker. Disciple-making is not reserved for the spiritually elite. Wherever you are in your walk with Christ, you can identify someone who is a spiritual stage behind you. If you can commit to be consistent in giving of your time and to live by life example, then you can disciple You just need to be one step ahead of those in whom you invest.

QUOTE: Disciple-making is so vital for our spiritual walks. Accountability and encouragement are key for growth. I’ve had times in my life when I felt the absence of those two things, and I never want someone to be without! —Moriah

REQUIREMENTS

“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

Paul clearly set the expectation for Timothy to entrust what he had learned from their time together to other faithful men. This verse is a significant picture of what Paul expected from his relationship with Timothy.  Paul saw multiple generations of disciples proceeding from his investment in Timothy.  

“Disciples are made and developed: 1) through life on life, where there is visibility and accessibility 2) in community, where they can practice the “one anothers,” and 3) on mission where they learn how to proclaim the gospel and make disciples.”  -Jeff