Restart : Be & Make Disciples
美佳之窗 His Window 102 (Apr - Jun 2023)
Text by Rev. Matthew
Discipleship is a topic that is cliche for many Christians. However, as cliche as it is, we still need to make disciples. While the events of the past 3 years (covid-19) has taught us to be more efficient and creative in the delivery of the gospel, unfortunately, we cannot tell, if it has served to create more disciples for Jesus Christ. In this article, we will observe what and how to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ.
#1 It Starts With Me
In a nutshell, to make a disciple, you have to first be a disciple. We frequently quote Matthew 28:16-20, a popular verse on discipling. We can interpret it according to biblical authority. Yet, this passage of scripture would mean nothing, if we ourselves were not yet a disciple, but, merely a Christian. There is a fundamental difference between a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ and this difference lies in the conviction one has. A Christian is merely someone who has a religious world view and is aligned to a particular religion identifying himself or herself as a Christian. But, a disciple of Jesus Christ is one who is convinced of the person of Christ, is convicted of the necessary changes he or she must make, and then take the necessary steps to live a transformed life.
A passage of scripture that so beautifully sums up a disciple of Jesus is found in Luke 9:23-24, when Jesus informs His disciples about the cost of being His follower. There must be a reason for Jesus teaching his disciples about the cost of discipleship, after he had sent them out for their first “solo” ministry trial, and His disciples experienced great ministry success as recorded in Luke 9:6, “...they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.” Jesus wanted His disciples to understand that following Him was not a path of success, but, a path of conviction and obedience. That is why He speaks to His disciples, right after their ministry success, after they had seen bread multiplied, about true discipleship — one who is willing to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Jesus (9:23).
A disciple must be willing to “deny himself” or herself. To deny oneself, is not denying yourself of basic necessities such as food or water, or subjecting the body to extreme measures of torture or pain. However to deny oneself is in a more spiritual sense, where we distance ourselves from sinful practices and we keep our desires under control. While this is a spiritual calling, it does not just pertain to the spiritual alone. In our everyday lives, denying oneself begins from the most simple acts such as not giving in to gluttony, or wasting money. It then moves on to the bigger aspects of life such as understanding temptation, resisting temptation and moving away from sin. Denying oneself also involves sacrifice. For instance, it takes sacrifice to resist temptation, but, it is a sacrifice that is worthwhile, and necessary to discipleship. On a practical level, take our devotional lives for instance. While we may be exhausted at times, yet, we fight through the exhaustion and continue to keep up the discipline of prayer and Bible reading, not because someone is “keeping score” of your devotional life, but, simply because you know that through a discipline of devotion, we will benefit spiritually in our relationship with God.
Next, a disciple must take up his cross. To take up one’s cross has a dual meaning to it. First, the cross implied here is the cross of Jesus Christ. And to put it in simpler terms, we live in remembrance of what Christ has done. We remember the great sacrifice Christ has paid for our sins. We live in remembrance of His grace and mercy that has redeemed us and brought salvation to us. And in doing so, this leads us to take up our cross. The second definition of “taking up one’s cross” is to follow in the footsteps of Christ. When Jesus calls us to take up our cross, He is not implying that we do our own sacrificial acts. He is not implying that we need to take on a “new” sacrifice. We simply need to follow in Christ’s footsteps of obedience to God the Father. Thus, when we take up our cross and follow Jesus Christ, it is not something to boast of, for we are not starting something new, nor are we doing anything that has not been done before. We are simply living our lives wholly for the cause of Jesus Christ.
This then leads to the third command to “follow” Christ. To follow Christ is simple: let Christ lead, and you follow. It implies a life of humble surrender. It also implies that when Christ leads, I do not try to take over the leading from Him. I give up my own ways and will and I completely surrender to His perfect will and plan for me. To follow Christ is an act of faith, faith in something that might not always lead to prosperous results, but a decision that will definitely lead to eternal reward. Jesus taught His disciples that discipleship starts with them being a disciple. This message is for us today as well. Are we already a disciple of Jesus Christ? Do you fulfil the “criteria” of a disciple based on Luke 9:23-24?
#2 It Continues With Others
Discipleship starts with you and continues with others. Who does it end with? It is not about “who” it ends with, rather, “when” it ends. And the answer to when discipleship ends is in Matthew 28:20 where Jesus says make disciples, “...to the end of age.” The call to make disciples in Matthew 28:16-20 is a serious calling, because it means that we are not just in the business of making converts to our religion, but, we are responsible for turning lives to Christ.
Just as how we need to be transformed as a disciple of Jesus, we too then preach the message of Jesus Christ so that the lives of others will be transformed. The misconception about discipleship is that it ends after baptism. As long as one is baptised, that is a successful statistic for church records. Unfortunately, we have only made a convert. Discipleship is a process of journeying and guiding that person to be more like Christ. But, one might ask, “Isn’t that the work of the Holy Spirit?” To this question, it is both yes and no. Yes, the Holy Spirit will work in that person’s life to transform that person, but, God also invites us on this mission of transforming lives and that means we are to ensure that as Matthew 28:16-20 tells us to do, we baptise and teach all believers in all things concerning our faith. That is why the apostles were busy going all throughout Jerusalem and even to parts of Asia, preaching the gospel, establishing churches, and teaching the believers about Jesus Christ. The church in Acts also committed themselves to prayer, reading of the Scriptures, breaking of bread and fellowship daily as it served as a tool for making disciples out of the converts.
As Christians, we are all involved in discipleship. It does not suffice to just bring someone to church, and pass off this person to a pastor or church staff to be “disciple-d.” If we have the burden to share the gospel and bring a friend to church, we must also have a burden to see this person’s life transformed by the power of Christ. Like the model of the early church, everyone was involved in discipleship. It does not require a degree in theology or seniority to make disciples, it takes a disciple to make another disciple. And if you are already a disciple of Jesus, you are in the right place to make another disciple. Simple things such as praying or reading the bible together helps make a disciple of Jesus Christ. Studying God’s word together is another way both of you can grow in the knowledge of God’s word. Being an accountability partner helps both of you stay on the path of righteousness and holiness. Being there to journey with that person in their ups or downs can demonstrate to them what Christ’s love is like. And all these simple actions will make another disciple of Jesus Christ. Discipleship is not instant, it is a process and everyone must be involved. So, will you join in this mission of making disciples for Jesus Christ?