The idea of disciple making has been a prominent feature in Christian media for at least a decade now. In my own work it has been an oft-used term, particularly in my 2020 book, Church Reset.
The idea stands in contrast to consumer Christianity, in which a group of people gather in a room and hear a one-size-fits-all message in the hopes that they will do something about it. Disciple making emphasizes the need for each member to grow to maturity in Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).
It also is against the imbalanced view of evangelism commonly held in the church. The Great Commission tells us to baptize, for sure. But far too often we stop there and don’t read the rest of the Commission about teaching the nations to observe all He commanded (Matthew 28:18-20).
Disciple making typically emphasizes the importance of commitment and expectations. It’s not enough to just show up. You need to grow and change from your time with Christ.
There is also an emphasis on personalized teaching. It’s hard to make true Jesus followers in 25 minute per week sermons. Mentoring relationships like Jesus had with the 12 and Paul had with Timothy are the only way to establish the depth a disciple needs.
All of these are good things.
However, the term “disciple making” has been too vague in its intended end.
Once they’ve been trained, what should a disciple look like in practical terms? Obviously they should be like Christ (Romans 8:29, Galatians 4:19). Their character should be one of purity, love, service, and everything else He embodied.
But what about the practical application? Character traits are essential, but they are how we do what we do. They are not what we do.
In many cases, deeper discipleship can be aimed at grounding people in the doctrines of the church and why we do what we do. That’s a good thing, but plenty of people understand those things without truly being changed.
In another sense, helping someone find comfort in their walk with God might be the hope of some disciple makers. While that’s a key benefit of the Christian walk, internalized religion does not make someone a full disciple.
And, to others the intended goal of a disciple maker is to make another disciple maker. I think this is often a noble goal, though there are also plenty of Christians who are not equipped for that kind of responsibility. That’s more than fine—it is God who gives gifts, and we don’t need to argue with Him about the matter.
So, the question remains: what, practically, is the intended end of making a disciple?
Christlikeness gets close to the point—we’ve just been off by a degree in our application of it. We are to be Christlike in character, yes. But that is to manifest itself in living our lives as Christ would live it if He were in our shoes.
What do I mean?
Jesus was never a husband, but we can know what kind of husband He wants the Christian man to be. He was never an accountant in an American corporation, but we have the data necessary to know how He would have carried Himself as such. He was never a church member in Iowa, but we can know how He would act if He were.
So, the disciple maker’s job is not necessarily to produce more disciple makers and evangelists, nor to merely help people build their knowledge or have a better personal walk with God. Instead, he or she is to help strengthen the Christians around them to be mirrors of Christ. His job is not only to turn out kind, loving people, but people who live their lives doing all things by the Father’s will (John 6:38).
The thrust of disciple making in recent years has been akin to a football coach attempting to make more football coaches. The football coach’s actual job is to teach the quarterback how to read plays and pass it to the open man, teach the lineman how to block, teach the cornerback how to defend his receiver, and so forth.
The coach may not be able to do any of these things himself. But he must have the knowledge to teach others how they are to play their individual roles.
Why it matters
Much of our preaching and teaching focuses on church doctrines and personal character. Both of these are good and necessary. But what we leave out is that preachers and elders have been given the task to step into our personal lifestyles, too.
There is a uniquely Christian way to be a husband and to be a wife. There is a uniquely Christian way to be an employee or employer. There is a uniquely Christian way to raise children. There is a uniquely Christian way to be a citizen and voter. And when Christians live in these uniquely Christian ways, the world is given a uniquely Christian counter-culture that starkly contrasts their diseased, Godless culture.
In other words, a disciple-maker who teaches a man to pray and study and get involved in church functions but leaves him unchanged in every other phase of life didn’t make a disciple. He helped the man take up a religious hobby.
Some view it as meddling when churches tell people what to do about these things. But preachers and elders don’t just have permission to speak to these things; rather, they have an obligation. If they’re going to make actual, Christ-following disciples, they have to.
So, a disciple is a Jesus follower. But he or she must be a Jesus follower in all phases of life and not just the spiritual. We have to break the sacred-secular divide and teach Christ’s Lordship over all of life.
Notes
This week’s Think Deeper Podcast episode was closely related to this article. We discussed the average Christian’s role in the work of the church.
I had the privilege of joining Marco Arroyo on In Between Sundays again to talk celebrity conversions and why the Catholics and Orthodox have an appeal we can learn from.
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