Make Disciples That Make DisciplesSample

What is a disciple?

We love to learn about what it means to be disciples of Jesus. We study ancient languages, we learn interesting facts about geography and history to put Scripture into context, we gather with other believers to read Scripture and discuss how we could apply it to our lives, and we might even read books about being a disciple of Jesus.

While all of this can be useful, it ultimately is just knowledge if we’re unwilling to practice and obey what we learn. When we hear God’s Word, we have a tendency to store it away with the expectation that one day we’ll have enough knowledge to apply it in our lives, but we’ve seen that when knowledge is the barrier to obedience, we’ll never actually stop craving knowledge. It leaves us feeling unequipped to actually do what we’ve learned.

This is not Jesus’ plan for his disciples, though. He shows us that while gaining knowledge is not wrong, it is incomplete. In fact, Jesus often uses the most unequipped people to have some of the biggest Kingdom impact. So, how can we define what a disciple really is?

A disciple hears, obeys, and shares. Look at Jesus’ last words to his disciples:

“All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me…”

When someone has authority over us, what do we do? We listen to what they say. The disciples hear Jesus.

“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…”

Jesus gives the disciples clear instructions to go and obey.

“Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you…”

When we share what we’ve learned and empower others to do the same, Jesus’ commands rapidly multiply. As we make disciples, we must empower them to also hear, obey, and share Jesus.

Think of discipleship to Jesus like a three-legged stool. One leg is knowledge, one is obedience, and the other is sharing. All three legs must be even for the stool to be sturdy. Otherwise, you're left with a wobbly foundation. Likewise, a mature disciple hears, obeys, and shares equally.

The purpose of this plan is not to give you more knowledge about what following Jesus might be like. It is meant to challenge you to daily seek out opportunities where you can be obedient to Jesus’ commands to love God, love people, and make disciples. The Great Commission is not a suggestion; it is a lifestyle for every disciple of Jesus!

As we step into our daily lives, let us remember that He is with us always, even to the end of the age.

Questions to consider:

• What would the legs on my stool look like?
• Would knowledge, obedience, or sharing be larger than the other legs?
• Have I created barriers for myself by believing that I need to reach a certain level of knowledge before I can start being obedient to Jesus?