Good Luck Trying To Raise Disciples-

When you don't understand how to be one!

“Good luck trying to raise disciples, when you don’t understand how to be one”!

I read this quote a few years ago, and to be honest, as someone who was actively involved in Child Evangelism at the time, it shook me.

It forced me to stop and evaluate my own life. For years, in fact even until quite recently, my idea of a “disciple” was someone who went out and shared the Gospel with others. Someone who felt they had a special calling to go and spread the gospel.

But as I’ve grown in my knowledge and understanding of the Word, and learnt to dig deeper into the Word and the history of the early church, I’ve realized it is so much more than a job description. It’s an identity.

So What is a Disciple?

In Biblical times, being chosen as the disciple of a Rabbi was a massive honour. You were selected because the Rabbi saw potential in you.

The goal of a disciple wasn’t just to learn everything the Rabbi taught; it was to become exactly like the him.

They were trained to mirror their Rabbi’s every move. They taught what he taught, in the way he taught it. Some would even go as far as to dress like he dressed and eat what he ate.

Rabbi’s often had more than one disciple, and it was the custom of that time that when the Rabbi died, one of his disciples would take over from him. So everyone wanted to be a disciple.

That’s also why, in Mark 9 v 33-34, we find Jesus’s disciples arguing about who is the greatest among them. They were all hoping to be taking over from Jesus, their Rabbi.

So in our context, being a disciple means our singular focus should be on becoming a mirror image of our Rabbi, Jesus.

Who is called to be a Disciple?

When Jesus called His first disciples, they were specially chosen. They were people in whom He saw potential, no matter their background.

They soon understood that when they became His disciples, it meant leaving everything connected to their old way of living behind. They had to leave their businesses, their families, everything and everyone to follow Him.

They no longer identified themselves as “Fishermen” or “Tax Collectors”, they now had a new identity - that of “Disciple”.

Today, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, we aren’t just signing up for a ticket to heaven, we’re choosing to follow Him. We become His disciples.

This doesn’t mean we all move to the desert or abandon our families and homes, but it does mean leaving our old way of living behind.

Romans 12 v 1

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship

This verse speaks of a daily laying aside of our own desires to follow Him, putting all our resources at His disposal to use as He wishes.

In Genesis 1:26, we see that we were originally created in His image and likeness. In other words, to be exactly like Him.

Of course that didn’t happen with Adam and Eve, because they made the decision to follow Satan instead of being obedient to God. But God never stopped loving them, or us. He already had a plan in place to redeem us through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus not only redeemed us, He took back what the enemy had stolen from us - our identity and authority in Christ.

The decision to follow Jesus and become His disciple, is part of the process of returning us to God’s original plan for us. This is what He was talking about in:

Jeremiah 29 v 11

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”.

The more we begin to understand the fulness of what Jesus did for us on the cross, that it wasn’t just about getting a ticket to heaven, the more our desire should be to say:

“I want my life to look more like Him and less like the world.”

What Does It Look Like to be a Disciple Today?

Now that we know what it means to become a disciple, let’s take a look at what a disciple is called to do.

If we go back to Genesis 1:28, we see that after God created man in His image and likeness, He blessed them and told them to go and be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and to subdue it. In other words, they were to take dominion over the earth. He was giving them authority to rule over the earth.

And He wasn't just talking about populating the world with bodies. He was saying:

"Go and make more people who are just like Me."

Jesus reminds us of this in Matthew 28 v 18-20 where He tells His disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations.

Notice also that He starts by saying, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Because we are in Christ, and are His disciples, we operate under that same authority. We can once again walk in the dominion or authority we were given at creation. Authority that the enemy had stolen from us.

Being a disciple today is not a calling for a “select few” or just the people behind a pulpit, it’s for:

• Fathers trying to be the spiritual heads of their families.

• Parents trying to raise children in the faith.

• Pastors leading their congregations.

• Missionaries reaching the lost.

• Leaders heading up ministries.

• Writers reaching the masses through their words

Do I Look Like a Disciple?

This is the hard question we have to ask ourselves before we can point a finger at anyone else.

Does my life mirror the life of Christ?

Am I a student of His character, or am I just along for the ride?

We cannot lead people to a place we’re not prepared to go to ourselves. If we aren’t actively being transformed into His image, we will only ever produce “converts” to a system, rather than make disciples of a Person.

Romans 12 v 2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…

Are You Trying to Raise Disciples?

Each role you fulfil on this earth, at its heart, is an opportunity for disciple-making. But your ability to lead others will always hit a glass ceiling if you aren’t growing and transforming yourself.

We’re all called to “go,” but we go, not as representatives of ourselves, but of Jesus Christ.

We’ve been given the authority to go because we’ve submitted to the One who holds all authority.

Food for thought:

Before you try to change the world, or even just your household, ask yourself:

Who’s image am I reflecting today?

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