Being a Disciple in the Harvest, Making Disciples

Yesterday it hit me again how important discipleship is and how self-frustrating it is to have a silly, non-biblical, non-functioning view of discipleship.

It works like this. If you want someone to be a disciple you have to have a biblical definition. That really helps. The great commission is a great place to start because it is life-long devotion to Jesus (baptism), it is seeking Him in the Word and following, and inherent in the commission is the charge for a disciple to be in the mission. There is lots to say here. Teaching without devotion produces educated, static, self-righteousness. Devotion without knowledge of and obedience to Jesus doesn't work. But without the commission being reproduced in the disciple it is all futile and you wonder if the devotion and teaching was ever anything more than academic.

For discipleship, the reproduction of disciples in the harvest is key, it is essential, it is the proof of discipleship and disciple-making. It has to be the priority of each disciple and each church. No disciple is a disciple unless he is involved in sowing and / or reaping to make more and better disciples. This is not a sport like American football where some guys are so specialized in what they do they can go their whole career without ever having to touch the ball. This is more like real football (soccer) where there are different positions, but everyone has to be skilled with the ball. All disciples have to be in the harvest. All disciples have to encourage the making of disciples who make disciples. No exceptions.

This means that the goal of discipleship, as it is reproduced, is for the disciples to be in the harvest, with their neighbors first and then wherever the Lord gives them relationships.

But here's the rub and our frustration, Jesus never produced reproducing disciples by telling them what to do. He did it with them. He brought them close to Him. They lived with Him. He had a group of 12 and a group of 3. In this context he involved them in ministry and they watched him. He oriented them and got them  involved without full teaching, because he was with them. The deep contact he had with them served as the correction of their practice and attitudes every day. Then, when they were hungry and ready to learn, Jesus taught them and they benefited. But His model and contact with them was the key. They knew how to enter a town because they had seen him do it. They knew how to begin attracting a crowd and preaching because they watched Him. They knew how to preach and what to say (I'm sure they imitated Him) because they heard him do it. So why do I think I can produce change and growth by throwing words at people. Jesus didn't make reproducing disciples this way. There is a place for exhortation and motivation, but not without biblical discipleship as Jesus modeled it. Obviously we want competent, self-motivated, independent, interdependent and 1000 more leadership-word disciples but our model of ministry and the pressure to grow quick and be successful does not serve us well. Whether it is 1-1 coaching, triads or life groups or all three, true reproducing discipleship takes time and contact and doing it with them. Imitating Jesus is important. The harvest is important. Making disciples is important. Bearing much fruit, glorifying the Father and so proving to be Christ's disciples is important. It isn't just important, it is everything and the passion of Jesus' heart.

I can wish for change. I can even pray for it, but watching Jesus, I realize I have to reset my schedule, and my mind and my heart and do it with them. Helping them become disciples in the harvest is my call as a disciple, to do it with them, to model, to show that I'm in it, too. But to stand on the sidelines and shout in plays isn't what we see Jesus doing. Lord, forgive me for being such a slow learner.