Devotion 3 - Mistakes in Discipleship

 Devotion 3 - Mistakes in Discipleship

As Christians, we are called to discipleship. Jesus' final words to us in Matt.28:19 were, "Go and make disciples of all nations…” The mandate was very clear. However, there are common mistakes which may hinder our effectiveness, and muddle the discipleship process.

External vs Internal Transformation

 

Matt.23:25-27 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”

 

In making disciples, many tend to focus on the behavioural changes rather than the fundamental change in the core values. However, if our core values are not changed, then nothing changes. Our core values shape our inner man. If we are not thinking biblically, we cannot live biblically. Discipleship is a redemptive journey rather than a compulsion of strict and rigid discipline lifestyle. Instead of the outside-in, what we need is transformation from the inside out.

One of the common mistakes is to confuse imparting knowledge (teaching) with discipleship. Teaching is important, but discipleship involves more than mere impartation of knowledge, it requires mentorship. Jesus taught the masses, but He only discipled the twelve. The disciples had the opportunity and privilege to observe not only His public life but also His private life. They ate with Him, prayed with Him and ministered with Him. Jesus journeyed with His disciples and imparted not only ministry skills but life principles.  

For many, the idea of discipleship could be mere looking forward to attending the next “discipleship class”, the next Christian seminar or growth class. Our goal in disciple making should not be increasing the download of information, it is transformation. Discipleship is not a program nor a structure, it is a lifestyle. Jesus did not just strategize or develop a curriculum of discipleship program. He modelled discipleship as a way of life. For discipleship to be effective, it must be both intentional and relational. Real life discipleship can take place over a simple meal, in the sanctuary or in Sunday school classroom, in essence, it can be anywhere.

Accumulation of Knowledge vs Applied Knowledge

1 Cor.8:1-2 - “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.”

Truth does not set us free; it is truth applied that sets us free. And in this generation, we do not have famine of Truth, but we have the famine of application.

Teaching is just part of the necessary process; transformation must be our goal and focus. We tend to assume that knowledge produces maturity. Yes, we need time and knowledge to grow, however, our spiritual maturity is not measured by mere time or knowledge, it is measured by our transformation. And it is knowledge applied that brings about transformation. Knowledge does not change lives – applying it does. The goal is not to know, but to do something with what we know, to allow the Word to have authority and take hold of our lives. If is not just mastering the Word, but we must be mastered by the Word. It is not just how grounded we are in the Word that we can expound or exhort with the Word, but more importantly, whether we are governed and guided by the Word in our own life.

 Spiritual Multiplication vs Spiritual Maturity

 Col.1:28-29 - “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me”.

 Gal.4:19-20 – “My little children, for whom I labour in birth again until Christ is formed in you…”

Character is formed in us when Christ is formed in us. Character formation is thus a vital part of disciple making. One of the greatest oversights in discipleship training is neglecting such character formation.

Jesus had a short ministry of only three years. During these three years, He gave Himself to one main thing. He literally poured His life into discipling twelve men and equipping them with a lifestyle of discipleship. Tragically, many ministers gave up the call to equip others for discipleship. We busy ourselves with preaching, teaching, etc, and neglect a vital aspect of our ministry calling – the mandate of discipleship.

The call to discipleship is mainly teaching people to abide in the King rather than focusing on advancing the Kingdom. When we abide in the King, the Kingdom will advance. Authentic discipleship will produce intentional disciple makers.

 Jn.15:5 – “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Abiding in Christ is the key for the Great Commission of discipling the nations. The mandate of being in Him and coming under His authority is the foundation for the mission of reproducing disciples. If we neglect the mandate of abiding in Jesus and continue to emphasise spiritual multiplication over spiritual maturity – we compromise our responsibility and call to the Great Commission.

 Product vs Process

We reproduce after our kind. So, the key is not merely to try to disciple someone to be the right product; it is for the discipler to be the right product. When the discipler commits himself or herself to becoming the right product, they will eventually produce the right product.  Conversely, if disciplers have the best process (structure and material) but they are not the kind of product they should be, they ruin the whole process; or worse, they reproduce the wrong kind! Hence, the crisis of discipleship is a crisis of product.

Discipleship is people-oriented rather than programme-oriented and thus who we are is more important than what we do. The quality of our lives determines the quality of our mentoring. If we are not positively modelling, you are not positively mentoring.

Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, reminded his ministry leaders, “It’s not how many men, but what kind of men.”

We need God to ‘break in’ into our lives before we can break through and break forth efficiently for His Kingdom.