Podcast Episode 82 Transcript
What does discipleship mean, and what does it truly mean to be a disciple? How does this journey shape our lives, our values, and our communities?
Welcome to another episode of Equipped for Purpose, where we are on a journey of discovery and transformation together. Today, we’ll delve into the profound and often misunderstood concept of discipleship…
Whether you’re just beginning your journey or are well on your way, this episode promises to offer insights and reflections that resonate deeply. Let’s walk this path of learning and growth together, seeking to understand what it truly means to be a disciple.
The main question for this episode is, what is discipleship? Secondly, we will look at the question, what is a disciple? I want you to be able to articulate answers to these questions because I see them as two sides of the same coin. We have to seek answers to both.
Then, I want you to start thinking about what discipleship looks like in action. This is a gap that I am seeing, the action is all looking inward. Where is the external thinking about expanding the Kingdom of God through making disciples? We are going to get into this in a moment.
In doing these, I am always thinking about the transformation. Where do we end up at the end of the episode? I don’t want you simply left with a good feeling. I want you empowered with an understanding that leads to seizing the initiative. I don’t want you in passivity waiting to react to the next crisis.
What is Discipleship?
What is discipleship?
One of my main priorities of focus is leadership, but it’s also on being and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
A Survey of the Christian Discipleship Landscape
As I surveyed the discipleship landscape of the Christian world I ran into many common items in the definition of discipleship: someone who believes Jesus is the Messiah, is in relationship with Him, and is seeking to be more like Jesus every day.
I think we can all agree that this is an accurate definition that we can find within most congregations. However, many of the definitions I observed are focused inward on the disciple without regard for external actions. Even when there is talk of going out to fulfill the call Jesus left to make disciples of the nations, there is not much in the way of putting action to the words. That leaves us with the question, what does this look like in practice?
Sure, I can control how I relate to and interact with people as a follower of Christ. But, how do I lead someone in becoming a disciple? This is another one of the questions we are left with.
This is where the definitions stop short, or it’s the point where a system is put in place that is designed to reach a certain demographic. The problem is that these systems are taking people through a program that likely isn’t flexible enough to take into account the different spiritual gifts people have, the stage of life they are in, or how mature they are in their faith.
I have found a couple of good systems that ground people in the disciplines of discipleship, and move them toward becoming disciple makers. However, they are narrowly focused on a certain demographic.
I know there are different approaches to making disciples, but the message of the gospel is the same. We were mandated by Christ to make disciples of the nations. How are we translating the naval gazing in our current definition of discipleship into fulfillment of the Great Commission?
I believe what we do in becoming disciples and making disciples doesn’t need to be designed with a specific demographic in mind. We can come together as image bearers and see transformation. The specificity comes in how you share the gospel so your audience, however large or small, will understand the good news offered in Christ.
A Definition of Discipleship
In thinking through this here is “a way” to define discipleship.
One who is first a disciple of Jesus Christ, and second, is seeking replication of disciples. This is done through 1 – daily prayer of relationship building and petition; 2 – deep study of scripture; 3 – Engaging in community by encouraging one another in the faith, challenging one another to grow in spiritual maturity, and holding one another accountable to the collective calling of the Great Commission and the individual assignments we each carry; and 4 – sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that it’s inviting and conveying good news.
The definition of a disciple, which we’ll look at shortly, is about the individual, and the definition of discipleship is about the actions taken that are intended to grow the community both spiritually and physically.
Aspects of Discipleship
I believe an honest assessment is needed, and we can do that by answering this question.
How are we doing in fulfilling the Great Commission?
If you are honest with yourself, and with Holy Spirit in your time of prayer, what are you hearing? I know that what I am hearing is that we aren’t doing great. The biggest voices out there are imaging Yahweh to the world in such a way that followers of Jesus are seen in a very negative way.
That makes our mission difficult to accomplish. What’s truly difficult here is within us, and that’s the strength and courage required to be bold in standing up for Truth, even when He is an unpopular decision. Even when the message is difficult to say because we aren’t in control of how it’s received. That gets to the heart of the matter, whose opinion is it that we regard?
In the honest moment we are having with ourselves, we have to ask, do I fear man or Yahweh? Whichever way you answer, you will see it born out in your actions. Your actions will tell the message of who you regard more. This is no trivial matter as it relates to discipleship because this is the beginning of wisdom.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of Yahweh is where we need to begin. If we are starting from a place of the fear of man we are despising wisdom and instruction.
Also, in this honest moment of assessment we are having, we must answer, what does our pursuit of holiness look like? I’m somewhat reluctant to answer this question because as a body of believers, we are compromised (we’ll talk more about compromise in a minute).
Again, we only have to take a look at what’s plastered all over social media to see actions born out of something other than discipleship. These are unholy actions taken with unholy motivations, and this doesn’t represent someone who is a disciple of Jesus in a daily relationship with Yahweh and a community of faithful believers seeking holiness.
This is why definitions matter, and defining things in such a manner as to set expectations of behavior. Generalizations leave us open to behaviors done in the name of Jesus that when tested by Kingdom standards will not make it through the refining fire.
In this honest moment of assessment, we need to look within the body of Christ for compromise. Where are we compromised against the ways of Yahweh? How did we get into a compromised state, and where do we go from here?
This is something I started to look at in 2023, and I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to me a path of compromise.
It starts with tolerance, moves to affirmation, then to acceptance, and finally adoption. Let’s look at this path more closely.
You could look at these as levels of compromise, but make no mistake, even the lowest level is still compromised. The distinction lies in the work required to shift one’s self and society in a different direction to see Kingdom fruit.
Tolerance is the first step or level. This is passive action where you aren’t coming out in support of some behavior, but you aren’t actively opposing it either. You are simply tolerating the behavior taking place around you.
The second is affirmation. This is somewhat passive because you haven’t made the step of participation, but you are communicating in some manner that the behavior is okay if that’s what one is choosing. It is like you are saying, “I’m not going to take part because I don’t think it’s okay for me, but you go ahead because it’s okay for you, again, if that’s your choice.” You can see how this is progressing in society at large and in the culture all around you.
Now, the third is acceptance. This is the point where you accept the behavior as okay for yourself. It doesn’t necessitate participation, but if you make that choice it’s okay. Whatever the behavior is that you have been saying is okay for others, is now acceptable for you too. We’re still somewhat passive here, however, there is conditioning taking place in the mind that makes the step of action so much easier.
This is where we find ourselves at the point of adoption. This is the fourth step or level of compromise. We move from toleration to affirmation, to acceptance, to now adopting the behavior into our lives. This becomes active participation in the very behavior that goes against the Kingdom of Yahweh and His purposes. It is taking actions that are in direct and active conflict with holiness.
This is where we are in open hostilities with the Kingdom of Yahweh. You can look at this as though you have taken up arms in combat against your Creator.
WHOA, that sounds intense and harsh!
But it’s true. You are either with Yahweh or fighting against Him. Now, I’m not talking about oh I sinned, recognized it, and repented. No, we’re talking about compromise and moving willingly down that path without repentance and a change in direction.
There has to be a recognition here of what is taking place. An honest assessment of our actions is needed, and I think those three areas need to be addressed. Fear of Yahweh, holiness, and compromise. The answers will lead to actions on the side of Yahweh’s Kingdom.
What is a Disciple?
Okay, we need to answer what is a disciple. We know that definitions are significant, so that necessitates a deeper definition beyond a follow of Jesus.
Here is a definition I am currently working from.
One who has faith to intentionally place believing trust and loyalty in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. One who is taking intentional and focused daily action to see the fruit of transformation to be more like Christ. And, one who is taking intentional and purposeful action to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That’s the current definition I’m working with. I say current because we can’t hold too tightly to the way we define things. Holy Spirit may bring about greater revelation of Yahweh that forces us to change. You can’t be afraid of change because it will happen as you grow in spiritual maturity.
We can see the attributes, or characteristics of a disciple in that definition and the definition of discipleship. We are looking to take action to grow personally in spiritual maturity, as well as to grow the body of believers. These characteristics lead to the visible fruit of transformed people who are seeking to replicate that transformation in others.
That is the goal, transforming to be more like Christ each day. The motivation carried behind that goal is in response to what Jesus has done for us. Disciples are motivated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Disciples are motivated to see transformational replication in others for the pure joy of Kingdom expansion.
Another characteristic of disciples is that they will seize the initiative to take expansive action. Discipleship is not a passive endeavor where one waits to respond, it’s a journey of leading. Yes, we should be slaves of Christ the same as Paul describes himself in the first line of his letter to the Roman believers. That means we are good followers, but we also have to look at our role as leaders.
When you are replicating, or taking on the role of making disciples, you are leading. Disciples are simultaneously both continuous followers and leaders. This means that you will never reach some mythical point of arrival where you no longer have anything to learn. That place exists only in the imagination of those with impure motives. Discipleship is a lifelong journey of learning, discovery, and replication.
Being a disciple is a call to live like Jesus. I’m not talking about living like a first-century Jew from Galilee. I am talking about the disciplines He observed, and those He taught to His disciples in the first century. Those lessons are still applicable to us today.
Why live like Jesus? Because there is no greater representation of what it looks like to be here on earth, in relationship with our Father, Yahweh, and those in our community, as well as to replicate that relationship in others.
Thinking Clearly About Discipleship
We need to be thinking clearly and critically about how we apply anything to discipleship. Disciplines, relationships, or even responsibilities. This level of thinking is going to bring us back to motivations.
What are our motivations as disciples of Christ?
That’s a question we’ll continually come back to.
In thinking clearly about discipleship there are a couple of specific areas of interest we need to examine.
The Achievement Trap
There is a thing called an achievement trap, or performance trap. My preference is using the word achievement because when we are talking about salvation if you are trying to earn it or maintain it, that is done through achieving something.
Our achievements that result from the performance of good works don’t earn us anything. Again, we’re thinking about salvation and not the accolades of people. These good works that we do ought to be done in response to what was done for us through the work of Jesus.
This immediately takes us back to motivations. We should not be motivated by earthly recognition of good works, but rather by the sacrifice by the Son of Yahweh that brought us into right standing. The work of the cross that grafted us into the family of Yahweh, and the resurrection that birthed new creations ought to be the driving force behind our good works.
We can’t fall into the trap of achievement because our performance isn’t necessary in the genuine reality of Yahweh’s kingdom.
But we do hold responsibility as family members, and we are going to get into this more in the future.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
I want to take a moment to say that the church hasn’t done a great job of displaying the life of a disciple in the modern day.
We’re feeding promises of some glorious life where everything goes our way because we are believers, and if anything does go wrong we can press the easy button, and like magic, our problems will vanish. Or, we’re simply fed the lie that because we’re believers we won’t have any problems.
This is getting into the good, the bad, and the ugly of discipleship. Yes, the works you do as a disciple of Christ in pursuit of making disciples of the nations and expanding the kingdom of Yahweh, are good.
However, the bad and the ugly are in the way we are selling the life of a disciple. We aren’t taking the time to sit together and count the cost of following Jesus. What’s it going to cost you to pick up your cross and follow Jesus day after day? What is it going to cost you to lay your life down as a living sacrifice? What are you risking to be a slave to the King of kings?
I don’t highlight these questions to scare or detour anyone, rather, I bring them up so you are making an informed decision to chase after transformation. If you don’t count the cost what happens when things don’t turn out the way you expected? What happens if you experience complete failure? What’s your plan then? Who will you turn to?
We can’t paint a picture of discipleship that is free of hardship. Jesus didn’t, otherwise we would have heard very different things from Him.
We are going to get into the weeds of counting the cost in a future episode, but I wanted to point this out here as we are discussing what discipleship is.
Failure
I mentioned failure in one of those questions, and I believe it is a facet of thinking clearly about discipleship that must be discussed further.
Failing at something is never fun. However, it does not mean that your journey should be put aside. I have seen time and again where people will fail at something and then completely dismiss what they’ve set out to accomplish.
In the case of discipleship, I’ve seen someone fail and then believe they are outside of Yahweh’s will because of the failure. I would suggest to you that one failure doesn’t mean you are outside of His will. For me, it would take a string of failures to even entertain that conversation.
I’m fallible, meaning I will make mistakes. Therefore, I will from time to time fail. What I do on the backside of that failure is what’s significant.
I love the idea of failing forward. This isn’t my revelation, and I can’t even remember where exactly I picked this up, but it was years ago and I’ve held to it ever since. I use it though, and I teach it, and I have embraced the idea so much so that I will turn failure into success.
On the backend, failure is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to understand what went wrong, and how you can do things differently moving forward. The opportunity is for you to grow.
Am I saying that Yahweh is going to cause you to fail? No, I’m not saying that. I am saying that the Holy Spirit will walk you through failure and cause you to grow (or mature).
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Conclusion
We have talked about a lot, and here are the things I want you to hold onto.
First, think about the definition of discipleship. As a refresher here is how I am defining discipleship:
One who is first a disciple of Jesus Christ, and second, is seeking replication of disciples. This is done through 1 – daily prayer of relationship building and petition; 2 – deep study of scripture; 3 – Engaging in community by encouraging one another in the faith, challenging one another to grow in spiritual maturity, and holding one another accountable to the collective calling of the Great Commission and the individual assignments we each carry; and 4 – sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that it’s inviting and conveying good news.
Second, think about the definition of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Again, here is the definition I am currently using:
One who has faith to intentionally place believing trust and loyalty in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. One who is taking intentional and focused daily action to see the fruit of transformation to be more like Christ. And, one who is taking intentional and purposeful action to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Third, discipleship isn’t about achievement through our works, it’s about responding to what was done for us through the work of Jesus Christ. And before embarking on that journey take the time to count the cost of following Jesus. Not as a deterrent, but as a tool to help you build a plan when hardships arise.
Challenge
This week, your challenge is to ask yourself if you truly want to be a disciple. Taking in everything discussed here, are you willing to answer the call? If your answer is yes, send me an email that says, “I’m in!” I look forward to hearing from you.