Understanding Discipleship: Beyond Definitions

Published: January 6, 2025

In this episode of Equipped for Purpose, we'll explore the profound and often misunderstood concept of discipleship. We will also survey what it means to be a disciple and how this journey shapes our lives, values, and communities. From defining discipleship to examining practical applications, the aim is to provide you with a deeper understanding and actionable insights. Whether at the beginning of your journey or well on your way, this episode offers valuable reflections and encouragement to help you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Key Takeaways

What is Discipleship?

  • Discipleship involves both internal transformation and external action.
  • Common definitions focus on personal growth but often lack emphasis on outward actions to expand the Kingdom of God.

The Role of a Disciple:

  • A disciple is someone who intentionally follows Jesus Christ, seeks personal transformation, and aims to replicate that transformation in others.
  • True discipleship involves daily prayer, deep study of scripture, engaging in a faith community, and sharing the gospel.

Assessment of Current Discipleship Practices:

  • Many current practices are inward-focused, missing the call to make disciples of all nations.
  • Effective discipleship should be adaptable to different spiritual gifts and life stages.

Challenges and Realities of Discipleship:

  • Fear of man versus fear of Yahweh: our actions reflect who we regard more.
  • The importance of pursuing holiness and recognizing areas of compromise.
  • The stages of compromise: tolerance, affirmation, acceptance, and adoption.

Characteristics of a Disciple:

  • Discipleship requires continuous learning and leading.
  • Motivation should come from Jesus’ sacrifice, not from seeking earthly recognition.
  • Disciples must count the cost of following Jesus, acknowledging both the rewards and hardships.

Dealing with Failure:

  • Failure is part of the journey and can lead to growth and maturity.
  • The Holy Spirit guides us through failures, turning them into opportunities for development.

Call to Action:

  • After listening to this episode, your challenge is to ask yourself if you truly want to be a disciple. Considering everything discussed in this episode, 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. [email protected]

 

Definitions

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.

Disciple:

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.

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Transcript

00:00:00
Welcome to Equipped for Purpose. I'm your host, Vincent Ream, and this is the podcast
00:00:11
where discipleship meets impactful leadership. Whether you're new to faith or a seasoned
00:00:16
follower of Christ, this podcast is designed to help you deepen your relationship with
00:00:21
Jesus, grow as a leader, and make a difference in every area of your life. Together we'll
00:00:26
explore practical tools, biblical insights, and real-life strategies to equip you for
00:00:32
the purpose God has called you to. Let's dive in.
00:00:49
What is meant by discipleship, and what does it truly mean to be a disciple?
00:00:54
How does this journey shape our lives, our values, and our communities?
00:00:59
Welcome to another episode of Equipped for Purpose where we are on a journey of discovery
00:01:04
and transformation together. Today we'll delve into the profound and often misunderstood concept
00:01:10
of discipleship. Whether you're just beginning your journey or are well on your way, this episode
00:01:16
promises to offer insights and reflections that resonate deeply. Let's walk this path of learning
00:01:21
and growth together, seeking to understand what it truly means to be a disciple.
00:01:26
The main question for this episode is, what is discipleship?
00:01:30
Secondly, we'll look at the question, what is a disciple? I want to be able to articulate
00:01:37
answers to these questions because I see them as two sides of the same coin. We have to seek
00:01:42
answers to both. Then I want you to start thinking about what discipleship looks like in action.
00:01:50
This is a gap that I am seeing. The action is all looking inward. Where is the external thinking
00:01:57
about expanding the Kingdom of God through making disciples? We are going to get into this here in
00:02:04
just a moment. In asking these, I'm always thinking about the transformation. Where do we end up at
00:02:10
the end of the episode? I don't want you simply left with a good feeling. I want you empowered
00:02:17
with an understanding that leads to seizing the initiative. I don't want you in passivity waiting
00:02:24
to react to the next crisis. Okay, to the first question, what is discipleship? Well, one of my
00:02:31
main priorities of focus is leadership, but it's also on being and making disciples of Jesus
00:02:37
Christ. We have to look at this question right up front here. As I surveyed the discipleship
00:02:44
landscape of the Christian world, I ran into many common items in the definition of discipleship.
00:02:52
Someone who believes in Jesus as the Messiah is in a relationship with him and is seeking to be
00:03:00
more like Jesus every day. I think we can all agree that this is an accurate definition that
00:03:07
we can find within most congregations. However, many of the definitions I observed are focused
00:03:14
inward on the disciple without regard for external actions. Even when there is talk of going out to
00:03:23
fulfill the call Jesus left to make disciples of the nations, there's not much in the way of
00:03:29
putting action to the words. And that leaves us with the question, what does this look like in
00:03:36
practice? Sure, I can control how I relate to and interact with people as a follower of Christ,
00:03:45
but how do I lead someone in becoming a disciple? This is another one of the questions we are left
00:03:52
with. This is where the definitions that I've found stop short, or it's the point where
00:03:59
a system is put in place that is designed to reach a certain demographic of people.
00:04:04
The problem is that these systems are taking people through a program that likely isn't
00:04:10
flexible enough to take into account the different spiritual gifts people have,
00:04:15
or the stage of life they're in, or how mature they are in their faith. I found a couple of good
00:04:22
systems that ground people in the disciplines of discipleship and move them toward becoming
00:04:28
disciple makers. However, they are narrowly focused on a certain demographic. I know there are
00:04:37
different approaches to making disciples, but the message of the gospel is the same. We were
00:04:43
mandated by Christ to make disciples of the nations. How are we translating the navel gazing in
00:04:51
our current definition of discipleship into fulfillment of the Great Commission? I believe
00:04:57
what we do in becoming disciples and making disciples doesn't need to be designed with
00:05:04
a specific demographic in mind. We can come together as image bearers and see transformation.
00:05:11
The specificity comes in how you share the gospel so your audience, however large or small,
00:05:18
will understand the good news offered in Christ. In thinking through this, here is a way to define
00:05:26
discipleship. It's one who is first a disciple of Jesus Christ and second is seeking replication
00:05:33
of disciples. This is done through one, daily prayer of relationship building and petition.
00:05:40
Two, deep study of scripture. Three, engaging in community by encouraging one another in the
00:05:46
faith, challenging one another to grow in spiritual maturity, and holding one another accountable
00:05:52
to the collective calling of the Great Commission and the individual assignments we each carry,
00:05:58
and four, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that it's inviting and conveying good
00:06:03
news. That is a way to define discipleship. The definition of a disciple, which we'll look at
00:06:11
shortly, is about the individual. The definition of discipleship is about the actions taken
00:06:19
that are intended to grow the community, both spiritually and physically.
00:06:24
You can see there is a delineation that I'm making between discipleship and disciple.
00:06:30
Before we get there, though, I believe an honest assessment is needed,
00:06:34
and we can do that by answering this question. How are we doing in fulfilling the Great Commission?
00:06:41
If you're honest with yourself and with Holy Spirit in your time in prayer,
00:06:45
what are you hearing? I know that what I'm hearing is that we aren't doing great.
00:06:53
The biggest voices out there imaging Yahweh to the world, they're imaging Yahweh to the world in
00:07:00
such a way that followers of Jesus are seen in a very negative way. That makes our mission difficult
00:07:07
to accomplish. What's truly difficult here is within us, and that's the strength and courage
00:07:14
required to be bold in standing up for truth, even when he is an unpopular decision,
00:07:20
even when the message is difficult to say because we aren't in control of how it's received.
00:07:26
That gets to the heart of the matter. Whose opinion is it that we regard?
00:07:31
In the honest moment we are having with ourselves, we have to ask,
00:07:36
do I fear man or Yahweh? Whichever way you answer, you will see it borne out in your actions.
00:07:44
Your actions will tell the message of who you regard more. This is no trivial matter as it
00:07:51
relates to discipleship because this is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1.7 says the fear
00:07:58
of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 9.10 says
00:08:05
the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
00:08:10
The fear of Yahweh is where we need to begin. If we are starting from a place of the fear of man,
00:08:20
we are despising wisdom and instruction. Also in this honest moment of assessment we are having,
00:08:26
we must answer, what does our pursuit of holiness look like? I'm somewhat reluctant to answer this
00:08:32
question because as a body of believers, we are compromised, and we'll talk more about
00:08:38
compromise in a minute. Again, we only have to look at what's plastered all over social media to
00:08:45
see actions borne out of something other than discipleship. These are unholy actions taken
00:08:52
with unholy motivations, and this doesn't represent someone who is a disciple of Jesus
00:08:58
in a daily relationship with Yahweh and a community of faithful believers seeking holiness.
00:09:05
And this is why definitions matter, and defining things in such a manner as to set expectations of
00:09:12
behavior. Generalizations leave us open to behaviors done in the name of Jesus that when
00:09:19
tested by Kingdom standards will not make it through the refining fire. In this honest moment
00:09:27
of assessment we need to look within the body of Christ for compromise. Where are we compromised
00:09:32
against the ways of Yahweh? How do we get into a compromised state, and where do we go from here?
00:09:38
And this is something I started to look at in 2023, and I believe the Holy Spirit revealed to me
00:09:45
what I call a path of compromise. It starts with tolerance, moves to affirmation, then to acceptance,
00:09:51
and finally adoption. And let's look at that a little more closely here. You can look at these
00:09:58
as levels of compromise, but make no mistake, even the lowest level is still compromised.
00:10:06
The distinction lies in the work required to shift one's self and society in a different
00:10:11
direction to seek Kingdom fruit. So that first step or first level is tolerance.
00:10:19
This is passive action where you aren't coming out in support of some behavior,
00:10:27
but you aren't actively opposing it either. You are simply tolerating the behavior taking
00:10:32
place around you. The second is affirmation. This is somewhat passive because you have made
00:10:38
this step of participation, but you are communicating in some manner that the behavior is okay if that's
00:10:45
what one is choosing to do. It's like you're saying, I'm not going to take part because I
00:10:51
don't think it's okay for me, but you go ahead because it's okay for you. Again, if that's your
00:10:56
choice. See, you can see how this is progressing in society at large and in the culture all around you.
00:11:04
And now the third step or third level is acceptance. This is the point where you accept the behavior
00:11:11
as okay for yourself. It doesn't necessitate participation, but if you make that choice,
00:11:18
it's okay. Whatever the behavior is that you have been saying is okay for others is now acceptable
00:11:24
for you too. And we're still somewhat passive here. However, there is conditioning taking place
00:11:30
in the mind that makes the step of action so much easier. This is where we find ourselves at the
00:11:37
point of adoption. And this is the fourth step or level of compromise. We move from toleration
00:11:43
to affirmation to acceptance to now adopting the behavior into our lives. This becomes active
00:11:50
participation in the very behavior that goes against the kingdom of Yahweh and his purposes.
00:11:56
It is taking actions that are in direct and active conflict with holiness. This is where
00:12:03
we are in open hostilities with the kingdom of Yahweh. You can look at this as though
00:12:10
you have taken up arms in combat against your creator. And whoa, that sounds intense and harsh,
00:12:17
but it's true. You're either with Yahweh or fighting against him. Now I'm not talking about,
00:12:23
oh, I sinned, I recognized it and then repented. No, we're talking about compromise and moving
00:12:30
willingly down that path without repentance and a change in direction. There has to be a recognition
00:12:37
here of what is taking place. An honest assessment of our actions is needed. And
00:12:43
I think those three areas need to be addressed, the fear of Yahweh, holiness, and compromise.
00:12:50
The answers will lead to actions on the side of Yahweh's kingdom.
00:12:54
Okay, let's transition to answering the question, what is a disciple?
00:12:58
We know that definitions are significant, so that necessitates a deeper definition beyond
00:13:04
a follower of Jesus. And so here's a definition that I'm currently working with.
00:13:11
One who has faith to intentionally place believing trust and loyalty in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
00:13:17
One who is taking intentional and focused daily action to see the fruit of transformation to be
00:13:23
more like Christ. And one who is taking intentional and purposeful action to share the gospel of Jesus
00:13:29
Christ. That's the current definition I'm working with. I say current because we can't hold too
00:13:36
tightly to the way we define things. The Holy Spirit may bring about greater revelation of
00:13:41
Yahweh that forces us to change. You can't be afraid of change because it will happen
00:13:47
as you grow in spiritual maturity. It's guaranteed. And we can see the attributes or
00:13:53
characteristics of a disciple in that definition and the definition of discipleship.
00:13:58
We are looking to take action to grow personally in spiritual maturity as well as to grow the
00:14:05
body of believers. These characteristics lead to the visible fruit of transformed people
00:14:12
who are seeking to replicate that transformation in others. That is the goal. Transforming
00:14:20
to be more like Christ each day. The motivation carried behind that goal is
00:14:28
in response to what Jesus has done for us. Disciples are motivated by Christ's sacrifice
00:14:35
on the cross. Disciples are motivated to see transformational replication in others for the
00:14:42
pure joy of kingdom expansion. Another characteristic of disciples is that they will
00:14:49
seize the initiative to take expansive action. Discipleship is not a passive endeavor where
00:14:56
one waits to respond. It's a journey of leading. Yes, we should be slaves of Christ, the same as
00:15:04
Paul describes himself in the first line of his Letter to the Roman Believers. That means
00:15:10
we are good followers, but we also have to look at our role as leaders. When you are
00:15:17
replicating or taking on the role of making disciples, you are leading. Disciples are
00:15:24
simultaneously both continuous followers and leaders. This means that you will never reach some
00:15:31
mythical point of arrival where you no longer have anything to learn.
00:15:36
That place exists only in the imagination of those with impure motives. Discipleship is a
00:15:43
lifelong journey of learning, discovery, and replication. Being a disciple is a call to live
00:15:50
like Jesus. I'm not talking about living like a first century Jew from Galilee. I'm talking about
00:15:57
the disciplines he observed and those he taught to his disciples in the first century.
00:16:02
Those lessons are still applicable to us today. Why live like Jesus? Because there is no greater
00:16:10
representation of what it looks like to be here on earth in relationship with our Father and those
00:16:16
in community, as well as to replicate that relationship in others. We need to be thinking
00:16:25
clearly and critically about how we apply anything to discipleship, disciplines, relationships, or
00:16:34
even responsibilities. This level of thinking is going to bring us back to motivations.
00:16:42
What are our motivations as disciples of Christ? That's a question we'll continually come back to.
00:16:51
And thinking clearly about discipleship, there are a couple of specific areas of interest we
00:16:57
need to examine. There is a thing called an achievement trap or a performance trap.
00:17:05
My preference is using the word achievement because when we're talking about salvation,
00:17:10
if you are trying to earn it or maintain it, that is done through achieving something.
00:17:17
Our achievements that result from the performance of good works, they don't earn us anything.
00:17:24
Again, we're thinking about salvation and not the accolades of people.
00:17:29
These good works that we do ought to be done in response to what was done for us through the work
00:17:36
of Jesus. This immediately takes us back to motivations. We should not be motivated by
00:17:44
earthly recognition of good works, but rather by the sacrifice made by the Son of Yahweh that
00:17:51
brought us into right standing. The work of the cross that grafted us into the family of Yahweh
00:17:58
and the resurrection that birthed new creations ought to be the driving force behind our good
00:18:04
works. We can't fall into the trap of achievement because our performance isn't necessary in the
00:18:11
genuine reality of Yahweh's kingdom. But we do hold responsibility as family members,
00:18:17
and we are going to get into this more in the future.
00:18:21
I want to take a moment to say that the Church hasn't done a great job of displaying the life
00:18:26
of a disciple here in the modern day. We're feeding promises of some glorious life where
00:18:34
everything goes our way because we are believers, and if anything does go wrong, we can somehow
00:18:40
press the easy button and like magic our problems will vanish. Or we're simply fed the lie that
00:18:46
because we're believers we don't have any problems. This is getting into the good, the bad,
00:18:53
and the ugly of discipleship. Yes, the works you do as a disciple of Christ in pursuit of
00:19:00
making disciples of the nations and expanding the kingdom of Yahweh, those are good. However,
00:19:07
the bad and the ugly are in the way we are selling the life of a disciple. We aren't taking the time
00:19:13
to sit together and count the cost of following Jesus. What's it going to cost you to pick up
00:19:19
your cross and follow Jesus day after day? What is it going to cost you to lay your life down as a
00:19:26
living sacrifice? What are you risking to be a slave to the King of Kings? And I don't highlight
00:19:32
these questions to scare or deter anyone. Rather, I bring them up so you are making an informed
00:19:38
decision to chase after transformation. If you don't count the cost, what happens when things
00:19:44
don't turn out the way you expected? What happens if you experience complete failure? What's your
00:19:51
plan then? Who will you turn to? We can't paint a picture of discipleship that is free of hardship.
00:19:59
Jesus didn't. Otherwise, we would have heard very different things from him.
00:20:04
We are going to get into the weeds of counting the cost in a future episode, but I want to
00:20:11
point this out here as we are discussing what discipleship is and what a disciple is.
00:20:18
Now a minute ago, I mentioned failure in one of those questions, and I believe
00:20:23
it is a facet of thinking clearly about discipleship that must be discussed further.
00:20:29
Failing at something is never fun. However, it does not mean that your journey should be put aside.
00:20:36
I've seen time and again where people will fail at something and then completely dismiss
00:20:42
what they've set out to accomplish. In the case of discipleship, I've seen someone fail
00:20:48
and then believe they are outside of Yahweh's will because of the failure.
00:20:52
I would suggest to you that one failure doesn't mean you're outside of his will.
00:20:58
For me, it would take a string of failures to even entertain that conversation.
00:21:03
I'm fallible, meaning I will make mistakes. Therefore, I will from time to time fail.
00:21:09
What I do on the backside of that failure is what's significant.
00:21:14
I love the idea of failing forward. This isn't my revelation and I can't even remember where
00:21:20
I picked this up, but it was years ago and I've held onto it ever since. I use it though and I
00:21:26
teach it and I have embraced the idea so much so that I will turn failure into success.
00:21:32
On the back end, failure is an opportunity. It's an opportunity to understand what went wrong
00:21:39
and how you can do things differently moving forward. The opportunity is for you to grow.
00:21:45
Am I saying that Yahweh is going to cause you to fail? No, I'm not saying that. I am saying that
00:21:51
the Holy Spirit will walk you through failure and cause you to grow or mature. Romans 8.28 says,
00:21:59
And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are
00:22:05
called according to his purpose. Okay, we've talked about a lot and here are the things I want you to
00:22:13
hold onto. First, think about the definition of discipleship. As a refresher, here is how I am
00:22:19
defining discipleship. One who is first a disciple of Jesus Christ and second is seeking replication
00:22:26
of disciples. This is done through one daily prayer of relationship building and petition.
00:22:33
Two, deep study of scripture. Three, engaging in community by encouraging one another in the faith,
00:22:40
challenging one another to grow in spiritual maturity, and holding one another accountable
00:22:45
to the collective calling of the Great Commission and the individual assignments we each carry.
00:22:51
And four, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ in such a way that it's inviting and conveying good
00:22:57
news. Second thing I want you to think about is about the definition of a disciple of Jesus Christ.
00:23:04
And again, here is the definition I'm currently using.
00:23:08
One who has faith to intentionally place believing trust and loyalty in Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
00:23:15
One who is taking intentional and focused daily action to see the fruit of transformation to be
00:23:20
more like Christ. And one who is taking intentional and purposeful action to share
00:23:26
the gospel of Jesus Christ. I will have both of these definitions in the show notes so you
00:23:31
can review them and take from them what you can. Okay, the third thing I want you to
00:23:39
keep in mind from this and to take it away is that discipleship isn't about achievement through our
00:23:45
works. It's about responding to what was done for us through the work of Jesus Christ. And before
00:23:52
embarking on that journey, take the time to count the cost of following Jesus. Not as a deterrent,
00:23:58
but as a tool to help you build a plan when hardships arise. What action can you take right
00:24:04
now? Well, this week, your challenge is to ask yourself if you truly want to be a disciple.
00:24:11
Taking in everything discussed here, are you willing to answer the call? If your answer is yes,
00:24:19
send me an email that says, I'm in. I look forward to hearing from you.
00:24:33
Thank you for tuning into Equipped for Purpose. I hope today's episode gave you tools and
00:24:39
inspiration to deepen your discipleship and strengthen your leadership. Don't forget to
00:24:44
subscribe so you never miss an episode. And if you found value in today's content,
00:24:48
share it with someone who could benefit. Let's connect on social media and through my website.
00:24:53
And remember, you are being equipped for a purpose. Go make an impact.
Equipped for Purpose Podcast

About the Podcast

Equipped for Purpose
Equip | Develop | Empower
Equipped for Purpose exists to equip, develop, and empower followers of Jesus Christ to integrate deep discipleship with impactful leadership in every area of life.
The pillar of discipleship will explore being a disciple, making disciples, and the disciplines of discipleship. It will focus on being, knowing, and doing concerning being a disciple and making disciples. Regarding the disciplines of discipleship, there is a focus on prayer, the study of scripture, and community.
The pillar of leadership will explore developing the leader, developing team members, and developing a team as a whole.
I want you to know that my heart is to serve, and I want to serve you through this podcast.
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