VISION, MISSION AND GOAL
Before we begin to look at what discipleship is not and what it is, I would like to share with you the vision, the goal and the mission of our ministry. For a long time I sought God about this. And I would say, “Lord, give me a vision.” Wherever I went — to a pastors’ seminar or a conference — the speakers would say, “A pastor must have a vision.” If you lead — even if you are only a political leader — you must have a vision of where you are going and what you are doing. So I went through various attempts to get my vision from the Lord — I tried to think something up, to piece something together, to formulate something. I sought God, I prayed… And I believe that in the end God gave me things about which I can safely say that they are not mine but belong to Jesus Christ. Proverbs 29:18 says:
18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (Proverbs 29:18)
If we look at the ministry of the prophets in the Bible, we will see that in fact the greater part of their ministry was not to predict the future but to remind the people of the Law. They would tell the people, “If you keep the Law, you will have these and these blessings; if you break it, these and these curses will come upon you and you will be led into captivity to your enemies.” If we apply this to our own day, to the gospel, and seek a vision for our time, I would say that we ought not to look for the vision in something new that we ourselves invent, but simply to return to the gospel and to say that “blessed is the one who fulfills the Great Commission.” For the Great Commission is the charge of Christ. Usually, before we part with someone, we tell them the most important thing we want them to remember. So too, before He ascended into heaven, Jesus told His disciples the most important thing. He told them, “Go and make disciples.” With these words He gave the church its vision. So then, on the basis of Christ’s vision, on the basis of the Great Commission, I have formulated a vision, a mission and a goal that stand and wait to be adopted and embraced as their own by all Bulgarian Christians. This is not only for one church. This is for the whole country.
VISION (what we want to achieve):
We are committed to training disciples of Christ who will fulfill the Great Commission in our generation.
Past generations served God in their time and in their way. Now the baton of the gospel is in our hands, and we must pass it on to the next generation. This is an enormous privilege, but also an enormous responsibility. We must reach our generation. And I do not think this can happen if we entrust it only to the pastors or to the evangelists. I believe that every single believer must take part in carrying out this task.
MISSION (how our vision can be fulfilled):
We are committed to establishing and equipping disciples of Christ for ministry by pouring ourselves into them, motivating and helping them to reproduce themselves in many generations of disciples.
When a person comes to faith, we want them to be established in their faith so that they never turn back again. The second level is that they be equipped for ministry — not to think that, having once come forward to receive Christ, all their spiritual obligations are now finished, but to serve the church with their gift. The third level is reproduction and multiplication. This is the level to which we want to help more believers to reach.
GOAL:
With God’s help and guidance, to start a discipleship movement in Bulgaria.
A movement is when it is not something done by only one church or one group of people or one denomination, but a movement is when all Christians from all denominations begin to do something they regard as the will of God and about which they have a fresh understanding from God’s Word. A movement is like a chain reaction. It cannot be stopped.
So then, I invite you to test through the Holy Spirit and through God’s Word this vision, this mission and this goal, and if you think they are from the Holy Spirit — to embrace them as your own.
All of this is founded on the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ, given to us in Matthew 28:18-20.
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Older versions read, “Go and teach all nations.” But that is an inaccurate translation. And it leads many people astray. Because when we hear about teaching the nations, we regard it as something impossible for us to do and we dismiss it before we have even given it any thought. “How am I going to teach all the nations? That is impossible!” But if we look more closely at the text, we will see that it says, “Go and make disciples.” And you can say, “Yes, I may not be able to teach all the nations, but I can teach one disciple.” And in fact the way to reach all the nations is to work with people and make disciples of them, one by one.
I do not have time now to launch into a detailed study and analysis of this passage, but I will only quote to you what Robert E. Coleman says in his book The Master Plan of Evangelism.
“The Great Commission given by Christ to His Church is summed up in the command, ‘Teach all nations’ (Matthew 18:19). Here the Word says that the disciples were to go into the world and win others who would become like them — disciples of Christ. This mission is underscored even more when one studies the Greek text and sees that the words ‘go,’ ‘baptize’ and ‘teach’ are all participles, whose force derives from the single governing verb ‘make disciples.’ This means that the Great Commission is not merely to go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15), nor to baptize many converts in the name of the Triune God, nor to instruct them in the teachings of Christ, but to ‘make disciples’ of them — to create people like themselves, who were so gripped by the command of Christ that they not only followed Him but also moved others to follow Him. The other activities of the command could be carried out only when there were disciples.”
In other words, discipleship stands at the very heart of God’s plan for conquering the world with the gospel. Jesus Christ placed discipleship at the core of His plan. If in any way the gospel is to reach the ends of the earth, it will happen through discipleship. Discipleship is not a vision received by some prophet. It is a command given to us by the Lord Himself.
Unfortunately, today many people talk about discipleship, but no one makes disciples. Others, meanwhile, are afraid of discipleship. I think one of the main reasons for this is a misunderstanding of what discipleship is. Because we all talk about discipleship, but everyone understands this word “discipleship” in a different way. May God help us to understand His plan correctly and not to misuse the gifts and blessings with which He has lavished upon us.
WHAT DISCIPLESHIP IS NOT — MISTAKEN CONCEPTIONS
1. Discipleship is not just one person (even a pastor) who teaches everyone.
Some have such an idea of discipleship — that one person is supposed to teach everyone. But the leader-teacher is not a “guru” or “the man with the answer to every question.” That is a wrong attitude. Discipleship is a personal, one-to-one ministry — a ministry of “one another,” a ministry between two people, in which a more mature disciple helps a newer and less mature disciple to grow in Christ, while both walk the path of faith.
This reminds us, as we teach our disciples, to be very careful to distinguish what we know for certain from God and from the Bible from what is our own opinion on some minor matters. The fact that we teach others does not mean that we are anything more than they are, nor that we have the answers to all questions. It is rather a sharing of disciple with disciple — as students gather to explain the math problems to one another — in which both of us follow one and the same Teacher — Christ.
In Matthew 23:8-12 Jesus said:
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Matthew 23:8-12)
When we speak of discipleship, we do not lift one above another — “we are all brothers.” You see, the point here is not what we will be called, what our titles and ranks will be. No, the point here is our relationships and functions. It is as in the family — the husband is the head of the wife, but that does not mean he is anything more than she is, does it (1 Corinthians 11:3, 8-9, 11-12)? In the same way, when we speak of a disciple and someone who plays the role of his “teacher,” that does not mean he is anything more than the other. Both are disciples, because no one can claim to know everything.
Although we are not to call ourselves “fathers,” we ought to have spiritual “children.” Although we are not to call ourselves “teachers,” we ought to have “disciples,” because the Lord Jesus said, “Go and make disciples.” An example of this is the apostle Paul, who in 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 does not call himself “father,” yet without any scruple speaks of his spiritual fatherhood:
14 I am writing this not to shame you but to warn you as my dear children. 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me. (1 Corinthians 4:14-16)
See how directly Paul speaks to his disciples. He does not dodge; he does not make himself out to be something less than he is. He does not tell them, “Listen to what I say, but do not look at what I do.” Rather he tells them, “I am your spiritual father. Imitate me, be like me!” So then, the point here is not titles and positions, but that we pray that God would reveal to us the very person whom we are to “father in Christ through the gospel” — a person to whom we become not only a spiritual “mentor,” but a spiritual “father.”
See, this is something very demanding. And this is exactly the argument of many believers as to why they do not want to get involved with discipleship. They say, “Ah, this is something very serious, brother!” Well, yes, to be a parent is no small thing. So too, to be a spiritual parent is no small thing. It is serious. But you are not your own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)! You are God’s! All your time belongs to God! So you do have the time, and you must make disciples, since Jesus Christ said, “Go and make disciples!” You turn to God in prayer with the words, “Lord, Lord…,” but Jesus Christ says to you, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do My will (Matthew 7:21)?”
2. Discipleship is not a relationship in which one plays the role of master and the other — of slave.
The point here is that there be no “lording it over” in the teacher-disciple relationship, but rather a relationship in which we are equals and help one another. The disciple should not feel obligated to agree with everything his leader tells him, nor to obey him as a slave obeys a master. In fact, Jesus said that whoever wishes to be greatest in the kingdom must be the servant of all (Matthew 20:26). That is why we even try to avoid the terms “teacher” and “disciple,” and speak rather of a “disciple-leader” and a “disciple-follower.” The aim of the disciple-leader in this ministry should not be to impose himself over the disciple-follower, but to be an example that helps him grow in Christ. As the apostle Paul says, “Imitate me.” We must not forget that we teach what we know, but we reproduce what we are.
3. Discipleship does not happen merely through a passive (inactive) example or demonstration.
We cannot rely on discipleship happening by itself. It does not happen on its own. Perhaps discipleship did happen on its own, because in the past we did not talk so much about discipleship, yet there were still disciples (or at least we consider ourselves disciples of Christ). But that took years. If we want things to change and to have growth now, today, we must put in effort — from both sides — both on the part of the one who is in the position of disciple-leader and on the part of the one who is in the position of disciple-follower. The Christian life is not learned and will not happen merely by “soaking it up” (osmosis). Just as, if we put a sponge in water, it soaks up the water by itself without your doing anything. No. You have to “draw” for something to enter into you. Effort is needed (1 Peter 2:2). A certain level of intentional and conscious diligence is needed if an immature disciple wants to grow in Christ. In 1 Timothy 4:7-8 the apostle Paul says to his young disciple:
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. (1 Timothy 4:7-8)
The word for “train” yourself to be godly is in Greek gymnaze, from which come the words “gymnastics” and “gymnasium.” It also means “train” yourself. Training presupposes conscious effort. In order for athletes to win competitions — to run so fast and jump so high — they trained, they put in effort — conscious effort. And here the apostle Paul compares training in godliness with “physical training,” which is in fact physical exercise (sport, fitness). Just as physical training presupposes effort — and conscious, intentional effort at that — so too we must not wait for discipleship to happen by itself. In the next verse the apostle Paul says that physical training is only of temporary benefit — on this earth — whereas from spiritual training, from training in godliness or discipleship, the benefit is twofold — “for both the present life and the life to come.” So then, we must not wait for discipleship to happen by itself. We must build ourselves up and make disciples — intentionally and consciously.
The apostle Paul says something similar in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Discipleship must avoid two extremes — that of being too familiar, too oriented toward relationships, and that of being merely the following of a program. In the first extreme we simply gather with believers with whom we have a good time together — it is pleasant, we go for walks, we chat. But the question is whether in this friendship and in this group there is a program. There must be building up, there must be a goal, there must be movement in one and the same common direction toward the achieving of certain goals. In the other extreme we have only a program — prayer, reading, the Word, singing; prayer, reading, the Word, singing… but no relationships. This too is an extreme that must be avoided. Discipleship must be somewhere in the middle — there where there are, at one and the same time, deep relationships and an intentional and conscious following of a definite program of growth. Because we want to grow and to gain confidence in our life with the Lord to the point where we ourselves train others.
4. Discipleship is not merely the handing over of materials and resources.
Simply to give someone textbooks or books on discipleship and to say to him, “Here are the textbooks, study, become a disciple of Christ!” Discipleship is not a “printing press” (Gutenberg). It is not to load someone up only with books, resources and Bible studies. The idea that you are being discipled if you only read all the right things is mistaken. What is needed is the pouring in and imparting of spiritual life, and this happens only if there is friendship. Two people are needed who share their spiritual life with one another.
Once in our church we made an experiment with ICI materials. They were very good. Everyone had to read the booklet, fill in the answers, and hand them in to be checked. Using these materials we were to build up a “Center for Evangelism and Discipleship” attached to our church. So I presented this program to the church and everyone said, “Glory to God!” But when the time came for them to write the answers to the questions, it became very hard, and little by little the enthusiastic “students” dropped away. There were only a few who finished — they were very firm, resolute and persistent. I used to think that what we were doing was discipleship, but it was not discipleship. Why? Because there were materials, but there were no relationships. If true discipleship is going to happen, it is important that there be the building of relationships, and not only the handing over of materials, however good and useful they may be in themselves.
5. Discipleship is not merely the transfer and acquisition (passing on) of skills — ways of ministering or of doing things.
The transfer of skills is an important aspect of our learning to walk with Christ, but it is not everything — it is only one of the aspects of discipleship. Some leader may begin to meet with you and teach you techniques of evangelism. But that is not enough. There must also be friendship — to meet together, to pray, and to have common goals and interests.
6. Discipleship is not based merely on a single event or on a one-time experience.
You go to a conference or a course and suddenly you become a disciple. No. Discipleship is a continuous process. All Christians must be disciples throughout their whole lives. We are “lifelong,” “life-long” disciples. Not only the pastor must learn all his life, but every single Christian must learn all his life. And we must learn not merely so as to become “big heads” with small hearts, but to learn so as to pass on to others what we know, and so as to be able to make disciples, to learn to be more humble and more obedient to Christ. The claim, “I have already finished my training,” is never true, and no one can say it — whoever he may be. God is limitless, and there is always something more for us to learn about Him from our walk with Him. The principle “A person learns as long as he lives” is especially valid for discipleship. So no one can say, “Oh, I am too old to be a disciple or to make disciples.” Discipleship is for all believers.
7. Discipleship is not driven merely by motivation or inspiration.
Simply because someone has been inspired or motivated to respond to the call to discipleship does not mean that he has been changed or inwardly transformed (born again). Nor does it mean that he will necessarily experience personal or spiritual growth. Our aim must be to build in our disciples deep and lasting convictions, not merely superficial ones. Discipleship is not built merely on emotions and passions (“I got goosebumps”…). Sensitivity and feelings are important, but they are not fundamental. The foundation lies in deep convictions and in a sincere and conscious faith — faith in Jesus Christ.
8. Discipleship is not merely the “cloning” of people according to one and the same form or image.
It is not the production of cookies with the same cookie cutter. I have watched how my grandmother makes them. She kneads the dough, rolls it out, and begins to cut out the cookies with whatever cutter she wants. They all come out the same. But discipleship is not that. We are not created from a stamp. Everyone is unique — with their own individual qualities. God is a God of variety and difference. Therefore there is room and need for many different kinds of characters, temperaments and personality types, gifts and ministries. We must all strive to be like Christ, and not according to the image of our disciple-leader. We must be careful with the power of imitation. Because it is natural, when you learn from someone, to begin to imitate them in everything. But we must not allow such blind imitation; rather we must encourage the one whom we are training to seek his own identity, gifts and calling in Christ.
Discipleship is not only for pastors to make pastors or only for teachers to make teachers. It is for all people, for people with all kinds of gifts and ministries in the body of Christ. For example, if you are a Christian businessman, does that mean you are free from the commitment to make disciples? And that you can say, “Look, so-and-so brother has the gift of teaching — let him make disciples,” or, “Let them make disciples in the Bible school or in the seminary”? No. If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, then you must submit to the Great Commission and begin to make disciples. And you must be sensitive to their character, gifts and calling. If it is not for them to be Christian businessmen like you, but something else, then allow them to be what they want and what God has created them to be. And this applies to every single person.
It is natural for our children to resemble us, but even if they resemble us, they are still not the same, are they? They are still different. We must not force them to be what we are, or worse still — force them to become what we ourselves wanted to be but never managed to become!
9. Discipleship is not merely growing together at the same speed.
Discipleship is not a convoy, it is not a march in formation. We must not expect all disciples to move “in formation.” Some will grow faster, others more slowly, and someone may not grow at all (though I doubt this last possibility). We must be flexible and adapt according to people.
10. Discipleship is not merely reproduction (or numbers — statistics and counting).
The power of multiplication can be seen in discipleship, but we must be more oriented (more mindful) toward people than toward programs. In books on discipleship examples are usually given demonstrating the power of multiplication and its superiority over addition. For this purpose a comparison is used between arithmetic and geometric progression. So, for example, if in one year one disciple makes one more — they become two. In the second year they will be four. But in the thirty-third year, if they continue at the same rate, they will be eight billion.
But we must not focus on the figures, but on the people. Jesus focused on the minority — on the twelve disciples. We have a public ministry. We want to do evangelistic events, to speak on television, to do things on a large scale. And glory to God for all these projects. Jesus did not neglect to minister to the crowds. But perhaps we neglect that part in which Jesus chose Himself disciples who, first of all, were “to be with Him.” In Mark 3:14-15 we read:
14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons. (Mark 3:14-15)
Discipleship is not merely numbers. What matters are people, not programs.
11. Discipleship is not an activity that can be delegated to others.
And this is something very important. Playing an instrument is something the pastor can delegate to a person who has musical talents and abilities. Or, if the pastor does not understand technology, he can delegate to someone who has such technical abilities the care of maintaining the church’s equipment. But the pastor cannot delegate discipleship. Discipleship cannot be one of the departments in the church. Every disciple of Christ must make disciples. This cannot be delegated. In many churches — even if it is not said out loud — the pastors delegate the making of disciples to the church. And the church silently delegates the making of disciples to the pastor and says, “That is what he is paid for, isn’t it…” Yes, but the pastor says, “I am paid to teach the church — so that it makes disciples…” And so the pastor and the church keep tossing the ball of discipleship back and forth, and the making of disciples is constantly somewhere up in the air and does not happen.
The making of disciples cannot be delegated. It is like the bearing of children. If you want them to be yours, you must bear and raise them yourself. If you delegate this activity to another, then they will not be yours. Discipleship is the responsibility of every disciple of Christ, and especially of those who consider themselves leaders in the body of Christ — without exception. Discipleship is the responsibility not only of the pastor, but also of the church. Every disciple of Christ is obligated to make disciples.
A DEFINITION OF DISCIPLESHIP
What is discipleship? Discipleship is the systematic helping of a given believer to grow in his relationship with Jesus Christ.
To understand this definition better, we will consider its elements:
- Systematic — expresses a conscious exertion of effort and a striving toward the goal and the achievement of the vision.
As we saw from 1 Timothy 4:7-8, training in godliness — like discipleship, and like the spiritual disciplines — presupposes a conscious, deliberate and intentional effort on our part. This conscious, deliberate and intentional effort on our part is for the purpose of making disciples and fulfilling the Great Commission in our generation, here and now, in Bulgaria.
- Helping — underscores that doing discipleship is a ministry. To help, to assist, means to serve the disciple-follower.
What is more — we say that this “helping” happens through “pouring in of oneself” and of our life with God into this person. The emphasis here is on the personal approach. In 1 Thessalonians 2:8-12 the apostle Paul says:
8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:8-12)
You see, we are ready to give people the gospel. We are ready to give them the “Jesus film according to Luke” and the “Four Spiritual Laws.” We are ready to encourage them to go to church. But — that is as far as it goes. “Do not trouble me any further.” Yet the apostle Paul says, “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well…” When you are ready to give not only the gospel, but your own life to this person — this is the pouring in of oneself into him. The apostle Paul dealt with them as a father with his children — this is a personal work. And when we speak of “teaching others,” we do not mean some kind of “academic knowledge.” There is no need to have graduated from some spiritual school or seminary in order to begin making disciples. The point here is the elementary Christian habits — to teach them to obey Christ, to teach them to pray as we pray, to teach them to evangelize as we evangelize, to teach them to go to church as we go. Whatever we do in our obedience to Christ — for them to do the same. Until the moment they become mature followers of Christ and choose their own disciples.
- Believer — this word in the definition shows to whom discipleship applies, who can be included in it — this can be someone mature in the faith, as well as someone newly converted or even an unbeliever who is open to hearing about God and about the gospel.
There is a chart called “the Engel scale.” This scale presents the various levels of a person in his faith.
| LOST SINNER (a complete atheist — does not believe at all that there is a God; or an idolater) | |
| -8 | Awareness of a supreme being, but a lack of effective knowledge of the gospel |
| -7 | Initial hearing of the existence of the gospel (belief in only one God, initial knowledge of Christ) |
| -6 | Acquaintance with the basics of the gospel (what we need to be saved from) |
| -5 | Grasping the meaning of the gospel (what are the consequences of sin, what we need to be saved from and how we can be saved — without Christ people are lost) |
| -4 | A positive attitude toward the gospel |
| -3 | Recognizing our personal problem (applying the gospel personally to oneself) |
| -2 | A decision to act (ready to come forward and receive Christ) |
| -1 | Repentance and faith in Christ |
| A NEW CREATION | |
| +1 | Reevaluation of life after the decision (“Who are we now, and are there things we must leave behind?”; rethinking priorities, one’s role in the family, relationships with colleagues and friends, and so on) |
| +2 | Incorporation into the Body (joining Christian fellowship — the church) |
| +3 | Conceptual and behavioral growth (acquaintance with and grasp of Christian concepts) |
| +4 | Communion with God |
| +5 | Stewardship (all that I am and all that I have belongs to God — a person is ready to give for the Lord and His work) |
| A MATURE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST — reproduction |
Our disciple can be a person who is at any one of these levels. We can begin with someone who is at level “-8.” We choose him and begin to pray for him. And in our meetings we strive to move him in his convictions from level “-8” to level “-7.” If we do this, we have taken an enormous step. After that — from “-7” to “-6,” and so on. We can also begin with someone who is at level “+2” and take him to “+3.” This too is discipleship. You can help any person who is at any of the levels below your own level to move, level by level, upward in his Christian growth. As long as he is not at a level above yours — then he must be your teacher.
- Grow — shows the goal of discipleship — spiritual growth, and also hints at the need for obedience, abiding, being built up in the faith, and so on — the conditions for growth.
- Relationship — this word in the definition of discipleship shows that discipleship is something personal — a personal relationship both with the disciple-leader and a personal relationship with God.
- Jesus Christ — He is at the center of discipleship. In essence, discipleship is growth into Christlikeness. This part of the definition shows that discipleship is connected with “putting on” Jesus Christ and with coming to know Him better and to follow Him more faithfully and more obediently.
TERMS CONNECTED WITH DISCIPLESHIP
1. The one who trains (disciple-leader), teacher — fulfills the role of instructor, helper, coach, mentor, counselor, servant, shepherd and leader.
2. The one being trained (disciple-follower), the learner, the disciple in the narrower sense — the one who is being made, trained, built up, coached to be a mature disciple of Christ.
3. Disciple — a true believer, a follower of Christ, someone who is learning in the teaching of Christ, someone who is baptized in water and strives to live the life of Christ, to reproduce Christ in himself.
In discipleship there is an element which we might call “already, but not yet.” Yes, having believed and received Christ into our hearts, we are already His disciples, and yet, for all that, we cannot yet say that we are fully taught and know everything. Discipleship is a process that continues throughout life. We strive toward perfection in Christ, we are being perfected in Him, but one day, when we pass into His glory, Christ will add to us everything that is lacking in our wholeness and completeness (pleroma) in Him.
WHAT DISCIPLESHIP IS — CORRECT CONCEPTIONS
The Lord’s mandate, His charge to the church, is clear: “Make disciples.” What is a disciple of Christ? What is he like?
1. THE DISCIPLE IS A BELIEVER.
How does someone become a believer? By hearing about Christ and believing in Him. In John 11:25-26 Jesus Christ Himself says to Martha:
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26)
This is the essential thing a person must believe in order to be a believer — that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He came to bring us eternal life, that He rose from the dead, and that just as He rose from the dead, so we too will rise and will live forever with Him in His glory.
In Acts 16:30-31 we read of the experience of the jailer. After the earthquake that happened in the middle of the night while Paul and Silas were in the prison singing hymns to God, the jailer was terrified, because he was responsible for the prisoners with his own life. In fear that all the prisoners might have escaped, he even drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But the apostle Paul reassured him, telling him that although the doors were open and the chains loosed, they were all in their places. Recognizing God’s intervention in this case, the jailer bowed down before Paul and Silas, expressing to them his regret for what had happened to them.
30 He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)
This is what our faith is connected with — with our salvation from sin and death, and with who exactly the Savior is — the Lord Jesus Christ. Every disciple of Christ believes in salvation from sin, in eternal life, in the resurrection from the dead, and in the Savior — the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. THE DISCIPLE IS A FOLLOWER.
How does someone become a follower of Christ? By following Him. But this is not easy, it is not cheap. It is connected with self-denial and readiness to bear our cross. Because, as one motto says, “No cross — no crown.” In Matthew 16:24 the Lord Jesus said:
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. (Matthew 16:24)
To follow Christ means to follow His example — an example in manner of life, an example in love, an example in service, an example in self-denial. In John 13:15 He says to His disciples, and through them to us as well:
15 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. (John 13:15)
3. THE DISCIPLE IS A LEARNER.
What are the marks of someone who is learning? A good disciple is disciplined and holds to the instructions of his teacher. Jesus called this “abiding” or persevering in His teaching (John 8:31-32).
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Learning is in fact spiritual work in search of Christ’s truth. Reading, meditating, comparing, clarifying, determining what is “the truth.” In 2 Timothy 2:15 the apostle Paul charges Timothy:
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)
This verse paints for us the picture of a woodcutter who cuts a clearing for a road through the forest. This clearing must be straight, so that the road which will pass through it may also be straight. This is not easy work — it requires both the exertion of effort and extraordinary skill and competence.
4. THE DISCIPLE IS A WITNESS.
What does he witness to? To what the Lord has done for him, what he has experienced and lived through. In Mark 5:18-20 we read of the man freed from demons:
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mark 5:18-20)
This is what testimony is. It is very powerful, because it is not merely something we have heard from others, but something we have personally tasted and lived through. In 1 Peter 3:15 the apostle gives us wise counsel:
15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15)
5. THE DISCIPLE IS BAPTIZED.
How does baptism express the disciple’s dedication to Christ? Baptism is a sign of sincere repentance and conversion to Christ. It shows that the one who wishes to be baptized has received the gospel and believed in Christ with all his heart. Moreover, he has resolved from this moment on to live according to the teaching of Christ and to abide, to persevere in his new faith. In Acts 2:41-42 we read:
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:41-42)
If someone decides to grow as a disciple of Christ, then he must begin with baptism as an expression of his dedication to the Lord. In Acts we read how the apostle Paul relays the words of Ananias to him immediately after his encounter with the risen Savior (Acts 22:16).
16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name. (Acts 22:16)
6. THE DISCIPLE REPRODUCES HIMSELF.
But the last thing, which we do not do, or which is hardest for us because perhaps we have not yet grown to this level, is that the full, mature disciple of Christ reproduces himself in others. When we pass along this scale — some faster, others more slowly — sooner or later we reach the level at which we begin to make disciples and to reproduce ourselves in others. What does the disciple of Christ reproduce in others? The life of Christ which he has within himself. In John 15 Jesus said that if we abide in Him, then we will surely have His life within us and will bear spiritual fruit — both the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us — love, joy, peace, and so on — and the fruit of saved souls (John 15:8).
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (John 15:8)
Jesus began with twelve men, and He poured into them His whole life, His whole ministry. And only after He ascended and the Holy Spirit came upon them at Pentecost did they begin to reproduce themselves. But Jesus poured Himself into them. So then, we too must pour ourselves into our disciples.
Multiplication and reproduction and the bearing of lasting fruit are not a matter of choice, but of growth and obedience. This is not an optional pursuit. No, if you have grown — you will do it. The risen Jesus has authorized us and commanded us to do it. In Matthew 28:19-20 we read the Great Commission of our Lord:
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)
Perhaps there are many Christians who are at the “adolescent” level. We know that we ought to bear fruit, we want to bear fruit, but we cannot, because we are not yet mature enough. But if we are mature — it makes no difference how old you are or how many years you have been in the faith — if we are mature, we will make disciples. If we are mature — we will reproduce ourselves. If we are mature, we will be able to take responsibility not only for ourselves, but also for our disciples.
At times I feel like Rachel — Jacob’s wife. She wanted so much to have children that she said to her husband, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” (Genesis 30:1).
1 When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” (Genesis 30:1)
If we are truly mature Christians, we too must come to that moment where we say, “I want to have spiritual children! I want to have disciples! I want to reproduce myself!” This thing is simply placed within us by the Lord.
That is why in our mission we speak not only of “establishing in the faith” and “equipping for ministry,” but also of “helping our disciples to reproduce themselves in many generations of disciples.” This is the answer to the question, “How can we guarantee that the system of multiplication will not jam and collapse?” The answer lies in the standard we raise for a disciple of Christ. According to the standards of the discipleship movement, a disciple is one whose disciples make disciples — that is, he has not only made a disciple, but his disciple too has made a disciple who makes disciples. Let every single person ask himself whether he is a disciple of Christ by this standard. Not that you are not a disciple of Christ. Everyone who has believed in Christ is His disciple. But this higher standard for discipleship is a guarantee for the launching and the continuing of a movement that does not stop at any single stage of its development. In other words, our goal is to work to the fourth generation. Otherwise, we will move by inertia or we will be in a state of stagnation. If we want to have a discipleship movement, then this must be our standard for a disciple — that you are a disciple when your disciple has made a disciple. So, you have a disciple (and you have not even chosen him yet), but let us say that you have a disciple, and when your disciple begins to make disciples, only then have you become a full disciple of Christ. And we must raise this standard for discipleship in our disciples. If we do, they will be motivated from the very beginning to make disciples. And someone might say, “Where did you come up with this now?” From 2 Timothy 2:2:
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:2)
“Entrust this…” You are obligated not to hold back “what you have heard”! You see, I think that this is exactly why the church in Bulgaria suffers. Because there are many people who have heard, and yet we hold it back. We say, “Let others do it…” But one day we will stand before the Lord Jesus, we will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and we will have to give account for our deeds. And what Christ will judge us for will not be our sins, which He bore on the cross, but the missed opportunities. For He said, “I was in prison and you did not visit me…” That is, “not that you did something bad because of which you should go to prison, but you failed to do the good that you could have done.” And one of the things we fail to do is to pass on “what we have heard” — the teaching of Christ. So then, the apostle Paul says, “What you have heard from me — entrust… to reliable people!” But where am I to find these “reliable people”? You will pray! There are such people! So you must choose these “reliable people.” And you must teach them in such a way that they may be “qualified” to teach “others” also. How many generations are there here? Paul, Timothy, reliable people, others — four generations. That is why I tell you that the apostle Paul was a disciple of Christ — because his disciples made disciples. And their disciples made disciples. And their disciples made disciples. And if we want to have a “movement” that could save our country and truly bring “revival” to our country, we must raise this standard — that a disciple of Christ is one whose disciples make disciples.
That is why, in the statement of our mission, we say that we will motivate our disciples and help them to reproduce themselves in many generations of disciples — this means working “to the fourth generation.” Not merely to bring our disciple to church. But to work with him until he decides to have his own disciples — and to be with him and beside him until he begins to train others to be disciples of Christ. And to be with these new disciples of Christ as well — with them and beside them until they themselves begin to make their own disciples. If we do this, our growth will be incredible!
I believe that if we submit to God’s Word and begin to work in this way,
- first of all, we ourselves will be blessed in our personal relationship with God;
- our “first love” will return;
- there will be people saved;
- God’s purpose will be fulfilled.
The devil hates this. So we will have problems. But God is stronger than he is. Therefore, let us pray for God’s power and grace to fulfill the Great Commission in our generation.