Holistic Discipleship
Written by Alan Berthiaume | Pastor of Adult & Family Ministries
Topic Summary:
Too often, discipleship is explained as an over-complicated and programmatic process. However, a biblical perspective of the way Jesus did discipleship reveals a simple plan.
Introduction:
At the Great Commission, the Lord spoke to His disciples and commanded them to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” In scholarship today, there are any number of articles unlocking the “10 keys to effective discipleship” or master classes on “the secret art of disciple-making.” If you are a Christian and have not attended bible school or seminary, you may feel inadequate or unprepared to fulfill the Great Commission.
Yet, note in Matthew 28 the lack of bewilderment by the disciples. Peter did not raise his hand and seek clarification on what Jesus meant by “go and make disciples.” Andrew did not clear his throat and shuffle his feet, nervously hoping for one of the other men to know what Jesus was asking. They knew exactly what Jesus meant because the Lord had spent the last three years living His life with these men and had successfully managed to make disciples out of them. So, what is discipleship?
Article:
Discipleship to Jesus was not a course or a twelve-step program. It was life together. There was intentionality in it, but at its core, the Lord’s plan was to simply live life with these men.
“Discipleship to Jesus was the endeavor to intentionally invest Himself in their lives by teaching and modeling godliness in all aspects of His own life and faith, with the end goal being their comprehensive Christian growth.”
That’s discipleship. It was one man teaching and modeling godliness for other men in the natural flow of everyday life.
Scholarship in the West just loves to boil the commands of Jesus down to three easy steps, five simple rules, and ten better practices. But biblical discipleship is so much more than an academic exercise. It is comprehensive wisdom on how to glorify God amidst the average experiences, daily surprises, and even the humdrum details of life. It’s holistic. True biblical discipleship addresses the entire Christian in the natural course of his or her entire life. It must be this way!
Consider the fact that life, by its very nature, is unique to the individual. Therefore, the command of our Lord to go and make disciples must be possible in every individual’s life regardless of their circumstances and station. A prince can disciple the posh in a palace, and a pauper can disciple the peasant in a pigsty. Holistic biblical discipleship works regardless of who you are or what you do for a living — fisherman, tax collector, and politician alike.
This is the beauty of God’s plan for making disciples. It is a process that is carried out in our natural daily rhythms. Everyone can, like Jesus, select a few willing individuals, and then use your day-to-day experiences to invest in their growth by teaching and modeling what godliness looks like. At the end of the day, true discipleship is an uncomplicated concept, but its successful execution requires a lot of commitment.
First, you must select the willing few. Jesus hand-selected twelve men — men who did not reject His call to lay down their lives, take up their cross, and follow Him. There were others, like the rich young ruler, who were unwilling, but the small band of men, led by Simon Peter, were eager to not only come and see the Messiah but to follow Him and learn at His feet daily. The goal in selecting those we will disciple is to look to those the Lord has put into your life who are both willing and eager to receive your offer of discipleship.
Second, and perhaps more challenging, you must invest your life in their comprehensive Christian growth. Jesus gave Himself, all of Himself, to these men. Though He also taught multitudes of people and interacted with both unbelievers and the religious leaders of His day, the Lord’s particular focus was the twelve. They learned life lessons from Jesus that the vast majority of the world’s population in Jesus’ day did not. What a tremendous honor! But the things they learned, they did not merely learn by sermon or lecture. They also learned by His consistent example. Furthermore, the subject matter they learned ranged from the seemingly mundane finer points of living life in first-century Israel to the lofty, heavenly, and eternal issues of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus explained and demonstrated for them what the people of God are to do, say, think, and believe in a copious assortment of life experiences. He taught them how to pay their taxes, how to treat the poor, and how to love their neighbor. He taught them how to pray, how to care for one’s relatives, and how to lovingly discipline a wayward brother. He taught them how to rebuke a false teacher, how to trust in God for your daily provision, and how to teach the Word in spirit and truth.
Furthermore, He modeled the characteristics that are to be present in the people of God. Jesus modeled for these men humility as He washed their feet, love for the lost as He ate with sinners and tax collectors, and zeal for the Lord as He cleansed the temple. He modeled grace as He invited children to learn from Him, mercy as He forgave a woman her sins, and compassion as He wept for unbelievers.
Now, in the daily rhythms of your life, you likely will not be traveling by a man-powered boat across a sea to face the demon-possessed, or cross paths with Jewish Pharisees demanding people not carry their mats on the Sabbath. However, you will find yourself facing difficult travel and wicked people. You will cross paths with those of other religions who will criticize your faith.
“Although your experiences will not be the same as Jesus, they will still provide plenty of opportunities to teach and model what godliness looks like in every area of life and faith. And that is what holistic discipleship looks like.”
Such intentional investment into the lives of others is what biblical discipleship is all about. So, will you fulfill the Lord’s command in the Great Commission? I encourage you to not be daunted. Step out in faith and select a few willing individuals, give yourself to them and both teach and model for them what godliness looks like. And may the Lord bless your faithfulness!