4 Steps for Engaging in True Discipleship

In the famous Great Commission of Matthew 28, Jesus commanded the Church to do two things: go and make disciples. Ever since this Great Commission, expanding the kingdom of God through discipleship has been the mission of the Church. Unfortunately, many modern Christians do not understand what discipleship really is or how to practically “go and make disciples.”

Often times, we think of discipleship as something a pastor, deacon, elder or missionary does. Something that is left up to “the professionals”; and because of this, discipleship is often confused for being a quarterly class taken at church or a weekly meeting with a pastor. While classes and pastoral meetings can be part of discipleship, they are not the totality of discipleship. In fact, I will dare to say that they are the lowest levels of discipleship.

True discipleship – which God uses to radically change a person into a Christ-like image – is meant to be done by not only pastors, deacons, and elders… but all who call themselves Christians. Indeed, there is no exclusion clause for discipleship. In Christ, we are all called to make true disciples by helping others grow in the love and grace of God. It is not a complicated task, but it is a costly task. Jesus devoted His whole ministry to it and He charges all Christians to devote our lives to it. But the end result of true discipleship is that the lives of the people we disciple are radically, supernaturally changed by being saved by Christ and becoming more like Christ. They love their neighbors of all creeds and colors in a Godly way. They live with a supernatural peace that perplexes the nonbeliever. They have confidence in salvation because of a growing, Christ-exalting relationship with God. Indeed, the result of making true disciples of Christ is a truly better world, salvation for the lost, and the supreme glorification of God Almighty!

Maybe this type of discipleship sounds appealing to you. Maybe you recognize the holy and awesome calling from God to go and make disciples – and you are chomping at the bit to make it happen! But, maybe you’re like me and you never had a personal experience or example of true discipleship in your life that you can learn from. If that’s you, then here are four steps that you can take right now to start making true disciples like Jesus did.

---

Step 1 – Engage with Purpose

One of my favorite books about disciple-making is The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman. In his book, Coleman lays out eight steps for making disciples. One of the major themes that runs throughout all eight steps for making disciples, is the idea of intentionality. If you want to make disciples, you have to do so on purpose! True, biblical discipleship doesn’t happen by accident!

To engage with purpose, you first have to connect with someone who has a desire for spiritual truth. A misconception among many Christians is that the person you disciple has to be a Christian. The truth is the person need only come to the table with a genuine desire for spiritual truth. Their desire is a working of God that we must be willing to capitalize on. As you consistently engage your friend with the purpose of sharing the truth of the Gospel, he/she will be spiritually changed and brought into a deeper relationship with Christ.

The other piece of engaging with purpose is continually reminding yourself of the purpose. It is easy for people to abandon the goal of making a disciple of Christ, because it takes a lot of time and energy. Yes, discipleship is hard work and is a costly endeavor – but it’s an endeavor of utmost worth. By continually reminding yourself of the purpose for engaging your friend, you are loving them and are bringing honor to God.

---

Step 2 – Embrace Intense Proximity

Engaging a person with purpose is good, and it’s what many churches and Christians are already doing. However, we often relegate our purposeful engagements with those we want to disciple to short, weekly study times or coffee meetings. This relegation is one of the biggest travesties of the Western church! Jesus didn’t meet with His disciples once a week for miracle time or invite them to a quarterly class to discuss the beatitudes and other God-honoring behavior. Jesus spent all his time with them! He didn’t ask them to join a class, He called them to change their lives. And to have a real change to their lives, meant that they would have to begin living life with Jesus – and Jesus would have to live life with them. This intense proximity is one of the cornerstones of true discipleship.

However, intense proximity – really doing life with the one you want to disciple, is costly.

In The Master Plan of Evangelism, Coleman wrote:

“Such close and constant association, of course, meant virtually that Jesus had no time to call His own. Like little children clamoring for the attention of their father, the disciples were always under foot of the Master. Even the time He took to go apart to keep His personal devotions was subject to interruption at the disciples' need (Mark 6:46-48; Luke 11:1). But Jesus would have it no other way. He wanted to be with them. They were His spiritual children (Mark 10:24; John 13:33; 21:5), and the only way that a father can properly raise a family is to be with them.”

If you want to be like Jesus and make true disciples, then you have to embrace intense proximity by inviting the person you want to disciple into your everyday life.

No more coffee-date discipleship. You have to really do life together.

---

Step 3 – Regular Gospel Infusions

To be an effective disciple maker, you must regularly infuse yourself with the Gospel. If you’re purposefully engaging someone for the sake of the Gospel, then it is critical that you are regularly studying the Bible for your own edification and for the sake of the person you are purposefully engaging.

“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” – Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)

Your heart must be continually filled up with God’s Word so that you can easily and regularly speak Gospel truths to the one you are discipling. As your heart is filled with scripture, your conversations will be filled with Gospel truths that will strengthen the faith of the person you are discipling.

---

Step 4 – Pray Consistently

If reading scripture is our primary way of hearing from God, then praying is our primary way of speaking to God. By conversing with God through prayer, you open up the opportunity to bring our hopes and requests the One who is able to actually cause change in your life and in the life of the person you are discipling.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” – 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 (ESV)

Your conversation with God must be consistent and meaningful to have effective growth in your disciple-making efforts. Ultimately all growth comes from God, so you must connect with Him for your personal edification and for the power that is needed to help someone become more like Christ.

---

Discipleship may seem like a daunting task for many Christians, but it doesn’t need to be! By engaging with purpose, embracing intense proximity, being regularly infused with the Gospel, and continually praying, any Christian can be a disciple-maker. Remember that you have been called to Christ for the purpose of expanding His kingdom by making true disciples that know God, are growing in God, and are living for God.

It is the special privilege of every Christian to be an agent of holy change in the lives of the people God has put around us.