The Great Commission and Discipleship
What is the Faith you want?
Is this the Faith you have?
3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. Jude 3 NASB
Do you have
- A Faith based on what Jesus taught?
- A Faith taught and modeled by the Apostles?
- A Faith that spread, with the fire of the Holy Spirit, to both Jew and Gentile?
- A Faith held by the martyred and the massacred?
- A Faith that endured trials and tribulations, even unto death?
An Enduring Faith
Biblical Faith includes Trust and Obedience.
Biblical Faith includes response from the heart, as well as action.
Biblical Faith is “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.”
My greatest fear is that churches are filled with unsaved, not-quite-right-believing “Christians.”
My greatest burden on my heart is that many people of the church, those who believe they are saved, will hear Yeshua say, “Depart from Me.”
My greatest desire is for people to be Discipled and Make Disciples, through Intentional, Relational, Discipleship. [To this end, I am writing a book about Intentional, Relational, Discipleship.]
Since I first learned that Christianity was not following a religion, but following a person, I have been seeking to be discipled.
I have been seeking:
- Church to church
- Small group to small group
- Class to class.
- Person to person
- Book to book
I found options that were “Intentional” for spiritual growth into Christ-likeness.
I found options that were “Relational” for building community in the Body of Christ.
But, nowhere did I find something that was “Intentional” AND “Relational” for me to
13 … attain to the unity [Relational] of the faith, and of the knowledge [Intentional teaching] of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure [spiritual maturity] of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ [Christ-likeness]. Ephesians 4:1-16 NASB
A New Hope
(with apologies to George Lucas)
I have hope.
This past October is the second year I have attended the National Disciple Making Forum hosted by discipleship.org. (Yes, their name is their URL.)
There were 17 different organizations explaining multi-modal methods of disciple making.
There were over a thousand people hungry to hear about disciple making.
And, I pray, over a thousand people ready to actually commit to becoming a disciple maker (including me!).
However, the discipling processes of the discipleship breakout sessions I attended seemed to tend to be curriculum-oriented. Each organization provides proprietary discipleship resources.
Of course, for discipleship to be Intentional there must be a structure, a progression, and a defined body of knowledge to be shared.
- This “discipling” or “transformation” group would begin with the expectation – become a Disciple in order to Make Disciples.
- The group would have an Intentional process for spiritual growth.
- The group would be grounded on personal Relationships.
- The group would have an end goal – each person would have the Spiritual Maturity to be a Disciple Maker.
- The group would have an end time in mind – varying: 1-2 years.
Nevertheless, we must remember:
Even if it is taught with Intention, Discipleship is to be more than head knowledge.
Even if it is taught in Relationship, Discipleship is to be more than heart knowledge.
Discipleship, becoming a Disciple in order to make Disciples, cannot work without the Holy Spirit, Who dwells within every Believer.
This transformation known as Spiritual Growth, in truth, is only available by and through the Holy Spirit.
Return to Pentecost!
We need to return to the example of Pentecost!
(i.e., Shavuot: the Feast of Weeks/ Sevens)
We need to return to the power of the Holy Spirit!
Let us recall some points from the second chapter of Acts:
1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place [“as you are going”]. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. 5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born?
12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared [taught] to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words.
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know – 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Jesus] has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized [baptized] in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting [teaching] them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized [baptized]; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching [Intentional] to fellowship [Relational], to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2 NASB
Return to the Power of the Holy Spirit!
Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can Disciples be called.
Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can Disciples have faith.
Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can Disciples be transformed.
Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can Disciples be made.
How have you been transformed by the Holy Spirit?
How have you been discipled?
How have you discipled another?
Let me know in the comment box below.
I’m still seeking!
Blessings,
TLThomas
It’s ok to doubt, if you check it out!
Be a Berean!
10The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Acts 17:10, 11 ESV
See also:
The Disciples and the Great Commission
By Faith or by Works? That is the Question
Please join me in this journey of discovery.
- Leave a comment, or ask me a question.
- Share this blog with others, whether they are doubting, or not.
- Take what I say and CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF!
© 2017 by the author