AFFACH THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

Accra Ghana
Affiliated to

INTERNATIONAL
CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
Lagos Nigeria and Overseas

COURSE :
DISCIPLESHIP

LEVEL : DIPLOMA

LECTURER :
APOSTLE PASCAL E. EHOUN

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 DISCIPLESHIP
A Manual of Principles For Bringing People to Maturity In Christ Fellowship
Bible Church - Tacoma, Washington The church has been given the task of
"MAKING DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS." To varying degrees, the
church has been engaged in this task for nearly 2,000 years, and yet confusion,
uncertainty, and a feeling ineptitude linger for many. There are various reasons
for this ranging from cultural differences to divergent views of just what is
involved in this enormous responsibility.
Although no one is claiming to have the final word on the subject of
discipleship, we should never hesitate to be so simplistic as to say that Christ
Himself IS the final Word. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians that he
longed for them to,
"be filled with the knowledge of His will in all
spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you
may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please
Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God." [Col. 1:9, 10]
He summarized his goals for these believers in verse 28 of that same chapter
where he wrote,
"And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and
teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present
every man complete in Christ." [Col. 1:28]
Each of us involved in discipling others should have the same objectives for
those we minister to as Paul had in regard to the Colossians believers. Many of
us aren't even sure where to start. The purpose of this manual is to collate some
basic principles of effective discipleship. These are divided into four phases.
This, we hope, will provide a foundational understanding of where you should
start, help you discern when you finish your part in the process, and what we
believe to be the essentials of how to get where you need to go. As you will see,
THIS IS NOT A DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM OR STUDY GUIDE.
Such resources can be useful, but that is not our purpose here. No matter what
other materials you may use, it is our hope that the insights and perspectives we
have outlined will serve as helpful guidelines for you.
THE STARTING POINT

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Matt. 28:19, 20 is commonly known as the GREAT COMMISSION. There
is good reason for this. God commands us to spread the good news that Christ
brought. The actual command in this passage is not "GO!" but, "MAKE
DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS." The rest of the passage tells us how to
do that.
MATTHEW 28:19,20
(With the authority of Christ)
A. "GOING" = Expose them to the Gospel
"MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS"
(In the name of the Trinity)
B. "BAPTIZING" = Establish them in their commitment to Christ
(All the commands of Christ)
C. "TEACHING them to OBSERVE" = Lead them toward gaining
maturity in how they love God and others.
As you can see, the third step in this process involves teaching new believers to
"observe" all that God's Word commands.
Without a proper understanding of this word "observe," people usually limit
this phase to merely transferring Biblical know- ledge to another person. But
that is an incomplete understanding of the term. We must include humble
compliance. To illustrate this point, notice how in Jn. 14:15 Christ used the
same term when He said,
"If you love Me you will KEEP my commandments."
If we are to teach them to keep or observe what Christ has commanded, where
do we start ? One of the religious leaders of Israel asked Jesus what He believed
was THE greatest commandment. The answer Christ gave him is instructive for
us as well.
"He said to him, `YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD
WITH ALL YOUR HEART,
AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL,
AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'
This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it,
"YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF"
[Matt. 22:37-39]
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According to Christ's own words, our two main purposes in life are to learn to
LOVE GOD and LOVE OTHERS. Those should be the two main purposes
for discipleship as well.
Let me summarize the objective for a discipler the following way,
TO TRANSFER WHAT I HAVE LEARNED IN MY LIFE WITH
CHRIST TO ANOTHER BELIEVER SO THAT HE WILL GROW
IN MATURITY [Loving God] AND BE EQUIPPED TO
MINISTER TO OTHERS [Loving Others] BUILDING THEM
UP TO DO THE SAME.
A HELPFUL BREAKDOWN
To fulfill this objective, we must break down this demanding task into smaller
segments which are practical and achievable. We must also keep in mind that we
should view these segments as parts of a whole, not ends in themselves.
A. PHASE 1 (Evangelizing):

>Unbelievers Becoming Believers [=disciple-converts]

1. Here we must pursue methods of outreach which insure that we are

following New Testament principles and not modern motivational or
sales techniques. The Gospel we present to people is the most critical
part of this phase. With the wrong message, or even an incomplete
gospel, we run the risk of influencing spurious conversions. Current
books which are regarded as reliable presentations of the New
Testament message and principles of evangelism are:
 Evangelism As A Lifestyle, Jim Peterson Tell The
Truth, Will Metzger.

2. We must never suppose that a person may be brought into the family
of God apart from His sovereign work in their hearts. Although
believers understand this aspect differently, it is vital for God's
followers to fully understand and appreciate THE EXTENT TO
WHICH HE IS OUR LEADER. He seeks us. He saves us. He
sanctifies us. He even gives us the desire and ability to do His will.
With all that He has done for us, our responsibility to conform to His
will is great regardless of our view of His sovereignty. This point must
not be taken lightly! The book, Evangelism and the
Sovereignty of God, by J. I. Packer discusses this aspect well.

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 3. We must commit ourselves to the principle that it is NEVER God's
will for us to neglect a new Christian. Viewing evangelism as merely,
"leading someone to Christ" can cause such negligence. But
because of such attitudes, or personality differences, or shyness on
their part, many new believers are left in a stage of infancy for much
too long. God desires every person who becomes a spiritual baby to
grow and mature. This is best accomplished with the help of a more
stable believer. Those of us who are more mature need to help them.
[Rom. 15:1,2] This moves us into Phase 2.

B. PHASE 2 (Establishing):
> Converts Becoming Consistent [=faithful
followers]
1. We must pursue methods to establish a new believer which enables
him to increasingly demonstrate the requirements which Christ laid out
for true disciples in the Gospels. [These requirements will be
outlined for you later.] For many this starts with getting their first
Bible and learning to use it properly. For others, there is a readiness for
Bible studies and some ministry which can lay the needed foundation.
When, as disciplers, we don't truly know a person we are discipling, it
is easy to overestimate or underestimate their level of maturity.
Therefore, great care must be taken to accurately discern an
appropriate starting place for each believer. [The book Disciple
Alive!, by James D. Divine has some good
suggestions on how to become better acquainted
with, and evaluate a new believer.]

2. We must help them start building faithfulness into their lives. We

can usually evaluate how faithful they are by noting the way the new
disciple responds to the Lord, and to the things we are working on
together. It is in this phase that you will want to impart many
fundamental Biblical principles including:

 Understanding salvation.
 Establishing life priorities [including time, finances,
skills and abilities]
 Developing a relationship with the Lord [more than just
praying through a list]
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  Wise decision making
 Learning how to study the Scriptures [so that I love God
and love others more]
 Developing Biblical convictions
 Ripening the fruit of the Spirit
 Cultivating healthy relationships [especially in the
home]
 Responsibly functioning in the Body
 Dealing with temptation and guilt
 Appreciating the life and ministry of Christ
 Evangelizing and edifying others (Choose materials
appropriate to the topic and the disciple.)

Many more issues and topics could be listed. We don't pretend to give you
a complete selection. Each relationship will require a different emphasis,
thus each discipler will have to modify the list above. There are many
resources which can aid you in compiling your list. Good books on
discipleship, (some listed at the end) and the suggestions of
other mature believers can help greatly. As you develop your list, it will
help you measure progress more objectively.

You will have to assess your own strengths and weakness in

communicating these various subjects. Others may already have greater
expertise, and thus be better equipped for the task. On the other hand, this
may be a good time to strengthen an area of weakness or lack in yourself.
Formulate your list and have some others look it over for completeness.
This will give you a useful guide for what you need to cover.

We need to emphasize to those we train that this phase is not just for
amassing knowledge. Whenever possible [as Christ did in Mk.
3:14], we should convey knowledge in the framework of a relationship
with a discipler and by involvement in appropriate ministries. Initially a
ministry might just be sharing these new truths with someone else. While
many learn best BY doing, all learn best WHILE doing. [Incidently,
learning related to life in this way can also prevent
some of the pride that so often comes with
increasing knowledge.] Successfully working through this
process will qualify them to go on for additional training in Phase 3 to
become a discipler.

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 C. PHASE 3 (Ministering):
>Faithful Ones Becoming Disciplers [=stable
servants]
1. We must pursue ways to train faithful servants to transmit what they
know and how they live to others. In II Tim. 2:2 we see Paul passing
the torch to Timothy so that he might pass on what Paul has taught and
shown him. There is another aspect of this training that merits our
attention.
As mentioned earlier, every disciple is going to have a variety of
needs. As a discipler, you may not be adequately equipped to properly
meet all those needs, and may recommend that some of those
responsibilities be taken by others. Thus, each person being discipled
may have significant contact with many different people through the
process. This can be healthy. It not only provides a variety of
resources, but it graphically illustrates the inter-dependence of the
various parts of the body. Christ is still the only one who can do it all!

2. How do we envision the development of

faithfulness

STARTING POINT: RESULTING MINISTRY:

"TESTING" "TESTED"
════════════════════════════════════════
════════════════════════════════════════
JOHN DISCIPLE AS A DISCIPLE AS A
15:14, 15. SERVANT
FRIEND/STEWARD

LIMITED UNDERSTANDING SHARES TOGETHER IN

THE
OF THE STRATEGY BIG PICTURE

TO TEST THEIR TO ADVANCE HIS

OBEDIENCE OBEDIENCE

LUKE FAITHFUL IN LITTLE GIVEN BIG THINGS TO

OVERSEE 16:10-12 FAITHFUL IN MONEY-USE TRUE RICHES
ENTRUSTED TO HIM

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 FAITHFUL IN USING GIVEN HIS OWN
OTHERS' THINGS
═════════════════════════════════════════════
═════════════════════════════════════════════
(Are you looking up the Scripture references, or just
reading the material This material was written to relate
the prin-ciples of Scripture. The Word is our true
authority and guide.)
In this phase an evaluation of the disciple's maturity, prayerfulness, aptitudes,
gifting, motivations, and apparent effectiveness is necessary. You can identify
particular areas for ministry involvement best in the context of your local
church. [You should always keep an updated list of
opportunities.] While it is perfectly appropriate to start people out with
more simple, and possibly menial, ministries, it is also important to stretch them
as you consider them ready. Developing confidence in simple tasks is fine for a
growing disciple, but each of us must learn that the deeper ministries in God's
Kingdom require sincere humility and dependence on Him throughout. With
proper and regular evaluation through this phase, a person can get ready for
Phase 4.

D. PHASE 4 (Leadership Training):

>Disciplers Becoming Leaders (=pastors/deacons)
1. As described here, the ministry phase precedes the leadership phase.
This is because we are all responsible to minister, although fewer of us
will function as leaders in an official capacity. We need to develop
both MATURITY and MINISTRY to be faithful disciples, but for
leadership, God's Word requires specific qualifications. [I Tim. 3; Tit.
1; I Pt. 5]

2. We must also know how to train a functioning discipler so that he can

become an EQUIPPER--one who superintends the ministries of
other disciplers and shepherds a local church. [Eph. 4:11,12; I
Tim. 3:1ff] The leaders in each local congregation should have a
clear idea of specific areas for leadership training. Again, there are
study guides and good books which can help us understand and
implement the leadership requirements of the Bible, but we must
catalogue these standards and not leave them to our subjective
impressions.
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 Some helpful books in this area are:
The Team Concept, Bruce E. Stabbert
Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders
The Measure of a Man, Gene Getz
Timothy, Titus, and You, George C. Scipione

3. Such mature leaders could eventually team up and be sent to a new

area to establish another local church for the Lord. Although that is an
involved process, it is best executed while following the same four
phases of discipleship we are describing here. This approach
emphasizes building a congregation by building people, more than
programs.
HOW SHOULD WE EQUIP OTHERS ?
[The following list is long, but only reflects a portion of this great ministry.]
 Commit myself to spend time with people I'm training
 Pray regularly for them
 Pray with them
 Develop a relationship with them
 Expose my heart to them
 Expose them to new ideas, people, books, experiences
 Expose them to themselves
 Stimulate an excitement about discovering insights from God's Word.
 Eat with them
 Travel with them
 Visit with them [in your home and in their's]
 Goof off with them [in order to do this, you have to take the
extra time]
 Serve together whenever you can
 Evaluate and observe them as you go
 Note what makes them happy or angry
 Help them learn to evaluate themselves more objectively
 Stretch them by challenging their thinking
 Call on them to express the kind of openness which demonstrates
commitment
 Focus on the whole person:
 Spiritually,
 mentally,

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  volitionally,
 emotionally,
 relationally, and
 physically.
[While doing this, emphasize Biblical priorities; Mt.
10:37; I Tim. 5:8; Gal. 6:10; Jn. 17:14-16; I Tim. 4:8]
 Be flexible in your methods and manner
 Help them achieve realistic and measurable goals
 Accept them where they are, and take them where they need to be
 Treat each one as an individual with unique needs
 Expect some disappointment [& warn them to do the same]
 Convey an over all philosophy of ministry
 Build them from the inside out
 Don't feel obligated to exhaust every area you present
 Keep track of what you have accomplished together +Help them learn to
file and recover important materials
 Have them teach you what you have previously explained to them Etc.,
etc., etc.
These four phases describe just one way to break down a lengthy and involved
process. This outline presents some broad and flexible guidelines that can help
you gain perspective. Many other resources can be used to help you along the
way. If you are not familiar with the materials that are available, you could visit
a local Christian book store, or confer with one of your pastors. Your most
valuable assets though are already available to you:
A. First, and most importantly, THE LORD Himself who said in the
context of the Great Commission, "I am with you always, even
to the end of the age" [Matt. 28:20]

B. Next we have HIS WORD, which is, "inspired by God and

profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
for training in righteousness; that the man of God
may be adequate, equipped for every good work." [II
Tim. 3:16,17]

C. Finally, humble as it may be, we have the work He has already done in
OUR LIVES. [I Cor. 11:1]

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May the Lord grant us all wisdom and help us exercise faithful dependence on
Him for the task He has assigned us.
As we continue on, we want to explain the process of properly selecting
disciples, and then detail some foundational principles of learning to relate to
them in a healthy and mature way. The need to relate well is not just helpful, it
is essential. Discipleship will be incomplete without this aspect.
SELECTING A DISCIPLE: A matter for prayer and discernment.
It should be obvious that we should never neglect anyone desiring to grow. On
the other hand, none of us can possibly meet with everyone who needs this type
of help. Two principles can help us here:
 THE PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION and
 THE PRINCIPLE OF LIMITED RESPONSIBILITY.
THE PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION is often misunderstood. It is
sometimes viewed as one person discipling two others, and in the same amount
of time each of them disciples two people, and so forth. The underlying
assumption is that within a few years the entire world can be reached.
Two problems with this are:
1. Many aren't interested or responsive, and
2. It is impossible to predetermine how much time each person will need.
Multiplication is still the only way to accomplish the task. Although no
one but God Himself can project how rapidly the process will expand, it is
still best to pour yourself into a few key people to the point that they are
able to reproduce similar growth in others.
THE PRINCIPLE OF LIMITED RESPONSIBILITY is one that needs to be
carefully explained. We don't want to ever give the impression that discipleship
is only for a few "Hired Guns" who are on church staffs. We are ALL called
to this task. But as we said before, we can't possibly meet with everyone who
needs this type of help. So what do we do ? Some just do what they can and then
feel guilty about those being left out. Others develop a detached indifference
which is inconsistent with a true servant of Christ. Fortunately those aren't the
only options. We can do as Christ did in His ministry here on earth.
When Jesus was on His face before the Father, just before His crucifixion, He
poured out His heart in prayer. The circumstances around Him were dismal. The
corrupt and oppressive Roman government was still in power. The church had
not been fully established. Of the Apostles, one had defected as a traitor and the

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others were weakening fast. There were many still sick or demon possessed.
Even with all these needs around Him, Christ could pray,
"I glorified Thee on the earth,
HAVING ACCOMPLISHED THE WORK WHICH THOU
HAST GIVEN ME TO DO." [Jn. 17:4]
What that prayer illustrates is that just because there are needs around us, they
are not necessarily our immediate responsibility. Jesus could say with a clear
conscience before the Father that He had accomplished all that the Father had
given Him to do, even though He was acutely aware of the many needs around
Him.
Our responsibility then is to discern from Scripture, prayer, and the wise counsel
of those who know God well and know us well, what God wants us to do. Then
we need to get to work doing it. This is what we are calling the PRINCIPLE
OF LIMITED RESPONSIBILITY.
We must multiply our efforts by training those around us to effectively train
others. We must discern what God wants from us, and do it. But we must always
remember that THE GOOD IS THE ENEMY OF THE BEST, and as
Paul prayed for the Philippians, we too ought to, "approve the things that
are EXCELLENT in order to be sincere and blameless until the
day of Christ." [Phil. 1:10] Paul tells us how this grows out of a
knowledgeable and discerning love, and produces the fruit of righteousness.
[Phil. 1:9-11] This is what we need to strive for in selecting someone to
disciple.
Following are some basic steps.
FIRST, ASK GOD FOR WISDOM AND DIRECTION
Jesus stayed up all night praying before He designated the twelve apostles [Lk.
6:12]. He must be our example right from the beginning of the process.
We should avoid outward appearances when choosing. Don't just look for
"POTENTIAL." Also look for believers with faults, and then look beyond
their faults to see their needs. God loves variety and He can use those we may
tend to see as unworthy of our time merely because they're a little rough.
Remember how Paul rejected John Mark for the second journey, but then
Barnabas took him and nurtured him to become an effective servant [Acts 15].
Later, even Paul acknowledged the value of Barnabas' ministry with Mark
when he asked Timothy to, "Pick up Mark and bring him with

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you, for he is useful to me for service." [II Tim. 4:11] This too
is Christ-like.
SECOND, EVALUATE THOSE WITH WHOM YOU PRESENTLY HAVE
CONTACT
To what extent does any of them display the following qualities
1. A priority of love for Christ [Lk. 14:26]
(Watch for marks of this in ways the person spends his
time and money. cp. Mt. 6:21)

2. An allegiance to the importance of the spiritual dimension [Jn. 6:63-66]

(Is the person content with the sinful or natural ? To what
extent does the person consider Christ optional ? cp. vs. 67-
68)

3. A determination to commit himself to listen to God [Jn. 8:31, 32]

(Has he made any sacrifices to get Biblical instruction ?
Has his Biblical understanding altered his behavior ?)

4. A willingness to count the cost of following Christ, and sacrifice even

good things that might be obstacles to full spiritual growth [Lk. 14:27-33]
- (Does the person manifest commitment to Biblical
priorities ? Where are these often neglected ?)

5. A desire to involve himself in the lives of other people because of a

growing love [Jn. 13:34-35]
- (Does the person react with anger or detachment when
disappointed or hurt ? Is there perseverance to keep
moving toward people, for their good ?)

6. Some evidence of fruit in his life, either in attitudes or actions that show
spiritual reality [Jn. 15:8]
- (Is there a growing indication of the fruit of the Spirit, [Gal. 5:22, 23];
fruit of repentance, [Mt. 3:8]; fruit of good works [Col. 1:10] ?)

Christ gave these 6 qualities as the marks of DISCIPLES that are

GENUINE. These are the MARKS of a NORMAL CHRISTIAN,
NOT A SUPER SAINT.

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 According to Christ's own words, WITHOUT THESE QUALITIES,
WE CANNOT BE HIS DISCIPLES. Therefore, we should not take
on any disciple (after the establishing phase) UNLESS he
or she manifests ALL SIX to some degree.
THIRD, ASK FOR DISCIPLES DIRECTLY
After they have gone through the establishing or follow-up phase of
discipleship, you must determine their readiness to move ahead. You can
approach possible candidates by saying,
"I have been praying for some time about the possi-
bility of spending some additional time together so that
you can become equipped to do with others what I have
been doing with you. I believe it would be good for us go
continue on. Will you consider it ?"
This type of statement can be used as you approach someone moving from
phase two to phase three.
THE DISCIPLER/DISCIPLE RELATIONSHIP
"Developing a discipling relationship is crucial. Most potential
Disciplers are familiar with the term, but most also have a
vague idea of actually knowing what to do. The concept is
usually highly structured and, in many cases, too impersonal
(using a book, course of study, etc.)" [Disciple Alive, p.16-1]
Theologian and author J. I. Packer wrote in the study guide to his book
Knowing God,
"...it is only as one gives oneself in human relationships, in the
home, in friendships, with neighbors, as members of Christian
groups and teams--in relationships that go some- times right
and sometimes wrong, as all our relationships do--that
experiential knowledge of God becomes real and deep. For
ordinary people, to be a hermit is not the way! The buttoned-up
Christian `loner' who keeps aloof and reads books like this (or
just the Bible!) may pick up true notions of God as well as
anyone else may, but only the Christian sharer, who risks being
hurt in order to take and give the maximum in fellowship and
who sometimes does get hurt as a result, ever knows much of
God himself in experiential terms." [p. 6, 7]

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This view of discipleship presents the relationship with the discipler as being of
equal importance with the training received. This is intentional. In a classical
Greek discussion of the concept of discipleship, one writer carried this idea even
farther. His view was that,
"The basis of the relationship is Socrates himself, not
the knowledge at his disposal." [T.D.N.T., vol. IV, p. 420]
WHAT ARE SOME TRAITS OF A BIBLICAL DISCIPLING
RELATIONSHIP ?
1. WILLINGNESS TO LEARN
The basic definition of "disciple" is "a learner." Intellectual pride,
or worse, spiritual pride have no place in the life of a true disciple. A
humble teachability must be evident at all levels of growth.

2. MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Jesus said, "Follow Me, and I will make you become
fishers of men." [Mk. 1:17] In that one statement, He beautifully
illustrates the idea of mutual accountability.

 DISCIPLES' ACCOUNTABILITY: To follow Jesus

 JESUS' ACCOUNTABILITY: To train the disciples

One of the main areas requiring this type of accountability is prayer. The
relationship and resulting ministries will be weak and inconsistent without
regular, heart-felt prayer.

3. GROWING TRUST
"The Discipler's credibility is earned through the consistent
demonstration of godly character and the modeling of
genuine love." [Disciple Alive!, p. 16:1]

Although this is true, none of us can be trusted to be 100% consistent.

The Lord is the only one who deserves that kind of trust. A growing trust
is best developed by a combination of both a conscious effort to be a good
example and a humble willingness to admit when we are not. New
believers must learn from both.

4. BROTHERLY LOVE

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 We are to commit ourselves to seek the highest good for one another,
even when we don't feel the other person deserves it. [Pr. 17:17] Even if
it seems unnatural, we need to cultivate a friendship with one another. Of
course, this doesn't mean you need to be friends in the common sense of
the word. This is serious business, and not just a time for a casual visit.
But if you lack a natural spontaneity, keep the focus of this relationship
on Christ, then cultural or personal differences will matter little.

5. COMMITMENT TO MATURE
There should be a mutual commitment to, "become conformed to
the image of His Son." [Rm. 8:29] That will happen event- ually
[Phil. 1:6], but in the meantime we must resist and vigorously argue
against the temptation to feel we have "arrived" [Phil. 3:12]

6. WILLINGNESS TO SUFFER
We must be willing to both count the cost, and pay the price. We must
willingly take the good with the "bad." "For to you it has been
granted for Christ's sake; not only to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for His sake." [Phil. 1:29] We don't get one
without the other.

7. COMMITMENT TO SERVE
Christ Himself said that, "even the Son of Man did not come
to be served but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many."
[Mk. 10:45] Sometimes a servant is overworked, overshadowed, and
overlooked, but a true servant's heart will always conclude, "We are
unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we
ought to have done." [Lk. 17:10; cp. vs. 7-9] Ministry that
requires a return is not true ministry at all; it is a subtle form of
manipulation.
WHAT IS THE DUTY OF A DISCIPLER ?
There are many ways to describe the disciplers' role. Beside what we have
already said, some descriptive titles may prove helpful. Think of how you
display each of the labels below.
A DISCIPLER IS A:

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  BELIEVER COMMUNICATOR
TEACHER
 INITIATOR EXAMPLE
EQUIPPER
 COUNSELOR SERVANT
OBSERVER
 GUIDE ENCOURAGER GOAD
 HELPER LEADER
FRIEND
HOW TO STIFLE AN EFFECTIVE DISCIPLING RELATIONSHIP.
1. Don't invest adequate time

Discipleship that is program oriented, rather than people oriented, can be

accomplished with a set number of people in a set amount of time.
Building people is not that predictable, and requires our availability in
order to succeed.

2. Resist openness in the relationship

Too often we preach GRACE, but act like we don't need it. Christ said
that those who are forgiven much, love much. If we want to convey God's
love in a deep and rich way, we need to be free from the pride that
promotes hypocrisy. Christ was willing to be thought of as less than He
was. Often we don't even want to be known as we truly are.

3. Unrealistic personal expectations

We all have deficiencies. We aren't as skilled as we would like to be. We

aren't as wise as we would like to be. But if we have grown by God's
grace, and have seen change in our lives, we have at least the seeds of a
message. There will always be some ahead of us and some behind us in
the quest for godliness. Discipleship is something you do WHILE
growing, not after you're all grown up!

4. Pursuing high volume (vs. high quality) disciples

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 Remember the PRINCIPLE OF LIMITED RESPONSIBILITY ?
Give your best to help a few become their best.

5. Considering discipleship optional

Making disciples isn't a specialty for a few, it's a mandate for all. Before
placing this responsibility too low on your priority list, search the
Scriptures (especially the life of Christ) to clarify God's
perspective on the subject.

6. Lack of discipling "Know-How"

There are many "helps" available for us rookies. But sooner or later, the
best way to get the needed "Know-How" is to dive in and learn as you
go. It may not be perfect, but it's a start.

7. Imbalanced or neglected priorities

If we let our lives get out of control, and find ourselves spending an
inordinate amount of time in any one area of life, we will surely be
neglecting some other very important responsibilities. We don't have to be
involved in anything wrong in order to create this imbalance. All we have
to do is pre-dominantly focus on one or two good things at the expense of
others. Constant evaluation is necessary.
(The ideas listed here are a revised version of material in the
book Disciple Alive, by James D. Devine. Portland, Oregon.)
IN CONCLUSION
All of us have been called to the ministry of DISCIPLING ALL NATIONS.
Although there are many different aspects to this, we all fit in somewhere. It is a
lifetime venture. It requires time, preparation, diligence, prayer, humility, love,
and much, much more. It requires so much of us, that to persevere, we must
maintain a dependence on God that is deep and complete.
As the Apostle Paul built up Timothy, he often referred to him as his "son in
the faith." In this sense, discipleship is parenting at its best!

"The GRACE of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and the LOVE of God,

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 and the FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all." [II Cor. 13:14]

THANK JESUS CHRIST

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