The Journey of Disciple-Making: Walking with Jesus and Others
Come follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." Mark 1:17
Making disciples is the work of God. Being a disciple-maker is partnering with God in His work.
Jesus worked hard to train his disciples to be disciple-makers. His method was simple. He kept the disciples close. He invited them to watch what he was doing. On occasion He allowed them to have a role. Sometimes the role was small, like handing out baskets of food. At other times they were sent out in pairs to practice what they had learned. Sometimes the disciples did well, and other times they experienced doubts, fears, and failure. This should not surprise us because, if we are honest, our own faith journey has not been a straight path from being a new Jesus follower to being a mature believer. Our personal experience should make us very tolerant of others. When we share our faith, or mentor new believers, they need time to observe our lives as disciples and to grow to more fully understand what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. When we take on the role of disciple-maker we should expect that there will be times when new disciples express doubts and fears, or they may even fail.
William was in Thailand for all the wrong reasons. A man in the church I pastored there led William into a relationship with Jesus. I later baptized William in the Andaman Sea. After baptizing him I talked about this being a new start but if he veered off the path of being a disciple, to quickly repent and get back on track. One Sunday William was hanging around after church and it became clear he wanted to talk to me. When I got free to talk to him he said: "Pastor, I failed this week but I am back on the journey." In that moment I was so thankful I had not set such high expectations for him that failure was not an option. The happy ending to this story is, William got some help with this addictions and was reunited with his family.
Disciple-making can be discouraging and difficult, but if we stay consistent and faithful, most new disciples will mature. When we are part of this process, disciple-making is a very rewarding experience.
In the verse captioned above we see that Jesus first of all invites us to go with him on the journey. "Come follow me." He says. This invitation and calling has a purpose. We get the privilege of joining Jesus in his work of inviting people into a relationship with him. In reality He does most of the work. Through his spirit he convicts the person of the need for life change. Then He puts them in our path and gives us the outstanding privilege of partnering with him to share our story of transformation so people who do not know him get to know him through our testimony.
Unfortunately, we often think with this decision the job is done, but in reality the hard work of disciple-making is just beginning. The good news is Jesus will be our partner and guide as we walk the path of discipleship with the new disciple.
