Three Substitutes To Discipleship

This past Sunday, I spoke on two of the most significant Scripture passages that occurred post-resurrection—Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:18-20. 

Matthew 28:18-20

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been give to Me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.”

So, what do we do instead of getting involved with people’s lives? 

1. We substitute “busyness in the building” in place of OBEDIENCE. We go to meetings on discipleship. We go to classes on discipleship. We study the word about discipleship. We discuss our need for discipleship. And all that keeps us busy enough up at the building to keep us from having to engage with lost people. When we have all these classes, studies, meetings, and trainings DETACHED FROM MISSION & RELATIONSHIPS—we do it as a way to justify how we spend our time and how we're not making disciples. It is much, much easier to sit and listen to teaching than listen to people’s deep, complex problems and horrible decision making. 
2. We substitute events/programs in the place of the PROCESS of discipleship. We expect the church to set up events that might lure in the lost—and they might accidentally rub up against salvation and get it on them. Many people believe the paid staff guys job is to create and organize events or provide the newest programs so people can bring their acquaintances to a building/event where somebody else might share the gospel with them—and they don’t have to!
3. We substitute decisions in the place of discipleship. We focus on people “making a decision” or “making converts” instead of making disciples. When people do walk an aisle—pray a prayer—join a church—What happens next? That person should be bombarded with people trying to walk them to deeper growth. Somehow it gets communicated or conveyed that now the new believer must spend all of their time at church events, church attendance, church classes, church committees, and church busyness—NEVER LEARNING TO REACH LOST PEOPLE AROUND THEM AND THEN DISCIPLE THEM—and within two years that person is completely removed from the context of lost people they had when they first followed Christ.

In Matthew 28 (the Great Commission) most of the emphasis is usually put, obviously, on the main command to “make disciples” in verse 19. However, it is easy to look past the two “bookends” that surround verse 19. 

Matt. 28:18 Jesus says, “All authority on heaven and earth has been given to Me.” 

Matt. 28:20 says, “And behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.” 

As we attempt to become disciple-makers, we often look past those two essential elements. Jesus does command His followers to “make disciples, baptizing…and teaching” people to obey all of His commands. But Jesus bases the hope of actually making disciples off of the reality that He is the One who has authority over all things. 

Jesus has authority over all His disciples (past & present) because He is the One who created each person, He is the One who bought salvation for His followers, He is the One who continues to mature and sanctify His bride, and He is the One who will ultimately glorify us for all eternity. Therefore, Jesus rightly has complete authority over all of His followers. 

But Jesus also says He has authority on all of heaven and earth. This authority has been given to Him by the Father. That is significant because as we are clarifying the gospel to lost people around us and as we are discipling people in our lives—we need to remember and trust in that truth. Jesus has the power and authority to soften hearts and bring them to repentance. We do not have that power or authority. 

That is the front bookend to remember as you are intentional with relationships in making disciples. 

On the back end, “Behold, I am with you even to the end of the age.” 

Again, we need to remember that Jesus ascended to heaven after the resurrection because that was the best and wisest plan in the Godhead. The Holy Spirit was promised to be sent to indwell, empower, and enable individual and corporate believers like never before in history. 

When we don’t remember that Jesus has all authority—we become discouraged in the difficulties and circumstances. And when we don’t remember that He is present with us through the Holy Spirit—we are not trusting and relying on His power but our own. 

Let us look carefully at how we spend our resources of time, relationships, and money so that we can live for the glory of God in obedience to making disciples. 

Let us look carefully into whether we are substituting imposters to true disciple making. 

Sankie P. Lynch

www.nbchurch.info

www.nbfamilies.info

sankie@nbchurch.info