By Dr. John David Smith, President

More than a few pastors have expressed disappointment with an attempt at discipleship in their church. The process usually goes as follows: the pastor meets with a small group to instruct them in certain principles, doctrines, etc. Overall the effort is fruitful as the participants do indeed grow as a result of an intentional investment, study of God’s word, and accountability. Even though there are frustrations during the discipleship time, the greatest frustration can come when the formal discipleship is over. That is when the truth hits hard for many. The ones discipled did grow and they are appreciative, but the intended multiplication of disciples began and ended with this group: they have not, AND DO NOT INTEND TO, disciple anyone else! Why?

There is a myriad of answers to this “why.” Some of the answers include significant spiritual and/or character issues that are neither easily diagnosed nor remedied. The spiritual battle is fierce, and we do not underestimate this aspect of discipleship. The investment we make in the discipleship culture as leaders is where we will focus in this article. We will look at two potential barriers to the multiplication of disciple makers. The first–and perhaps the greatest–problem is treating discipleship as information exchanged instead of transformation exemplified. The second is not giving the disciples a clear, reproducible way to become a disciple maker, thereby making the possibility unattainable in their hearts and minds. The purpose of disciple making is to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ through a deeper study of the Word, a deeper dependence on the Spirit, a deeper commitment to radical service, and to produce fruit that remains for God’s glory and the fulfillment of His mission. 

John chapters 13 and 14 offer a view into the discipleship practices of Jesus where the curtains are opened and some glaring truths challenge current discipleship practices and expose discipleship negligence. We bear in mind that Jesus’ model of discipleship was and is relational. Jesus called his disciples to Himself first. Jesus did not overly depend on a rote list of “to do’s” or even lesson plans that had to be covered for informational purposes. Yes, the discipleship of Christ included the teaching of truth and the expectations of obedient service, but it was all done in a context of relationship. Jesus walked with these men every day for about three years. He knew them! He knew their strengths, their challenges, and he knew exactly what they needed, when they needed it, because he was with them constantly. Disciples are not mass produced! Discipleship does not take place from a distance. 

Chapter 13 sets the immediate context of our discipleship truths. Jesus told them two things that sent them into somewhat of a tailspin: he was leaving and one of them would betray him.  

Chapter 14 opens with Jesus acknowledging their fear, uncertainty and overall troubled hearts over the things he had told them: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” 

Emotional

Jesus had a strong enough relationship with them to know when they were struggling in their spirits (emotionally). True discipleship will not take place outside of a relationship where both the discipler and disciple are willing to share the emotional weight of the other. In our western individualistic culture, this becomes a great barrier to real relationships and true discipleship. We treat discipleship as if it is an information exchange alone. It is not. It is a whole life issue. The discipler cannot keep the disciple at arm’s length and expect there to be much happening beyond intellectual advancement. We struggle to make meaningful relationships for a multitude of reasons. One reason is that we are not interested in sharing the load of brokenness, shame, and suffering. Jesus shared the emotional load. 

Emotional engagement requires an effort that goes beyond a classroom setting. It demands that both people in the discipleship context be willing to allow God’s word, the power of the Spirit, and mutual accountability to probe the deepest places of our heart, mind, and soul. It is in these areas where we have the most desperate need of transformation, and it is also in these areas where we can hide problems, excuse sin, and avoid change. 

Some keys to building emotionally healthy relationships include clear, open communication; setting boundaries and expectations for the discipling relationship; mutual trust and respect; and having tough conversations when necessary.

Educational

The interaction between Jesus and the disciples continues in chapter 14. Jesus’ attempt to comfort them emotionally leads into an educational moment. At the end of his promise statement, Jesus says in verse 4, “And where I go you know, and the way you know.”  Imagine Thomas clearing his throat, raising his hand and saying, “Excuse me, Jesus, but we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus then declaring, “I am the way, the truth, and the life…” Perhaps, Philip then raises his hand and says, “If you could just show us the Father, that would be good enough…or Jesus that would clear everything up.” To which Jesus responds, “How many times have you seen me…You see me, you see the Father!” The disciples that had been with Jesus for almost three years still needed theological teaching and correction. Jesus never stopped teaching his disciples the foundational truths that we have in God’s word. 

Too often, our attempts at discipleship are mere information exchanges. While the intellectual part is indispensable, the entire process must be transformative and not only informative. The clear teaching and practice of God’s word is the primary ingredient in the discipleship process; however, when it is disconnected from a trusting relationship and devoid of the experience of application, it is quickly reduced to the file-it-and forget-it category.  There must be an emotionally vested person to model God’s word and an accountability partner to assure that we practice God’s word and achieve reproducibility in disciple making.  

A myriad of good and acceptable discipleship frameworks is available. Ogden is a proponent of the triads where you have no more than three people in the discipleship cohort/group. McCoy stresses one-on-one discipleship. Since disciples are not mass produced, it makes sense that the framework needs to be smaller rather than larger. 

The content and approach to discipleship is different with each plan. The absolute non-negotiable is that the discipleship plan be firmly founded on the Scriptures. The disciple will learn God’s word, learn to love God’s word, and learn to grow non-stop throughout life in knowledge of and obedience to God’s word. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (I Thess. 1:13).

Expectation

For me, the most remarkable statement in this text of John 14 is in verse 12: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” This verse is ripe with expectation and the possibility of greater works! Really? These same men who have been overcome with emotions and expressed their theological ignorance already in this text will do greater things than Jesus? What were the “greater works”? Jesus said the works he had been doing. This statement is couched between his lessons on He and the Father being one and the power of prayer. We can certainly include prayer and sound teaching in the things that Jesus did. On a broader scale, we do not connect His statement exclusively to disciple making; however, we connect it to the sheer dominance of disciple making in His personal ministry. Please see earlier reference to how Jesus spent 90% of His ministry. If Jesus spent 90% of His own ministry making disciple makers, our expectation of greater works must emphasize the same. 

Expectation, goal setting, and dreaming are things that seem to have lost some of their popularity. No doubt, this can be partly attributed to the abuses of those who would try to veil selfish, fleshly ambitions in ministry within that framework. This is inexcusable. However, we also have the tendency to allow our pendulum to swing way too far the other way in our reactions to things that have been misunderstood and misused. The expectations, goals, and dreams must be part of the ministry scenario. These must be for God’s glory and never for self-consumption. 

Jesus called His disciples to measurable ministry actions WITH expectation! He said I will make you fishers of men. No fisherman would ever dream of expending the energy with no expectation of the catch–”Jesus we have fished all night long with no result”–Jesus constantly used the metaphors of expectation in His teaching and discipling, using images such as fishing, farming, and shepherding. In all these the expectation is of an ongoing investment with the promise of a definite return on that investment: a nice catch, a bountiful crop, a growing flock. Paul used the metaphors of soldiers, farmers, and athletes. Here, there is an element of self-denial and investment toward the expectation of victory or harvest. Acceptable expectations must bring glory to God and not us and they must rely on God’s power and not ours. 

In the context of making disciples there must be an expectation that the ones we are pouring into will do greater works. Jesus shows us that this includes both expectation and opportunity throughout the discipleship process for understanding and acting on clear learning and ministry objectives. He did not silo all the teaching and save the experience and expectation as a late add-on or afterthought to the discipleship. 

The stated goal of this article was to ask and answer the question of why those who have been discipled do not repeat the effort with others. This article presents the following list (not exhaustive): 

• disciple making must be a flowing stream of transformation, not a stagnant pool of information,
• disciple making includes life on life sharing and carrying the emotional baggage of all involved, 
• disciple making is based on God’s word and the Spirit of God in an educational sense, and 
• disciple making must include the expectation and opportunities throughout the disciple making process and not as an appendix.