I am trying to change our Church from a group of worship attendees into disciple-makers. This is a stretch for most people, including myself. I was taught that to grow spiritually, I needed to attend Sunday school and worship on Sunday morning. Then, there was youth group or worship on Sunday evening. Wednesday night, our Church held another worship program or a group called “New Community” for teenagers. The goal was to be in numerous groups throughout the week, and you would become a fully devoted follower of Jesus.
In no way do I condemn those efforts. It is the system that produced me, and as a result of it, I have gained vast knowledge of Biblical teaching by attending those groups.
But now, as a Church pastor, I have realized that the system has flaws. Often, it produces people who know their Bible but have no clue how to live it out practically. They do not understand how to live for God in their jobs, marriages, parenting, hobbies, and relationships. Authentic discipleship is about obeying everything Jesus commanded in all the facets of our lives. It is not just about knowing; it is about doing.
This past year, I began the process of intentional discipleship. That means I take one person and spend 3-6 months walking through some material and challenging them to live out their faith.
When the journey is complete, I ask that person to grab someone else and intentionally disciple them. People love the first part and maturing in their faith. But typically, they do not like the second part. People want to develop, but they do not desire to teach others. As I have explored this situation, I have seen several fears people possess in discipling others.
1. I don’t know enough. This is by far the most common response. The truth is sharing your faith will help you increase your knowledge far more than you can imagine. Moving from student to teacher forces you to read, study, learn, pray, and ask more than you can envision.
2. I have so much to change. This is an integrity question. We feel that we do not have it all together; therefore, no one should listen to us. You need to know that everyone is a sinner, even your favorite Christian leader, and we teach from grace, not from perfection.
3. What if I mess up? This is the fear of negative outcomes. We feel that if we don’t teach something correctly or help the person properly, they will be scarred for life. Again, we need to realize that we all are growing as we go. I have no idea how to disciple someone intentionally, and I am learning so much with each person. I simply try to remain honest and share with the people I teach that I will do and say some things wrong, but I pray that God will do his work with my flawed attempts.
These are just a few of the fears I hear people sharing with me. My biggest hope is that people will understand that God will do more than you ask or imagine. Once we overcome our fears and let God work, lives will be changed through us, and nothing can stand in our way.