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By: Paul Barreca
December 13, 2021
“Go therefore 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 observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)
The Great Commission instructs every Christian to make disciples, but is there a right way or a wrong way to fulfill Christ’s command?
For much of my early church life, it seemed the way one would become a mature disciple was by attending church. When someone became a Christian, the new believer was to get baptized, join the church, and attend services. I grew through excellent teaching in the churches I attended, but as I studied discipleship, I realized that many churches could be more intentional about making disciples.
During thirty-three years of pastoral ministry, I discovered that the best way to make disciples was to follow the example of Jesus. His model and the teaching we find in the Epistles focus on the following fundamental principles.
Life-on-life discipleship
Jesus spent time with his disciples, getting to know them in a variety of everyday experiences. Teachable moments occurred as he ate with his disciples, walked the dusty roads, attended weddings, and many other experiences common to first-century life. Disciple-makers need to spend time with new Christians outside of regular church services to apply this to today. Our church modeled this approach by developing a doctrine-based discipleship strategy that paired new believers in small groups that met for a minimum of one year. Relationships were formed, and life issues were shared.
During one of those group meetings, a young couple broke down in tears because they remained childless after trying to get pregnant for years. They felt alone and helpless. Our group wept with them and surrounded them with prayer and encouragement. One month later, they shared that they were pregnant, and they were pretty sure that the baby was conceived the very night our group prayed for them! We rejoiced over the way God answered our prayers and that he allowed the entire group to experience this faith-building lesson together.
Making disciples in small groups
Jesus led a group of twelve. The impact of this is so evident that it is often overlooked. Early in my pastoral ministry, I assumed that the best way to disciple a new believer was through one-on-one relationships. But when I looked closely at the example of Jesus, I discovered that he almost always spent time with the Twelve as a group. The only example of a one-on-one encounter was Jesus restoring Peter in John 21. Although there is nothing wrong with a personal Bible study between two men or two women, there are additional benefits when a small group studies, grows, and serves together.
A disciple is a follower and a learner.
Disciple-making was well-known in the first century and incorporated following a master and learning from him. Jesus emphasized that disciples follow him in passages like Matthew 4:19, “And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” He emphasized that the disciples learn from him in passages like Matthew 11:29,“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
To apply this today, disciple-makers should focus on helping younger Christians to know and obey the Word of God (learn and follow). We come to know Jesus by learning from his Word. We come to follow Jesus by obeying the things he has commanded. The best discipleship methods will incorporate a balance of knowledge about the Bible and biblical doctrine and the practices of obedient Christian living.
The Apostle Paul reminds us of this balance in 1 Timothy 4:16, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Paul will later remind Titus and the church in Crete to “...teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1, ESV)
It is difficult to know whether someone is obediently following Christ by sitting next to them in church. This is why life-on-life discipleship is so important. We can better observe one another’s obedience to Christ when we share everyday experiences and get to each other on a profoundly personal level.
Our goal as Christians is to become more like Jesus (Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:10; 1 John 3:2). Mature Christians can best help younger believers attain this goal by engaging in life-on-life discipleship with a small group of believers who are committed to learning about Jesus through an in-depth study of the Word of God and then obeying the truths God reveals.
Dr. Paul Barreca and his wife Kim live in East Stroudsburg, PA. Paul served as a pastor for 33 years and is currently the general director of Fellowship International Mission (www.fim.org). He is the author of “Follow the Master: How Jesus Made Disciples” and “Follow the Master Discipleship Study Course.”
