What is Discipleship?

As a rookie, Charles Barkley asked his teammate Moses Malone why he was not playing more. Malone’s response was honest, but he committed to working out with Barkley to help get him into shape.

When the season ended, Barkley was one of the top rookies in the game. He went on to be a perennial NBA All-Star and one of the top 50 players of all time.

When that conversation happened in 1984, Malone had already been league MVP three times, led the league in rebounding five times, was All-NBA First Team three times and won a championship. 

The man who was (Malone) came alongside the man who was not yet (Barkley). In a physical way, Malone discipled Barkley. 

Discipleship is a word uttered in churches. Scripture speaks to it: Jesus had disciples; John the Baptist had disciples; even FCA has its own discipleship model called E3 (Engage. Equip. Empower). Discipleship is incredibly important. 
 

WHAT IS DISCIPLESHIP?

2 Timothy 2:2 says, “What you have heard from me (Apostle Paul) in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Discipleship is when someone with knowledge and experience comes alongside someone who needs that knowledge and experience to grow. 

Discipleship is important because Jesus had disciples (which simply means learners) and modeled that verse. He found 12 guys whom He called to follow and be like Him. Jesus called them away from what their lives would have been. For over three years, they went to most places Jesus went, saw what He did and were even sent out to do it for themselves (Matthew 10).

When Jesus ascended after His resurrection, He left the job of spreading the Gospel to those men, who were to be known as apostles, which means ‘set apart’ or ‘sent forth’ (Acts 1:8; Mark 3:13-14).

Above, we read that Moses Malone came alongside Charles Barkley and taught him how to work hard to play better. Charles grew as a player because someone taught and showed him.

So, it is important that we disciple others and be discipled by another. Where do we begin?

There are four things that each the disciple-maker and the “learner” need:

PRAYER – Everything we do should be bathed in prayer before we start. Nehemiah, cup bearer to the king and longing for his homeland’s restoration upon hearing that Jerusalem’s wall was in shambles, prayed for four months before his chance came to ask the King permission to fix it. (Nehemiah 2:1-6). 

Prayer, for both the disciple and disciple-maker, helps align your heart with God. It can help keep you both in the Spirit so that the following points can become more powerful in this journey and can make the path straighter.

Passion to Seek Christ – We want to do discipleship to seek Christ more directly and be as much like Jesus as possible. We should never disciple or be discipled begrudgingly or out of duty. There should be joy in seeking Him.

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.” -Matthew 6:33

We seek Christ because it is our foremost priority, and this kind of undertaking needs to mirror this priority.

A Plan – This would begin with the disciple and a discussion. As a disciple, what do you want or think you need out of this relationship? Where does the Spirit want it to go? That is the disciple’s part of the plan. For the disciple-maker, it takes a prayer-filled strategy to go in that Spirit-led direction. Proverbs 16:9 says, “A person’s heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.” His Word tells us to plan, but He will guide from there.

Humility/Honesty – To be a disciple, you must admit that you are not where you should be spiritually. That is an honest yet bold attitude, one we must be willing to learn. Disciple-maker, sometimes our prayers seem flat. Sometimes our passion is lacking. Sometimes our plans fall apart. Sometimes we just drop the ball and fail. For either of you, it is okay to discuss these things. 

Feeling flat or failing can be great teachers. But remember the previous verses. Nehemiah sought God long before his opportunity arose. Seeking Christ provides our needs. The Lord determines our steps. 

Discipleship only fails if we stay in our failure or try it without Jesus. 

You still have things to learn and people to guide. Pray now for the eyes to see someone you can approach and disciple. Also, pray now for someone you can approach to help disciple you. 

On this side of Heaven, we will not know it all. Only God does. But when we come together as teachers and learners, we can get closer to knowing Him, and that alone is worth the effort. 

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Live It Out:

Quarter Verse – “We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.” -2 Corinthians 3:18

Question – Who do you know whom you might ask to help walk through your daily Christian life with? Who could benefit from your knowledge and walk with the Lord?

Challenge – Ask someone you trust to walk through discipleship with you, or find someone to be accountability partners with. Sharpen and grow together.

*If you read this article and aren’t in relationship with Christ yet but would like to know more, we invite you to go through FCA’s The FOUR, which explains how an everlasting and fulfilling life with God is possible.

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