How to Make Disciples – the Army of God
As mentioned earlier, disciples have to be made.
Even Jesus’s disciples had to be made – they were not born disciples.
How did Jesus make disciples? –Jesus gave us the example!
SPIRITUAL TRAINING (Teaching/schooling/mentoring/training and equipping)
Jesus’ disciples sat at His feet for 3 years – learning all things about the Kingdom of God – leading to a Christ-like character transformation within each individual.
Transformation = Christlikeness
Then:
They went and made disciples (Mat 29:19-20)
He taught them all things, so they could then go and teach others all things.
Discipleship training is a four-part process:
- Teaching
- Training
- Equipping/Empowering
- Sending
Like Jesus’ disciples, every Christian needs to sit at Jesus’ feet for 3 years:
Teaching –
- Listen to Him speak (intently read and learn the Word) – 1 ½ years
- Be taught all things about the Kingdom of God
- Note: Every Christian should complete this part at the minimum
Training –
- Practice teaching the Word – 1 ½ years
- Teach the next group, as a student teacher, under the supervision of their teacher – “Make 12”.
Equipping and Empowering
- Transformed into Christlikeness
- Equipped with the Word to be His ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20)
Ambassadors of a kingdom of salvation, hope, mercy, justice, grace and Truth.
Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Eph 4:15
Sending –
- Teach others to be disciples – do the works of Jesus (“Make 12”)
Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
Everyone can do it because it is as simple as, “See one, do one, teach one”
(The very best way to learn something is to teach it)
Equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we ALL attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Eph 4:11-13
Sermons alone don’t make disciples and it is not the pastor’s job to disciple – it is the people’s (disciples) job – disciples make disciples!
Pastors raise up pastors
Disciples (teachers) raise up disciples (teachers) – “Make 12”
Commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others. 2Tim 2:2
One must first be a disciple to make a disciple.
The Apostle Paul spent three years being discipled by Barnabas before going out.
Discipleship is not to be a side ministry, such as a once-a-month men’s or women’s ministry.
It is to be a primary focus:
- Save the lost
- Disciple the saved
Being born again is not the goal
It is just the beginning – discipleship is the goal
3. Train up an army of soldiers who are dead to Self, alive to serve God, about their Father’s business, committed to fight the kingdom of darkness, and destroy the works of the devil.
“Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ”. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The church needs a whole new mindset – each church needs to be a training center, a formal discipleship school – teaching, training, and equipping the entire church.
(New wine requires a new wineskin!)
One does not need to go to seminary and obtain a seminary degree in order to teach the Word.
(Jesus’ disciples never went to seminary school)
Discipling is not just for Sunday school teachers or Bible study leaders; it is for everyone.
They simply need to be taught the Word of God and trained in the life application of the Word.
Some leaders would say you just can’t release lay people to teach others the Word of God – they haven’t been trained.
That is the whole point – they are no longer “lay” people – they are disciples!!
They have been highly trained in the Word and simply sharing what they have been taught! “Make 12”!
(“Everyday believers and laypeople will be inspired to go and disciple the harvest”. Prophetic Word of the Lord for 2023, The Australian Prophetic Council)
That is what Jesus did – discipled laymen – and that is what He wants us to do!
Teaching EVERY man in all wisdom, that we may present EVERY man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col 1:28
(Those arguments are analogous to the Catholic faith telling their parishioners NOT to read the Bible because only the priests are able to understand it or when the whole world said democracy in the USA would never work because you can’t put control of a nation into the hands of the common people – they were wrong on both accounts!)
Christianity is the only “organization/institution” that does not immediately teach and train their “members/employees” how to do their job!
Jesus set the perfect example:
Jesus did not choose born leaders; He choose the common man (even the uncommon man!)
You have heard the saying, “It takes a village”; in this case, it takes an Army to “go into ALL the world”.
That is why Jesus said we will do even greater things than He did.
Imagine a world-wide movement, where EVERY church made disciples of EVERY member and then EVERY Christian made 12 disciples in their lifetime and those 12 made 12 in their lifetime – the exponential effect is evident that the whole world could be discipled within a few generations. “Make 12”!
“Go and make disciples of ALL nations” (Mat 28:19)“
What a dream!
That’s God’s dream – a Bride who has made herself ready for the return of the Bridegroom!
Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Rev 19:7
God is in the training business
That is what the Word and the Holy Spirit is all about – teaching, empowering, and transforming.
A transformed church is a group of transformed people!
Completely changed by the Word and the Holy Spirit.
What if Jesus came back to visit your church (just to check things out before His Second Coming)?
Would He find you making disciples?
What would He do if He decided to stay while? Would He immediately start making disciples?
If He did, would you join?
Would you sit at his feet for 3 yrs?
Go to “school” and be an understudy?
Be taught and say, “Send me Lord – I will go and make disciples”.
Imagine sitting at his feet for 3 years!
What could and would He do in you – and then through you?
It is called empowered and transformed by the Word!
As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. Jn 17:18
Therefore go and make disciples … And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age Mat 28:19-20
What if Jesus came back?
He has – and it’s YOU!
Go and make disciples – “Make 12”
Note: Another excuse is that not many in one’s church would commit that kind of time to Bible teaching.
Well, the truth is God loves everyone, but His Bride consists of those who are so in love with the Bridegroom that they are willing to give up everything and follow Him.
God’s true army is like Gideon’s army – God can do more with 300 than with 30,000.
Many are invited, but few are chosen (Matt 22:14)
The few who answer the call are the chosen.
These are the men and women who want to join the frontlines of battle!
One thing is for certain, a transformed people and a transformed Church is the very LAST thing the devil wants!!
Table of Contents
| The Current (Traditional) Church | The End-Time (Transformed) Church |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | Characteristics |
| The Result | The Result |
| The Reason | The Reason |
| The Effect | The Effect |
| The Future | The Future |
| How to Make Disciples: the Army of God *(this page) |
| Read Next: Discipleship Curriculum |
| Curriculum Content (Introduction and Sample) |