By Taylor Turkington
Today, we are featuring an abridged version of a post that was originally run on the Verity Fellowship’s blog. The Verity Fellowship, a resource for women who minister the Word of God, is a gospel-centered ministry of Western Seminary that launched this past year.
Disciples of Jesus make disciples. It’s a life-changing truth. And it is one that has changed my life, as women who embraced this truth discipled me. These women knew that loving me meant concern for my growth. And so, they toiled to teach, encourage, and exhort me. These sisters helped me to increase in understanding, while also nurturing my heart, and laboring in prayer for me.
There are two such women who immediately come to mind. In college, a woman taught me how to study the Bible as we read it one-on-one. She then taught me how to express the gospel to others, which was a life-changing event. Years later, a woman poured her wisdom and knowledge into my life. She exposed my twisted, sinful ways of thinking, to which I had been blind. She graciously spoke the truth, asked provoking questions, and pointing me to Jesus. She loved me, so I listened.
Discipleship is the heartbeat of ministry. It is caring about another person’s journey as they learn to follow Jesus Christ. While discipleship can be done in more than one way, there is a unique place for personal discipleship, intentionally walking alongside one another as followers of Jesus.
But why do we make disciples? Here are three reasons.
1. Jesus Commanded It
Jesus left clear instructions to his disciples: “Make disciples!” They were to tell the good news, so that others would follow Jesus and be baptized – becoming disciples themselves. These new disciples were to be taught to obey all of Jesus’ commands, including the command to go and make disciples. And so, the multiplication of disciples began. From those first disciples, down through the centuries to today, God has used His people in His work. Disciples of Jesus are disciple makers.
2. The New Testament Church Exemplified It
For the early followers of Jesus, discipleship involved participating in the multiplication of the church. Pricilla and Aquila taught Apollos. Eunice taught her son Timothy. Paul taught Epaphras. Then Epaphras went to Colossae to tell the gospel, and a church was planted. So the pattern went.
But multiplication is not just a pattern to observe. Rather, it is also our charge. When Paul taught Timothy, he instructed him to continue the multiplication. Paul told him, as the pastor in Ephesus, to entrust what he had heard to others who could teach it to even more people (2 Tim. 2:1-2). We see it again in Paul’s letter to Titus, which instructs older women to teach and train younger women (Titus 2:3-5). As disciples, women are to apply sound doctrine to every aspect of their lives. And, as the book of Titus demonstrates, this requires help from others. God has made discipleship a community project.
3. Love Demands It
If we truly love someone, we will care for that person’s spiritual growth. This is part of practicing the “one anothers,” and doing so requires deliberate relationships. While it is God who effectively gives the growth, God works through us as His instruments. We are to instruct, restore, teach, exhort, stir up, and welcome one another. We are to serve each other with the gifts we have received.
Intentionally helping others grow in their faith is for every disciple. It is part of the mission to which God has called us. Disciples of Jesus make disciples. We do this by spending time with children (ours and others’), engaging high schoolers, and meeting with college students for coffee. We use our lunch breaks wisely. We invite people into our homes for meals. And all of this we do to help others come to know Jesus, and then grow into mature followers of our Savior.
Making disciples is the best adventure of all. It’s the mission that the Holy Spirit is accomplishing through us. God has designed it so that His people would be involved in each other’s growth. That’s why discipleship is for all.
Verity Forum on May 7th will have a track of workshops focused on “Discipleship for All.” Women who are interested can read more about the workshop tracks. Registration is now open.
The post Why is Discipleship for All Believers? appeared first on Transformed.