Shared Definitions

for a shared Journey

DiscipleMaking/discipleship

The whole process of being trained and deployed for the mission of Jesus

The focus of following Jesus is being trained for mission.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” (Matthew 4:19)

This process begins when someone first learns about Jesus, to becoming trained to make more disciples, and finally being sent out to make more disciples. At the end of this training,

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

This also means that evangelism, baptism, and nurture are different parts inside the disciple-making process. Baptism normally takes place at the beginning of this process.

In the past, the word “discipleship” has been often used as another name for nurture. However, while “make disciples” is found in the Bible, the term “discipleship” is not. So when we use the term discipleship, we use it to describe the whole disciple-making process.

DiscipleMaker

An ordinary person learning to make more disciples—who looks like their Father in Heaven.

Making disciples is not a task for enthusiastic Christians. Every follower of Jesus is called to be a disciple who makes more disciples.

In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul describes making disciples four generations deep.

You [generation 2] have heard me [generation 1] teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people [generation 3] who will be able to pass them on to others [generation 4].

A disciple-maker is only successful when the disciples they make go on to make more disciples.

disciple

Someone who is being restored in the image of God, to joyfully reveal the beauty of the character of God, for the honour of God.

Every disciple is a disciple-maker.

A mature disciple is called to reveals 7 qualities continually. Identifying these qualities helps us to understand where we are in the process of becoming a mature disciple.

A mature disciples demonstrates:

  • Joy is the hallmark of a disciple’s life. It is the evidence that the Holy Spirit is within (Galatians 5:22). Jesus was described as being filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit (Luke 10:21). (See also grain offering of Leviticus 2).

  • When Jesus began His ministry, He was baptised in water demonstrating death to His own will and complete acceptance of the Father’s will (Luke 3:21). Jesus said the doorway into a life of discipleship is death (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1). The death of our sinful nature is required to create space for the nature of Jesus to be poured into our lives through the daily baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6).

  • After Jesus demonstrated His yielded life by being baptised, the Holy Spirit came upon Him. This baptism of the Holy Spirit prepared Jesus for a ministry which revealed the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14, 18-19; Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5-8; 2:4; Ephesians 5:18).

  • Jesus was completely dependent on His Father (John 5:19, 30). Our dependence on God is for both spiritual (Matthew 4:4) and physical things (Matthew 6:31-33).

  • The Holy Spirit within us reveals the nature of Jesus. So the fruit of the Spirit reveals the character of Jesus. “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23a). As a mature disciple-maker reveals the character of God to others, the Father is greatly honoured (John 17:4-6).

  • These gifts are all focused on activity in the mission of God, For example, the gifts of apostle, the prophet, the evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. (Ephesians 4:11), and wise advice, a message of special knowledge, great faith, the gift of healing, the power to perform miracles, the ability to prophesy, the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit, the ability to speak in unknown languages, the ability to interpret what is being said. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

  • As followers of Jesus we are to pray like Jesus did. Praying like Jesus includes praying for our enemies (Matthew 5:44) and for unity that reveals the Father’s love (John 17:21-23).