Part 2 - "Going then, disciple..."

"...disciple all nations...baptizing...teaching..."

An exposition of Matt. 28:19-20 for small groups.

We looked at the idea that we need to be cautious with the phrase "Go therefore and make disciples..." because it impacts the way in which the Church is meant to be involved in discipleship, and the power of the small group specifically. We addressed the fact that the phrase could accurately be translated, "As you are involved in the life God has given you...disciple."

Now we look at the next part of that phrase where we historically have translated it as, "...make disciples of all the nations, baptizing...teaching..."

Here's where our second problem arises, because we think that we are called to MAKE followers of Jesus Christ. Our translation of the single word used here into two words causes us to believe that we are to do the job of turning people into followers of Jesus Christ. But the word "make" is not a part of the construction of this sentence. The word "matheteuo" is the verb form of the noun for "learner, pupil, or disciple", and can also be translated as "train in discipleship".

We are all called to teach or train those we come into contact with as we are going about the journey of our lives if we are believers. While we can do nothing to make a person a follower of Jesus Christ, we are left in this world - in part - to play a part in discipleship. This is seen in the passages that address the way in which Christ trained His disciples. But we are looking specifically at Matt. 28:19-20.

Imagine the example we used in part one of our discussion, the example of training a young child to do something new. Think about the idea of teaching a twelve year old how to shoot a three point shot. If the child is like many that age, the whole concept for them is, get as much "oomph" into either the right or left arm as possible and throw the ball at the rim. The second arm does little more than steady the ball. I think many of us would say, "Let's start out a little closer to the basket where we can actually control the ball, and then move further away as we develop strength, rhythm, and control."

That's the idea here as well. We are to begin an ongoing process of helping an unbeliever become a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. It's not a quick activity, and it's certainly not simply about sharing the Gospel and then leaving them alone. The concept of a "conversion" is well grounded in Scripture, but really goes back to that same work of the Holy Spirit within a life as we find surrounding the concept of becoming a follower of Christ. It is NOT what we are called to do.

Let's look at the word "matheteuo" and see if we can get some fuller explanation about what we are expected to be about. The word is only used four times in Scripture, three times in Matthew and once in Acts. The Acts usage is found in 14:21 and says, "and when they had discipled many..." Again, some translations make the disappointing decision to put it, "After they had...made many disciples..." While a coach may be said to "make" an athlete, but that's not really accurate. They "coach" a basketball player, but they don't "create" them. The creation part belongs to someone else. Their job is to guide, to coach, to explain and develop.

In Acts the work of discipleship is not an afternoon's work. They would have needed a prolonged period of time in order to accomplish this. They were training them in the ways of discipleship to Jesus Christ. I don't think it's a coincidence that the word for "disciple" is used rather than one for teaching or speaking. And I don't think they thought they were finished when they left - they just left the development in the hands of others.

The next usage of "matheteuo" is in Matt. 13:52 where we read, "every religious teacher discipled in things of the Kingdom of Heaven..." This is not just head knowledge but things that had been incorporated into the life of the person being discipled. This is a thought-out, intentional approach to sharing and incorporating the things of God into the life of another. Matt. 27:57 speaks of Joseph of Arimathea as "had become a disciple of Jesus." He had spent time around the Person of Jesus Christ. We learn from John 19 that it took the death of the Lord to draw him out of his secret following because he was scared of what would happen, but he is still called a disciple. He was still pursuing the concept of becoming someone who follows the teaching, the interpretation of Scripture that this perfect "rabbi" would provide.

Going back to the concept we explored earlier. I have become very nervous over the way in which we have decided to approach evangelism during my generation. For some reason, we have decided that our approach would be to simply share the Gospel with as many as possible and then wait and watch to see what the outcome would be. We go door to door, or hand a tract or brochure to everyone we come in contact with at the mall, and then see if there's any response. As a result, we can very easily fall into the trap of keeping score. We can easily see our evangelism process as nothing more than painting the latest "kill" on the nose of our spiritual fighter plane. The scary phrase which often reflects this idea is, "I was able to lead such and such a person to the Lord..." We don't adopt anybody into the family of God, we are fellow children - only the parent can adopt. We are not responsible for a person's response to the call of Jesus Christ. We are to be looking for those who show an interest in the things of the Kingdom, those who are searching for an answer to the hole that exists in their lives. We are to be looking for people who are wanting to be "trained as disciples of Jesus Christ" even though they may not know, to begin with, that they are even looking for that.

Pastor and blogger, Tim Brister, recently wrote, "With the missional emphasis in the past decade, there has been a renewed emphasis in defining the mission of the church. The Great Commission is all about making disciples, but how do we do that? Within the missional genre off literature, there's a growing stream of resources revisiting the practice of disciple-making, and I'm encouraged to see this take place.

"Growing up, I only understood discipleship in one sense: discipleship training. That is the 5:00 PM time slot where the really dedicated church members attended church (that is, after Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, then discipleship training). During that time, I participated in things like Bible drill and youth choir. For all I knew, it was another period and program provided by the church that dedicated Christians should participate.

"Going off to college, i did not understand the relationship of evangelism to discipleship, and I was making converts, not disciples. I would make it my goal to lead x number of people to Christ and was determined to do whatever it took to see that happen. When the goal was reached, I thought I was really getting somewhere as a Christian. But then i began to look back and realize that hardly, if any, of the people I led to Christ were discipled, growing, and flourishing in their relationship with God. There was little to no "fruit that remains".

He goes on to say, "It is clear that one of Paul's overaching concerns and fears is that his life and labor among the people of God would be found useless and bear no fruit in the end. If we were to embrace this kind of concern for the souls of men and women, how would this affect our evangelism and disciple-making? What measurables would need to change?"

Only God the Father know at what instant a lost sinner becomes a "child" in His family, but we can ALL be a part of "discipling" another.

"As you're going about the life and ministry that God has given you, look for those who are wanting to learn what a life of dedication to Jesus Christ is all about. And as you run into those people, train them in discipleship..."