Consistently, I come across church people that have never made a disciple. This is a problem. Spiritual self-centeredness is antithetical to the Christian life. To experience the gift of God's grace and keep it to yourself is one of the most selfish and least Christ-like things a Christian can do.
Be it for apathy or ignorance, too many of us have ignored Jesus' greatest call to action (Matthew 28:19-20). Have we forgotten that we were once dead and now alive? Do we neglect so easily the gumption of the Holy Spirit? Or, do we simply not know where to begin?
I can related to the paralyzation that often comes with bearing the words of a message so great that my words seem inadequate to deliver it. So many of us don't know where to start.
I'm going to offer a few steps to help:
- Pray
- Witness
- Disciple.
Pray
People don't come to Jesus unless God draws them (John 6:44), and none of us can adequately communicate the gospel without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). Not only that, but God is the one who sends disciple-makers to help (Luke 10:2).
The truth is that disciple-making is fully dependent on the work of God. That takes a lot of the pressure off. Start by praying and see how God moves. Pray for God to draw people to Jesus. Make a list. Pray for them by name. Pray for God to empower you to witness. Pray.
Witness
A witness is a person who tells someone else what they saw. You don't have to be an expert. You just have tell your story when the Holy Spirit moves. Not only will the Holy Spirit empower you to witness (Acts 1:8), He will have already been drawing them. Don't try to rush the story or fit too much in at once. Take the opportunities the Holy Spirit gives. It shouldn't feel forced. Just walk through the doors that the Holy Spirit opens.
Over time you will get the opportunity to share more and more. If they are open to it, think about going through the Bible together. I recommend a tool called By This Name by John Cross. It is a great book to do an overview of the Bible in a very short time.
Hopefully, as they hear the gospel in the full context of Scripture and experience the draw of the Holy Spirit, they will Trust Jesus.
Disciple
Once someone Trusts Jesus, continue the relationship of investment. You have about eight weeks to get establish them in their walk. Those eight weeks set the tone for their life-long walk with God. You want to equip them to take their initial steps. They will have a lot of questions and will be eager to learn. Be there for them.
If you don't know what to talk about, I recommend using my book or one like it. You can walk through it or use the outline to help make sure you are covering the most important things. Really, all you need is the Word of God, but knowing where to start sure helps. Here are the topics I recommend covering.
Chapter List from Follow: A Handbook for Making Disciples of Jesus Christ
- Chapter 1: Loving Jesus Matters More Than Anything (Mark 12:30-31)
- Chapter 2: Communicating with God (Matthew 6:9-13)
- Chapter 3: You Have Been Made Alive (Ephesians 2:1-5)
- Chapter 4:Tell Everybody Now (Acts 1:8)
- Chapter 5: Be Different; Don’t Just Act Different--The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Chapter 6: Doing the Miraculous. Spiritual Gifts and Being Filled (1 Corinthians 12)
- Chapter 7: Sin, Sanctification, Crisis, and Progress (Romans 6-7)
- Chapter 8: Christ-Centered Human Relationships (Hebrews 10:25)
- Chapter 9: Believe What God Says About Himself (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- Chapter 10: Rational Belief, Not Blind Faith (1 Thessalonians 5:21)
- Chapter 11: Staying Connected-Spiritual Disciplines (John 15:5)
- Chapter 12: Lifelong Discipleship (Matthew 16:24)
After the first couple months, your discipleship investment becomes more about discipling them along the path as things come up. Keep ministering to them. Let them minister to you. Follow Jesus together. See how the Holy Spirit leads the process.
Pray, Witness, Disciple.
Is there anything you would add?
