Christianity is all about personal relationships, seen best in the relational example of our Lord Jesus. He had relationships with the 120, the 72, the 12, the 3 and the 1. Unlike Moses, who had to be told by his father-in-law Jethro to work with manageable numbers, Jesus focused on smaller groups of people.
Jesus’ model for discipleship is clearly presented in the pages of God’s Word including public ministry of preaching and teaching of the multitudes on the one hand and a more intense and personal ministry to the 12 and especially the 3 on the other.
We call this three-strand discipleship process the Crowd, the Cell, and the CORE (based on the patterns of three found throughout the Bible and especially as presented in Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” All three cords are essential and necessary if we desire to provide balance.
We recognize the vitally important relationship between congregational worship, cell groups and CORE groups as serving complimentary functions, much like a tripod. Three levels of community interaction and discipleship are required for balance: 1) the larger, public meeting of the whole assembly typically on Sunday mornings (12 or more, mixed gender); 2) the small group gathering whether in homes or in class rooms (8-12 members, mixed gender); and, 3) the intimate, one-on-one, one-on-two, or one-on-three CORE Group gatherings (2-4 members, gender specific).
For us to be able to teach, encourage, exhort, and pray for one another, we must focus on a more horizontal model – the very thing Jesus did with Peter, James and John – His inner CORE group. Obedience to Jesus’ commands requires an open, honest, safe, confidential sharing of burdens. This level of sharing requires a level of intimacy and transparency that demands a small number of people. At this level of intimacy where real life issues are openly shared before the group, it demands gender segregation – men with men, women with women – a biblical pattern and directive.
From personal experience, I have been discipled by guys who have an incredible place in my life, my testimony, and my spiritual development. The most significant periods of spiritual growth have taken place when I have been part of a core group of 2-4 others. This is no less true of the hundreds now embracing the CORE discipleship process.
Both experience and biblical pattern point to the same place: CORE Groups form a powerful, effective, and biblically mandated resource for ministry in the areas of real life transformation, loving God and others, discipleship, God’s Word, fellowship, communion, outreach, and prayer.
Jesus commands us to: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28;19, 20)
The Great Commission maintains one imperative and that is to "make disciples." The other action verbs are all subordinate to this main idea to make disciples. Jesus tells us, "Having gone, make disciples by baptizing and by teaching." So the goal of discipleship is to make disciples, teaching them to observe all that Jesus commanded.
Go:
The first strand of the Great Commission is to "go" out into the world to represent Christ to a lost and dying world. Where you are is where you witness - that is your world. A disciple’s life becomes a living epistle.
Baptize:
The second strand of the Great Commission is to baptize new believers "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The Greek word to “baptize” (baptizo) literally means to immerse, something we are familiar with. However, throughout the New Testament this term means, "to identify with someone or something." This means that by placing faith in Christ we are identified with Him - identified with His death on the Cross, and identified through His resurrection into newness of life.
When Jesus told all believers in the church age to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, He was commanding us to teach all those who become disciples to think like Christ - our behavior is to be Christ-like. We are to have the same mind as Christ Jesus.
Teach:
The third strand of the Great Commission is for us to, "Teach them to observe all that I commanded you.” Jesus taught His disciples how to live, and that is what He commands us to teach others - how to live.
The teaching that Jesus was talking about when He said teach them "to observe all that I commanded you" should change people’s lives. A transformed life is when a disciple has surrendered their life to Christ.
The Promise:
The last phrase of Matthew 28:20 is an incredible promise: "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." In context, this verse is primarily talking about making disciples. What Jesus is saying is that when we make disciples according to His prescribed pattern, He will be with us.
When God sees a disciple making church, He gets involved there. When He sees disciples going out to make new disciples, then baptizing and teaching them, He is very present. According to Romans 8:29, God wants disciples to be conformed into Christ’s image, and according to His Commission, He promises to help us make disciples to accomplish His plan.
How did Jesus Make Disciples?
"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).
Jesus prayed and invites us to begin the process in the same way. From the Gospel of Luke, chapter 10, we see that Jesus has invested more than two years’ on-the-job training with His disciples (showing and telling) and He is now about to send 36 teams of two out to reach the multitudes (release and supervise). Jesus’ instructions to these are very similar to the previous instructions given to the 12 disciples (Matthew 10:5-14). These teams were not to try to do the job without help - they were to ask God for more workers. We begin by praying.
Jesus ministered to the multitudes at least 17 times according to the Bible. At times His ministry was conducted one-on-twelve. He also provided on-the-job training with the 72; and spent some apprenticeship time with the 120 as well as placing some emphasis with the 500 in Galilee. However, there are approximately 46 mentions in the Bible where He spent His time in private with His disciples. In those smaller “core-group” settings He trained His committed followers for their own ministries. He ministered one-on-one, one-on-two, and one-on-three by showing, telling, releasing, and then supervising His disciples (see Matthew 5-7; 9:1-17, 35-38; 10:1-26; 24; Mark 10:1-26; 13; Luke 7:36-50; 10:1-20; John 8:1-12; 13:1-17; 14-16).
Jesus spent three-plus years pouring His life into the lives of His disciples and especially with Peter, James and John.
Jesus intentionally called His disciples into a spiritually transformational relationship with Him. It was intentional, relational, and spiritual through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. This provided for the divine order of relationships – relationships founded upon the following five values:
1. Love:
The pursuit of the Great Commandment - our vertical relationship with God and our horizontal relationship with others (Matthew 22:37-40).
2. Christ-likeness:
The pursuit of Christ-likeness as we observe the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19,20). It is our desire to be genuinely conformed to the character of Jesus. We believe God’s vision for man is to make us in the image of Christ (Genesis 1:26; Romans 8:29). All spiritual progress is the result of God’s grace. Humility is the pathway to Christ-likeness. In seeking to truly become like Christ, we remember His command to, “Learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29).
3. Devotion:
A commitment to the four fundamental devotions of the church as recorded in Acts 2:42: devoted to God’s Word, fellowship, communion, and prayer. It is learning to be a doer of the Word.
4. Equipping:
Committed to equipping the saints for the work of ministry - a privilege and enterprise of each member of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16).
5. Faithful:
Seeking out and imparting spiritual life to those who are committed to the preservation and transmission of the Gospel without alteration or addition: "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."
Jesus tied discipleship and relationships together in the following three scriptures found in the Gospel of John. A disciple is someone who is:
1. Obedient to God’s Word: “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciple” (John 8:31). Discipleship is not about my opinions, ideas, or words. Discipleship is about knowing and obeying Jesus and His words. In the next verse (8:32) we learn that a real disciple is someone who has been liberated by the truth of Jesus’ words.
2. Loving: “By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Spirit-led relationships established of God are illustrated in 1 Corinthians 13 where we learn what real love looks like and in chapter 14 where we learn how love works. This “new” commandment Jesus gave is unique from the “old” commandment in that now we can have loving relationships through the power of His Holy Spirit. It is this kind of love that is the primary witness and evidence of God’s Holy Spirit.
3. Fruitful: “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciple.” (John 15:8).
In his book, “The Holy Spirit”, Billy Graham states the following as being vital to the biblical process of establishing new believers in their faith:
“One of the first verses of Scripture that Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, made me memorize was, “The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2 KJV). This is a little like a mathematical formula for spreading the gospel and enlarging the Church. Paul taught Timothy. Timothy shared what he knew with faithful men; these faithful men would then teach others also. And so the process goes on and on. If every believer followed this pattern, the Church would reach the entire world with the gospel in one generation. Mass crusades, in which I believe and to which I have committed my life, will never finish the Great Commission; but a one-by-one ministry will.”
The great commission has two parts. The first is for us to go and make disciples. The second is of no less significance, but is often times set aside to secondary importance if used at all. It is to teach people to obey. There cannot be a disciple without this training. And there cannot be training without accountability. The primary objective of the believer today as outlined by Jesus is for disciples of Jesus to develop other men and women into disciples. We must understand that God is never concerned about the size of a group. Size has nothing to do with success. Success is always based on a relationship that produces lasting fruit.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19,20)
As such, when you lead people to Christ, you must have a process in place to stand by them to help them grow until Christ is fully formed in them (Galatians 4:19).
Why the Master’s Plan For Discipleship?
The most important reason is that it is pleasing to God. God’s plan includes our bringing others into spiritual maturity. We are to present others perfect in Christ Jesus. The word perfect does not mean flawless; it means mature, complete, or whole. Like the apostle Paul, we must work wholeheartedly toward helping others become spiritually mature. If we consistently follow God’s plan for discipleship, the church will expand exponentially as well-taught believers would teach others and commission them, in turn, to teach still others. Disciples must be equipped to pass on their faith - our work is not done until disciples are able to make disciples of others (see Ephesians 4:12, 13).
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19,20)
“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28)
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” (2 Timothy 2:2)
"God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love - like Christ in everything." (Ephesians 4:15a, The Message).
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples" (John 8:31).
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Mark 12:30).
Jesus has invited us to come and be His disciples; to follow Him and become more like Him. His joy is overwhelming as we take on discipleship according to His plan and as we do so in a joyously intentional way (Matthew 9:9, Romans 8:29).
We are Commanded to Teach God’s Principles:
“and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Mth. 28:20).
“For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17).
“Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach” (1 Tim. 3:2).
“Command and teach these things” (1 Tim. 4:11).
“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2).
“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful” (2 Tim. 2:24).
“Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children” (Titus 2:3, 4).
What is a Disciple?
A disciple is a born-again believer who has decided that following Christ takes priority over everything else in life. Jesus didn’t say being a disciple would be easy. He told His followers that they would have to deny themselves and take up their own crosses to follow Him. He emphasized the fact that He would have to be first in their lives when He said, "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). Jesus is speaking to you and me. Being a disciple and making disciples is a direct command from our Lord Jesus and the responsibility of every born-again believer.
We are to commit our lives to Jesus Christ and be willing to do whatever Jesus tells us so that His kingdom will be built according to His plan.
Did everyone who heard Jesus preach become His disciple? No. Whenever Jesus drew a large crowd to hear Him teach many departed because He told them about denying themselves, carrying their crosses, and putting Him first in their lives (John 6:66,67). There is no middle ground with Jesus.
