What To Look For In A Disciple Maker

A disciple-maker is someone whom God brings into your life and whom you intentionally enter into an up-close and personal, life-long relationship with. The purpose of this Holy Spirit inspired relationship is “teaching them to observe all things that Jesus commanded you” (Mth. 28:20). Obedience here is not to the disciple-maker, but to the Word of God. It is learning to assent to someone else’s directions, yielding your contrary opinions in favor of the written Word (Rom. 12:2). It is not blind, unquestioning obedience to everything a disciple-maker says, even in decisions related to making purchases, where to go on vacation, or changing jobs. The New Testament teaches the necessity of discernment (1 John 4:1), mutual submission (Rom. 12:10; Gal. 5:13; Eph. 5:21), and accountability to God (Rom. 14:12; Gal. 6:5). Both disciple and disciple-maker are transformed in the process. Both are at various points along the journey, but the marks of a seasoned disciple-maker’s life will be evidenced by greater depths of fruit (Gal. 5:22,23).

They are brothers, they are to serve others not lord it over each other. They have one teacher and that is Lord Jesus. They are not to open the School of John, or Bob, or Jim, it is to make more followers of Jesus. Jesus taught the power of humility in spirit and submission in community. They practice a faith of personal transformation that will lead to church transformation that will result in cultural transformation.

A disciple-maker is someone who will:

Encourage you:

We tend to become what the most important person in our lives thinks we will become. Great coaches bring out the best in us. They are great encouragers (Heb. 3:13) and wherever they go or whatever they place their hands, there is life, not death.

Confront you:

Proverbs 27:5,6 says, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” This is someone who knows that loving confrontation develops a person and that criticism destroys a person. It is someone who knows that to critique is to criticize. He or she will hold you accountable while demonstrating a spirit of mutual submission and humility. A disciple-maker is a person in your life who will ask you the hard questions like:

*What are you learning from God’s Word today? What is God saying to you right now?

*How is your relationship with your spouse and children?

*Is there anyone whom you have offended or been offended by and what steps are you taking right now to restore that relationship?

*Are you at odds with church leadership and if so, could it be possible that what is bothering you is really more about you than them? Are you accusing those in leadership or interceding for them?

*Are you involved in any form of pornography? If we were to look at your recent Internet activity, is there anything there that you would be ashamed?

*Whom have you prayed for this morning?

*Are you fulfilling God’s dream in your life or your own?

*If we were to look at how you spend your time and your money, would the investment be stored in this world or in God’s Kingdom? Where is your heart?

Disciple-makers know the point is always restoration and patiently work to that end. Disciple-makers are people who earn your trust in time; they become trustworthy allies.

Pray for you:

A disciple-maker is bold in their witness, passionate about God’s promises, committed to but humble in their relationships with others. They act as a bridge between God and those they are praying for and are bonded together with those they are discipling. They are faithful (2 Timothy 2:2), obedient to God’s Word (John 8:31), loving (John 13:35), and fruitful (John 15:8).

Stay with you:

Just as I will always be my children’s dad, likewise, I have made life-long commitments to those the Lord has entrusted to me as His disciples. It is in knowing that I have this responsibility and great privilege that brings a heightened sense of accountability. Conception is the stuff of God; parenting is a life-long partnership (Hebrews 13:5). As is the eternal pattern, the father becomes the son, the son becomes the father.

Grow in grace and truth,

Doug Morrell

CORE Discipleship Group Ministries

http://www.coregroups.org