Beyond the Walls - Disciplism 101

[John Whaley]

Beyond the Walls is a weekly email to help Christ-followers move beyond the walls of their church buildings, homes, comfort zones, and culture to engage people where we live, work and play with the Gospel. 

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19)

Disciplism:  the art of making disciples; discipling people to Christ and in Christ.

When we talk about moving beyond the walls to engage people with the Gospel, we often confine our understanding to solely speaking the Gospel into someone's life who is not yet a Christ-follower.  And the reason we do so is because of the dichotomy we have created whereby we see evangelism as what we do beyond the walls of our buildings and disciple-making as what we do inside the walls.

Nothing could be further from the truth!  When Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:19 to "Go and make disciples", He was talking about pre-conversion discipleship as well as post-conversion discipleship.  When Jesus called the 12 to follow Him, they were not yet fully devoted followers of Christ.  He had to disciple them into understanding who He was and why He came. And then after they trusted Him as their Lord and Savior, He discipled them into understanding what it meant to follow Him.

In the same way, we disciple people into a relationship with Christ and then once they trust Him, we disciple them in how to walk with Christ as a Christ-follower.  

Disciple-making is evangelism and evangelism is disciple-making.  They are not separate and distinct disciplines.  We speak the Gospel into the lives of those who are spiritually lost so that they will come to believe and we speak the Gospel into the lives of those who are Christ-followers to strengthen them in their walk with Christ.

A great example of this is the Apostle Paul.  Throughout the book of Acts, we see him in the synagogues and marketplaces proclaiming the Gospel; discipling those who had yet to believe.  At the same time, we see Paul pouring his life into Timothy and others as he discipled them to be fully devoted Christ-followers.  

Therefore, if we are to fully obey Christ's command to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19), we need to be speaking the Gospel into those who are spiritually dead and those who are spiritually alive.

Who are you discipling?  Who are you leading to Christ through your Gospel conversations?  Who are you encouraging in the faith through your Gospel conversations?  

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." Mathew 28:19

For the Fame of His Name!

 

John Whaley
The Rooftop US