Jesus called His people to “go out into the world and make disciples.” He knew that for the most part, people outside Christianity would not go to those inside, so He told us Christians to do the “going.” Unfortunately, many Christians today neither “go out” nor try to “make any disciples.” Let’s face it: neither step is very easy. In fact, both steps can be quite uncomfortable.

In order to make disciples, we need to be disciples ourselves. By studying some Church history we learn that at the time of Christ, disciples were more than just “learners” of the sayings of Jesus, but “adherents” or “doers” as well. That makes sense because who in their right mind would want to follow a bunch of hypocrites? Yet, sadly, that’s what many Christians have become. Many of today’s Christians have mistakenly been taught that discipleship is optional and only involves new believers. But the truth is that we have all been called to (continually) grow in our knowledge of and our closeness to the Lord. So, we are talking about a long-term commitment. Not only our commitment to Christ but also our commitment to all the people who need us. We have to see and recognize the needs of those around us. It is only then that we can empathize with those needs and offer some solid solutions.

Discipleship is serious business. Church history teaches us about men like Clement and Polycarp, both of whom were examples of men who knew and were discipled by the Apostles themselves. So strict was their commitment to the Lord, that martyrdom was considered the norm for a disciple at that time. Now, I’m not asking you to go get martyred, but this example does give us the extreme sense of importance that discipleship should carry. As author Bill Hull said, “Without discipleship, Christianity does not exist.”

Recently, I’ve been preaching through a series on the book of Hebrews. One of the things that we have discovered is that our relationship with God must continue to grow. We must not become stagnant. By not “exercising” our knowledge of Him (by sharing and using that knowledge), the more our faith becomes atrophied. Discipleship is an ongoing, lifelong process in which a person tries to become more and more like Christ. Therefore, we must not view discipleship as something that just happens and then stops but rather, as a continuous way of life. In fact, that is what becoming a Christian really is. We must realize that to truly become a Christian, one needs to become like Christ, not to just say the “magic words” in a Salvation prayer. There is an internal change that must take place. As we become more like Christ, we will then have a positive influence on those around us. We can therefore see how God’s plan works: we continue to grow more like Christ so that we can lead others to become more like Him, too.

In terms of being an example to others, we all have something to offer whether we realize it or not. A one-on-one relationship is invaluable in terms of seeing the “teacher in action.” In it, people learn from us how to handle obstacles, failures, and disappointments, as well as successes. None of us handles these things flawlessly, but our Christian character shows people where our trust lies and the basis of our love for God. It is, after all, love that makes our spiritual walk unique. When Christ was on Earth, it was His loving ways that made the most powerful impact on those around Him. It was certainly not made by just telling people what they should and should not be doing.

As in any area of our Christian walk, we must never neglect the importance of a healthy prayer life. It is through communion with God that we humble ourselves to His will and develop in our spiritual maturity. Prayer helps us to not fall prey to “consumer Christianity,” which focuses on receiving benefits and getting into Heaven rather than on submitting to God’s design and purpose for our lives. If we remain sensitive, we will come to realize that one of those purposes is going out and making disciples.