Reclaiming Disciple Making: Following Jesus' Model in Modern Times
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The heart of Christianity lies in disciple-making, a process Jesus Himself exemplified by engaging with those far from faith, guiding them through a transformative journey into the Kingdom of God. This article revisits Jesus' method of disciple-making, contrasting it with the often building-centric, hierarchical models prevalent in Western Christianity. We'll explore how the Disciple Making Movement (DMM), inspired by David Watson's teachings and others, seeks to return to the essence of Jesus' approach, starting from an unbeliever who, through the Spirit's gifts, brings others into faith.
Jesus' Disciple-Making Process:
Engagement from Unbelief: Jesus engaged with people in their natural settings, transforming their lives from the ground up.
Examples: He called fishermen to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-22), invited tax collector Matthew to follow Him (Matthew 9:9-13), and spoke with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:7-26).
Journey of Discovery and Obedience: Jesus used stories and questions to lead individuals to understand and live out His teachings.
Examples: His use of parables (Matthew 13), asking the disciples "Who do people say that I am?" (Mark 8:27), and teaching them about faith through life experiences (Matthew 14:22-33).
Community and Relationship: Jesus formed a community of disciples, not just a classroom of students.
Examples: The call and training of the twelve (Luke 6:12-16), the seventy-two sent out in pairs (Luke 10:1-20), and communal living and teaching (Acts 2:42-47).
Empowerment Over Authority: His leadership was about empowering others to do what He did.
Examples: Giving authority to His disciples to heal and preach (Matthew 10:1), and washing the disciples' feet as an example of servant leadership (John 13:1-17).
The Culmination at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit's arrival marked the full expression of what it meant to be a disciple.
Example: The empowerment of the disciples with the Holy Spirit, leading to bold witness and community growth (Acts 2).
Modern Discipleship and Its Divergences:
Building-Centric Church: The Western model often centers on physical church buildings, a concept not emphasized in the New Testament.
Scriptural Absence: No directive for church buildings as the focal point; instead, see meetings in homes (Acts 2:46, Romans 16:5).
Authoritarian Leadership: The pastoral model can sometimes lean towards authoritarianism.
Biblical Leadership: Leadership is about service and equipping all believers (Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Peter 5:2-3).
Membership Over Discipleship: Modern Christianity can prioritize membership over the journey of discipleship.
Discipleship in Scripture: Jesus' focus was on following Him, learning, and transformation (Matthew 28:19-20, Luke 9:23).
Stasis vs. Movement: The institutionalization of church practices contrasts with the New Testament's depiction of the church as dynamic.
Movement of Faith: The early church was characterized by its spread through disciple-making (Acts 1:8, Acts 8:4).
The Misuse of "Discipleship" in Modern Churches:
In many building-centric Christian models, "discipleship" has been reduced to courses or programs for new believers, often focusing on doctrinal teaching or church membership protocols. This approach significantly diverges from how Jesus demonstrated disciple-making:
Starting Point: Jesus began His disciple-making with those who did not yet believe in Him. He met people in their world, not expecting them to come into His (the church's) world first. This contrasts with modern practices where one might need to be baptized or join a church before embarking on a discipleship course.
Empowerment and Authority: Jesus empowered those He called with His authority even before they fully understood His identity or fully committed to Him. For example, He gave the seventy-two power over demons and sickness before they fully grasped His messiahship (Luke 10:1-20).
Gradual Recognition: The journey to recognizing Jesus as the Messiah was gradual for many of His followers. Some, like Thomas, only confessed Him as "My Lord and my God" after the resurrection (John 20:28). This process was far from the instant conversion often expected in modern settings.
The Role of the Holy Spirit: The disciples' transformation into what modern Christians might consider "fully believers" came with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). This outpouring was the catalyst for their bold witness and ability to make more disciples, mirroring Jesus' own ministry.
Ongoing Mission: After receiving the Holy Spirit, the disciples went out, making more disciples as Jesus had demonstrated, not waiting for a structured course or formal church setting. This reflects an organic, movement-based approach rather than a programmatic one.
This stark contrast highlights how the term "discipleship" has been co-opted to mean something quite different in modern contexts, often focusing on maintenance of existing believers rather than the dynamic, transformative process Jesus modeled, which starts with engaging unbelievers, leading them through discovery and empowerment, culminating in a Spirit-led life of making more disciples.
David Watson's Biography:
Early Life and Education: Born in 1959, Watson's journey into missions was propelled by a deep faith and desire to spread the Gospel.
Career in Missions: Began with the Southern Baptist Convention's International Mission Board in Northern India, where he was part of significant church growth movements.
Development of Disciple Making Movements (DMM): His experiences shaped his disciple-making philosophy, focusing on indigenous leadership and multiplication.
Training and Influence: Became known worldwide for training leaders, impacting organizations like Frontier Alliance International (FAI) and Global Catalytic Ministries (GCM).
Educational Offerings: Provides a free course titled "Disciple-Making with David Watson" on Sheep Among Wolves, directly linking his training to strategies in places like Iran.
Books and Publications: Co-authored "Contagious Disciple Making" with Paul Watson, focusing on practical disciple-making steps.
Legacy and Impact: Instrumental in over 100,000 churches planted globally, with over 4 million baptisms reported.
Influence in the Middle East: His methods have directly supported the underground church in Iran and beyond, where traditional church structures are not feasible.
Broader Middle Eastern Impact: Trained leaders to adapt his principles to their cultural contexts, fostering movements in restrictive environments.
Documentation and Confirmation: His influence is well-documented through media and resources, showcasing his direct impact on disciple-making.
Other Champions of Disciple Making:
Jerry Trousdale - Co-founder of Final Command Ministries, he has written "Miraculous Movements," documenting the growth of DMMs among Muslims. His work emphasizes the power of simple, reproducible methods for disciple-making.
Ying Kai - Known for the "Training for Trainers" (T4T) approach, which has led to significant church planting movements in Asia. His strategy involves equipping believers to train others, fostering rapid multiplication of disciples and churches.
Neil Cole - Founder of Church Multiplication Associates, Cole advocates for organic church movements where disciple-making happens in everyday life settings. His book "Organic Church" discusses how to cultivate a church that grows naturally.
Curtis Sergeant - Developed the Zúme Project, an online training platform for DMM. His work includes the "Four Fields of Kingdom Growth" model, which simplifies disciple-making into four key areas: entering a new field, finding people of peace, discipling them, and forming churches.
Steve Smith - Co-authored "T4T: A Discipleship Re-Revolution" with Ying Kai, providing a practical guide to the T4T method. His focus has been on catalyzing movements through obedience-based discipleship.
David Watson's DMM: Reimagining Discipleship:
Prayer and Fasting: Begin with spiritual preparation, seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Example: Jesus prayed before choosing His disciples (Luke 6:12-16).
Finding the Person of Peace (PoP): Engage with communities by finding individuals open to spiritual conversations.
Example: Jesus' encounter with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10), the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26).
Engagement and Building Relationships: Build genuine relationships as a foundation for spiritual discussions.
Example: Jesus sharing meals with sinners and tax collectors (Mark 2:15-17).
Gospel Presentation Through Discovery: Use Discovery Bible Studies (DBS) for discovery.
Example: Jesus' use of parables for teaching (Matthew 13).
Obedience-Based Discipleship: Emphasize immediate application of teachings.
Example: Jesus' teaching on building on rock vs. sand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Community Formation: Encourage new believers to form communities.
Example: The early church's communal life (Acts 2:42-47).
Church Planting and Multiplication: Empower each new group to start more groups.
Example: Jesus sending out the seventy-two (Luke 10:1-20).
Leadership Development: Train all believers to lead, disciple, and plant.
Example: Jesus training His disciples to go further (John 20:21, Matthew 28:19-20).
Perseverance Through Challenges: Understand that challenges can lead to Gospel growth.
Example: The spread of the Gospel after persecution (Acts 8:1-4).
Continuous Prayer and Godly Intimacy: Maintain a prayerful life.
Example: Jesus' prayer life (Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16).
Adapting to the Culture: Present the Gospel in culturally relevant ways.
Example: Jesus' approach to different groups (John 4:7-26, Matthew 15:21-28).
Replication and Adaptation in North America:
Hybrid Models: Churches like Experience Life Church in Lubbock, Texas, under Chris Galanos, combine traditional church services with DMM principles, focusing on disciple-making and multiplication.
Micro-church Movements: Community Christian Church in Chicagoland uses micro-church models, adapting DMM for urban and suburban outreach.
Training and Resources: Discipleship.org hosts sessions adapting Watson's principles for North American contexts, discussing models like the "Hybrid Attractional-DMM Model."
Local Adaptation: Shoal Creek Community Church in Missouri uses DBS to integrate disciple-making into existing church structures.
Impact on Urban Ministry: KC Underground in Kansas City employs DMM for urban micro-church planting, focusing on relational evangelism.
Educational Initiatives: Zume provides online DMM training, accessible for believers in North America to engage in disciple-making across various cultural settings.
Final Thoughts:
The essence of Jesus' disciple-making was about transformation, starting with those outside faith, guiding them through discovery, obedience, and community into becoming followers who operate in the gifts of the Spirit to bring others into the Kingdom. The DMM, as championed by David Watson and others like Jerry Trousdale, Ying Kai, Neil Cole, Curtis Sergeant, and Steve Smith, seeks to reclaim this process, moving away from building-centric, hierarchical models towards a dynamic, Spirit-led movement of faith. By focusing on these principles, the modern church can better reflect the New Testament's vision of a church that multiplies through disciple-making, not just through constructing buildings or collecting members. This approach not only revitalizes the church in regions of persecution but also revitalizes and reorients church practices in the West, aiming to make disciples who make disciples, just as Jesus did.
About Tov Rose:
Tov Rose, whose name is pronounced like "stove" without the "s," is a second-generation Jewish believer in Jesus. He's established himself as a writer and researcher, having been mentored by an Editor-in-Chief of a world-renowned magazine. Tov's educational background includes degrees in Public Relations, Media Relations, Missiology, Marketing, and New Testament Research. He once wrote conservative articles for Yahoo News, now lost to time.
He's a prolific ghostwriter with over thirty books to his name, focusing on Biblical background research to bolster faith and scripture comprehension. His latest work, "Jesus: The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob," is hailed as a definitive study on the Doctrine of God. Tov has also acted as a whistleblower on organizations like Jews for Jesus and IHOPKC.
Professionally, Tov has been a small business owner, pastor, consultant, speaker, and more. His published works include "The New Messianic Version Bible" and others. He's currently advancing his studies in New Testament research. His interests are eclectic, from science fiction to culinary arts, with a passion for archaeology and anthropology.
Tov frequently appears on podcasts and radio, discussing the overlap between Jewish and Christian theology, aiming to build bridges between faiths.
For booking email at Tov@toserose.com
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