The Pastor As Disciple/Discipler

September 2011

I begin with a disclaimer: I’m no expert. I possess but limited experience, a spoonful of zealous conviction, and a pinch of prophetic audacity on the subject of discipleship. Still I am compelled to sound the clarion call of discipleship. I do what I must.

My article this month is the first of many in framing a process for discipleship in the church. I plead with pastors and leaders to be diligent in discipleship, the gaping hole in ministry today. The church exists for disciples (Disciples who do life together.) They learn to love, serve, and worship God together. They’re built up in the faith, trained in godliness. They become salt and light in the world. I have come a long way through many detours to this conviction: the church is for disciples.

In contrast, discipleship is what we, the scattered church, do in the world. Trained disciples who are present to the world in the power and by the grace of God wherever they may go. Jesus told us to make disciples of all nations not of all Christians.

The day-to-day work of the pastor is to train disciples in an intentional way for the work of ministry in the world. We all must examine our daily work as leaders. How much of it is “running the church, or ministry”?  How much of it is training disciples to change their world?There was a time in the recent past when a person couldn’t be a Christian without being a disciple of Jesus. Today it’s optional. Christians aren’t expected to become disciples and disciple makers. In the stories and teachings of Jesus the opposite is true.

According to Scot McKnight in his forthcoming Kingdom Gospel, 90% of children in evangelical homes become Christians before leaving home. Yet only 22% of them are walking with Jesus by age 35. Something is terribly wrong! If the casualties of war were this high we would be losing!

The reasons for this huge gap are complicated and this is not a forum for debating them. But this reality shows our ineffectiveness in training disciples for godliness and disciple making. These statistics prove that wimping out on Jesus is the norm. Could it be that we have failed to equip Christians to be men and women of their commitments to follow Christ no matter what? Is our gospel demanding enough?
I plead with us as church leaders designated by Christ to love and feed his sheep: don’t let the sun set on this collective, dismal record. We must learn to disciple in such a way that all 90% remain intact till the day they meet their Master and hear his words,  “Well done…”

Here are four biblical metaphors from Jesus’ life and teachings describing the discipleship we’re called to do as church leaders.

1: Trainers. Paul advised Timothy to train himself for the purpose of godliness and to invest in the lives of followers as a trainer. Paul speaks of training himself, like a boxer, preparing for the arena. He doesn’t want to just box the air. Jesus trained himself to follow God.  In the wilderness, in daily prayers, in growing wise and gaining the favor of God and others, he was in training mode.  In meeting others’ needs, healing, forgiving, he was in training. He showed us how to have wisdom to live life to the fullest. Trainers must constantly be in training. Discipleship is not a question of trying to follow Jesus. Rather, it is a well-worn path of walking with and training like the Master.

2: Travelers. Because Christianity is about life, the journey metaphor is apt. The pastor models how to negotiate the hardships of his journey. He is climbing the ladder that leads to the heavenly shores. He is soldiering on. For his dedication he receives the badge of faithful service. The traveler on the path toward the stature of Christ walks through valleys of death’s shadows and darkness in the soul. He battles fears and doubts. It’s a constant climb of living in allegiance to the Lamb. The pastor who would build his people up and train them for the work of ministry must walk openly with the Master on the road to holiness. Leaders bring others along with them on the journey of discipleship.
3: Farmer. The Pastor/Leader must continually do the work of plowing, sowing, watering, and harvesting. He prepares every soil (that is, soul) to receive the Word and bear the fruits of right living. This work takes place on the ground, in the dirt; it can’t be achieved from the pulpit heights.

4: Apprentice. The pastor is first a student of Jesus. He’s learning from him how to do his life as if Jesus were living it in his place. He is growing in his faith. His heart is getting reshaped. He’s mimicking the mind of Christ. Transformation is taking place. The pastor is on the path of transformation by the renewing of his heart, soul, and mind. He is the apprentice who is not above his teacher. When his formation is going well, he will be like his teacher. This apprenticeship must be multiplied in every ready heart.

Next month, I will attempt to frame the work of discipleship by the pastor/leader with practical suggestions.

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