Join Lori as she shares things to look for in your disciple to know if they are ready to pass the baton of discipleship to another.
INTRO: Hi Everyone, this is Lori Joiner from LJM Ministries. Welcome to my Podcast where we talk practically about all things discipleship related such as where to find people to disciple, what do to on a typical discipleship appointment, and how to help our disciples grow in Christ. Whether you are just starting out or looking to sharpen your discipleship skills, you are in the right place!
START: Hey friends, it’s Lori Joiner, your discipleship coach!
When a person you are discipling begins to disciple another, it is such a thrill! So knowing when to challenge your disciple to begin investing in another person is key.
If your disciple has their faith in Christ and has had a season of growth, they may be ready to pass the baton of discipleship onto another! However, don’t move too fast-there are a few other areas to observe as well.
I will address two of these items today and two next week.
# 1 is involvement in a local church.
Your disciple needs to be plugged into a local church. Not just attending, but an active participant.
When your disciple is not plugged into a local church, they are not ready to disciple another. Baptism, tithing, worship, Biblical teaching, Christian fellowship, serving, and the Lord’s Supper are all done best with other Christ-followers. Therefore, your disciple needs this piece in place before they begin investing in others.
A great biblical model of the local church is found in the pages of scripture: Acts 2:42-47 says that the early believers met daily (let alone once a week). It says,
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
My friends, this is what we are looking for. Ok, it may not look exactly like this but we need to be a part of a local church (not online church but face to face church) where you, and your disciple, are plugged in and serving.
Our disciples need to move past merely attending a church to getting actively involved, serving, and worshiping with others. Where they are tithing, giving, fellowshipping, and using their gifts in the Body of Christ. When this person disciples another down the road, they can invite their disciples to church. This models an important part of a believer’s life.
#2 having a teachable heart.
It is not a good idea to urge someone to disciple others if they themselves do not have a teachable heart. If you bring areas to their life you have observed that may need attention and they say, “That’s just the way I am.” and refuses to make any (even small) adjustments, she is not ready to disciple another. When a person takes offense to kind and constructive correction instead of being thankful for your help, honesty, and love, they are just not ready.
The Bible itself is full of correction! Consider what Paul said to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 -16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
If an area of our life does not seem to line up with scripture, you as the disciple take the initiative to speak the truth in love. Share your observations and pray that the person will be teachable and willing to adjust.
A person who is mature enough to disciple others will have a tender heart. “They may even say- show me my blind spots.” Or they are at least willing to hear you out on a situation and, even if at first they are hurt, will come back around and say, “Thank you! I needed to hear that.” A person who is humble and teachable is in the perfect place to disciple. She will seek you and the Lord for help in making a lasting impact in the life of another!
If after reading this you are saying to yourself, “HELP! I am discipling this person,” or “Help, I am this person,” take heart. We are all in process and there is always room for growth.
Have a conversation with your disciple about one or both these issues if needed. For example-you could say, “Church involvement is a necessary part of your growth as a disciple in Christ. It is here we use the gifts God has given us to help the body of Christ be all in can be in a lost and dying world. What is holding you or your and your family back from plugging into a local church?” Just hear your disciple out and see where you could lend some help or encouragement. Emphasize that for them to invest in others this needs to be nailed down so that people they reach out to and disciple see this biblical model of local church involvement lived out.
If the person is not teachable, you also need to address this as an issue in and of itself. You may say, “I pray for you often and am always thinking about when you will disciple another person one day. One of the things holding you back, in my assessment, is that when I bring things to your attention that I think need some attention, you at times take offense. Can we talk about this today? Why do you think that is?”
Listen to your disciple and see where the issue may be. Who knows what may be going on in their heart and mind when they are confronted with an issue. Perhaps there is some hurt or history there that needs to be dealt with. Maybe they don’t think you are really in their corner.
Questions of the Week: How about you? Before you were discipling others-were there areas that you needed to adjust before pouring into others spiritually? Are either of these areas I spoke on today areas you currently need to adjust? I would love to hear your feedback and insights you have gained in helping to encourage your people to disciple others.
Keeping it real:
I have had a similar conversation with numerous people. It's about church involvement and it usually goes something like this, “Well, I work so much that the only time I have to do errands for the family (or myself) is on Sundays.” Or “After the shut down I found a great pastor I totally love online in (another state) and now we just watch him as a family together. Or I was plugged into a church a while back, but to be honest I have just gotten out of the habit.” Or I was a part of a church a while back but something went wrong, or I got hurt, or and I have looked a few other places but have not really committed anywhere.” I cannot even count the times this has happened. And I just want to keep it real here. And that is-Church is not just for YOU. Matter of fact, It is not even mostly for YOU. It is for God and for others. I do not go to church to be fed. I don’t. I go to church to serve. I walk in thinking there are people here today that are lost, stuck, on the verge of divorce, on the verge of suicide, depressed and they have come here for help. Who is going to help them? The church staff cannot possibly be responsible to reach out and help every need. I am a mature believer that can come along and help. Do I learn new things at church from the pastor and teachers-sometimes. But my purpose is not to go get fed. It is to worship God with others, to serve, to share the gospel, to invite people to Bible study, and to greet a visitors. To use my gifts in the body. My gifts are evangelism, serving, and faith. So I go to church to exercise those gifts. I feel sorry for people sitting at home and watching a pastor give a 30 minute lesson and them calling it good for the week. Really? What about your service? What about when your marriage goes off the rails or a person close to you dies? Don’t you want a Christ-centered local body of believers carrying you through that turmoil? The Bible is extremely clear that we are all a part of the BODY of Christ. This is not a lone ranger deal. You were not meant to sit on the couch with your cup of coffee, checking your phone for texts every 5 minutes, and watching a sermon. You will stunt your growth as a believer that way, further, you have gifts that are supposed to be exercised in the local church, you are here to serve as Christ served us and gave his life for us. Others need you, your smile, your welcome, your prayers, and your help. So if you are not plugged into a local church-this is your weekend to do it! And, bonus, you may meet people who need help spiritually there and you can start to disciple and meet with them!
Prayer: I prayed to end.