Discipling the Disciple-Makers Harvest Notes


by Marilynn Lester


Each believer and each local church has a role in the Great Commission. Jesus commissioned his disciples to make disciples. Yes, evangelism is part of that. But Jesus emphasized that the task required old disciples to transfer his teaching to new disciples: “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20). Tat is where each believer and each local church comes in. Jesus called 12 men from the most unlikely walks of life to


follow him and learn from him so that eventually they could be- come the greatest “fishermen” who ever lived. His initial call was “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). From Jesus, the disciples learned the fine art of dealing with


crowds and with individuals in sensitive and loving ways. Tey saw him call people to “learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart …” (Matt. 11:29). Jesus is the person for tired and discour- aged Christian workers to go to for relief and perspective. When the disciples argued about who was the greatest among


them, Jesus had to teach them how to be a servant. Jesus had to teach the disciples to work as a team. Tey came to understand who Jesus was through the many miracles he performed and through his private conversations and public teaching opportunities. Tey also learned from Jesus the message that God loves the world and that anyone can come to God through faith in Jesus Christ. Tis is the message they would eventually carry to all the nations. Preparing people to go out on cross-cultural ministry calls


for a discipleship plan much the same as what Jesus used with his disciples. Preparing a team, whether for short-term mission or longer-term commitment is a mentoring/discipleship process. Te people being sent must learn how to build and maintain good relationships with the people they are ministering to and with the people they are ministering with. Tey need to learn to work together as a team with no one member being more important than any others. Te team most importantly needs to know whom they have been called to represent and the message they have been called to proclaim.


Aſter Jesus had spent much time with his disciples, he sent


them out on a short-term mission to practice what they had been learning. Any kind of teaching or discipling must allow for prac- tice with time for debriefing and more instruction. If you listen to people who have been on short-term mission trips, you will hear them talk about what they learned, and how the trip drew them closer to God. When people are willing to go out of their comfort zone and follow God on his mission, they experience God work- ing in miraculous ways in and through their lives. Tis can only help to strengthen each of them in their walk. Tere is a strong tie between missions and discipleship.


Churches can have strong global strategies because they have strong discipleship strategies. Out of a strong discipleship pro- gram come mature Christians who want to go the next step and become disciple-makers. It is only through a good discipleship program that short-term and career cross-cultural workers can be adequately prepared for the work and situations that await them. Te local church is a hothouse to prepare disciples who are ready to go out and disciple others, whether at home or in another culture. Tese disciples can be part of the catalyst to make John’s vision a reality: “Aſter this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. Tey were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (Rev. 7:9,10). What a glorious gathering of disciples that will be!


Marilynn Lester serves on the Commission on Global Partner- ships. She is the Director of Children’s Ministries at Communi¬ty Bible Church of Omaha, Neb., where she and her husband Doyle are members. Marilynn and Doyle have organized and led several short-term missions teams.


Fellowship Focus, November/December 2018


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