Discipleship: The Next Step

by Scott Newell

It's the most exciting thing to lead someone to Christ. To see them pass from death unto life. And this is what the Christians do as a result of a direct command from Christ who told us in Mark 16:15 to go and preach the gospel to every creature. But there is something more important than even this. We can lead people to the Lord by having them repeat the "sinner's prayer" while we say it. But what Christians have seen too much of, is friends, and loved ones get "saved" and as soon as they walk out the church door fall right back into what they were in before they accepted Christ. The church of believers are so set on seeing people say a prayer and get saved that they never take the time to make sure they stay that way. Thousands may be saved at a great evangelical crusade, but who is there to see what happens after the crusade is over? Who is there to see whether or not these people actually walk in the liberty by which they were set free? Unfortunately, most of the time, no one is.

The truth is, thousands getting saved doesn't mean a thing if these people just go on living their lives as they always did. And this is constantly happening everywhere. We need to stop concentrating so much on saving masses, and concentrate on saving just that one. Discipling is something we don't hear about much, yet plays a bigger role in leading people to the Lord, than anything else.

Discipling simply means to take a person who has just been saved, and be there to help them grow. They need direction after the initial prayer of salvation. We can't just make them say a prayer, give them a Bible and say "See you next Sunday." How are they supposed to know where to go and what to do after that? Christians want to see the lost come in, but when they do, they just count it as another number and go on to get more.

Jesus spoke it this way, "--But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself; but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."

This is what we need to take notice of. When they first come in, they have no root. They have just been planted and it is your job to take care of them and stand by them to help them grow.

The New Testament contains 27 books. Of these 27 books, 5 of them, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts, are historical records written to different cultures as a witness of Jesus. One book, Revelation, is a prophetic word. Roughly, the other 21 were all written to known believers that were either under some sort of persecution and needed encouragement, or believers who just needed help growing stronger. So we can see that 21 books of the New Testament were all written for discipling purposes. Percentage wise, about 75% of the New Testament was written for new, or persecuted Christians who needed direction. With this percentage, we cannot afford to let such a main key in the growth of Christianity be ignored. The church shouldn't be looking for numbers. The church should be looking for a core group of believers who are willing to die at any moment for their faith. We don't need big churches if the people that make up the churches are a bunch of lukewarm pansies who don't even know who they are or where they are going. We need to stop being so concerned with getting people to say a prayer and start being concerned with what happens after that prayer.
   
You will find this much more difficult than what you have been doing. Because this is where you become Elijah to Elisha. Where you become their new best friend. Where you're willing to get up at 3:00 in the morning because they have a problem and need prayer. It involves more sacrifice than you might realize. You will find yourself sacrificing your own personal time, reputation, even your money. And this is where you find need of the fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians 5:22-23, especially when it comes to having patience.

What will you do with your time otherwise? Is there anything more worth your time than to help someone grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Haven't you crucified your own desires anyway (Galatians 5:24), so that now you can serve God with 100% loyalty whether you're in the mood, whether you feel like it, whether it's convenient and whether it fits into your schedule? You should have known it wasn't as easy as just making them say a prayer.

When someone you know of is saved, it is your responsibility as a good and faithful servant of Christ to take that person and to disciple them. You may be the only one who cares enough to do this. Call them on the phone three or four times a week. Set up Bible studies with them and other Christians. Give them a basic outline of what it means to be saved, and where to go from that point on. You can help to make sure they don't fall off track. You can root them in a good church and in good ground and watch them grow. And eventually they will no longer need you by their side all the time but will become deeply rooted in Christ Jesus--and will go out and be an evangelist and mentor to others! It is through this method of discipleship that the kingdom of God will be built.

You can reach Scott at: scottn_1@yahoo.com