Transformed for Discipleship

Sometime ago I heard a story about a little boy which aptly illustrates what true discipleship is all about. One day this boy asked this question of his father as he strolled down the street with him: "Dad, how tall am I now?" Wondering as to why his son asked this question at that particular moment, he guessed that he was about three feet and a few inches. Then a follow-up question: "Dad, how tall are you?" Bemused at his boy's question, he answered that he was about five feet and ten inches. Then the boy got to the main point that was on his mind all along, "Then how tall is Jesus?" "Well, I don't know for sure," his dad replied hesitantly, "but He must be more than six feet tall." Overcome by curiosity, the father wondered why his son was asking about how tall Jesus is. "You see dad, because Jesus is living in me, and He is so much taller than me, then He must be sticking out of me all the time."

After hearing this story, I thought of what Jesus said in Matthew 21:16, "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise." This little boy's simple yet profound definition of discipleship was: Jesus was so big in his life that He had to stick out of him for the whole world to see. I started with this story because discipleship must begin with our children. We must be diligent in teaching them to love Jesus and His service at any stage of their development, so that they carry this throughout their lives. Love to Jesus expressed in loving service to others must be interwoven into our academic curriculum at all levels of our educational system. If we have lab experience for our science courses, why not lab experience for our Bible courses as well. Here you see the focus and intentionality of Moses' words in Deuteronomy 6: 6, 7. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and you lie down, and when you rise up."

Going back to the story we started with. What does "stick out" of our lives for others to see? Is it the Savior or is it self? Is Jesus big enough to "stick out" in our lives? Is He bigger than anyone else or anything else? How is it possible to reveal Jesus so prominently? In order for Jesus to "stick out" of us we must "stick with" Him. In so many words Jesus said this to His disciples: "And you are witnesses, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (Jn. 15:27). Remember that Jesus said this towards the end of His earthly ministry as He spanned His experience of training them. There He closely connected his disciples' state of being to their state of doing. I mention being (with Him) first because that was what led them to doing (witnessing for Him). In this text we can clearly see the linkage between cause and effect: being with Him resulting in witnessing for Him.

Jesus was not merely interested in dispensing information to His disciples, but in transforming their lives. Consider this relevant statement from the book The Desire of Ages page 250: "It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge merely, but to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the contact of mind with mind and soul with soul. It is only life that can beget life." Therefore it is the life of Jesus that reproduces us into fruitful disciples. And from that position of strength anchored in Christ we can make a transforming impact on our world. "It is in proportion to our devotion and consecration to Christ," Ellen White said, "that we exert an influence for the blessing and uplifting of mankind" (Thoughts From the Mount of blessing, p. 37). It is in following Him that we become fishers of men (Matt. 4:19). To Jesus following and fishing go hand in hand. There are those who want to do fishing without following, and those who want to follow without fishing; but it simply does not work.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German theologian and martyr for the cause of Christ, defined discipleship to Christ as a summon to an "exclusive attachment to His person," and as an "adherence to Christ." (The Cost of Discipleship, p. 63). He used these two powerful words to describe discipleship: "attachment" and "adherence" to the person of Christ. Genuine discipleship is anchored in an intimate relationship with Christ. In a profound sense we are "stuck" in Christ. And any form of outreach to others must always issue forth from our love and devotion to Christ.

So what is discipleship for the Advent Movement today? How important is it to accomplish its global mission in these final days? Certainly Jesus is the expert disciple maker, and He knows that His strategy of making disciples is the only one that will finish His work before He comes again. You see, when Jesus reproduces Himself in His disciples then such transformed disciples infiltrate the world where they live and work. They in the process make beachheads for the kingdom as they make their presence felt for God. They reproduce in others what was reproduced in them, and thus reproduction leads to multiplication and infiltration of the world.

So the great and urgent challenge of the Church today is not merely adding more members but reproducing and multiplying fruit-bearing disciples. Why is this fact so crucial? Remember that in the marching orders of Christ's Great Commission He did not say go and make members, but go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19). That was His only plan to propagate His message to the end of the world, He simply had no other. Making disciples was Christ's prevailing passion and priority throughout His ministry, and it must be our top priority right now. Either we follow Him or we fail Him.

Jesus "finished" two crucial tasks while He was in this world. First and foremost in importance was His work of salvation on the cross when He declared "It is finished" (Jn. 19:30). The second task which He "finished" was His work of making disciples when He affirmed "I have finished the work which You have given Me to do" (Jn. 17:4). This statement was made in the context of His high-priestly prayer for His disciples. They were indeed whom He had in mind, for He mentioned them forty times in the course of the prayer. He glorified His Father in training them. Ellen White made this fitting application: "Christ had finished the work that was given Him to do. He had gathered out those who were to continue His work among men. And He said, 'I am glorified in them'" (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 24). So besides His completed and indispensable work of salvation on the cross, those disciples were also His work that He came to accomplish. On the cross He provided salvation, and through His disciples He was to share it with the world.

This strategy of Christ to reach the world is sublime yet simple, and it is efficient and effective. As Jesus made disciples out of His followers they were to make disciples of others, and similarly we are to make disciples of others as well. Thus this divine strategy of making, reproducing and multiplying disciples engulfs the world. His sublime strategy of concentration leading to expansion. Concentrating on the few to reach the many. Robert Coleman, in his book The Mind of the Master, asserts that this divine strategy seems "so unassuming in its simplicity, yet invincible in its ultimate triumph. Just as they had been discipled, so they were to disciple others, teaching then in turn to do the same, until through this process of multiplication, their witness reached the uttermost parts of the world" (P. 8). The Argentinian evangelist Juan Ortiz makes it abundantly clear when he describes Christ's strategy in these words: "To make disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make disciples." (Call to Discipleship, p. 18). Now in case you are thinking that the redundancy is a mistake, think twice. It is intentionally there to convey the idea that Christ's strategy was to have an ever-widening and expansive impact on the world.

Let me say a word about effectiveness in making disciples. As we look at our churches today, let us ask ourselves the question, Are we more focused on efficiency than effectiveness? Both are important, but efficiency must lead to effectiveness. For the bottom line in all of this is effectiveness in making disciples. Are we by God's grace coming up with the product: a reproductive disciple? Are we following Christ's mandate of making disciples (not merely members) of people we evangelize? This is the only way they can grow in their spiritual vitality, thus arresting the spiritual hemorrhage in our ranks. And thus the multiple blessings of helping them thrive spiritually while expanding the kingdom of God all around them. Instead of becoming a draining failure they become a driving force to move the Church forward. It goes without saying that a light bulb plant exits for the sole purpose of producing light bulbs. If it does not, no matter how efficiently it is run, it loses its purpose for existence. Either radical changes would have to be made, or such efficient yet ineffective operation would quickly be forced out of business.

Jesus intended His church to be His factory to produce and reproduce spiritual light bulbs to shine in this darkened world. So let us not be caught off guard if people come in our midst looking for fruit-bearing, light-giving disciples if that is what our mission is all about. Of course this is possible only if we become the light of the world in Christ's light. Only healthy disciples can reproduce healthy disciples. But that is why the Holy Spirit bestows His gifts upon the church: to build up the body of Christ and equipping it for service. (See Eph. 4:11, 12). Spiritual nurture must occur in the lives of believers in order for them to be healthy and trainable for ministry. That is it! The church's mandate is to reproduce healthy disciples in order for them to reproduce healthy disciples. "The church of Christ is organized for service." Moreover, we are "not to minister to the people, but to teach them to minister." For indeed "every church should be a training school for Christian workers." (The Ministry of Healing, pp. 148, 149).

How do transformed, fruit-bearing disciples look like? First, they find their highest position in sitting at the feet of Jesus. Sitting at the feet of Jesus implies submission and teachability. It is a part of human nature to desire to have a high position in life, but we reach our highest position when we sit at the feet of Jesus. (See Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, p. 15).

Second, they find their greatest recognition in becoming like Jesus. In Acts 4:13, the Jewish leaders recognized Peter and John as having been with Jesus, because they were like Jesus. That is why Jesus said, "A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will become like his teacher" (Lk. 6:40). This is the greatest spiritual product we can have in the church: becoming Christlike in who we are and what we do.

Third, they know that Christ does not call them to merely enjoy being disciples but to engage themselves in making disciples. Devoted disciples must become bold and disciplined disciples. Fourth, they love Jesus supremely more than anyone else or anything else. Jesus, in His parting words just before leaving this world, asked Peter three times if He loved Him more than these (Jn. 21:15-17). Fifth, they love Jesus with all their being that they would gladly put their lives on the line for Him.

For me the most powerful example of a transformed and reproductive disciple is the apostle Peter. What a radical transformation Christ had wrought in his life: From cowardly denying his Lord to gladly dying for Him. What happened to him? He learned the crucial lesson of Christ-trust and self-distrust. He experienced brokenness to the core of his being. Out of this brokenness, Jesus rebuilt a meek and strong disciple. He was totally open to the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost giving him holy boldness. Three thousand souls were cut to the heart and baptized (See Acts 2:37-40). Finally he looked forward to prove his undying devotion to Christ by looking forward to the honor of dying for Him.

In conclusion, let us answer the desire of Christ's heart of becoming laborers in His field. In Matthew 9:36-38 He draws a contrast between the harvest and the laborers: the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. What is the resolution? According to Christ it is to pray. Now, let us fully open our hearts to Him now committing ourselves to become His laborers, molded in His image, reproducing and multiplying many disciples for Him.