True Discipleship

In my 30 years of ministry, I have observed many ministries both large and small. I have been in the congregations of mega churches as well as the little storefront church. Nevertheless, I have lived to witness the decline of the present-day church we now know as the Body of Christ.

Wait, what decline you may ask? The decline that I am referring to is a spiritual one. Yes, the church has multiplied in great numbers as it pertains to membership all over the globe. Thousands, even millions of people are attending church now a days; but that is not a true testament to the spiritual growth of the Body of Christ.

Over the years I have labored to disciple all who partake of my ministry. Now we will do a true assessment of that labor. You too, were charged with discipling those you lead or influence. The apostleship of this ministry has vigilantly watched and concluded that there are two types of discipleships taking place in the leadership as well as among the lay-members; ‘Conscious discipleship and Unconscious discipleship.’

CONSCIOUS DISCIPLESHIP

If we were to be honest in our observation of the present state of the church, we would have to acknowledge the lust, pride and greed that is embedded in church culture today. The inheritance of God, which is the church, is continually told to look away from him and look to themselves. This is called walking after the flesh as described in Romans 8:5-8:

5 “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Because of the principal in the verses we just read, we now have a church culture that cannot please the very God it claims to worship. This is because their minds are continually carnal. The purpose of all creation was to please God the Creator.

When an architect designs blueprints for a building, he has a certain purpose for the building in mind. When God created man, he had a certain purpose for the creation of man. The carnal mind does not acknowledge this purpose.

Colossians 1:16

16 “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:”

True discipleship brings one’s mind to this reality; causing them to live now according to this truth; “That we are the creation of God, created for the purpose of God.”

The purpose of the perfecters in the Body of Christ is to bring those who follow their leadership to this realization. I commend the pastors who evaluate their ministries not based on the physical numbers alone but more so on the spiritual growth of those who attend. The scripture instructs…

1 Thessalonians 5:12

12“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;”

Now this scripture is geared more to the flock or congregation if you will. But this principle also applies to the importance of leaders knowing those they labour among. As leaders we should endeavour to know the spirituality of all those we lead. This cannot be accomplished by preaching on Sunday mornings or weekly bible studies alone. You see, these methods are good, but still not enough alone, to achieve the desired effect; which is a matured manifested son of God.

In these settings the leaders do most of the talking and the congregation listens for the most part. But for the leader to know his or her flock, he or she must hear from them. This usually takes place in settings not structured by church routine. Eighty percent of discipleship takes place in fellowshipping. I would say the other 20% is through teaching or preaching. Right now, you might not agree with my numbers as it pertains to the percentage. And that is perfectly understandable. But all I would ask is that you allow me to share with you my knowledge on discipleship which was revealed to me by way of revelation from the Holy Ghost.

The word disciple means disciplined one. Discipline is a product of hearing, training and practice. As leaders in the Body of Christ we are the trainers if you will. We are to train the members of the body to discipline themselves; that they might be useful to the purpose of God in ministry.

As I forestated, there are two forms of discipleship that are rarely discussed. To be perfectly honest before now I have never heard them even mentioned. Again, the names of these two forms of discipleship are conscious discipleship and unconscious discipleship.

Conscious discipleship involves methods that we are very familiar with, such as teaching in bible study and preaching on service night or Sunday morning. When we are performing these forms of discipleship, we are very mindful and conscious of the minds of those who are partaking of our ministry. We pay close attention to things like, our articulation of certain words, our knowledge of the foundation of the message we are delivering, even details of our delivery. When we are discipling in this manner, we are very conscious of ourselves and how we come across. As we should be.

As ministers of the faith we should always give our best to those we are discipling. We should be very knowledgeable of the messages we are attempting to teach. We should spend time with God seeking His voice and understanding before we deliver messages to His people. We should research the Scriptures thoroughly that we are not lacking in explanations of what we are teaching. We should practice delivering the word in a timely fashion, but this only comes by confidence and certainty in one’s preparation to minister. We are held accountable to those we lead. And they deserve to be led by people who thoroughly prepare themselves to deliver the Word of God.

As I said earlier, in most of these settings, the leader does most of the talking. Therefore, it is needful to consider modifying some of these routine settings. Question and answer settings are good to encourage the congregation in dialogue. It is in that dialogue that you will discover spiritual locations, mindsets, offenses, and overall dispositions.

If you implement conscious discipleship in your church schedule, then you should be able to discern the spirituality of your people. If not, then why? Could it be that spiritual awareness is not your goal or your concern? It is very possible to do all the things instructed, but for the wrong reasons. If you are simply following instructions without a real heart to see, or even believe in the perfection of the saints, then you will glean nothing of leadership value from these platforms. The truth is, in such cases, one can only hope that in such sessions people will see themselves and elect to change without any prodding from leadership.

This is a spirit of indifference and will surely fail the test of righteousness. Conscious discipleship must be with purpose and a passion for holiness. It is unfruitful when it is just a necessary formality.

So, document this principal: accountability is the foundation of conscious discipleship.

I said earlier that this is only 20% of discipleship, but if you make the modifications I have suggested here, with a pure heart and a passion for holiness, then that number could easily climb to 50%. In the section, we will learn the successes and failures of unconscious discipleship.

UNCONSCIOUS DISCIPLESHIP

In order to be a disciple of Christ we must deny self. Denying self includes tests, trials and offenses. We don’t have the right to be angry at someone because they hurt or cursed us. When we take that right, we give up the right to minister because we have no ministry. The same is true for those whom we must disciple. They must come forth by the same attributes of the Spirit. Therefore, it is needful that leaders on all levels search out these spiritual attributes in the people they lead.

Now in the previous section we discussed conscious discipleship. This is primarily preaching and teaching platforms in the church routine. But as Apostle Mike said, that is only a very small part of our ability to disciple. Most of true discipleship take place away from the church; usually in fellowships and social gatherings.

God allows leaders to be placed in these environments with the saints for the same reason Jesus hung out with His disciples; that is where He truly came to know them and their mindsets. It was the place of much teaching and learning through life’s experiences.

If you are truly interested in developing the men and women you lead, then you will spend much time with them. Jesus is God, but it took Him three and one-half years to disciple His followers.

In these social setting you will come to know the saints, their aspirations and their fears; their dreams and their disappointments; their victories and their failures; their strengths and their weaknesses. But be not deceived, they will learn some of the same things about you. Just as you will have them under your microscope, so are you under theirs.

Discipleship is not effective without a life. Jesus was able to change the twelve disciples because they were able to look upon Him and see what they ought to be. People should be able to look at you and see what they are supposed to be.

Christ must be your life, not what we are trying to become. Salvation was not established by our works. God created us in Christ. We must be what God made us. He already made us perfect in Him. We’re already the righteousness of God. We have the emotions, desires, and the perfection of God. That’s what we are right now this moment! But is that what your followers see in you?

It is your life, its responses to situations; its ability to always glorify God, its faith and its steadfastness in truth that will disciple the people that you lead. You are their example, their icon of strength and faith. Your life should tell them that you are always in touch with the Father. Your life should cause them to believe what you preach, teach, or counsel. If this is not the case, then I am certain you know how to make it so. But for the sake of this lesson, let us assume you are all that you are supposed to be in this scenario. Then let up look at what things you are to look for and address in social discipleship.

God did not design this life for us to come upon each situation and then have to figure out what to do. It’s not a 12-step process in which we come to a trial and recite our options. If in conversation you hear such a mindset, then you are obligated to address it.

If individuals are still in this disposition after all these years of hearing this message it is because they harbour pride, wantonness or unbelief. You must address the fact that they are not walking in the Spirit. Listen closely to their orations and responses so that you might be able to show them areas of pride, lust or unbelief.

Remember, it is certain that circumstances, situations and relationships will be created by the Holy Spirit, to reveal the truth of your counsel. In other words, God will back you up. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you (Philippians 3:15). You just member, that it is His job to prove the truth and power of His Word. You deliver and move on.

There are many other things you will become aware of in your interactions with the people of God. Just remember, you are charged with confronting sin wherever and in whomever it is found. If you walk in the Spirit during these social encounters, then you will certainly have the opportunity to produce some good fruit.

YOU WILL KNOW THE TREE BY THE FRUIT IT BEARS

Now let us deal with those leaders whose spiritual disposition is not Christ. What kind of disciples will they produce in unconscious discipleship.

One of the reasons Apostle Mike calls this unconscious discipleship is because it is done spontaneously. It is sometimes deliberate, but for the most part it is done in response to what the leader sees or hears at the moment.

Walking in the Spirit will make us completely vulnerable to our fellow man because walking in the Spirit destroys self and selfishness. On the other hand, being in the Spirit without self should not create in you a spirit of martyrdom. It should not make you feel as if you have sacrificed so much just so others can get delivered. No! You are just being who you are. Until you have a relationship with God’s people, you don’t have one with God.

You might make a big deal in your mind as to your fellowship with God, even in prayer and worship, but then here comes a trial . . . somebody does something despicable and you fail the test. But God expected you to be just as bubbly, just as happy, and just as joyful in dealing with your offender. He expects the same love you show Him to be shown to the offender. Anything less than this is a pseudo-relationship with God. It is false, unreal and unfruitful for you.

God expects you to be longsuffering and forbearing and if you are longsuffering and forbearing . . . where’s the failure? Because longsuffering and forbearing is patience. Patience says, I’ll wait with an expectation to see my offender come to God. I’ll wait it out. I’ll see to it that I supply them with the love of Christ, so they might see what they ought to be.

Longsuffering and forbearance forbids you to focus on you. That’s why many fail. They focus on self. It’s not about self. It’s about Him. Trials come. . .why? It’s an opportunity to show this person Christ. Instead, many begin focusing on what this person did to them or how they did it and how ugly they were. But God says, “I already know they are ugly. I already know they are despicable. I sent you into the trial, so they could be better when they come out.”

These trials come to reveal to you that you are Christ. They come to reveal that you have power. You might find out that you are a Wonder Woman or Superman. You might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bounce, but you can love during an offense. You can reveal Christ even if someone is trying to kill you. You can take on trials and offenses with a smile knowing that it is the will of the Father for you to do so.

Remember, the saints are watching everything you do, and they are listening to everything you say. They know what you have taught, and they are waiting to see it in you. But when you are in the midst of those saints who are carnally minded, and your mindset is the same, then they have been robbed of hope. Yes, they will experience a feeling of disappointment, because they themselves are carnally minded not allowing the mind of Christ. However, eventually some of them will fully take on your disposition. After all, you are the mentor. You are the one who is discipling them. And you did. They have become even as you are.

But I can again hear the voice of Jesus saying , “He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.”

YIELD TO THE CHRIST IN YOU

When we yield over to Him, we will find we want nothing but to please God. That’s our purpose. But ninety-nine percent of the people who heard and preached that don’t believe it. They have a reserve. They have a place of reservation in their soul. That’s the part that’s going to take some into the pits of hell.

Paul said he was a slave to Christ. He was a slave in the sense that he did the will of Christ. The master’s will actually becomes our will. That’s the difference in a natural slave and a spiritual slave . . . God’s will is our will.

When blacks were brought to this country as natural slaves, it did not matter what plantation they were on, how good the master was or how bad the master was, the slaves still wanted something. They wanted freedom. Well, in Christ it’s unlawful for you to want.

We can’t want anything except to please God. Now, how can that become a reality? How can God expect us to always manifest that? All day. . .every day, 24/7? Want nothing but to manifest His will. As Christ is, so are we. We don’t have to try to manifest it. We are one with God.

Now truthfully, how do you deal with offenses. You might as well tell yourself the truth, because God and your people already know. There is a difference between hurt and sorrow. Sorrow is compassionate grief, while hurt is resentment.

When you hurt because of an offense it means we resent what that person did, and, in many cases, you resent the offender as well. Nevertheless, the mentality is: now, you must overcome and heal. This is not true, and it was never God’s intent. Did Christ have to heal? He didn’t have to heal before He could move forward with the will of God.

If you feed this mindset to your church, then your discipleship is vain and can only yield corrupt fruit. That’s not the wisdom of God. That’s the devil. Bible Teachers shouldn’t be there. But that’s where some are. Some feel things happen, and time is needed to heal. Don’t get confused between “time to heal” and grieving. There is a big difference. Everybody grieves. Hurt means your mind is wounded and in pain. How do you work for God with a wounded mind? Your people are watching and taking note.

The scripture says we have a shield of faith. This shield is supposed to quench the fiery darts of the enemy. Your carnal mind negates this scripture in your life and in the lives of those you are to disciple.

Your carnal mindsets will cause the people you serve to hate the very thing that comes to form Christ in them. These things they will despise. They become resentful of the very mention of perfection. Therefore, they will never manifest a true son of God.

I want to leave you with this final thought.

Luke 11:21-23

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:

22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

In our salvation, Jesus is the stronger man. He has overcome the wicked one and cast him out of this tabernacle. He has taken from satan all the weapons he used against us. He no longer lives in our flesh. He no longer has our soul and spirit in captivity. He no longer has any influence in this body. He can no longer control what we think, feel or do. All our lusts and affections (fleshy emotions) are crucified with Christ according to Gal. 5:24-25. Satan no longer has the power to make us sin against God.

These are the things God did for us at salvation. This is the testimony of Christ in us. But have you really believed the report; or do you resist it with unbelief? The consequence for unbelief is clear. 23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. If you don’t believe the truth, then you make yourself an enemy of God and the gospel. You should not be preaching and leading the people of God. It is time to be honest about this. It might be that you need to step aside and sit under the teaching of a true believer until you come to belief. This you will do, if pride does not forbid you.

The truth is, you are scattering the sheep. They may be still coming to the church, or if you are an auxiliary leader, they might remain in your auxiliary, however, they are not stable in mind or heart. They are perplexed by your leadership, because, believe it or not, saints can easily tell whether a leader believes what they are ministering. Your unbelief makes it hard for those who follow you to find that place of perfection in Christ. They are following you, but you are not following Christ. You are scattering them in the winds of false doctrines, lusts, and uncertainty. You must give account for their souls.

In the end, all we have is our soul. It is not too late for you. You change by accepting the testimony of Jesus Christ as Lord of all that pertains to you. Why do you resent those who steal from you, lie on you, or defame you? Why resent anyone for doing the very things God has ordained to happen in your life, so that He might prove who and whose you are.

If you have found yourself in any of this, then don’t despair. God has visited you with His love and patience. You must seek out God. Fast and pray. Ask God to show you the mystery of Christ.

Ephesians 3:9 says that God wants to reveal to principalities and powers His manifold wisdom by using the church. He wants to show the principalities and powers in heavenly places what He has done in us. He has created a race down here, a people, a royal priesthood that is in the world but not of the world. His race doesn’t think like the world. Our love is different from that of the world. We can love through anything. There is nothing people should be able to do to cause us to stop loving them. That is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, be encouraged.