What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple?

Now, Contending for the Faith. In this regular feature, Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.

Here’s this week’s question: “Dear Dave and T.A., I heard someone on Christian radio say how important discipleship is in the body of Christ. I only caught part of what he was saying, but it sounded very interesting. However, I haven’t been a Christian very long, so I was wondering if you could explain discipleship. Thanks for your help.”

Tom: There’s a word we don’t hear too often—discipleship. And Dave, it seems to me it’s not taking place in the church as much as it ought. But first, let’s explain what it is.

Dave: Well, in some churches more than in others. Well, the disciples were disciples. That’s what we call them in the Bible. They weren’t called Christians. Jesus said to Matthew, “Follow me.” He said to Luke, He said to James and John, and so forth, “Follow me.” So following Jesus, you began to see what He did. You studied His example. You listened to His words. And in fact, it’s not until Acts 11, I think it is, where it says the disciples were first called Christian in Antioch. It was not something they called themselves. It was an epithet, I guess— I mean it was a derogatory term that their critics leveled at them. “Oh, these are Christians—these are ‘Christ-ed’ ones—they’re following Christ.”

So you know, as I often say to—whether it’s a Muslim or a Christian or whatever—I say, “Look, you call yourself a Christian. Well, you can make up your own religion if you want, but don’t call it Christianity. Do not call yourself a Christian unless you obey Christ—unless you obey His word; unless you follow His example.”

That’s one of the problems, of course, with the Crusaders, for example, Tom. Do you remember? They were waving the cross, they’re killing Jews all across Europe. They slaughter Jews in church when they get to Jerusalem—in the name of Jesus? Now, you want to make up your own religion, okay. But don’t call it “Christianity.”

But this is a problem today Tom. You’ve got the Jesus Seminar for example. And they sit around and they discuss whether Jesus said this or did that or whatever. And they make it up as they go along. You’ve got ministers, Protestant ministers, pastors, they make it up as they go along. They’re not following Christ. This is not Christianity. And they give it a bad name.

And you probably remember the illustration I’ve used for years. They’re going to hire me as…let’s say that I am the…oh Tom, let’s say you—you’re the greatest football coach in the world. And this professional team wants to hire you. And they’re going to pay you a huge salary. But the owner is not too bright. He says, “Yeah, but I’m gonna call the plays.”

And you say, “Wait a minute! I’m going to get blamed for the bad moves you make? You’re going to call the plays, but they’re going to call me the coach?”

There are people who claim that Jesus is their coach, He’s their Lord. They’re following Him. In fact, they’re calling the plays. So a disciple follows his Lord; follows His Word. And, Tom, it takes time, you know. We’ve got to teach the Word of God; we’ve got to set an example for others—and this is discipleship, being a disciple of the Lord.

Tom: Yeah, and it has to do with doctrine. Understanding, learning about doctrine. Dave, one of the things that concerns me in seeing what’s going on in the churches throughout the country is that doctrine is being put aside. Certainly, if that’s the case, then you can’t have discipleship. You can’t train people up in the way they should go. And now with regard to the seeker-friendly, seeker-sensitive churches, that’s not taking place, because they’re changing—in many cases, not in all cases—but in many cases, they’re changing the structure of the church around to accommodate the so-called “un-churched,” whatever that term means.

And many say, “Well, it has to do with the lost,” that it has to with people who claim to be believers but wouldn’t enter a church structure, and so on. But if the church is for the purpose of discipling—Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are my disciples indeed, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If that’s not taking place in the church, we’re in trouble, I think.

Dave: Not only isn’t it taking place, Tom, but then we have something else. Acts 20, Paul warned the elders of Ephesus. He said, “After my departing, grievous wolves will enter in, not sparing the flock. Of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.”

So now we have another problem. People are making disciples—but their own disciples. And they’re speaking strange things that are not in the Bible, they are not sound doctrine, they will not be corrected by the Word of God. Why? Because they want their own disciples. They want to get people to follow them.

So, we have to follow the Lord. We have to follow His Word, and we have to be—you know that is why we call this program Search the Scriptures Daily, why we call our ministry The Berean Call. Because the Bereans searched the Scriptures, checking up on Paul. Well, please, check up on us! Check up on everyone. Don’t follow someone blindly.

So discipleship is following the Lord. It’s being trained, and, Tom, you used a good word—doctrine. That’s the container of truth, and this is what we have to—we must obey the Lord and His Word, and Jude warns us that people have crept into the church, inside the church. And he says we must earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Tom: Dave, in our last segment, we were talking about teenagers. And we had this quasi- pseudo-Bible program. What we need for our young people is to encourage them, to disciple them, to train them up, and I think if the Word of God is presented, God’s Word will not return void. It will have an impact and to encourage our young people into Bible studies, into discipleship programs. I think it’s the greatest thing that could ever happen in their lives.

Dave: Tom, what could be more exciting, more wonderful, more thrilling, more fulfilling, than serving the Lord and getting to know Him and His Word and being a witness to others? If we would put that before our teenagers….

Tom: I think they would go for it. But….

Dave: They really would—instead of the nonsense of the world that attracts them.