Follow Me?
Would you be surprised to discover that Jesus never commanded us to convert anyone? And if you think about it, he never tried to convert anyone, either. Instead, when he chose his disciples, he issued a two-word invitation—a command, really—“Follow me”. Why did he put it that way? Because in the model of itinerant rabbis, he expected them to immediately leave everything behind. Family and friends, job, hobbies, schooling, housing … everything they thought they ever wanted. To gain what? Something they might not have known that was better than all of that—following in the way of the Teacher. Jesus walked and talked, he healed and showed compassion, he confronted hypocrisy and challenged religious norms, he broke down gender and ethnic barriers, he suffered abuse and forgave. In a word, he discipled.
To Jesus, discipling led to conversion. Not the reverse, as is commonly understood and practiced today. Because of this, too many churches are a mile wide and an inch deep. They’re all about evangelism and getting people “saved”. The baptism count is their prime metric. Am I demeaning true conversion? Of course not. I’m cautioning against the belief that making Christians is the end goal. It’s not. It’s a part of the process of the end goal—making disciples.
As you might expect, Jesus had something to say about this. In fact, it’s perhaps more telling what isn’t included among his three commands in Matt. 28:16-20:
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. [emphasis mine]
Jesus opens with a claim to all authority, so his words are true and binding. He’s speaking to the church, describing how they are to extend his authority all over the world by adding to the church. And adding what, exactly? Not converts. Disciples. Those who, through the deliberate process of discipleship, have responded to Jesus’ command to follow him, to declare to the covenant community through baptism their commitment to identify themselves with the death and resurrection of their Savior and Master, and to walk in willful and joyous obedience to all they learn about the demands, expectation, and privileges of being adopted children of God.
In the Great Commission, Jesus is simply expanding on the first command given to Adam and Eve, “Be fruitful and multiply…”. I assume God knew he didn’t have to encourage them to have kids. It was more than that. He was telling them specifically to bear more imagers of himself; worshippers who glorify God by reflecting his character and nature. Yes, he meant to make more disciples.
It may seem like I’m splitting hairs. But there’s a significant difference between converts and disciples. Tyler Edwards has put together a thoughtful list.
Converts are believers who live like the world. Disciples are believers who live like Jesus.
Converts are focused on their values, interests, worries, fears, priorities, and lifestyles. Disciples are focused on Jesus.
Converts go to church. Disciples are the church.
Converts are involved in the mission of Jesus. Disciples are committed to it.
Converts cheer from the sidelines. Disciples are in the game.
Converts hear the word of God. Disciples live it.
Converts follow the rules. Disciples follow Jesus.
Converts are all about believing. Disciples are all about being.
Converts are comfortable. Disciples make sacrifices.
Converts talk. Disciples make more disciples.
I like that. Disciples make more disciples. So what does that mean for you? Whether you know it or not, whether you like it or not, it’s not a question of whether you’re making disciples or not. The reality is, everybody is continually making disciples. How, you ask? Just by doing and being what you do and are. People imitate what you model. You cannot not disciple. The question is, what are you modeling? Does your life reflect the One you claim to follow? Can you say with Paul, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1 and elsewhere)? An unknown author penned a poem about children, but it applies to us all. Here’s the first stanza:
There are little eyes upon you,
And they’re watching night and day;
There are little ears that quickly
Take in every word you say;
There are little hands all eager
To do anything you do,
And a little one who’s dreaming
Of the day she’ll be like you.
We are always discipling. We either do it purposely or by default. If we speak of Christ in a winsome way, and (most importantly) our lives bear witness to that, we can disciple those whom God has called to trek further along their path to his kingdom. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t “close the deal”. Most of us, as Greg Koukl puts it, are gardeners. Some gardeners plant. Some gardeners water. Others prune and weed. But all disciple. It’s the Holy Spirit who uses the last person in a long chain to bring that disciple to faith and place him or her in the hands of even more disciplers to carry on the task of transformation into the image of Christ.
So don’t focus on making converts. Focus on discipling by speaking and living like the still-in-progress imager of Christ that you are. Others will notice. Disciples make disciples. Let’s say it together. “Follow me.”
