Disciple

Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ? Do you promise to support the Church in its worship and work to the best of your ability?

KINGDOM DISCIPLESHIP

"Proclaiming the Good News, Making disciples, Resting in Christ’s reign"

As Christ’s visible church under His sovereign reign, we serve as ambassadors of His kingdom and as a foretaste of His eternal rule.

We are called to participate in Jesus’ Great Commission, growing as disciples who make disciples.

Our goal is to see His kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven while longing for the consummation of His reign when He returns in glory.

WHAT DOES “CHRISTIAN” REALLY MEAN?

The term Christian is both ancient and controversial. Today, it carries a wide range of meanings, some deeply spiritual, others cultural, political, or even nominal. People from vastly different worldviews and lifestyles all claim the label. Some who never worship, never read Scripture, and openly reject core doctrines still call themselves “Christian.” Entire nations describe themselves as “Christian,” yet their histories are filled with division, war, and moral compromise. In our culture, the term is often used so broadly, and sometimes so cynically, that it’s hard to know what someone actually believes when they say, “I’m a Christian.”

Surprisingly, Christian is not a term Jesus or the apostles used to describe themselves. In fact, it only appears three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), and in each case it seems to have been a label given by outsiders, not claimed by the early church. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26), likely by Roman or Greek observers who saw this growing movement of people who followed someone named “Christ.”

To the Gentile world, the word Christos (Greek for “anointed one”) would have been unfamiliar. Some likely misunderstood it as Chrestos, meaning “good” or “useful.” Early Roman writers such as Suetonius and Tacitus either mocked or misunderstood Christians, and the name itself may have been intended as a slur, similar to calling someone a “goody-goody” or a member of a fringe sect.

But rather than being ashamed of the name, early believers embraced it as an honor: “If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed...” (1 Peter 4:16). Over time, the label became a badge of identity, not because it was chosen by the church, but because it pointed to their allegiance to Christ.

Yet today, the word Christian can still carry confusion or contempt. In public discourse, it is often used as a political identity, a moral label, or a term of scorn. In this way, the situation isn’t so different from the first century.

Given all the confusion surrounding the term Christian, it’s worth asking: what did Jesus actually call His followers? He didn’t command us to go and make “Christians.” He commissioned us to make disciples (Matthew 28:19). While Christian was a name given by outsiders, disciple is the name Jesus Himself used. And it carries deep meaning.

To be a disciple isn’t just about wearing a religious label, it’s about walking a lifelong path: following Jesus, learning from Him, becoming like Him, and helping others do the same. While the term Christian has become culturally malleable and often vague, the word disciple gives us a clear, biblical picture of what it truly means to belong to Christ.

JESUS CALLS HIS FOLLOWERS - DISCIPLES

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) The term disciple carries deep historical and biblical meaning. While most people today associate the term “Christian” with belief in Jesus, the word disciple speaks to something far more personal and transformative. Even non-Christians have heard the word, but in the first-century Jewish world, it signified a respected and radical way of life.

To understand the weight of Jesus’ call to “follow me,” we need to grasp what discipleship meant in His cultural context.

Historical Background

In first-century Jewish culture, formal education typically began around the age of five or six in a setting called Bet Sefer (“House of the Book”). Boys learned to read and began memorizing large portions of the Torah, the first five books of Scripture. Some advanced students continued in Bet Talmud (“House of Learning”), studying the prophets, writings, and oral traditions. The most promising might eventually seek to become disciples of a Rabbi.

Becoming a disciple wasn’t automatic. A Rabbi would carefully examine a student’s ability to recall Scripture, interpret its meaning, and apply it wisely. More than intellectual ability, the Rabbi was asking: Can this person become like me? If so, he would invite the student with the words: “Come, follow me.”

To be a disciple meant far more than learning facts. It meant living with your Rabbi, imitating his character, adopting his lifestyle, and absorbing his teaching. The goal wasn’t just to know what the Rabbi knew, but to become who he was. If the disciple was faithful, he might one day become a Rabbi himself, often around the age of 30.

Jesus’ Radical Invitation

Jesus began His public ministry around the age of 30, the age a Rabbi might take on disciples. But His approach was radically different.

He didn’t choose the best students or wait for eager applicants to impress Him. He called fishermen and tax collectors, men already working their family trades. That meant they likely hadn’t advanced far in the rabbinic system. They weren’t “the best of the best.” But Jesus, the true and better Rabbi, called them not because of their résumé, but by His grace.

His invitation, “Follow me,” flipped the traditional model on its head. He wasn’t just inviting them into a religious career; He was calling them into the Kingdom of God, into a life of total transformation.

What Does This Mean For Us?

True followers of Jesus are not merely believers in a set of doctrines, they are disciples. Jesus never said, “Go and make Christians.” He said, “Go and make disciples” (Matt. 28:19).

To be a disciple is to respond to Jesus’ gracious call with obedience and surrender. It is to die to ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). It means learning from Him, loving others like He does, and helping others do the same.

Jesus calls us not to a one-day-a-week faith, but to a life of fellowship, worship, and mission. Discipleship is not a private belief; it’s a shared life in Christ with others. We need the church to grow, be challenged, and be equipped. The life of a disciple is a life of community, prayer, sacrifice, and love.

And when Jesus tells us to baptize and teach (Matt. 28:19–20), He’s inviting us to form people in His likeness, not just perform religious rituals. Baptism is a covenant sign; it’s the beginning of a life marked by grace and obedience. But covenant signs come with both blessings and warnings (cf. Deut. 28). Some are baptized yet never believe. The problem is not with the sign, but with a lack of discipleship. We are not called to create nominal Christians but to raise up faithful disciples.

WHAT THEN IS DISCIPLESHIP?

Discipleship is not destinational, but directional. We can find a good working view of a disciple in Matt. 4:19 and Matt. 28:16. It is one who is increasingly worshipping Jesus in all of life, and one who is being changed by Jesus into His likeness, a new identity. So, discipleship is best defined by: Leading others to increasingly submit all of life to the empowering presence and Lordship of Jesus Christ.

So, a disciple is one who:

• Worships Jesus increasingly in all of life.
• Has been/is being changed/transformed by Jesus increasingly in all of life.
• Is obeying Jesus increasingly in all of life.
• Leads others to do the same. True discipleship is growing up in every way into Christ (Eph. 4:15).

HOW IS DISCIPLESHIP DONE?

• Life on life (visible and accessible) – living life together in smaller groups where accountability and deep friendship and care can be fostered
• Life in community (living in Christ’s body that has many members) – living within the family of God as a larger group where non-believers can see disciples truly caring and having concern for others
• Life on mission (make disciples with others) – learning how to submit to him in all of life and teaching others to do the same

WHAT WILL IT AFFECT?

Everything: Our relationships. Our work. Our finances. Our leisure. Our material possessions. Our parenting. Our future Discipleship is not just doing spiritual activities, but being devoted to each other’s development in Christ, to see every person within Christ’s body grow up into His likeness. It is being committed to one another for the glory of Christ.

Becoming a disciple is fundamentally about embracing our core value of 'Kingdom Discipleship.' This means actively 'Proclaiming the gospel' to those who do not know Christ, intentionally 'making disciples' through life-on-life, life-in-community, and life-on-mission engagement, and ultimately 'resting in Christ’s reign,' trusting His sovereign rule over all things. Our discipleship journey, marked by resources like 'Tree Spirituality' and 'Worshipping Jesus in the Psalms,' equips us to embody Christ-centered exposition and redemptive application, transforming us by the Spirit's power as we engage with the nuances of honor-shame and guilt-innocence.

QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW, THOUGHT & DISCUSSION

1. How comfortable are you of thinking of yourself as a “disciple” of Jesus? Have you ever thought of yourself this way? What does being a disciple mean to you?
2. In general, do you think the followers of Jesus in your community think of themselves as “Christians” or “disciples”? What difference do you see this making?
3. What would change most in your community if those who follow Jesus truly loved one another?
4. The first Christians embraced the words of Jesus with utter seriousness and ended up changing the world. How much potential for the same kind of change do you see in our world today?