What do we call discipleship in our churches these days?

When we say ‘discipleship’ we are often referring to in-church meetings and gatherings (now taking place on Zoom and Facebook) in which we listen to a sermon, reflect on the Christian life, study and discuss the truth of Scripture, and/or make plans to act more faithfully.

Listen, reflect, study, discuss, plan…   this is the bulk of discipleship, right? Not exactly. To be a disciple of Jesus means, first and foremost, to be a follower of Jesus. Of course, ‘following’ involves reflection and study…   but reflection and study, themselves, aren’t actually the act of following. To follow is a real-time action. We can’t abstractly follow. We can’t theoretically follow. We can’t hypothetically follow. Follow means follow. Follow means committed action.

How many times have we had this experience?  After attending an uplifting and inspiring worship service, Bible Study, or discussion we’ve been energized to act more faithfully and courageously. But soon, we become so occupied with the daily routines and responsibilities of life that we not only lose enthusiasm but we actually even forget what it was that so inspired us in the first place.

Such are the limitations of what I will call ‘classroom experiences’. We are all familiar with the classroom. It is a safe place to learn and grow in knowledge. In the classroom we can learn about all sorts of exciting adventures, exploration and discovery, principles and theories without ever lifting a finger or risking our safety.

Following Jesus means to actually step out of the classroom and apply all the things we learn to real life situations. It’s on-the-job training! On the job training is where we apply what we learn with practice. In the Gospels Jesus spent some time teaching his disciples in a ‘classroom experience’…   but he spent a lot more time acting and doing ministry and then using those situations to actually train his disciples how to be like him.  

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” John 1:43

… to Simon and Andrew he said “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

… to James and John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them.  Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him. Matthew 4:19-22

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him. Mathew 9:9

“Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple” Luke 14:27

“My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me” John 10:27

“Whoever serves me must follow me” John 12:26

Jesus says “follow me”. Being a disciple means to follow Jesus. Following Jesus (i.e. doing with our lives what he does with his life) carries risks, dangers, and sacrifices. And, we learn and grow on the journey in ways we cannot possibly grow in safety of a classroom. That is why James says in James 1:2-4: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

The more life experience someone gains from following Jesus in good times and bad builds endurance. There are many trials and challenges in these days that require endurance. The world needs tried and tested Jesus followers with enough on-the-job training to be an enduring blessing, peaceful, and hopeful presence in these troubled and tumultuous times.