As You Go

Making disciples has always been a hot topic for me.  David Watson's book on world-changing discipleship, Called and Committed, changed my thinking back in the early 1980's, and in many ways, set the direction for my life's journey as a Christ-follower, a husband, father, and minister of the gospel.   Since then my library shelves have filled with countless other books on discipleship.   Did I really need to have one more?

I couldn't resist when I came across Colin Neyes' recent book, As You Go Make Disciples (Resource Zone International: 2015).   This is not like one of Peter Fitzsimons' historical novels (I just finished reading Batavia).   Not only does his books take long to read, they take a lot of room on my library shelves.   Noyes' book on discipleship is less than 60 pages and I read most of it waiting for a check up with my doctor.   But don't take brevity as a reason to dismiss this book.  It doesn't waste a lot of words to get right to the heart of making disciples:  everything we believe and do is an aspect of discipleship.

In the Introduction Neyes outlines his own journey into making disciples and makes the case why he believes discipleship is foundational to strengthening and growing the church.   While I do not need to be convinced about this, Neyes made me look at discipleship in a fresh way!   For example, he points out that in AD 100 the ratio of non-Christians per believer was 1000-1.   Today it is 3-1.   Also, here in Australia, while 60% of people consider themselves as Christians, less than 16% attend church regularly.   He asks the question, "Why are fewer and fewer people attending church?"   This is a question many of the leaders in Reformed churches are asking me as well.   Well Neyes goes on to make the claim:  "If we, as Christ's Body, are to prosper in harder times which we are already experiencing, we need strong, non-religious, non-institutionalised, multiplying, creative, Spirit-compelled disciples of Jesus on the loose in our nation of Australia and the nations of the world." (xvii)   I could not agree more.

This rest of the book is divided into five chapters:

1. What is discipleship?
2. What is a disciple?
3. What does a disciple look like?
4. How do you make disciples?
5. A guide to making disciples?

Taking a cue from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 28:16-20, Neyes describes discipleship as part of your everyday life.   "Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, whoever you are with, you can be making disciples.  It has nothing to do with events, programs and courses and everything to do with walking with Jesus and with people as we engage in everyday living." (6)   He goes on to say, "As disciples, we are constantly listening to Jesus and cooperating with Him in the making of other disciples.   Our role is to recognize what He is doing and do it with Him.   We are not to called to 'make converts', invite people to 'church', remove people from their normal networks or even take Jesus with us into the marketplace.   He is already there, loving people, relating to people, drawing people." (9)   I appreciate Neyes' emphasis on the sovereignty of God and the redeeming work of Christ as we go and make disciples of others.  "... our primary aim is to connect [people] first and foremost with Jesus who will never fail them and loves them much more passionately than we can fully grasp.   Nothing else, no matter how important we think it is, can replace Jesus." (9)

Another aspect of Neye's book I appreciate is his emphasis on discipleship rather than the institutional church.    He explains how typically Christians view making disciples as bringing people to church -- to the public gathering of worship.   The starting point for many people is with the corporate gathering.  The building becomes the centre of all activity.  We operate from the belief that, once a strong corporate gathering is established as the central focus, we then form small communities hoping they will eventually bridge the gap with those who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus. (32) Instead, Neyes argues that the starting pointing needs to be discipleship.   He writes, "... for too long now we have been viewing things through institutional lenses to the point where we believe that disciples need the 'institution' more than they need a direct, close, Spirit-led relationship with Jesus." (31)  If we start with discipleship, "as disciples are birthed, small communities are a natural outcome, allowing a beginning disciple not only to experience one-to-one discipleship but also the broader dimensions of living life with other disciples in small group settings and eventually in the wider corporate context." (35)   The movement is discipleship -} community -} corporate gathering.

Neyes describes the growth process of a disciple of Jesus as: CONNECT -}  GROW -}  SERVE -} REPRODUCE.    This description is not dissimilar to what the CRCA has developed in the Discipleship Matrix.   This Matrix uses the four categories: EXPLORING -} BELIEVING -}  DEVELOPING -} MULTIPLYING.    The names we give to the various movements is not the key issue.   The key issue is to see the movement of God's Holy Spirit in the disciples' journey.    And this movement continues on throughout a person's life.   It is "a continuous process of transformation that will not reach its climax until we see Jesus face-to-face." (50)

Neyes' final words in this book are worth repeating:   "Jesus did not create an institution; He began a movement that required a revolution.  This movement by constant reproduction would see disciples produced in every corner of the world.    Is it time rejoin that revolution?" (56)   We need this revolution in the Church in our western world.   As a CRCA denomination we recognize the need for ongoing reformation!    And this is where the reformation needs to begin -- in the making of disciples.   The Discipleship Matrix is a helpful tool for anyone wanting to join Jesus in the making of disciples.   But the tool is not the most important thing!   We need to see everything we believe and everything we do as an aspect of discipleship.   As we go about our everyday lives, may God open our eyes and ears to see and hear what He is doing among us in the lives of people around us, and may our hearts and wills respond to walk with people into the newness of life Jesus has planned for them.  

If you don't have a copy of As You Go ... Make Disciples order your copy today.   Check out www.resourcezoneinternational.com.   Here is a good place to begin making disciples out of an existing church, as Neyes writes:   "Select a small group who already have networks of people who do not have a relationship with Jesus.   Spend time with this group, preparing them for discipleship by:  reading and discussing the contents of this discipleship book...." (54)    And then simply do it!   As you go make disciples!