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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY

Course Reflection Paper

Submitted to Dr. Rick Garner

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the completion of

DSMN 500-B08 LUO

By

Daniel D. Garner

October 19, 2018

Table of Contents

Introduction

Personal Discipleship Reflections

Key Biblical Passages and Principles Related to Discipleship

Best Practices

Conclusion

Bibliography

Introduction

In my journey one of the things that really stood out for me was the cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. In Luke 14:28 Jesus said “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it.” The cost of discipleship means giving up your desires for Christ, it means suffering because Christ suffered for us. Suffering is never comfortable but we have been called for a purpose. I believe every Christian should count the cost of what it means to be a disciple and not just a so-called Christian that gives only speech and no real action.

Personal Discipleship Reflections

The word disciple means student or learner. It describes a protégé who learns and follows his teacher’s precepts and instructions. It speaks of a follower who adapts the lifestyle of his master. The journey of becoming a disciple is a process of development over time. Discipleship is a process, not an event, Dave Earley makes the point that the process of discipleship occurs in stages.[footnoteRef:1] I totally agree with Earley because for me personally I’m still a work in progress. In the book Discipleship: Five steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples, Jim Putnam, Bobby Harington and Robert Colman list the five stages of the discipleship process: spiritually dead, infancy, childhood, young adulthood, and parenthood.[footnoteRef:2] I think I’m in the parent stage. I still need the resources to get stronger while still being mindful of those who are in need of more coaching and resources to get to the parent stage. In the beginning this was very difficult for me because I was not very outgoing when it came to witnessing and growing disciples. It wasn’t until I became more immersed in the word of God and allowed it to become the foundation for everything that I did. Another important aspect I learn was that effective discipleship is built on a godly love for people. In order to love God with your whole heart you must be able to show love to your neighbors. I had to develop this kind of love over time, Jesus explained in his Parable of the Good Samaritan that the best way to show love to your neighbor is by meeting their need. This is one of the things we do in our church. When people see the love of Christ through us, they will more likely listen to the gospel that we present. Jesus Said: “Anew commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for another.”(John 13: 34-35) [1: Jim Putnam, Disciple shift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples (Exponential Series) (New York Zondervan,2013),46- ] [2: Coleman, Jim Putman& Bobby Harrington with Robert E. Discipleshift. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.pg 61-67 ]

Key Biblical Passages and Principles Related to Discipleship

Probably one of the most famous scripture on discipleship is found in (Matthew 28: 19 -20) Where Jesus sends his disciples into the world to preach the gospel. In this passage Jesus also instructs them by what means they are to make disciples: by baptizing them and teaching them to obey his commands. Understanding that discipleship means that Jesus Christ must come first and foremost in all that we hope to do in this life. Luke 14: 26 give us a good understanding of what a disciple is. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his life also, he cannot be my disciple”. Jesus Christ must be the main ingredient and focus of your life in discipleship. The Apostle Paul understood the cost of Discipleship best when he said “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and being found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith. (Philippians 3:7-9)

Best Practices

Through this class we learned that the church should intentionally set about developing Disciples of Christ. The local church helps to do this by developing relationships. Relationships are needed to create disciples in the church. Jesus sent is disciples out in pairs to preach and minister. The local church should provide opportunities to provide and build Christian relationships that will lead to the ultimate goal of reproducing disciples. As the church reaches out and connect with the congregation and begins to teach them how to establish relationships with other believers. Another best practice can is described by Putnam, Harrington and Coleman is “train to minister”[footnoteRef:3] This method that Jesus used was demonstrative. He demonstrated his entire ministry. He used parables like (Matthew 13:1-44) to teach. The next best practice was delegation. The writers define this part as” Delegation means we not only encourage people to do ministry in Jesus’ name but also supply opportunities and places for them to do ministry… People learn best by doing, and disciple makers need to give people a time and place when and where they can participate in doing something, or they will soon get bored and walk away”.[footnoteRef:4] Jesus often delegated but he also held his disciples accountable. Supervision is extremely important in the discipleship process. The writers detailed an accountability process the referred to a “coaching”[footnoteRef:5]. The final methodology in disciple-making is “release to be a disciple maker” in other words it’s time for the disciple to go out and bear spiritual fruit by discipline others. Earley and Dempsey called this stage “multiplying disciples who multiply disciples”[footnoteRef:6]The disciples who learned how to share, connect and train to minister are now ready to begin the process of carrying out the Great Commission. Another best practice is finding and understanding an individual’s spiritual gift. Discipleship in the body of Christ is symbiotic where each member intentionally uses his/her spiritual gifts that God has given them in the equipping of the saints as described in Ephesian 4:11-13. The pastor plays a key role in the vision and mission of a church that is bearing fruit by utilizing the acquired spiritual gifts and growing disciples for the glory of God. [3: Ibid] [4: 161] [5: Ibid] [6: Dempsey, Dave Earley & Rod. Disciple Making Is ; How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2013. pg166 ]

Conclusion

The process of discipleship moves from the dead spiritually to spiritual parenthood. From this point the application of discipleship must embody God, the church, the home and the world. Overall this course taught me to asses my current stage of discipleship and analyze the comprehensiveness of its application providing more opportunities for growth in Christ.

Bibliography

Coleman, Jim Putman& Bobby Harrington with Robert E. Discipleshift. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013.

Dempsey, Dave Earley & Rod. Disciple Making Is ; How to Live the Great Commission with Passion and Confidence. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing Group, 2013.