I don’t believe in discipleship

Got your attention, huh? Actually, I believe very strongly in discipleship. What I don't believe in is discipleship quantified, programmed, and measured. I hear all the time about the church's need for 'discipleship,' and that usually means there is a small group program or something similar. A program. The theory goes that as people join and continue in a small group, they grow closer to God.

That's excellent in theory. Please believe me- I love small groups and have seen people grow from being in them. Some of my best experiences have been in small groups. However, I don't believe that that captures the true nature of discipleship.

Discipleship takes commitment. Plain and simple. Without commitment, attendance in a small group or anything else means nothing. When Jesus called His twelve disciples, He called them to leave their jobs, their families, their homes, their means of income- everything. He called for total commitment. These twelve men made that commitment, and therefore were called "disciples." I'm sure they sat around in small groups from time to time, but the majority of the time the disciples watched as Jesus led by example- from His dealings with the Pharisees to His care for the poor to His sermon on the mount.

They followed Him. Most of the time they didn't understand what the heck Jesus was doing or saying. I'm sure that half of the time they questioned why they were still following Him. Jesus constantly asked them, "Why are you so dull?" and called them "You of little faith," and yet still they followed. Jesus had a huge crowd following Him at one point. He then turned to the crowd and, in a reference to communion, told the crowd that they must "eat His flesh and drink His blood (John 6). At this point, most of the crowd stopped following Him, yet the disciples continued to follow. They were persecuted, scared, discouraged, and disowned. Still they followed. They turned the world upside down with their ministry after the death of Jesus, and the world hasn't been the same since.

Now you see why I don't believe in 'discipleship' as many churches define it. I have never been called to that kind of commitment- probably neither have you. Most of us are like the crowd and run away when we don't understand what Jesus is saying or He expects too much of us. Church members are plentiful- disciples are in short supply. I guess being a disciple is harder than it looks. I wonder if Jesus would have chosen me if I had lived in His time.

As a church leader, sometimes I'm afraid to ask people for that kind of commitment for two reasons: 1) I might not be willing to go there myself, and 2) I would be seen as a bad minister if 90% of my church walked out on me, like the crowd did to Jesus in John 6. Maybe that's why so many churches are shallow and their congregants lead well-meaning lives but make no impact on a world that is rapidly going to hell. Who is REALLY willing to be a disciple as Jesus defines it. Me. Sometimes.