Day 2: Choosing a Disciple, Choosing a Relationship

Ancient Discipleship; the Rabbis’ way

Around the time of Christ, disciples, or students, would not choose their teachers, or rabbis. The rabbis would choose the students. According to Stan Gleason in Follow to Lead, the practice at the time was the rabbis would visit the area synagogues searching for Israel’s brightest young men.

Ancient Discipleship; Jesus’ way

The rabbis looked for Israel’s brightest and best in the synagogues, but Jesus searched out his disciples on the shores and marketplaces.

An Unfortunate Change in Discipleship

Slowly, discipleship became non-relational. Eventually large, expensive buildings – where the congregation watched Priests conduct complex, intricate religious ceremonies – replaced the relational first-century church.

The first-century church was much more relational than the twenty-first-century church. The first-century church went from house to house, worshiped at the temple, shared resources, and conducted ministry together.

Finding Disciples Now

Where are our marketplaces, shores and synagogues to find disciples? We need to pray about who God desires to be brought to the church. Pray that God leads you to someone who you can develop a meaningful relationship with and who you can disciple. You can pray two prayers,

1. “Lord, lead me to someone who needs you right now,” and
2. “Lord, you see the needs of the church, lead me to someone who can fill that need.”

Final Thoughts

Journal your responses to the following ideas:

• How did the shift from relational “church ministry” to “congregational observation of ritual” impact disciple-making? How do you think this changed the concept of “church”?
• On a scale of 1-10, how relational is your church experience? What do you need to do to make it more relational? Reflect on any church experiences where you were more of a spectator instead of a participant.
• What do you consider when you are thinking about inviting someone to church? Are you thinking about people who are in tough spots in life and need God to move? Are you considering someone because they possess a special skill that could be beneficial to the church?

When reading the scriptures, pay attention to the types of people Jesus called to be his disciple. We often talk about the fishermen, but Jesus drew from John’s disciples, tax collectors, doctors, zealots and others. Finally, consider why he selected these men for his three-year ministry and later pouring out of the Holy Ghost in Acts.

Biblical Devotion

John 1:35-38  The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples,  (36)  and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”  (37)  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.  (38)  Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?”

Matthew 4:18-22  While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.  (19)  And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (20)  Immediately they left their nets and followed him.  (21)  And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them.  (22)  Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

Mark 3:17  James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);

Matthew 10:3-4  Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;  (4)  Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Acts 1:1-8  In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,  (2)  until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  (3)  He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  (4)  And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; (5)  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (6)  So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  (7)  He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. (8)  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”