4 Steps Discipleship School.
On the following pages, you will learn how to fulfill the mission "Make disciples!" in four steps:
Win, Establish, Train, and Send.
WIN
Just as you came to faith in Jesus, you now win your friends, neighbors, colleagues, etc., for faith in Jesus Christ by spending time with them, praying for them, sharing your story, and telling them about Jesus.You can go through the first section, "Becoming a Disciple," with your friends and then baptize them.
ESTABLISH
You strengthen the young faith of your friends by showing them your own faith and letting them see into your life. Together, you can study the section "Establishing."
TRAIN
Invest in your "disciples." It is best to form a small group with them. Train them in living as followers of Jesus. Encourage them to study and apply the "Training" section with you so they can continue to grow.
SEND
Commission your "disciples" to build their own group and help them do so. The section "Sending" serves as preparation for this.Who are you specifically walking with in discipleship?
The Foundation of Discipleship Based on Matthew 28:18-20
📖 Matthew 28:16-20
Questions:
- Why is this text so important?
- What does Jesus say here?
Jesus has risen and is now speaking to the disciples. First, Jesus declares that He now has all authority. He officially takes up His reign as King, speaking about His power as King. He concludes with a promise: He will always be with them, for He is present, not absent. In between, Jesus, as King, declares His intention. This mission is embedded within His kingship, positioned between His authoritative statement and His promise.
The mission consists of four verbs:
- Πορευθέντες (poreuthéntes): go,
- Μαθητεύσατε (mathetéusate): make disciples,
- Βαπτίζοντες (baptízontes): baptize,
- Διδάσκοντες (didáskontes): teach.
Interestingly, the verb "make disciples" is in the imperative form. The other three verbs are participles, which describe how to carry out the command. In other words, Jesus instructs His disciples to make other disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching them what He has done and said. This is the mission we still have today! Nothing is more crucial than making others His followers. This requires stepping out, leaving our comfort zones, and going. One cannot go while staying home and remaining passive. "Going" is part of the mission and the will of Jesus. Going might mean visiting a neighbor, reaching out to family, going to the city, another place, or even another country. In Jesus' mission, the focus is never on staying in one place, building large houses, and inviting others there. A follower of Jesus is in motion—he "goes" or he is unfaithful to the mission.
Can it sometimes be uncomfortable? Yes. Can it sometimes be exhausting? Yes. But the mission of a King is not about us; it is about the mission and the King Himself.
When we go, we meet people who want to respond to Jesus' invitation. They also want to follow Him. This radical turning point is expressed in baptism. In baptism, we die with Jesus and rise with Him into a new life (Romans 6:3-7). Something new begins in the life of a person when they are baptized.
If someone was baptized as a child or baby, that baptism is valid because, before God, there is only one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). However, baptism alone is of no benefit without a living faith. But if you truly believe in Jesus from your heart, you can trust that God has added you to His family through your baptism.If someone has not yet been baptized and wants to be, you can introduce them to your pastor, and we can baptize them in a church service.
However, simply being baptized does not make someone a disciple. The journey does not end there. Discipleship continues, and each person must be taught what Jesus did and said so they can do the same. The word "didáskontes" is often translated as "teach." Unfortunately, this translation can imply that someone merely receives information. But the meaning of the word is more about instructing or training so that the "student" can actually do something. It is not about knowledge but about active practice. Every follower is trained to do the same as Jesus did—by going, baptizing, and teaching others what they have learned and applied. That is why it is crucial to study the life and teachings of Jesus carefully and pass them on to others. "A disciple of Jesus makes new disciples of Jesus. It is as simple as that." (Schindler 2010:35).
The goal of Jesus' mission is multiplicative discipleship. People like you and me, who follow Jesus, are called to go and invite others to turn to Him. Those who also want to follow Jesus should be baptized and taught everything He said and did—so they, in turn, can do the same and go as well.
The meetings with your disciples
If you have been regularly praying for someone, you can invite them to meet with you and read the Bible together. It’s helpful to set up regular meetings, either weekly or every two weeks.
When you meet, you can structure your time as follows:
1. Prayer: Start with a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to speak personally to you.
2. Discussion:
- How was I able to apply the last lesson?
- What challenges me the most?
- Who have I shared Jesus with?
- Who have I prayed for?
3. Bible Study:
- Go through the topic together. It’s not necessary for you to always have all the answers.
- Each chapter has a title and different Bible passages.
- Read the texts together and discuss them.
- Write down what stood out to you.
4. Action Step:
- Which Bible verse or principle will I memorize?
- What will I put into practice?
- Which friends will I pray for?
- Who can I share what I’ve learned with?
- When will we meet next?
Closing Prayer:
Finally, you can pray for the personal concerns of your disciples.
