13:1-5 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.
NOTE: MUCH OF THE MATERIAL FROM YESTERDAY AND TODAY COMES FROM DOWNLINE MINISTRIES, WHICH HAS AN EXCELLENT WEBSITE, Downline Ministries
3. The Goal of Discipleship: To Present Everyone Mature in Christ.
Not only does the book of Colossians emphasize that Christ’s redeeming work saves His people, but it also teaches that through Christ’s redeeming work, believers grow in maturity. The goal of discipleship, therefore, is not only to make converts that make converts, but for all believers to become increasingly like Jesus. True discipleship involves investing in younger believers, walking through life with them, and shepherding them to Christian maturity.
Throughout Scripture, discipleship is compared to parenting. The two have amazing parallels. It is appropriate to view yourself as a sort of spiritual parent to those you disciple. Like a good mother, seek to nurture and love those you lead, and like a good father, seek to meet their needs and encourage them to live lives worthy of their calling (See 1 Thessalonians 2). However, don’t coddle them. Good parents don’t hand feed their children forever but train them to feed and take care of themselves. They have an ultimate goal of launching their children out. In spiritual parenting, we must think through the same lens.
Temptation to fight: Seeking fulfillment in being needed. Don’t allow those you disciple to be too dependent on you. Don’t be Jesus to them, point them to Jesus. One veteran disciple says, “I struggle with this one, because I like to feel needed. But it isn’t me that girls need, it’s Jesus. Like a young child, those we have the privilege to disciple will need more from us in the early stages of their faith, but as they grow and mature, they should become less and less dependent on us, especially for the fundamentals. Don’t let your own desire to be the hero keep you from challenging those you lead in the ways they truly need.”
Personal story: Years ago, three friends and I were in a twelve-step Bible study for co-dependency. While other groups in the same church worked through their material in the time allotted, somehow, our group leader kept finding reasons to delay completion of each of the units. Eventually we gave up, realizing that our group leader was dragging things out as long as possible because he needed the affirmation he was receiving by serving as group leader. We all agreed that the lesson material was excellent; however, we felt that we could learn more somewhere else. Through these misapprehensions, our group leader actually lost the very thing that he was most seeking.
4. The Cost of Discipleship: Toil and Struggle.
Discipleship is purposeful, fun, and rewarding. It is one of the greatest joys of a disciple’s life. However, like most valuable things, discipleship also requires energy, time, and hard work. It is costly.
In this description of his ministry, Paul uses the words “toil” and “struggle”. The Greek word which is translated as “toil” in this passage means “to grow weary, tired, exhausted”, or “to labor with wearisome effort”. And the word for “struggle” is often used to describe the strenuous exertion that goes into an athletic competition or a fight. Paul fought and labored to the point of exhaustion to present believers mature in Christ. Discipleship cost him greatly, and it should cost us as well.
Temptation to fight: Idolizing ease of life. Our culture loves comfort and ease of life. It teaches us to believe that if we are uncomfortable and strained, then something is wrong. If we function under this lie, it will lead to half-hearted discipleship. If our discipleship isn’t involving struggle and sacrifice, we should evaluate whether we have become too comfortable.
5. The Power of Discipleship: His Energy.
Paul says that he toils and struggles, but he follows those words with a very important clause. He writes, “I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me.”
While discipleship takes a lot of energy, the good news is that the Lord gives us His. We toil and struggle, yet we have Him to depend on. No matter how experienced you are in discipleship, it is crucial that you are constantly coming to the Lord to ask for His energy and power. While we do exert our energy, it is not ultimately our energy that will do the work of transforming hearts and lives, but the power of God. We are simply instruments in His hands.
Temptation to fight: Dependence on self. As we grow in our discipleship and in our knowledge of God’s Word, we might become less aware of our need for the Lord in our spiritual leadership. But, the truth is that we never start needing Him less. It is not our knowledge or skill that will develop disciples, but the power of God working within us. We must constantly acknowledge that before Him, prayerfully depend on Him, and never fall prey to trusting in our own abilities.
Do disciples continue to need discipling? Yes! Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” We need fellowship with like-minded believers who will help set us straight when we veer off-course and will help us remain devoted solely to the ministry of Jesus Christ. While there are famous Bible teachers who seem to maintain their humility, most of us thrive far better in obscurity, far away from adulation.
One profoundly troubling practice that has crept into churches here in Ghana is for the church sign to feature a large color photo of the pastor, or the pastor and his wife, dressed in elegant clothing, as if they are the ones who can save people from their sins. Billboards and posters announcing miracle crusades are quite common. But where is God in the midst of this? Accept sufficient praise and soon you might feel that the adoration should go to you and not to God. And what of miracles? Miracles will only occur if the Holy Spirit shows up. Now God might use a preacher who is not humble simply because people are so spiritually hungry; after all, God spoke through Balaam’s donkey. But if the Holy Spirit stays away, the results will be meager.
There’s a story told about Pastor Elijah Namula Panka, the first national General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana. Once this humble man of God knew that he had been chosen to head the church, his family reported that he went through the house singing, “Keep me true, Lord Jesus, keep me true.” As disciples, this should be our song as well.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and caring for us. Lord, help each one of us to become a fervent disciple, more interested in spreading the news of Your Kingdom than we are of creating kingdoms for ourselves. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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