Discipleship: The Church’s Missing Link

Then He said to them all: “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.” —Luke 9:23 

I tried life and “Christianity” my way for many years, and it did not play out well. In 2016, when I truly made Jesus the Lord of my life, my priorities changed to follow suit through the process of discipleship. I discovered the importance of spending time with God in prayer, connecting with believers, reading the Word, worshiping, journaling, and learning to hear the voice of God. 

Through this process, God revealed that discipleship begins in the home. The father’s role is to disciple, instill identity, provide vision, and create a safe environment for his family. I had failed on all four accounts. The presence of discipleship was not in my home; I was replicating a pattern I had learned in my family. As a result, I did not disciple my children.

Much of what I learned growing up in church, I chose to ignore, choosing instead to live life my way. I couldn’t instill identity because my identity was not established. I could not provide vision because I didn’t have a vision. And I did not provide a safe environment because my priorities were not in order. I was not operating as a son of God and didn’t know God as my Father. In short, I couldn’t give what I didn’t have.

In time, I came to value the growth that came from seasons in the wilderness, learning to depend on God, engaging in healing and deliverance, surrendering daily, being mentored, and deepening my relationship with God. By abiding in Him and cultivating the manifest presence of Jesus throughout my life, everything changed. Including my daughter’s life, which you can read about in Dying to Live: Experiencing God’s Redemptive Power in the Midst of Tragedy by Bryn Elliott.  

Is your church making converts or disciples? 

Why don’t people always experience transformation after making Jesus the Lord of their lives? Why do some people re-commit their lives to Jesus after repeatedly going astray? The answer is that they have not been discipled. They have not been parented in the faith, so they remain "only converts." Salvation is the inception point of entering the Kingdom and beginning our journey with God. And while salvation is of infinite importance, it’s not the end goal.

It’s easy to worry and focus on numbers (how we can fill more seats), giving (if we just had more money, we could do XYZ), and outreach events (we just need to reach more people). If we pack out our sanctuaries, have epic outreaches, and reach thousands with the gospel, we assume we are doing our job well. BUT, filled seats, a large budget, and the gospel message alone will not secure a relationship with Jesus. A growing, vibrant relationship with God is the result of careful cultivation. 

There is a difference between a church that prioritizes conversion over discipleship at all levels (kids, youth, and adults). Such churches may have biblically sound teaching, but they lack true fruit. Why? Because true fruit is not found in numbers. True fruit, the fruit that lasts, is the result of discipleship. 

Walking in Discipleship

Discipling others takes self-sacrifice. We must be willing to jump into the mess and help “clean the fish.” We must intentionally invest in others as we grow in faith and help others grow in faith. It’s not just about finding a mentor but mentoring those just behind us. We are discipled to disciple others.

In the words of my daughter Bryn, “Salvation is a free gift of justification, a personal revival. But, in order to grow mature believers, conversion must be followed up with discipleship. A personal revival must be followed by personal reformation. Walking in discipleship is the process of sanctification.”

Discipleship has nothing to do with religious activity or being a “good” Christian. Rather, it is the biblical method of cultivating intimacy with God while becoming like Jesus, leading to accelerated transformation. Ultimately, we are discipled by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus’ promises in John 14:26: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” 

What’s the difference between a disciple and a convert?  

Jesus’ greatest commandment is to love. Love is the greatest result of discipleship and is a sign of spiritual maturity. What’s more, the Greatest Commandment (to love God and others) fuels the Great Commission. Transformed people transform people, families, and systems. 

We are called to develop relationships with people inside and outside of the church to demonstrate the love of Jesus and manifest the Kingdom of God to the world. The best way to disciple is to love others and point them to Jesus to encounter Him personally. 

Here are a few other things about discipleship I have discovered on my journey:

• We must first be discipled before we can disciple others.
• We cannot take others where we have not yet gone, including inner healing.
• Discipleship is a process, and a journey lived out in relationships.
• Discipleship is incremental; small daily consistent steps lead to lasting transformation. 
• Discipleship begins in the family to teach, train, and equip our children.
• Discipleship is done in community.
• The goal of discipleship is to grow people into sons and daughters, conformed in the image of Jesus.
• Sons and daughters are called out ones who call out others from darkness into the light.
• The goal of sons and daughters is to become fathers and mothers who create more sons and daughters.
• Discipleship leads to eternal fruitfulness and multiplication.
• Jesus is our model for discipleship; He is the author and finisher of our faith!

It's important to remember that good discipleship will always be all about Jesus. 

With all of this in mind, let’s make sure our churches are more concerned with discipleship, recognizing that conversion is only the first step on the journey toward becoming like Jesus. If we do, we will have the lasting success of helping grow the body of Christ and expand the Kingdom of God.

Inspiration for this blog comes from Bryan’s new book, More Than Gold: Reflections on Living in Glorious Freedom. Check out The Father Pursuit: The (Often) Missing Link in the Church (Ep.3), where Bryan talks more about discipleship in the Church. Bryan is currently working on his upcoming book, Greater Than Silver, along with a book on apologetics which he co-authors with Bryn

Bryan Elliott (P.Eng.) is an engineer, author, speaker, leader, and CEO of Flo Energy Solutions, Co-Founder and Chairman of Bee Me Kidz, Board member of Transform our World Canada, Co-Founder and President of M46 Ministries, and serves in other advisory roles. Bryan is a devout follower of Jesus, a father to M46 Co-Founder Bryn Elliott, and an outdoor enthusiast.