During the 1990s, Michael Jordan was one of the best-known and highest paid athletes. His basketball talent was phenomenal. One of his sponsors, the soft drink Gatorade, came up with the slogan for one of their ads, “Be like Mike”. In the ad, it showed Jordan’s incredible ability on the court, edited into scenes of children and teenagers trying to imitate him on the court. And all through the ad, the song sang, “I wanna be like Mike”.
In fact, not only does the world want us to be like Mike, it wants us to be like many others. It wants women to be like Taylor Swift or Princess Kate or Lady Gaga or Serena Williams or Miley Cyrus. Businessmen are told to be like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg, men are told to be like Tiger Woods or you name the athlete, celebrity, entertainer, politicians, or billionaire that you are supposed to be like. There is a simple word for saying you must be like someone else: it is discipleship. To become like Mike is to become Mike’s disciple. To become like Kate is to become a disciple of Kate.
And not only are there people we are told to imitate, there countless different ways of life out there, schools of thought, philosophies of the good life, all of which are sold and pushed through the media, through songs, and movies, and TV shows, and magazines, and websites, and interviews. They seep into social life, and friends tell friends, and family tells family, and they make converts to their system. This is discipleship.
The world makes disciples. It’s a bit amusing that non-Christians are offended that Christians are evangelising them and trying to convert them, when they are doing exactly the same thing. The world is so offended by our trying to make disciples of them, when they seek to make disciples of us all the time. It would be good for all to stop claiming the moral high-ground about live and let live, when everyone is trying to make disciples of others, some less vigorously than others, some more aggressively than others, but almost no one is content to do complete solipsism. The world, like Christians, practises discipleship.
We have seen the world worships, but the pilgrim church worships differently. We have seen the world fellowships, but the pilgrim church fellowships differently. Today we consider that the world disciples, but the pilgrim church disciples differently.
Probably every Christian knows that Christ’s last command before His ascension was the command to go into all the world and make disciples of every nation. But Christian disciples are different from the world’s disciples in two ways: What Christian disciples follow, and how they are made. The pilgrim church is making different kinds of followers to the world, so it uses different methods.
Paul was a master disciple-maker. One of his greatest successes was the church at Thessalonica. This city was about 300 kilometres from Athens, and Paul had begun a church there on his second missionary journey. After being roughly treated in Philippi, they went to Thessalonica, and there began a church. Paul describes in his first letter to the Thessalonians how they had made disciples. This is a masterful account of pilgrim discipling. From this passage, we’ll see that pilgrim discipleship has two actions.
I. Pilgrim Discipleship Declares God’s Word With Integrity
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness — God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
The first thing that Christian discipleship does is teaching. In the first 6 verses, Paul uses several terms to say that the first action of their discipleship was teaching. Verse 2 – we were bold to speak to you the gospel of God. Verse 3 – our exhortation. Verse 4, even so we speak. Verse 5, flattering words. Paul is speaking about how they communicated the Christian faith to the Thessalonians.
The Christian faith must be communicated, instructed and taught. Beginning with the Gospel itself, and going on to the whole counsel of God, the Christian faith has large body of truth that must be explained, imparted. Discipleship is irreducibly doctrinal. The Great Commission says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;…” (Mat 28:19-20)
Paul tells Timothy “2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2Ti 2:2)
Discipleship is the ongoing catechizing of one another through teaching the Bible to one another for every area of life. So what is the substance of what we teach? What is the big idea of being a disciple? Jesus summarised it in Luke 14.
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it– 29 “lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 “saying,`This man began to build and was O not able to finish?’ 31 “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 “Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 “So likewise, whoever of you does (Luk 14:25-33)
The first distinctive of a Christian disciple seen in verse 26 is that he or she loves Christ supremely. The Lord teaches us this with a striking sentence. He says – you cannot be my disciple unless you hate your parents, children, brothers and sisters and yourself. Now what does Jesus mean by this? Is He commanding malice? Is He telling us the condition of following Him is to despise others and ourselves? No, because this would contradict his own teaching. He told us to love our neighbours as ourselves. He told us in the Sermon on the Mount that as we would want others to treat us, so we ought to treat them. He even commanded us to love our enemies.
The idea of hate here is not malice, but to reject someone in favour of another. Jesus gives us a list of people. Father, mother, wife, children, brothers and sisters. Are not these the people in the world we love the most, our spouse, our parents, our own children, our brothers and sisters? And then to top it off- he adds – and his own life also. Because if there is one person we consistently love more than even spouse, parents, children and siblings it is who? Ourselves. So the Lord has lifted the bar as high as He can as far as human loves goes. The highest human love in your life must come second to your love for Jesus Christ. Nothing and no one in your life must compete with Jesus Christ. If there is ever a conflict between one of these and Jesus Christ – Christ will come first. If parents, spouse, children, siblings or even your own nature opposes Christ, you must oppose them.
The Christian life is first and foremost a life of love for God. We believe the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. God is the ultimate delight of our lives. Nothing else in our life is loved as an end. All the other loves in our life are means to the one great and ultimate end, which is God Himself. The life of a Christian disciple is learning what it means to love God ultimately. It is a life of learning to love what God loves and to hate what He hates. It is learning to love people and things for God’s sake.
The world has many loves: fame, fortune, power, pleasure in food, sex, entertainment, reputation, health, possessions, achievements, art, music, nature, sport. And when those loves are seen as the ultimate end in life, as the greatest beauty, then that’s the god. But Christians believe the ultimate source of beauty, the deepest satisfaction of all, the highest pleasure is knowing God through Jesus Christ. So our lives are wrapped around knowing and showing His glories.
The second distinctive of a disciple is seen in verse 27:
27 “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. (Luk 14:26-27)
A disciple follows Christ sacrificially. All the verses from verse 27 to verse 33 have the idea of cost and sacrifice. In ancient times, a person bearing his cross, was marching to his own execution. His life was over. So when Jesus uses this image, He is saying, a disciple accepts that following Christ may cost him everything. It may cost you your reputation, it may cost you relationships, it may cost you financial advancement or opportunities, it may cost you your health, it may cost you your very life. Verse 33 says you may need to forsake everything that this world tells you you need, your possessions, your livelihood.
Jesus says that before people build a tower or before they begin a military expedition, they count up the cost, and decide if it is worth it, and if they’ll be able to see it through. So in Christian discipleship, there is no slick marketing, no snake-oil, no tiny fine-print, no quickly mumbled disclaimer. Jesus says up front: decide if you want this life of loving God supremely, because in this world, it will cost, and cost you dearly. Now, as far as Christ is concerned, it is the best sacrifice possible. It is net gain, in the end. It is the best possible sacrifice.
25 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mat 16:25-26)
If you exchange the lesser thing for the greater, then you have gained. If you have to give up what is temporary for what is permanent, what is fading for what is ever new, what is perishable for what is indestructible, lesser pleasure for greater pleasure, lesser beauty for greater beauty, then you do it. But that doesn’t make it easy. Especially when the world is calling on you to be its disciple, and to value those things as ends, and to dismiss Jesus Christ as the ultimate love of your life. It takes significant sacrifice to live a life of love for God.
How do you make someone like that? How do you teach people to love Christ supremely offer their own lives up as living sacrifices?
We have a potent tool Look at verse 13.
¶ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
The Word of God according to this verse effectively works in those who believe it. The Word of God is something that when believed and practiced changes from the inside out. The Greek word for effectively works has the idea of energising, operating, functioning. The Word of God is not just sterile information. It is as Hebrews 4 tells us:
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:12)
You can only make supernatural disciples using a supernatural tool. God’s people speaking God’s Word to one another is the core of discipleship. Not quoting verses in goofy and off-the-wall ways, but explaining texts in context to one another for the growth of the other. This should happen in a church in all kinds of ways. Of course the primary way is the pulpit, which unifies our interpretations of Scripture, and sets the tone for all other kinds. But then there are, and should be, smaller Bible studies, Sunday School classes, men’s groups, ladies groups, discipleship groups for teens or young mothers, or parents, where we teach God’s Word to one another so as to become Christ loving sacrificial disciples for every area of life. It should happen in families around family devotions, and speaking God’s Word in the car, and at the dinner table. Sometimes it is not a study – it is a one-on-one phone call, a visit, an email, a card, an SMS, giving the Word of God to one another.
But there is a condition. The Word of God is to be taught in a certain way. Paul is at pains to say that when they taught the Word, they taught it with integrity. That is, they did not distort the Word with selfish agendas, with false teaching, with exploitation. Pilgrim discipleship wants to give the pure Word of God from the mind of God to the heart of man.
Look at the description:
1 Thessalonians 2:1-6 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a cloak for covetousness — God is witness. Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.
Verse 2 – we were bold to speak the Word in much conflict. They did not allow the fear of man, or the possibility of persecution or ridicule keep them from teaching God’s Word.
Verse 3 – we taught the Word without error, uncleanness or deceit. They did not change the message to deceive people, or to use them. There were no hidden agendas in the teaching, to manipulate men. In verse 6 he says we didn’t use the Word to make demands on people, to abuse our authority.
Verse 4-6 – we didn’t speak the Word to please man, to flatter people, to gain applause and glory, nor did we use the Bible as an excuse to make money.
These approaches pervert and distort the Word. If we distort our teaching of the Word to please man, manipulate man, get glory from man, get money from man, we are not teaching with integrity. Instead, verse 4 is how you speak with integrity. You teach God’s Word as an approved workman who rightly divides the Word of truth, you realise the Word of God has been entrusted to you to handle properly and teach accurately, and you know that God is the one who can test and discern your very motives for teaching.
When the world makes disciples, it has no conscience about telling half-truths, exaggerating, or telling outright lies. It feels little about deceiving people, manipulating them to part with their money, or their purity, or their freedom. Political parties, marketers and advertisers of commercial business, have a vested interest in you believing their half-truths. But Christianity is never coercive or manipulative. Christianity can only be like Christ – persuasive. We do not not hold back on the negative truths. We do not sugar-coat. We do not tickle men’s ears. We teach the Word of God with integrity. That’s when it is effectual.
But Christian discipleship is never simply the transfer of facts from one head to another. It is never merely informational, or we could teach each other entirely through books or websites. No, the second action of pilgrim discipleship is relational.
II. Pilgrim Discipleship Demonstrates God’s Word With Involvement
From verse 7 to verse 12, the emphasis moves from the teaching, to the relationships Paul had with the Thessalonians. He did not only instruct, he was involved in their lives. He did not teach from an ivory tower, he modelled, mentored, apprenticed, supervised, and loved. We can see three ways that Paul was involved in the lives of those he discipled.
1. Sacrificial Affection
But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.
Paul tells us how they acted towards the Thessalonians with gentle, loving affection. As gentle as that nursing mother holding that newborn in her arms. Cradling, rocking, hovering, brooding. This is an image of deep, longing love. That’s what verse 8 says, “affectionately longing for you”. “you had become dear to us”. Paul was not a knowledge dispenser, or a cool lecturer. He loved these people. He loved them enough that they could break his heart, because he’d let them in.
He had the gentleness of a mother, as well as the sacrifice of a mother. He says, we were pleased to not only impart the gospel to you, but our own lives. He gave of himself. So much so, that he laboured night and day. For this baby church, he supported himself, no doubt working longer hours so that he could be with them and encourage them to grow.
That sounds a lot like a mother, doesn’t it? What does a mother give up for her children? Everything? What is a mother willing to do for her children? Just about anything. Mothers give of themselves, and give and give, because of that longing for their children. They give up their sleep. They change dirty diapers and wipe up who knows what. They fish things out of toilets, and put plasters on bloody knees, and wipe tears, and share their own ice cream, and drive the children here and there for their extra-murals and friends. Mothers give up their lives for their children.
No mother says to her two-year-old, “Today is Tuesday. I don’t do Tuesdays. You’re just going to have to make a plan today. I need my time.” No mother leaves her infant crying at home and goes out for a cup of coffee. No mother has raging arguments with her three -year-old about who gets some me-time. There are two selfish people in the room and one of you has to grow up first. Two selfish people and one of you has to be mature and sacrifice.
And so in the church, when we help each other grow, this image of a mother should guide us. We are gentle with each other, and sacrificially affectionate. We pour our lives into the Christian we are discipling. We give up some of our week nights. We accept that we’ll get phone calls at odd times. We’re ready to walk them through the same problem again and again. We know we’ll be cleaning up the same mess several times. We don’t abandon people because they didn’t get it in one session. We don’t reject people because their growth is slow. We don’t spurn people because they make demands on us.
2. Compelling Example
1 Thessalonians 2:10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe;
We behaved justly, devoutly and blamelessly among you. Our lives were holy, just and without questionable behaviour. People could not point a finger at us and say, but what about this? What about that massive inconsistency? What about how Paul uses his tongue? What about Paul’s use of money? What about Paul’s complaining, irritable attitude? What about Paul’s sloppy and lazy work ethic? No, no one could say that. The example of Paul was winsome, compelling, attractive. They could put flesh on the bones of his teaching. They could see a pattern to copy; they had a living demonstration of what the truth meant.
And this is why God does not disciple us through books or tapes or CDs or DVDs of sermons alone. God disciples us through being in the presence of other believers who are living the truth. They flesh the truth out for us and we see it and understand it, and desire it, and seek to copy it. It is the example lived in front of your disciples that makes them want more truth, and want to implement it in their lives.
This is why we have to spend time with one another. We have to see the truth modelled. We must have the preaching, and then we must see the practice.
By the way, this does not mean we must be perfect. In fact, one of the most important lessons for younger Christians is to see what you do with your failures – how you confess your sins, make amends, put off the old and put on the new.
3. Patient Coaching
as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, (1Th 2:11)
Discipleship is not only affection and example. There is also the deliberate coaching and mentoring of a younger believer. And here Paul’s comparison is not with the gentle affection of a mother, but with the firm love of a father. He says we exhorted, comforted and charged you. This is the image of a father, deliberately training, and bringing greater discipline and strength in his son.
Picture a father teaching his child to ride a bicycle for the first time. He gives words of encouragement – “You’re getting it, keep going.” He gives words of comfort “Ow, don’t worry, falling is normal. Soon you’ll ride without falling.” And sometimes he gives words of charge – he insists, urges “Come on – no crying and feeling sorry for yourself. Let’s go. I’m not carrying you and your bike home.”
You need someone in your life, and you need to be this to someone, where you encourage them to obey, comfort them when they fall, and insist that they keep going. That’s what a coach does. He shows you how, but then he let’s you try, supervises you, corrects you where wrong, encourages you where right, and urges you to do it again.
Compare that for a moment to the way the world makes disciples. Think of the peer pressure – the scorn, the ridicule, the intimidation, the threat of being alienated, ostracised. Think of how the world penalises and punishes you financially if you don’t play by their rules. Think of the fickle way that it loves you today and throws you away tomorrow. Think of how it tells you to keep up with the Joneses and keep up with its fashion, and then laughs at you tomorrow if you are out. That’s why the Bible tells you to not be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.
It’s often said, and it is true, that every Christian needs both a Paul and a Timothy. Paul was this to Timothy: he instructed him, and showed sacrificial affection, compelling example and patient coaching. In the church, we should seek out at least one older believer to be this to us. And then, we should seek to be this to a younger believer. That’s not a tall order – two relationships.
Now, did this work? Well, look at what Paul says in verse 1, and verses 13 and 14.
¶ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus.
It was not in vain, because the Thessalonians welcomed the Word, and became imitators of the churches.
This is how you make disciples who love Christ supremely and follow Him sacrificially: speak the pure Word of God with integrity, and be involved with believers in relationships of sacrificial affection, compelling example and patient coaching.