“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.”

2 Timothy 2:2 (NKJV)

Many people believe they can never be a disciple-maker. There are many reasons for this response. Some responses people will give is that they need to be more knowledgeable. Others will say they do not have the time and will not attempt to try. Most will not care or even consider being a disciple-maker. There are, however, those who desire to reach people with the Gospel and help them grow into maturity in their faith. 

If you are reading this, you are probably the person who desires to be a disciple-maker. This blog aims to give some practical insights into what to look for when looking for people to disciple and develop into disciple-makers. There are models and examples in scripture that can be followed and designed to fit any ministry context. 

What Not To Look For

Being a disciple-maker requires first finding people willing and wanting to be discipled. The problem with most ministry leaders and disciple-makers is that they tend to chase people who have no interest in being faithful. This has been a dilemma in most ministries, usually because leaders will spend most of their energy, time, and effort chasing people down who must be fully committed. There is a belief, sadly, that through enough follow-up, communication, and persistence, these individuals will come and stay and be committed and faithful to God. Sadly, this wastes valuable resources such as time and energy. Yes, these people do need follow-up and pastoral care, but often, they consume the vast majority. The faithful individuals sadly get neglected and only receive the leftover energy of the ministry leader. Usually, these people get discouraged because they want to grow, learn, and be involved in ministry. This neglect will cause them to leave, find what they seek elsewhere, or give up entirely.

Sadly, this truth is a pitfall for most who are called to lead in the ministry. Tunnel vision occurs when you lose sight of what is before a person. Most will look for people to disciple who the world considers apparent choices. These people may be intelligent and have good educations and jobs. They look for the ones that have been successful in business and have money. Charismatic and influential people are also sought after as prime candidates for discipleship and to be disciple-makers. These attributes are not inherently wrong, and the people who possess them can do outstanding work for God. These, however, are different from the attributes to look for in the search for disciples.

What To Look For

At the end of his life, Paul tells Timothy to look for men to whom he could commit the things he had learned. Through this, he is instructed to train and disciple others. Paul tells Timothy the first attribute to look for is that the person must be faithful. A person can be the best at anything they do, but they need faithfulness to succeed.

The second attribute to look for is availability. Many distractions and things compete for people’s attention, and they quickly lose focus and direction. The Apostle Matthew is an excellent example of a person who, when he heard the call of Christ, left all and followed Jesus. He was a tax collector by trade and was wealthy. He had all the earthly treasures and possessions a person could have, but when Jesus encountered him, he realized what he was missing. He left that life behind to pursue Jesus and made himself available to be part of the ministry of Jesus. God may not call a person to leave their wealth, job, and hobbies behind, but He has challenged believers to make themselves available for service. This requires sacrifice on the part of people to make being a disciple a priority.

The last attribute to look for in a person is who is teachable. People may be faithful and have made themselves available, but they need a teachable attitude. These people are usually combative, know everything, and refuse instruction and constructive feedback. A teachable person can listen and take instruction from others and apply it to their lives. Jesus taught twelve men over three years and taught and trained them for when He would leave. They were to carry the Gospel’s message and make disciples who would follow and obey the commands of Jesus. All but one listened, learned, and was teachable. Judas did not understand who Jesus was even though he spent years with Him. This unwillingness to know who Jesus was and what He taught led to his ultimate demise and destruction. This example is not to say all unteachable people will head down the same path as Judas, but their spiritual lives and relationships will suffer.

Conclusion

Though there are many other characteristics a person should have and could have to be a disciple, these three are some of the most important. If a person lacks and or is not willing to develop and work on these areas of their lives, there is a good chance they will not finish or get much out of a discipleship group. It requires a person to be committed and focused on the task to succeed. The most successful disciple-makers are the most unexpected people. This is because they have been faithful and available to God. Lastly, they have been humbled and learned the valuable lesson of being taught by others. These people are often not superstars but average people who work hard.

Resources

Stedman, Ray C., and Jim Denney. Body Life, Discovery House; Distributed to the Trade by T. Nelson Publishers.

Breen, Mike. Multiplying Missional Leaders: From Half-Hearted Volunteers to a Mobilized Kingdom Force. Pawleys Island, SC: 3D Ministries, 2012.

Chan, Francis, and Mark Beuving. Multiply: Disciples Making Disciples. First edition. Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C Cook, 2012.

Murray, Andrew. Humility. Minneapolis, Minn: Bethany House, 2001.