What does a disciple look like once we make him? What is the objective?
The great commission is NOT about making converts. It’s not about making Christians. It’s not about making Church members. It’s about making disciples! What’s a disciple?
In the 4th chapter of Ephesians we’re told it is the saints that do the work of the ministry to bring the body of Christ to maturity. It’s not when the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers do the work of the ministry, but when the saints do the work of the ministry that we will all come to the measure of the fullness of the stature of Christ.
We see, if there are 100 of us in an assembly of believers and we have one apostle and one prophet and one pastor and one teacher and one evangelist among us, they should do 5 % of the work of the ministry. The rest of us should do the other 95% of the work of the ministry. But where have we been in the historic institutional church? If we ask somebody to name the minister in our congregation, we always get the name of the guy who’s the pastor.
In the Kingdom of God we are all to be ministers. Every one of us is a minister. A disciple, when completed, should be a saint who is equipped to do the work of the ministry. He is someone who is able to be a disciple maker as well as a disciple.
When we talk about equipping the saints, with what are they to be equipped? There are some essential ingredients in the life or character of a disciple, which basically equip him for the work of the ministry. As we begin to understand what they are, we will understand our own role in equipping and being equipped for the work of the ministry because every man of God needs to see himself as continuously living on both sides of the equation. We need to be constantly receiving further equipping in our lives and we need to be ones who are equipping others as well.
All of this preparation must be understood from two different vantage points. The first is for us to recognize how we are to be equipped and to realize what changes or improvements may be necessary. The second is for us to understand what we need to build into the lives of others for them to be fundamentally equipped as well.
What have you done this week to upgrade your equipment ?
What have you done this week to actually equip one of your disciples ?
His-Family 
You asked, “What have you done this week to upgrade your equipment ? “
I’ve made the decision to repent of my pride, laziness, and rebellion of following my own human wisdom and made the conscious choice to humble myself, work as the Lord instructs and follow his voice even when it doesn’t always make sense to my human thinking. He’s Lord, I’m not. It’s been a really free easy and light day.
You asked, “ What have you done this week to actually equip one of your disciples ?”
I shared what God has been saying to me lately and how joyous it has been following papa and I was able to help them work through some struggles they were dealing with in their own life and escape from their prison as well.
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Well said, Stuart. Ministry is a full participatory lifestyle, not one of a mere spectator.
Sadly, the problem is on both sides: too many content to be spectators and too few leaders secure enough to allow the spectators to truly minister according to their God-given passions and talents.
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Très grand merci Apôtre Missionnaire.
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I find that as I teach others it has a dual benefit of equipping me as well. It reinforces what I know to be true , strengthens my spirit and allows even greater revelation.
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