Live It Before You Lead It
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Jesus’ strategy for expanding the Kingdom is seen in His parting words. “As you are going, make disciples!” Most of us are quite familiar with this text and take the mandate seriously.
The challenge we face, however, is not in knowing the Great Commission, but in putting it into practice. How do you create a disciple-making culture in your church? Do you preach a sermon series? Do you offer a week-end seminar? Do you provide a 12-week “fill in the blank” curriculum?
Well…I’ve tried all those things. And you know what? Apart from a short-term spurt of enthusiasm, there was no lasting change in our church culture.
Then I came across a concept that offered both an answer and a challenge. Disciple-making is not a function of what you teach but of what you are. Making disciples begins with being a disciple.
Disciple-making is not a function of what you teach but of what you are. We may teach what we know, but we pass on what we are.
You and I cannot escape the fact that while we may teach what we know, we pass on what we are. Jesus made this quite clear as recorded in Luke 6:40 – “Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”
Leaders lead primarily, not through what they say, but in how they act. Their example is far more impactful than their instruction. Nowhere is this more important than in the reproduction of disciples.
A Living Example
The Apostle Paul understood this full well. He wrote in I Cor. 11:1 – “Follow my example as I follow Christ.”
That’s a scary thought, isn’t it? One might easily think, “There’s no way I can be a perfect example.”
The good news is, you don’t have to be. All you need to be is a living example.
You don’t have to be a perfect example. All you need to be is a living example.
Even your failures and shortcomings can be used as points of instruction. But, hopefully, your disciples will see that though you are still very much in process, you are also making progress.
Making disciples is a front-burner issue. Jesus made that clear. That being the case, while you may hope for some help from a discipleship committee or a discipleship pastor, you have to champion discipleship personally.
Jesus made it clear - making disciples is a front-burner issue. While you may hope for help from a discipleship committee or a discipleship pastor, the lead pastor has to champion discipleship personally.
You have to own this value and practice it if you hope for others to do so. I recognize that this will require you to drill down into some deeper issues such as what discipleship actually is and how disciples actually live. And we’ll be addressing these things in future blogs.
Personal change precedes organizational change.
But, for now, reflect on the fact that personal change precedes organizational change. You have to live it before you lead it. Once you own this, the rest will begin to fall into place.
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