Called to Discipleship

In Greek, the word disciple means “learner,” “pupil,” or “apprentice.” But in Jesus’ time, being a disciple was far more than simply absorbing information—it meant following a teacher so closely that your life began to look like theirs. In first-century Jewish culture, discipleship was a highly relational and immersive experience. A disciple didn’t just listen to a rabbi’s teachings; they lived life with him—observing how he handled conflict, modeled compassion, and applied Scripture. The goal wasn’t just knowledge—it was transformation. A disciple learned to walk, speak, and think like the teacher.

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Jesus Calling His Disciples

At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus didn’t recruit religious elites to be his disciples. He called four fishermen—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—ordinary men with no formal religious education.  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” (Matthew 4:19). After that, Jesus lived with them for three years—loving, teaching, modeling, serving, correcting, encouraging—helping them know and wholeheartedly follow after God. After this intensive discipleship experience, Jesus commissioned his followers to pass on the discipleship they’ve received to make disciples across the world.  We see this in what’s called “The Great Commission.” “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). And that’s exactly what Jesus’ followers did. Starting in Galilee, these men embraced their calling to not just be disciples, but to make disciples.  They committed their lives to helping people start and develop a life of wholeheartedly following Jesus. Now, 2000 years later, through God’s power and the ripple effect of discipleship, Christianity has spread across the globe and we in America have been reached with the Gospel.  Imagine for a second if the early Christians decided not to obey Jesus by making disciples? Would you have ever been reached with the Gospel and knowledge of how to engage in the relationship with God you were created for?

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The Call to Discipleship Today

Since we have been reached by the Gospel and are seeking to follow Jesus, we are also called to take the Great Commission seriously by becoming disciples who make disciples.  But what does that look like today?  To help us understand that, let’s define discipleship.  Discipleship can be defined as intentionally equipping believers with the Word of God through accountable relationships empowered by the Holy Spirit in order to replicate faithful followers of Christ.  This can include a group of men or a group of women meeting up regularly to help each other more deeply know God, love God and follow God.  In discipleship groups, we can help each other get into the Word of God until the Word of God gets into us.  As the Word of God gets into us, the love of God should flow out of us into the people’s lives around us.  This can help transform us and make an impact for God’s kingdom.

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The Current State of Discipleship

When you look at the early church in the New Testament, with its passionate commitment to Jesus and the Great Commission, do you think the modern American church shares that same level of commitment and sacrifice? Does the average American churchgoer's life reflect the same zeal? A recent poll surveying thousands of self-identified evangelical Christians revealed some startling trends. In 1990, 20.4% of Americans attended Christian churches. By 2003, that figure had dropped to 17.8%. Fast forward to 2023, and surveys indicate that over the past two decades, around 40 million Americans have left the church. As a result, the country is now considered "post-Christian." If this pattern continues, projections suggest that by 2050, only 11.7% of the population will attend church. Further surveys across various denominations highlight concerning developments within the church. Nearly half of churchgoers report their spiritual lives are stagnant or in decline, with many holding beliefs that contradict traditional Christian teachings. For instance:

• 56% believe God accepts worship from all major religions.
  
• 43% think Jesus was a great teacher but not God.
  
• 38% view religious belief as a personal opinion rather than objective truth.
  
• 26% regard the Bible as a collection of helpful myths, not as divine truth.
  

What has led to this spiritual decline? Could it be that somewhere along the way, we lost our commitment to discipleship—the kind of discipleship that creates passionate, devoted followers of Jesus?  Would that have brought more genuine conversions, theological understanding and spiritual maturity to walk closely with Jesus and abide in the truth?

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The Multiplication Effect

In 2 Timothy 2:2, we see Paul write to Timothy about a multiplication of disciples. It says, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”  As you can see from this verse, Paul disciples Timothy, Timothy disciples faithful men and those faithful men go on to disciple others.  You can imagine then, that these early Christ followers would be encouraged to continue the ripple effect of discipleship to help the transformative power of the Gospel spread across the world.  If Christians today get back to this model of multiplying disciples, it can change churches, cities, nations and beyond.  To understand the power of the multiplication effect of discipleship, let’s consider an example: Imagine an evangelist who converts one person every day for a year. That would result in 365 new believers in one year. Over 15 years, this evangelist would reach 5,475 people. But now, picture one person who disciples two people each year. If each of those people also disciples two others and then each subsequent person disciples two others and so on. This chain would result in 32,768 disciples in 15 years. If each person were to disciple three others instead of two, the number of disciples would grow to a staggering 14,348,907 over the same period. While conversions alone don't guarantee to create followers of Jesus, those who are truly discipled learn to deepen their relationship with Jesus, become evangelists themselves, and make an even greater impact for His kingdom. This multiplication effect shows the transformative power of discipleship and demonstrates the far-reaching impact of truly embracing the Great Commission.

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Discipleship Group Format

So, how can we effectively help each other become disciples who make disciples? There are many ways to create discipleship communities that align with God’s Word. Below is one suggested format that centers on building regular, intentional relationships where we all learn to deeply know and follow God’s Word. While this format suggests weekly meetings, you can adjust to bi-weekly if that works better for your group.  

• Meet Weekly: Gather weekly for 2–3 hours with 3–5 people of the same gender. This allows everyone to participate and grow together through shared insights, accountability, and encouragement.
  
• Complete the New Testament: Follow a reading plan that covers 1 chapter per day, 5 days a week. In one year, your group will read the entire New Testament from Matthew to Revelation.
  
• Memorize, Meditate, Apply: Each week, pick one verse from the reading to memorize and reflect on. Come ready to recite it and share how it applied to your life.
  
• Share God’s Love with Others: Encourage each other to show Jesus’ love to non-believers through prayer, service, and spiritual conversations.
  
• Check-In and Accountability: Ask intentional questions about your week, relationship with God, others, and any areas of sin or growth. Support one another with honesty and grace.
  
• Prayer: Share prayer requests at the end of each meeting. Keep a running list via group text so everyone can pray for each other during the week.
  
• Develop Disciple-Makers: After 6 months of learning the rhythms, begin rotating leadership. In the final 3 months, prepare and pray to have each member launch their own new discipleship group with other people, multiplying discipleship.
  

This group format can be effective in helping a group center themselves on God’s word and accountable relationships to transform into the people God calls us to be.  This group format can also be easily replicated so that after you develop these discipleship rhythms into your life, you can help others do the same.

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Final Thoughts

Discipleship is a personal invitation from Jesus Himself to follow Him closely, to be changed from the inside out, and to help others do the same. It's about walking so near to Jesus that His ways become our ways, His heart becomes our heart, and His mission becomes our mission. As we look around at the current state of our world and the spiritual landscape in America, it's clear that now more than ever, we need followers of Jesus who are committed to wholehearted discipleship. Not spectators. Not consumers. But people who are willing to invest their lives in others, who see the potential for multiplication, and who believe that the Gospel still changes everything. You don’t need to be perfect, a pastor, or have a theology degree to step into this calling. Jesus chose fishermen. He chose the willing. And He is still calling today. So—what about you? Will you accept the invitation to be a disciple who makes disciples? Will you step into the joy of life-on-life transformation, of walking with others as you follow Jesus together? Imagine the legacy you could leave—how God might use you to impact generations simply by saying “yes” and faithfully pouring into a few. The world doesn’t need more impressive programs. It needs more intentional people. You can be one of them. Let’s rise up and recommit to the way of Jesus—the way of discipleship. Let’s embrace the Great Commission not as a suggestion, but as our joyful responsibility. And as we do, may we experience the incredible power of God's Spirit working through us to change lives, churches, and entire nations—one disciple at a time.