Influencers Weekly Devotional

The 28:19 Initiative

by

Rocky Fleming

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19 ESV)

In the last year, I have seen more emphasis on discipleship and discipleship programs than what I’ve seen in the last ten years altogether. I’ve seen it in churches, and ministries that operate along side the traditional church. I think it is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring this emphasis to light to God’s family, for I believe it is our mission … one that Christ gave to us just before He ascended to Heaven. In fact, it is commonly called “The Great Commission of Christ.” I’ve personally been involved with efforts in making disciples for the last thirty years. So you can understand why I am elated over the new interest being shown. During those years, I used several different discipleship programs, hoping to find one that would inspire, direct, utilize and work in a person’s life in such a way that it organically reproduces through the person’s life, which is the trademark of a true disciple of Christ. It wasn’t until I began to understand what a true disciple looks like from a Biblical standpoint that I understood how a disciple is formed. Therefore, as elated as I am about the emphasis, I am concerned that many of the efforts being given toward making disciples only produce students of the Bible, but not a true disciple of Christ. How would Jesus describe a disciple? There are several definitions, but the word disciple simply means “Learner and Imitator.” As a disciple of Christ, we learn from Jesus, and we in turn try to imitate His life. Some would argue, “How can I learn from Him? He’s been dead and ascended into Heaven over 2,000 years ago.” It is this limiting thought that drives this person to strive to become a disciple without the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and only by what they read or are taught, and by gain of knowledge. Even though this effort is good, and it might produce a student of the Bible, this pursuit alone will not produce a true disciple of Christ. Then there are those who would say that becoming a disciple is a mystical revelation of the Holy Spirit that comes from a “Road to Damascus” type experience such as the Apostle Paul had. However, they do not account for the tremendous foundation in God’s word that Paul had before his experience. The Holy Spirit always works in harmony with the written word of God, and Jesus who is the Word of God who became life, works is harmony with the Word as well. Therefore, the tools for making a disciple are found in God’s word, and are used by the Holy Spirit to form a disciple. They work together. However, at the core of a disciple of Christ, regardless of the way he becomes a disciple, is a non-negotiable challenge that Jesus gives to all His disciples. To be His disciple requires that we abandon our life to Him, and to trust Him absolutely. After many years of personal effort in both trying to become and remain a disciple and to play my part in making disciples, I have come to conclude that it is only the Holy Spirit who transforms a person into a disciple of Christ. My part in making a disciple is to first be one, and then to help other believers get in close proximity with Christ. Influencers as a ministry, believes that it is this close proximity with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that allows a disciple to be formed. I cannot help someone else if I am not in this place myself. I cannot help someone become a disciple if I am unclear about the process and commitment required to become a disciple. I cannot help someone if I am confused in understanding the balance of the Word of God with the Spirit of God working in harmony to teach a believer how to become a disciple. Because discipleship has become vogue, I am concerned that the great effort to program it and spread it around will water it down, both with the process and the results, and it will still be called discipleship and the person, a disciple. But, the truth is the definition that I see Christ uses for disciple is likely very different from ones we are using today, and it needs to be His kind of disciple that we try to make. This disciple is a man who denies himself, takes up his cross daily and follows Christ. This man forgives in a moments notice. He is not easily angered. He is always just, but never demands justice for himself. He is merciful, for he knows it proves he is a man after God’s own heart. He loves like Jesus, for it is the living relationship of Christ in him loving through him. In other words, Christ is able to have His way in this man’s life. He processes life through a question to himself that always asks, “What would Jesus do?” I think the best way to measure the effectiveness of any discipleship program or process is to look at what is being produced. Do we see men who remind us of Jesus (Imitators)? Do we see men living under the authority and guidance of Christ’s commandments (Learner)? Do we see men whose strongest and most important relationship is what they have with Christ, as they abide with Him? Do we see this relationship with Christ impacting their marriage, as they love their wives as Christ loves the Church, and leading their families to know Him as they do? Do we see men who wake every day with a request of God to take what He would like of their life and use it to His honor and glory? Do we see men living in the quiet strength of authenticity and moral authority while influencing their workplace, golf group, and all relationships they have? Do we see men living as dead to themselves, but alive in Christ? Do we see men emerging from our discipleship programs that Christ would say, “This is what I mean by a disciple of Mine!”? If we are not, then please do not call it discipleship. In 2001, a group of men were not satisfied with how we saw ourselves as it related to knowing Christ as He wants to be known, and giving ourselves to Him as He wants us to do. At that time we called ourselves disciples, but we were far away from how Christ would have defined it. We were pretty much status quo with other people who called themselves disciples. Most of us had some exposure to “discipleship programs” that schooled us in the disciplines, taught us scripture, and told us what we were not. It didn’t take much to convince a bunch of Christian underachievers that we were underachieving in our walks with Christ, for we were in agreement from the get go with that point, like most men are. But, what we were looking for and not getting was a way to become the men we knew God wanted us to be, and what we, deep down wanted to be. There was nothing that we could find that took us to a place with Him that could truly change our life. Instead, we were given a regimen of rules and accountability that helped us try to manage sin the best we could, but never live above it. It was at this point that this band of men committed to finding our answers in an intimate, abiding relationship with Christ. It was in this close proximity with Christ that He began a thorough process of breaking and remaking us into men who would become disciples, and then carry a sacred message to the Body of Christ.…a message that a true disciple is formed by the Holy Spirit while we live in close proximity with Him. It was with these men, and from this process, that the message of Influencers was birthed. Since that time, we have conveyed this message through the curriculum the Holy Spirit inspired to thousands of Christians in America, in prisons, in churches, in business offices and in several nations around the world. Now, we are being called to spread this message more broadly, for the Holy Spirit is bringing awareness to the Body of Christ that God wants His family to not just be followers, but be true disciples. This month we are launching a broader effort called, “The 28:19 Initiative”. We take the name from the passage in Matthew I’ve listed above. It will be Influencers’ theme for the next five years, as we raise awareness and financial support to respond to God’s instructions to go and make disciples in a more aggressive way. We have added two new staff people, and an office in Tulsa where we will be initiating much of our outward movement. We will beef up our communication and media, which will be a key component. We will explore ways to better train our Guides through low cost technology services that are available. We will explore ways to get our message out more broadly to the Body of Christ in every people group around this nation and other nations as well. Our objective will be to raise up and train more Journey Guides and help them form their small groups, and make disciples. We feel that our King is telling us to move out and spread His message and the process of discipleship He has given us to share. We are to release it to other ministries and help them become more effective disciple makers. We must not jealously guard this process and keep it to ourselves. But, we must protect it and not allow it to be hybridized in the name of efficiency. This will be done by better training procedures and direct contact by our staff. We will release it to churches that want to be trained to use it correctly. We will take it to prisons and jailhouses, and train inmates to make disciples. We will take it to law enforcement officers as well, for we know they are often forgotten. We will take it to youth group and campuses, to foreign countries, to different languages and different cultures, as we follow the lead of our King. We are moving out, and we need your help go where we are being dispatched. I have been very guarded in sharing the financial needs of Influencers with our readers. But, in doing so, I have learned that there are those who have been blessed by this Ministry who want to help us financially, but did not know there was a need. I feel it is now time to make our financial needs known, and that you know how your investment will be used. Your investment in The 28:19 Initiative will be toward expanding our efforts in making disciples around the World. We have a proven discipleship model, and every dollar donated to Influencers goes toward the expansion and support of this effort. In the subsequent devotionals, we will share more of our heart and more of our plans toward our mission. In the meantime, please pray for our efforts, our leadership, and if you have the heart to do so, make a donation to Influencers. Click Here to go to the Support Page. The need and opportunity is now. God bless you all. Rocky