A disciple is someone who follows and emulates another.  In Christian terms a disciple is someone who is emulating and becoming more like Jesus.  Our goal in making disciples is not to make them like us but for them to be ever-transforming by the Gospel into the image of Christ.  

Short and sweet, every Christian needs to be discipled by someone(s) and needs to be working toward discipling someone(s).  Tim Keller says that there should be 4 types of people in your church.

1) Unbelievers

2) New Believers

3) Bringers and

4) Disciplers.  

If you are a seasoned believer and you are not discipling others on some level, Keller says that you are "wasting space".  Harsh words, I know.  If this is you, please don't see this as a condemnation but as a challenge.  Really examine your life.  Are YOU being discipled?  One of the reasons we may not be discipling others is that we haven't submitted ourselves to BEING discipled by others. 

If you are a new or fairly new believer, I HIGHLY admonish you to find a more mature believer to show you what it means to follow Jesus.  If you would like help finding someone to disciple you email us at info@ardentbirmingham.com.  

Here's 5 reasons why everyone needs to be discipled. 

1) You need to be pushed

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. - 1 Thessalonians 5:14

We need people around us who keep us accountable, push us to learn, and make us go beyond what we are comfortable with.  Discipleship is about conforming to God's will by the work of the Gospel in our lives.  We need someone in our life who will push us in our pursuit of holiness. 

2) Your heart is deceitful 

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? - Jeremiah 17:9

We will lie to ourselves and justify our own sin.  We need someone else consistently holding the Gospel up in our lives like a mirror, showing us our sinful hearts. 

3) Discipleship is about submission to authority

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. - Hebrews 13:7

When we agree to be discipled, we are giving someone permission to dig in our lives.  We are submitting ourselves to them to teach us and shape us.  When you find someone who loves you and cares for you, submit to them in joy. 

4) You need to learn from someone more mature than you

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good,4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. - Titus 2:1-8

There's an old saying in sports.  "You don't get better by playing people worse than you."  If you are threatened by people who know more about the Bible or seem to be further along in their faith, you are being prideful.  You won't grow until you submit to learn from someone else.  

Pastor, this goes for you too.  You need to reach out to men who have been there.  If you don't have men in your life who you consistently are making sure your life is measuring up to the Gospel, FIND SOME IMMEDIATELY.  

5) To make disciples you need to be discipled

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:46-47

You will not make disciples if you aren't being discipled.  The early church disciples in Acts 2 had submitted themselves to the teachings of the Apostle's.  Their devotion to the Gospel's work in them caused them to go make disciples.  The Gospel's work IN US has a natural outward propulsion to work THROUGH US.  When we submit to another person to disciple us, we will begin wanting to disciple other people.