Founded on Jesus’ blueprint for discipleship, John Wesley developed a simple plan for maturing and equipping the saints. Wesley said, “The Church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” Jesus commanded us to: “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 28:19,20)
Biblical Discipleship: “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” (1 John 2:6)
Growing Authentic Disciples of Jesus
Discipleship is a common term in churches, but how well are we developing Christ-like people? With millions of born again Christians suffering from biblical illiteracy and culture-accommodating lifestyles, we must reassess how we train people to be true followers of our Lord Jesus.
How Jesus Taught:
Jesus ministered to the multitudes at least 17 times according to the Bible. However, there are approximately 46 mentions in the Bible where He spent His time in private with His disciples. In those smaller group settings He trained His committed followers for their own ministries. He ministered one-on-one, one-on-two, and one-on-three. At other times His ministry was conducted one-on-twelve. He also provided on-the-job training with the 70; and spent some apprenticeship time with the 120 as well as placing some emphasis with the 500 in Galilee.
“Go And Make Disciples…Teaching Them To Obey” (Show, Tell, Release, Supervise):
The great commission has two parts. The first is for us to go and make disciples. The second is of no less significance, but most often set aside to secondary importance if used at all. It is to teach them (apprentice disciples) to obey. In fact, there cannot be a disciple without this training. And there cannot be training without accountability.
The primary objective of the Church today as outlined by Jesus is for disciples of Jesus to develop other men and women into disciples. Discipleship should be at the forefront of our efforts. Everything we do, say and teach should be considered as we ask, “How will this help us make disciples?”
The most effective manner to train and equip people for any skill is by providing effective models and opportunities to practice the skill itself. Jesus used a show, tell, release, and supervise model of training. After calling the disciples, He took them along with Him, teaching and healing the sick as He went. Then, after He thought the disciples had seen and learned enough to try for themselves, He commissioned, empowered, instructed, and sent them out to do the same things. This model of training should be no different for those desiring to bring others into a complete understanding and walk in Christ-likeness.
Wesley’s Four Basic Convictions for Discipleship:
1. The Necessity of Discipleship:
John Wesley wrote, “I am more and more convinced that the devil himself desires nothing more than this, that the people of any place should be half-awakened and then left to themselves to fall asleep again.”
2. The Necessity of Small Groups for Discipleship:
In 1743 John Wesley organized a society. “Such a society is no other than a company of men having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their own salvation.” Discipline was the key to this level of holy living. Wesley created 3 strands of discipleship: Societies, Classes, and Bands.
Society: Strand 1 – The Crowd (these were the multitudes)
Purpose: To Bring About A Change in Knowledge
This meeting included those in a geographical area, much like a typical, congregational meeting in today’s church. These large groups of people met once a week to pray, sing, study scripture, and to watch over one another in love. There was little or no provision made at this level for personal response or feedback. John described a society as “a company of people having the Form, and seeking the Power of Godliness.”
Class: Strand 2 – The Cell (these were Jesus’ 12)
Purpose: To Bring About Behavioral Change
A class was the most basic group structure of the society. The class was composed of 12-20 members, both sexes, mixed by age, social standing and spiritual readiness, under the direction of a trained leader. It was not a gathering for academic learning. They met weekly in the evening for mutual confession of sin and accountability for growing in holiness. This group provided the structure to more closely inspect the condition of the flock, to help them through trials and temptations, and to bring further understanding in practical terms to the messages they had heard preached in the public society meeting. Membership in a class meeting was non-negotiable. If you wanted to continue in the society you had to be in a class. In 1742 in one society in London there were 426 members, divided into 65 classes. Eighteen months later that same society had 2200 members, all of whom were in classes. Every week each class member was expected to speak openly and honestly on the true state of his or her soul.
Band: Strand 3 – The CORE (these were Jesus’ inner circle made up of Peter, James, and John)
Purpose: To Bring About A Change of Direction, Heart and Position
Composed of 4 members, all the same sex, age, and marital status. They were voluntary cells of people who professed clear Christian commitment, who desired to grow in love, holiness, and purity of motive. The environment was one of ruthless honesty and frank openness. There were specific rules about punctuality and order within the meeting. He introduced accountability questions which everyone answered openly and honestly in the meeting each week: 1) What known sins have you committed since our last meeting? 2) What temptations have you met with? 3) How were you delivered? 4) What have you thought, said, or done, of which you doubt whether it be sin or not? 5) Have you nothing you desire to keep secret? You can see from these questions that there was no place to hide in a Band. Bands became the training ground for future leaders. This group held to extreme confidentiality in a “safe place”, mutual submission where matters of indifference were yielded to the released leader, and godly stewardship. This was the group that could intensively pursue goals and vision together.
3. The Necessity of Leadership in Discipleship:
A small army was needed to provide the leadership for this 3-Strand Discipleship Model, and, just as is true today, professional paid staff simply was not available. Wesley trained and mobilized a massive army of leaders, putting as many as 1 in 10 of his members into leadership roles – barbers, blacksmiths, bakers, men and women. The job description of those who looked after societies and classes was: “preach, teach, study, travel, meet with bands, classes, exercise daily and eat sparingly.”
4. Holiness and Service as the Goals of Discipleship:
Wesley’s goals for this entire process were: godliness and goodwill – spirituality and service to others. This system and process produced a new kind of citizen at a period of history when crime and every form of public sin were rampant. These men and women reformed both the church and the society in which they lived.
Applications:
1. Make discipleship a priority for making disciples.
2. Be constantly involved in training others to do the work of making disciples.
3. Consider some adaptation of the 3-Strand Church Model: Crowd + Cell + CORE = Church.
4. Renew a thrust for evangelism by focusing attention on disciple-making.
Our Lord continue to bless you as you intentionally purpose to make disciples.
Why Core
© 2001-2024 | All rights reserved | Core Discipleship™, Core Discipleship Groups™, and Core Groups™ are trademarks of Core Discipleship. | Core Discipleship is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations are tax-deductible in the United States as allowed by federal law. Tax ID: #92-1313271.
Privacy Policy | Terms | Permissions
John Wesley’s suggestion that “90% of people in churches do not really think it strange that they are not really involved in their faith” is so true even today. my experience has been that most Christians in the church do not get involved with ministries. They come to church and sing, listen to the preacher teach/preach, give an offering and go home. No interactivity in ministry training or preparation to serve the body or the world. Going to church seems to be the right thing to do and that’s all.
Believing what the Word of God says about making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) is what the church should be about first and foremost. How else can the body of believers show what Jesus’ message was all about? John Wesley gives examples of three (3) Strands for small group training. 1) Society, 2) The Cell, 3) Band. I noticed it was mentioned about the level of commitment that was necessary for the people to go higher in their learning experience.
There is a 12-week discipleship program that I am familiar with called “Master Life” (a small group discipleship training- by Avery T. Willis, Jr). Small group training will definitely help me in all areas of ministry training especially Discipleship training. If I am to follow Jesus’ teachings of “go and make disciples of all nations…”, I must practice and follow his leading example.
John Wesley continues to be a hero of disciples who long for a culture-altering movement of faith in Jesus Christ. Even Wesley had to make disciples in spite of church leaders who could not or would not take to heart the full commission of Jesus (Matt. 28:18-20).
When the art and practice of discipleship find their home outside of the church, both suffer. On the one hand, the new movement lacks the foundation and resources of time-tested maturity. On the other hand, the church is further weakened by the siphoning off of committed disciples to another gathering which pulls them from the rhythm and work of a local church body.
We must strive for the day when the zeal of culture-changers is submitted to the renewal and health of the local church body in their backyard.
The problem of millions of Christian in churches are not participating in the life of the “church” is an oxymoron. If I may posit? When the Bible talks about ” the church” the church that Jesus said He would build, “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” Matt 16:18. (note: Jesus is referring to Peter’s response to a question He asks His disciples about who do the people say I am?. Jesus built His Church upon Peter’s confession, not on Peter).
A church is not a building. It is defined as “an assembly” or “called-out ones.” Thus, when we say that “millions of supposed members are not really involved at all and, what is worse, do not think it strange that they are not.” We are not talking about the same Church Jesus is talking about, nor anything that resembles a church in the 1st century. The immediate problem is that we have strayed far away from the model of the Church our Lord built.
“One of the key “characteristics of the first growing Christian congregation (in Acts) is that they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” Acts 2:42. A true Christian Church, meaning a body of individual followers, called out ones, named disciples, devoted themselves to the aforementioned characteristics. Christ Jesus did not build His Church on millions of non-participating individuals. So the question is, How did His “contemporary church” wind up like an upside-down cake? There are many answers to my question. Moreover, I’m not qualified to give a complete explanation and remedy to this dilemma.
Nevertheless, it is prudent for these words to be repeated, “Discipleship is a common term in churches, but how well are we developing Christ-like people? With millions of born-again Christians suffering from biblical illiteracy and culture-accommodating lifestyles, we must reassess how we train people to be true followers of our Lord Jesus.” The “we” is the local pastors and their trained staff, who themselves are trained in Discipleship making. Let us pray for our leaders continually.
My commitment to the saints assembled, under the guidance and authority of the Holy Ghost, is not a question of my interpretation of Scripture, but my absolute willingness to submit to Jesus Christ. Lastly, Grace through faith is the only way I can become a true disciple. I must believe everything God promises. Therefore, I openly ask for those who know the words of Scripture, to pray them over my life; so that errors of mine are exposed and through that exposure, I don’t let pride get in the way. Let my words be, “thank you, Father, for the correction, and then repent.”
My prayer is that all true disciple of Jesus, stand behind their leaders, in their local churches, so when they say, “we are about to begin 1st Century Discipleship training”. We, God’s chosen people, a royal priesthood, shout Hallelujah so loud and in unity, that it shatters the stained glass windows. This post was written in Love, humility, and respect, not condemnation.
I agree % with your comment. I would like to say that to be a disciple we have to be disciplined. Just going to church to warm the bench or say I’ve been to church is not all we as Christians are to do.What have we learned while sitting in the Church pew? Who did you spread the gospel with once you’ve learned? How’s your prayer life? Did you show love for attention or from your heart in spirit and in truth? An answer to an invite to Fellowship shouldn’t be yes if you’re serving food. Fellowship because we love one another and care about the growth of one another. Show new ways of serving God’s people. I pray that we all discipline ourselves to be disciplined for Christ instructions. I pray that God will put a burning desire in each of our hearts to love, care and protect others just like Jesus did. Help us Lord God to be a blessing and a helper to those in need and not just our Christian family but those who need to know that your unconditional love will turn the lost around if they will come to you, trust you and believe in you. Thank you Father, in Jesus’s mighty name I pray. Amen
Good day,
I would like to quote from this blog in a research paper; however, I do not see an authors name or date? Can you provide that information to me, please?
Thank you,
Deanna York
I agree with you brethren that it’s a very little percent whom are doing the great commission, making the disciples of Jesus Christ, instead,they make their own disciples.
Great stuff. Very insightful. As a Methodist, it makes even more sense to me. Thanks.