The Difference Between Discipleship and Making Disciples

I’ve asked people worldwide, “What’s the difference between discipleship and making disciples?” Most say, “Discipleship is teaching people about Jesus, while making disciples is teaching them how to make disciples.” Then I ask, “Have you ever heard a sermon series or taken a class on how to make disciples?” Almost always, the answer is no.

Jesus said, “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” (Matthew 28:19-20). Yet, 37% of believers say they are not making disciples because they do not feel qualified or that they have never been taught how to make disciples.

Jesus chose people just like you and me to be His disciples and to make disciples. You’ll learn that if you are born-again, committed to loving and obeying God, you are qualified to make disciples. Following Jesus, you’ll learn that His way of making disciples is simple and practical. You can learn how to make disciples!

To start, let’s go back in time and revisit the ministry of Jesus. We see that He lived life day in and day out with just 12 guys for at least three years. He really got to know those men. I think He chose them from all others because He saw them not in terms of what they were, but what they would become as He invested His life in them. They were men with open hearts and minds. Most likely, they were hungry for the wrong things, but He kindled their passion into a burning desire for Him. He chose them because they hungered and thirsted after righteousness. He said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Jesus’ ministry consisted of teaching, preaching, healing the sick, and casting out demons. As He went and as He did ministry, Jesus made disciples. He used a show, tell, release, and supervise model of training. He ministered to the multitudes, the 12, and the inner circle of 3 (we call this inner circle the Core). After calling the disciples, He took them along with Him, teaching and healing the sick as He went. Then, after He thought His disciples had seen and learned enough to try for themselves, He commissioned, empowered, instructed, and sent them out to do the same things. Following Jesus’ pattern of making disciples should be no different for those desiring to bring others into a complete understanding and walk in Christlikeness.

Just as Jesus made disciples, He tells you and me, “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 obey everything I have commanded you.”

We are to make disciples. And those disciples should make disciples who make disciples who make disciples.

From the Bible we discover that discipleship is a life-long learning process that begins when a person is born again and continues until they see Jesus face-to-face. Discipleship is teaching people about Jesus and is most often done in large group gatherings on Sunday, in life groups, or in Sunday school classes.

Thomas A. Tarrants observes, “This is where the church has failed for a very long time and is still failing. Making disciples involves not just teaching from the pulpit or classroom, though both are essential. Nor does it involve just meeting with a small group to discuss and process what is being taught, though that, too, is essential. It involves, alongside these, personal interaction and friendship between a younger, less mature believer and an older, more mature believer. In such a relationship, the younger believer is mentored and coached about how to understand and apply the teachings of Jesus to daily life. This is a labor of love, takes time, and appears impossible for larger churches — which is true if the pastor is the lone disciple maker, or even with other pastors and elders. But by starting small and building a core of capable disciplers over time, even a large church can develop a culture of disciple making and transformational discipleship.”

To clarify, discipleship is teaching about Jesus. Making disciples is teaching a disciple how to make disciples.

Foundationally, disciple-making is about building friendships and personal connections between a few younger, less experienced believers and an older, more experienced believer. In this relationship, the younger believers are guided and discover how to understand and correctly interpret what Jesus taught. Like raising children in a home, this process takes commitment, patience, time, and most importantly, love.

Discipleship and making disciples are essential for every believer. It involves the initiation and the instruction of every believer into an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. It seeks to make every person a follower of Christ.

Just as Jesus trained His disciples, you’ll discover that the most effective manner to train and equip people to make disciples is to provide a simple and clear example and opportunities to practice making disciples for themselves.

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