Torch, Summer 1983

T he apostle Paul, as he sat alone in the cold, damp Mamertine prison in Rome, penned these words to Timothy, his son in the faith, "Thou, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). Realizing that martyrdom was imminent, Paul urged Timothy to invest his life in the lives of faithful believers by committing to them the deposit of Biblical truth. Paul believed that discipleship was the greatest task in whiGh a Christian could be involved. After leading Timothy to the Lord, Paul became Timothy's spiritual parent. 2 Timothy 3: IO indicates that Paul had taught him doctrine, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, and perseverance. He trained him to become an effective servant of Jesus Christ. Timothy then served with Paul as a child does with a father in furthering the work of the gospel during his missionary journeys (Philippians 2:22). Then in order to help the Corinthians in their Christian walk, Paul sent Timothy to them. Writing in 1 Corinthians 4: 17, Paul said, "For this cause have I sent you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church." Timothy became involved in the dynamic process of discipleship. He passed on to faithful men what his spiritual parent, Paul, had taught him. The discipleship principle taught in 2 Timothy 2:2 has been impressed upon me throughout my Christian life . My parents set an early example for me . By observing their daily times of Bible study, I was challenged to have a personal quiet time also. Dr. Paul Dixon, president of Cedarville College, invested in me a desire to evangelize the lost by sharing with me the concept of "Evangelism Explosion." Rick Thompson, my brother-in-law, imparted to me a vision for discipling others by giving me Navigator materials and by working with me in my summer pastoral internship. As a sophomore at Cedarville College, I started a discipleship group with three high school young people. We met each week and challenged each other to have consistent quiet times and to memorize verses. We prayed together and shared our weaknesses and victories. During that year, we grew in our commitment to Christ and to each other. I believe everyone can be involved in this life changing process. First, ask God to direct you to someone who needs to grow in Christ. Second, get to know different people and look for those whom you could possibly disciple. Third, don't be afraid to approach someone and ask him. If the person accepts your challenge, then set up a time to meet with him, either weekly or bimonthly. Go out of your way to get to know him in the first few weeks . Develop a relationship with him by eating together, calling him on the phone, writing notes of encouragement, and participating together in sports. Find out his interest areas and talk to him about them. In doing these kinds of things you will begin to see that discipleship involves developing close friendships. Make sure that you have some goals. I call these training objectives. They are helpful in measuring the growth of your disciple. Below are some objectives that I have used in discipling others. T, I, 1. Assurance of Salvation. Goal: The disciple will be able to express with confidence the gospel message and explain to someone how he knows that he is saved. The best way to accomplish this objective is to share verses with your disciple like John 10:27-29. Have him read I John and underline the signs of a believer. Some materials to recommend include: Bob Cook's little book Now that I Believe (Moody Press), and Navigator's Beginning with Christ materials. I have also found one of my dad's books helpful, Robert Gromacki's Salvation is Forever (Moody Press). 2. Quiet Time. Goal: The disciple will spend a quiet time with God each day consisting of reading his Bible and praying. Accomplish this objective by showing him how. Have a quiet time with him. Share some of the blessings you have received from your own devotions. Show him that Christ saw a need to get alone with God before the day began (Mark I :35). Some materials to have him read include: Robert Foster's "Seven Minutes with God" pamphlet (NavPress), and Tim LaHaye's book How to Study the Bible for Yourself (Harvest House). 3. Victory Over Sin. Goal: The disciple will experience victory over temptations by recognizing sins that he needs to forsake by memorizing appropriate verses, and by taking steps to be obedient to God's will for his life. In dealing with this sensitive area, share with your disciple different areas in which you have failed God. Tell him how you struggled and how you gained the victory. Pray with him about victory over a sin habit in his life. Have him memorize Scripture that deals with this specific problem. Good books to recommend are: Jerry Bridges' The Pursuit ofHoliness (NavPress), Erwin Lutzer's How in this World Can I Be Holy? (Moody Press), and Jerry White's Honesty, Morality, and Conscience (NavPress). 4. Assurance of Forgiveness. Goal: The disciple will demonstrate his understanding 17