Unit 3. Discipleship: Lead by Following
A thousand times a day, in every arena of life, discipleship and leadership intersect and blend into one whole journey. In Christian servant leadership, those who lead for Christ must follow after Christ. Staff minister or lay minister, young or old, trained or undeveloped, male or female, all of us are on this exciting Journey.
To put it another way: Every follower of Christ is called to be a servant and–through service to others–to become a true leader. Let’s examine some of the elements of discipleship.
Discipleship Activity:
Work through this unit in a very personal way. You may even write a brief log on where you are in your journey.
- Open My Notes and write a brief log on where you are in your journey.
- Reflect on the six topics explored in this unit and develop a profile of your discipleship/leadership life.
- If there are areas for follow-up action, record reminders and strategies for yourself.
- The purpose of this unit is to inform and affirm your devotion to Christ as the way to servant leadership.
1 John 2:6– “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
1. The Starting Place
Whatever terms we may use, the front end of discipleship is our eptance of the love and life God in His Son, Jesus Christ. (See John 3:3, 16; Acts 4:11-12; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10.) We may express it as:
- “I became a Christian.”
- “I accepted Christ as Savior and Lord.”
- “I became a follower of Christ.”
- “I was saved, converted, born again.”
All are confessions that seek to express that central reality: that Christ is the source and model for our life. The starting place in searching for Christ’s leadership model is the recognition that following the pattern of Christ is the truest calling in, and indeed the defining expression of, being a Christian.
2. Discipleship Growth
The natural consequence of becoming a Christian, a disciple of Christ (Acts 11:26), is to grow in Christ. Early in life, Jesus gave the example of holistic growth (Luke 1:80, 2:40). Later, he spent much time with the growth of His apostles (Matthew 5:1). Paul describes both personal and congregational growth in Christ (Eph. 5:17), and Peter closes with a passionate admonition to grow in Christ (2 Peter 3:18; see also 1 Peter 2:2-3). Disciplines of growth have often been listed, including: prayer, scripture study, public worship, witnessing, giving, serving, living with integrity, and social responsibility. Remember, following the pattern of Christ isn’t just about being a certain way, it’s also about growing a certain way: with purpose, conviction, humility and self-awareness. Are you continuing to grow in each of the disciplines mentioned above? Have you become overly content or comfortable in any areas?
3. Three Special Gifts
Servant leadership is energized by special gifts available to every disciple. These may not always be listed with traditional “spiritual gifts,” but they are not limited to the few but rather given to all of us:
- The Holy Spirit: The presence and enabling power of the Holy Spirit is in fact the Father’s greatest spiritual gift to all the followers of Christ. He is the convincing presence of God to unbelievers and His abiding presence within believers.
- Sufficient Grace: Since spiritual gifts are often called “grace gifts,” then grace itself is a most notable gift of God to all humankind. It is mercy, loving kindness, divine and unmerited favor. It is the very source of our salvation (Eph. 2:8-10) and becomes the basis for daily living and serving (2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9; Col. 4:6; Heb. 4:16).
- Love – the excellent way: God’s greatest spiritual gift–the more excellent way–is to be desired and followed by all believers. It is “agape“–loving kindness–volitional, sacrificial, unselfish, lasting, transcending (1 Cor. 12:31; 13:1; 14:1).
Love excels:
- all other gifts: tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, generosity, even martyrdom.
- in that it encompasses other distinct Christian actions and attributes.
- in that it never fails–it lasts beyond time into eternity (1 Cor. 13:8-10, 13).
- in that it serves our present human frailty, but also completes spiritual maturity (1 Cor. 13:11-12).
4. Calling to Life and Service
As servant leaders, we are not “on our own.” We are within the gracious calling and claim of God on our lives: called to salvation, called to daily discipleship, called to ministry and called to specific roles and functions of service in this kingdom. We are called:
- to follow–Jesus, like a shepherd, called his sheep to himself and they followed him (John 10:3).
- to productive living– The synergistic qualities of the Christian life enrich and ensure the calling of our Lord Jesus Christ to productive living (2 Peter 1:5-11).
- to walk in unity-Disciples are urged to walk in unity, “worthy of the calling” within the one body of Christ and one Spirit (Eph. 4:1-6).
5. Kingdom Vision
As followers of Jesus, we are citizens in the Kingdom of God. His soveriegn cause is to be our highest priority and His commission is to be our marching orders. Christ’s kingdom is to be the centerpiece of the discipleship way and service (Matt. 6:33-34; 19:29-30; 28:19-20).
6. Servant Congregation
A congregation becomes a servant body in the cause of Christ as disciples/ministers significantly invest themselves in its life and functions. What functions and roles are resident in most congregations? Which do you serve most consistently? Where could you enlarge your servant leadership? Use the following diagram as an assessment tool:
