Discipleship has always been intergenerational—crossing generational lines. So, when I asked how you got to where you are, I wondered who discipled you.
Have you ever paused to ask yourself how you’ve gotten to where you are? I am not speaking from the standpoint of what brought you to this town or this church, but rather the journey of life; what were the things that helped you develop into the man or woman you are today?
More than likely, as you reflect on this journey, you are not where you are because of events or your hard work as much as because of the people who helped along the way. It may have been a particular teacher, pastor, colleague, or friend who devoted more time to and mentored you. This act of guiding and teaching, of investing in someone's spiritual growth and development, is what we call discipleship.
Discipleship has always been intergenerational—crossing generational lines. So, when I asked how you got to where you are, I wondered who discipled you.
Matthew 28 outlines the importance of discipleship as Jesus makes this His one command in the great commission. Here, He invites us into His mission of making disciples. This means that discipleship is not just a personal journey but a spiritual duty toward others to guide them in their faith and help them grow spiritually.
How does discipleship differ from traditional evangelism? First, I do not believe the two can be separated. Evangelism is often limited to passing on a set of beliefs; true evangelism must ultimately lead to a relationship. Discipleship is the journey alongside someone leading them into a relationship with Jesus.
I think of my seventh-grade teacher, Mr. Christoph. We all called him “Mr. C.” Mr. C, teaching past retirement age, was gruff on the exterior and took math very seriously. In his class, we would spend what felt like hours each day doing problem after problem. Math, however, was not his number one passion. Although he was the math teacher, I remember his Bible classes the most fondly because they spilled into the rest of the day. We would go deep into studying God’s Word, which often led to more questions the deeper we went. These questions would interject into our lunches and be batted back and forth over a game of table tennis after school. Although math was his primary subject, the Bible was first in his heart. His faithful love showed. Through my time with Mr. C during and after school, I developed a love for math, table tennis, and God’s Word. Mr. C helped shape who I am. That intergenerational friendship, formed years ago in a seventh-grade classroom, has profoundly impacted my life and ministry.
The idea of mentoring and discipling is a biblical concept as well. I think of Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Paul and Timothy. Each of these biblical mentors reached across generational lines to mentor someone else.
So, as you reflect on Moses, Elijah, or Paul, I want you to ask yourself, “Who can I disciple?” Who will be your Joshua, Elisha, or Timothy? If we are serious about finishing this work, then we must be ready to reach across generational lines and disciple the next generation.
Ben Martin is the children and family discipleship pastor at Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University.
