ARE YOU FOLLOWING JESUS—OR JUST ATTENDING CHURCH?
Why Biblical Discipleship Is Not Optional, Why Age Doesn't Matter, and Why Every Believer Needs to Grow
Scriptural Foundation: Matthew 28:19–20 (KJV)
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
THE GREAT COMMISSION WAS NEVER JUST ABOUT MAKING CONVERTS
Let me ask you something that might make you uncomfortable.
How long have you been a Christian?
Five years? Ten? Twenty? Perhaps you've been attending church for fifty years.
Now let me ask you a more important question.
How much have you grown spiritually during those years, and who are you helping to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ?
You might attend church every Sunday, sing in the choir, give your tithes and offerings, volunteer in the nursery, serve on the usher board, or even hold a leadership position.
But none of those activities, as valuable as they may be, automatically makes you a spiritually mature disciple of Jesus Christ.
There's a difference between attending church and following Christ.
There's a difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus.
And there's a tremendous difference between being religiously active and being spiritually fruitful.
Jesus didn't command His followers merely to fill church buildings.
He commanded us to make disciples.
And that command hasn't expired.
1. WHAT EXACTLY IS BIBLICAL DISCIPLESHIP?
Biblical discipleship is the lifelong process of learning from Jesus Christ, becoming more like Him, obeying His teachings, and helping others do the same.
The word disciple comes from the Greek word mathฤtฤs, meaning a learner, student, or follower.
But biblical discipleship goes far beyond accumulating religious information.
It involves transformation.
Romans 12:2 reminds us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
A disciple doesn't simply ask, "What does the Bible say?"
A disciple also asks, "How should what the Bible says change the way I live?"
Biblical discipleship involves learning to pray when circumstances seem hopeless, forgiving those who have wronged us, resisting temptation, loving people who are difficult to love, recognizing false teaching, and standing firm when our faith is challenged.
It means developing Christlike character when nobody is watching.
It means choosing obedience even when obedience costs something.
Discipleship isn't about becoming a better-looking Christian on Sunday. It's about becoming more like Jesus Christ every day of the week.
2. IS DISCIPLESHIP NECESSARY IN A CHRISTIAN'S WALK WITH CHRIST?
Absolutely.
But we must make an important biblical distinction.
Discipleship does not purchase salvation. Salvation is God's gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8–9 makes that abundantly clear.
However, the very next verse, Ephesians 2:10, reminds us that we were created in Christ Jesus unto good works.
We are not saved because we perform good works.
We are saved for a life that produces good works.
Discipleship is not an additional payment for salvation. It is the expected response of someone who has genuinely placed their faith in Christ.
Jesus said in Luke 9:23:
“If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
Notice that word: daily.
Not occasionally.
Not just when life is going well.
Not simply when the church doors are open.
Daily.
A Christian who refuses to grow spiritually is like a newborn baby who never develops beyond infancy.
Hebrews 5:12–14 addresses believers who should have matured sufficiently to teach others but still needed instruction in the elementary principles of God's Word.
The message is unmistakable.
Spiritual maturity is not measured by how long you've been saved, but by how faithfully you've been growing in Christ.
3. DOES AGE MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO DISCIPLESHIP?
Not one bit.
A twelve-year-old who has recently accepted Jesus Christ needs discipleship.
A thirty-five-year-old professional who has been a Christian for fifteen years needs discipleship.
A seventy-five-year-old grandmother who has faithfully attended church most of her life can still benefit from discipleship.
Why?
Because nobody graduates from learning to follow Jesus Christ.
Consider Timothy.
Paul encouraged this younger minister in 1 Timothy 4:12 not to allow others to despise his youth, but to become an example of the believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity.
Now consider the older believers addressed in Titus 2:1–8.
They were expected to demonstrate spiritual maturity and help instruct younger generations.
In other words, discipleship is both lifelong and intergenerational.
Young believers need the wisdom of mature Christians.
Older believers can benefit from the questions, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives of younger Christians.
And every generation needs the unchanging truth of God's Word.
You are never too young to begin learning, never too old to keep growing, and never too experienced to remain teachable.
4. WHO SHOULD DISCIPLE WHOM?
This is where many churches and individual Christians miss an extraordinary opportunity.
Discipleship is not exclusively the pastor's responsibility.
Certainly, pastors and teachers have a God-given responsibility to equip believers for spiritual maturity, as Ephesians 4:11–13 explains.
But the responsibility doesn't stop at the pulpit.
Consider the following biblical relationships.
Paul and Timothy: Paul invested personally in Timothy, teaching, encouraging, correcting, and preparing him for ministry.
Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos: Acts 18:24–26 records how this faithful couple helped Apollos understand the way of God more accurately.
Older and younger believers: Titus 2 demonstrates the importance of mature Christians helping others develop godly character.
Timothy and future teachers: In 2 Timothy 2:2, Paul instructed Timothy to entrust what he had learned to faithful people who would be able to teach others also.
That's discipleship multiplication!
One believer teaches another.
That believer teaches someone else.
And the process continues.
However, we must also exercise biblical wisdom.
A person should not assume that being older, outspoken, popular, or holding a church title automatically qualifies them to disciple others.
Those who teach should demonstrate sound doctrine, spiritual maturity, humility, accountability, and Christlike conduct.
New believers can immediately encourage others and share their testimony, but they also need instruction and spiritual grounding before assuming significant teaching responsibilities.
The objective isn't to create followers of ourselves. It is to help others become faithful followers of Jesus Christ.
5. WHAT IF YOUR CHURCH DOESN'T HAVE A DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM?
Now we're getting to something that deserves serious attention.
Suppose you've been attending the same church for years.
The music is wonderful.
The preaching is inspiring.
The fellowship is enjoyable.
But nobody has ever explained how to study the Bible systematically, develop a meaningful prayer life, defend your faith, recognize spiritual deception, or help another person grow in Christ.
What should you do?
First, don't automatically assume your church is spiritually deficient simply because it doesn't advertise a formal discipleship program.
Some churches practice effective discipleship through Bible studies, mentoring relationships, small groups, Sunday school, or individual pastoral instruction.
The question is not whether your church has a program with the word "discipleship" on it. The question is whether believers are actually being taught to know, obey, and share God's Word.
If those opportunities are missing, consider these practical steps:
Pray for wisdom and direction. Ask God to show you where and how you should grow.
Speak respectfully with your pastor or church leadership. Express your desire for biblical discipleship without making accusations.
Ask about existing opportunities. There may be mentoring, Bible studies, or teaching ministries you haven't explored.
Seek a spiritually mature Christian mentor. Look for someone whose doctrine and conduct reflect Scripture.
Begin studying the Bible consistently. Don't wait for a formal program before taking responsibility for your spiritual growth.
Offer to help establish a discipleship group. Work cooperatively with church leadership and remain accountable.
Evaluate the church's teaching and spiritual direction. If sound biblical instruction is persistently absent and leadership is unwilling to address serious concerns, prayerfully consider whether another biblically faithful congregation would better support your growth.
Remember this:
You cannot outsource your personal responsibility to grow in Christ to your pastor, Sunday school teacher, or church leadership.
They can teach you.
They can encourage you.
They can correct you.
But they cannot obey God on your behalf.
6. SHOULD CHRISTIANS PATTERN THEIR LIVES AFTER OTHER CHRISTIANS?
This brings us to Paul's extraordinary statement in 1 Corinthians 11:1:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
At first glance, someone might interpret Paul's words as arrogant.
Was Paul telling believers to imitate him?
Yes.
But notice the qualification.
“Even as I also am of Christ.”
Paul was not demanding blind loyalty to himself.
He was presenting his life as an example only insofar as it reflected Jesus Christ.
That's a critical distinction.
We can learn from faithful pastors, missionaries, teachers, parents, grandparents, and other mature believers.
We can imitate their commitment to prayer, their faithfulness in adversity, their generosity, their humility, and their love for God's Word.
Hebrews 13:7 similarly encourages believers to consider the outcome of their spiritual leaders' conduct and imitate their faith.
But we must never elevate a human example above the authority of Scripture.
Not your pastor.
Not your favorite television evangelist.
Not a bestselling Christian author.
Not a denominational leader.
And certainly not me.
Every human teacher is fallible.
Every human leader must remain accountable.
Even the Apostle Peter required correction when his conduct contradicted the truth of the gospel, as recorded in Galatians 2:11–14.
And the believers in Berea were commended in Acts 17:11 for examining the Scriptures to determine whether what they were hearing was true.
Therefore, follow the example of mature Christians only where their example faithfully follows Christ.
If someone tells you to ignore Scripture, conceal wrongdoing, abandon biblical convictions, or demonstrate unquestioning loyalty to a personality, that is not healthy biblical discipleship.
That is a warning sign.
A genuine Christian mentor should bring you closer to Jesus Christ, not make you dependent upon themselves.
7. WHAT SHOULD A HEALTHY DISCIPLESHIP RELATIONSHIP LOOK LIKE?
Discipleship doesn't require an elaborate curriculum, expensive materials, or a seminary education.
Those resources can certainly help, but the heart of discipleship is biblical truth lived out through faithful relationships.
A healthy discipleship relationship should include prayer, regular Bible study, honest questions, mutual encouragement, practical application of Scripture, loving correction, and accountability.
It should also produce a growing desire to serve others.
Consider the following questions:
Are you learning to handle disagreements with greater patience?
Are you becoming more faithful in prayer?
Are you developing a deeper understanding of Scripture?
Are you growing in compassion toward the hurting?
Are you becoming more willing to share the gospel?
Are you learning to recognize and repent of sin?
Are you becoming more like Christ in your home, workplace, neighborhood, and church?
If so, those are encouraging signs of spiritual growth.
But don't confuse discipleship with a system of religious control.
Healthy accountability respects appropriate personal boundaries. It never requires surrendering your conscience, privacy, or responsibility before God to another human being.
And discipleship isn't about achieving instant perfection.
It is about continuing to follow Jesus through victories, failures, corrections, and seasons of spiritual growth.
8. THE CHURCH MUST DO MORE THAN COUNT DECISIONS
Let me speak directly to pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and church leaders for a moment.
We rejoice when someone accepts Jesus Christ as Savior.
We celebrate baptisms.
We thank God when new families begin attending church.
And we should!
But what happens afterward?
Who follows up with the new believer?
Who helps that person understand the Bible?
Who explains how to pray?
Who answers the difficult questions?
Who helps that new Christian navigate temptation, family opposition, disappointment, and spiritual confusion?
Who teaches them how to share their faith with someone else?
If our evangelistic efforts end with a raised hand, a signed decision card, or a baptismal certificate, we have neglected an essential part of the Great Commission.
Jesus commanded us to teach people to observe everything He commanded.
That requires more than a single sermon or invitation.
It requires commitment.
It requires patience.
It requires relationships.
And yes, sometimes it requires walking alongside someone who struggles, stumbles, and needs encouragement to get back up.
Evangelism introduces people to the message of salvation. Discipleship helps them grow in a lifelong relationship of obedience to the Savior.
We need both.
9. FIVE QUESTIONS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD ANSWER
Before you leave this post, I want you to examine your own walk with Christ.
Not your spouse's walk.
Not your children's walk.
Not your pastor's walk.
Yours.
Ask yourself:
Am I genuinely growing spiritually, or have I become comfortable with where I am?
Who is helping me become more like Jesus Christ?
Am I studying and applying Scripture, or merely listening to someone else explain it?
Is there someone I could encourage, mentor, or help grow in the faith?
If another Christian patterned their life after mine, would my example lead them closer to Jesus Christ?
That last question should cause every one of us to think seriously.
Because somebody is watching.
Your children may be watching.
Your grandchildren may be watching.
Your coworkers, neighbors, and fellow church members may be watching.
And what they see in your life may speak more loudly than anything you say.
A PERSONAL CHALLENGE: DON'T JUST GROW OLD—GROW UP IN CHRIST
After more than five decades of walking with the Lord, one thing remains abundantly clear to me.
There is still much to learn.
There are still areas of life where the Holy Spirit challenges us to grow.
There are still people who need encouragement, instruction, compassion, and the life-changing message of Jesus Christ.
And there is still work to be done.
Our mission through Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International isn't simply to reach people with the gospel and then move on to the next community, village, or nation.
We want to see lives transformed.
We want to see believers established in God's Word.
We want to see families strengthened, churches planted, young people mentored, and faithful Christians equipped to disciple others.
Because the Great Commission isn't complete merely because someone hears the gospel once.
Jesus commanded us to make disciples of all nations.
Whether you are sixteen or ninety-six, whether you accepted Christ yesterday or fifty years ago, you have a place in God's plan.
You can learn.
You can grow.
You can serve.
And as God equips you, you can help someone else do the same.
The question isn't simply, "Are you a Christian?"
The question is, "Are you becoming more like Christ—and are you helping anyone else follow Him?"
A PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL GROWTH AND DISCIPLESHIP
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for saving us by Your marvelous grace and calling us into a living relationship with Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Forgive us for the times we have become comfortable with spiritual immaturity. Forgive us when we have mistaken church attendance for spiritual growth, religious activity for obedience, and biblical knowledge for Christlike character.
Lord, give us hearts that are willing to learn, ears that are willing to listen, and spirits that are willing to receive correction.
Place mature, faithful believers in our lives who will encourage us, challenge us, and help us understand Your Word.
And Father, help us become examples worthy of following—not because we are perfect, but because we are faithfully following Jesus Christ.
Strengthen pastors, teachers, missionaries, and church leaders to take seriously their responsibility to equip the saints.
Raise up a new generation of disciples who will not merely talk about the Great Commission but faithfully live it.
Use our lives to lead others to Jesus Christ, and may everything we do bring honor and glory to Your holy name.
In Jesus' mighty name we pray.
Amen and Amen.
BEFORE YOU GO—ONE FINAL QUESTION
If your church announced tomorrow that it was beginning a biblical discipleship ministry, would you sign up to be discipled, volunteer to help disciple others, or perhaps recognize that you need both?
Don't allow pride, age, church membership, or years of religious experience to keep you from growing.
You are never too old to be taught, and you are never too spiritually mature to learn something new from God's Word.
Share this message with your pastor, church leadership, Sunday school class, Bible study group, or someone who needs encouragement to take the next step in their Christian walk.
And remember:
A disciple who is growing in Christ should be preparing to help someone else grow in Christ.
HELP US HELP THEM—ONE SOUL AT A TIME.
Pilgrim Outreach Ministries International — Your Feet to the Nations
We are your eyes, ears, mouths, and feet in Asia.
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