An Intentional Discipleship Ministry

What Is Intentional Discipleship?

By Rev. Brad Riley MSC


Many, if not most believers in Jesus see themselves as his disciple. They think that
since they believe in Jesus, have read the Bible and go to Bible study groups or
Sunday School, and of course pray sometimes, they are his disciples; however, true
discipleship is much more.

In the gospel of St. Luke, 9:23, Jesus speaks of the cost of true discipleship when he
says, Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.. Here, we see Jesus give to
us three things that must be an integral part of our being, if we are to be his disciple.
I will examine them briefly here and each in greater detail in future articles.

1. Christians are to be people of self-denial. Many practice self-denial for a season,
such as during Lent, by giving up one of their favorite foods or activities. However,
many believers never practice any form of self-denial. The first point I would like to
make is that Jesus isnt calling us to occasional changes in our behavior. I believe his
command of daily is to be understood as encompassing all three commands: self-
denial, cross bearing, and following.

As his followers, we are not called to indulge ourselves in feeding our fleshly
appetites, or to carry our crosses and follow him only on days when we feel like it.
We are called to be completely his 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a
year. The essence of self-denial is found in not just denying food from ones self, but
in learning to put others needs before our own. Certainly fasting from food is helpful
in teaching us self-control, but true self-denial encompasses all human appetites.
The most dangerous human appetite is to please us.

2. Next Jesus gives us a call to surrender. To take up ones cross is to surrender the
will completely. The Christian must surrender his/her will completely to the
Lordship of Christ. Often this statement on carrying your cross is equated with
enduring hardships; certainly there is that element in it. But, it is more about being
led, in all areas of life, where our human desires often dont want to go. If we trust
Jesus, then we will allow him to lead, even if it looks like it leads to the cross. He has
promised to never leave us or forsake us. Nothing can happen to us that havent
come through his hands. And, the truth of Romans 8:28 is that he will redeem for
good even those things that happen which seem bad.

3. To follow Jesus is not just a decision to be named among his followers or to join a
church. Following daily is to live in constant communion with Christ as our ever-
present teacher. Being his disciple is about being in a relationship where he governs
our hearts, minds, and actions. Following is at its core about being and not doing. As
long as we try to follow Jesus by doing things (no matter how good they are)


An Intentional Discipleship Ministry
without a completely surrendered will, we will never find the peace and joy that
comes in being in him; we will be persisting in a constant state of doing and
striving.

The true disciple of Jesus does not try to do good works of grace and mercy; the
works themselves simply flow out from his/her heart without trying because, as St.
Paul says, it is no longer they who are living, but Christ living in them.

Discipleship takes intentionality. We will not become true disciples who live fully
surrendered, self-denying, cross carrying lives without giving Jesus our complete
will, and this kind of surrender only comes from the heart. The intentional disciple is
one whose heart belongs completely to the Lord Jesus Christ, every single chamber
of it; no locked doors, no hidden rooms.

Would you be his intentional disciple today? I pray you will.

Amen.