Five Essential Qualities of a Disciple Maker - Part 2

In last week’s post, I shared two of what I believe are the essential qualities for making disciple: 1 –A Heart for God 2 –A Heart for Your Disciple These qualities should not only be seen and evident in a disciple maker’s life, they must be constantly nurtured and cultivated. In other words, if you have a heart for God, you will continue to pursue a growing love relationship with him! Although the next quality is third on the list, it is not any less important. 3 –Living a Godly Life As a disciple maker, you must not only profess Christ, you must live a life consistent with what you profess to believe. Notice what Paul says in Colossians: So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10) Every believer is to “conduct himself in a manner worthy of the Lord!” This is especially true for those who make disciples. Your disciples are not only listening to what you say, but they are also observing the way you live. Consider what Paul told the Thessalonians: So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us. For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. (I Thessalonians 2:8-9) Their witness had maximum impact because they not only talked the talk, they walked the walk! They learned Christ by the godly example of Paul, Timothy and Silas. As I’ve heard it said, “example is not the best teacher, it is the only teacher. 4 –Be a Friend One of the great personal byproducts of disciple making over the years are the friendships I have forged. As you really love the people you are investing in, it stands that you would also grow as friends. My friend, campus pastor John Kelsey, goes as far as to describe disciple making as “friendship with a vision.”As you cultivate friendships in the context of a small group, disciples are being made! Some of the greatest friendships I have ever known have been in the context of a discipleship group! 5 –Pray for Your Disciples E.M. Bounds said, “You can’t rightly talk to men about God, until you first talk to God about men.” Perhaps the greatest thing you could do for anyone would be to pray for them. If you are partnering with the Holy Spirit to impact those you disciple, it stands to reason that you should pray for them.

• Look at the example of the Lord Jesus.

The Lord Jesus prayed diligently for his disciples. Arguably  the greatest prayer ever prayed is recorded in John 17, in which the focus of the prayer was the men following in Jesus’ footsteps

• Look at the example of Paul.

Paul models in detail how to pray for your disciples. In fact, he prays for the believers in almost every letter he writes! Probably the best example of this is found in the book of Ephesians. Paul not only tells these believers who they are in Christ, but he prays that they may be enlightened to see the vast wealth they possess in Christ.  He then prays that they could put what they know into practice, and that God would enable them to do it. That would be my prayer for you –that you would be enlightened to all of the qualities that you possess in Christ, and that you would be equipped and empowered to make disciples!