14: Disciple People Towards Jesus

Key Passage

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Matthew 9:10-13

From the 20 Practices of Disciplemakers:

Interestingly, the people Jesus picked to disciple were 'unsaved' people, non-clergy, and not churchgoers in today's terms. Not one of the 12 came out of the 'church' environment. I always try to disciple a mix of saved and 'pre-believers.' However, if I had to choose I would be intentional about discipling those who were not yet following Jesus.

Why? Well, firstly, because we follow the example Jesus gave us. But more importantly, we are commanded in Matthew 28 to go into the world and make disciples. The world alluded to those out of the faith (non-Israelites who did not follow God).

I see three parts to how we do this:

• Step one is pointing people towards Jesus. It's better to stand far off but begin facing towards Jesus than stand close but face away (like a hypocrite in the church). In other words, look for their heart's orientation. We want people to orientate their hearts towards Jesus. It's about an inward direction rather than an outward show of behavior. The internal always affects the external.

• Step two is taking someone on a journey toward obedience to the commands of Jesus (repentance, baptism, giving, loving, etc.)

• Step three is leading a disciple to make other disciples of Jesus. Sometimes, people who are not yet following Jesus fully (but love the idea of Him) will begin to point others towards Him if they know how to do this.