Romans 3:23, Acts 9:27, Ephesians 4:11, Matthew 17:1-9, Isaiah 59:1-2

Richard Townend

If you were to pick 12 people in the world today whose responsibility it was to make Jesus known to every single person on the planet, who would you choose? That's the question I asked a group of youth leaders in Stockton-on-Tees recently. Their answers were interesting; Barrack Obama, Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, Benny Hinn, Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama, David Beckham and Mark Zuckerberg were just some of the names suggested. They were chosen because of their skills, experience, knowledge and profile; ideal for conveying a message to the masses.

We know that the criteria that Jesus used when choosing his disciples was quite different. He didn't pick well known people who had risen to the top of their profession. He didn't pick billionaires. He didn't pick celebrities. He picked a team of nobodies, made up of fishermen and tax collectors.

This should be no surprise, because throughout the Old Testament, God had a track record of choosing the least likely of people to do great things for him. Moses was a stutterer with self esteem problems and he led a nation out of slavery. David was an adulterer and a murderer and yet God chose him to be a king.

Not only does God accept sinners, but he can also use them to do great things for him. What's more, he's not looking for followers with a fantastic CV or a decent education. He's looking for ordinary people like me.

It's really helpful to keep this in mind when we think about discipling others. The two key rules of discipleship for me are to be real and to be realistic.

Being Real

• Hypocrisy is a terrible thing, but hiding behind it for fear of being seen as a hypocrite is just as bad. We need to remember all the people God has used to do great things for him and remind ourselves they were all fallen characters; sinners just like you (Romans 3:23)


• If you are discipling others, you need to be discipled yourself so you have someone you can be accountable to about your own failings. Paul discipled Timothy, bringing him to a maturity in faith, but he was also accountable to Barnabus, his 'soul brother' (Acts 9:27)


• Play to your strengths. God wants to draw the good out of you to help someone else along. You will never be the fully rounded character. Remember that God calls people to different things according to their strengths (Ephesians 4:11)

Being Realistic

• How many people do you disciple? If you work with a youth group, can you disciple everyone in that group? Not possible. The lesson here is to disciple few and to do it well. Be realistic and give yourself an achievable target. Jesus had 12 disciples, but of those, there was an inner circle of Peter, James and John. (Matthew 17:1-9)


• What are you aiming for when you disciple someone? Is it to make people like Jesus? Let's be realistic, to make them more like Jesus would be an achievement. Our sin creates distance between us and God and the grace that we have through Christ doesn't in itself bring about transformation. (Isaiah 59:1-2) In our relationships we must reduce that distance with the understanding that we will never achieve perfection.

So, let's be real and let's be realistic. Let's also remember that discipling others is a basic calling for all Christians. Sometimes we think it's best left to the experts, but God has called you, warts and all to do great things for him. All you need is a heart of compassion and some time to spare.