Do I have a multigenerational vision for discipleship?

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2

As I drive back and forth visiting supporters and attending meetings, I am able to listen to a lot of radio talk shows and news reports. The predominant focus on the radio (and other channels of communication), is the Coronavirus. Governments and public health organizations in the USA have been working together to prepare for this virus since its outbreak in China. I am thankful for those who have the foresight to make wise decisions about how to respond to this health concern.

I am even more thankful for those in the spiritual realm who have the foresight to prepare for the future with regards to the development of Christian leaders. One such person is the apostle Paul who wrote a second letter to a young pastor named Timothy. Even though Paul was in prison near the end of his life, he wanted to encourage Timothy to persevere in the ministry. He begins by assuring Timothy of his continuing love and prayers (1:3-4), and then reminds him of his spiritual heritage and responsibilities (1:5-18). Beginning in chapter two, Paul admonishes Timothy to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1). How does one do this? Paul explains an important way in the next verse.

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2:2). Paul is giving Timothy (and us) a multigenerational vision for ministry. There are four generations in view in this one verse. The first generation is represented by the pronoun “me.” Paul represents the first generation of Christ-followers. Notice that Paul did not keep the gospel message that God entrusted to him to himself. He shared it with the next generation of Christ-followers seen in the pronoun “you” and “witnesses.” Timothy and these witnesses were to “commit” what Paul taught them to the third generation represented by the phrase “faithful men.”

Why is it important that these men (and women and children) be “faithful?” So they “will be able to teach others also,” the fourth generation of Christ-followers. If they are not faithful to pass on what they have been taught, there will be no future generations of Jesus’ disciples.

It is important that Christians understand that the church is not a building or a place of worship, it is a body of believers in Jesus Christ. And like any living organism, if the church does not reproduce (spiritually) through the making of disciples, there will be no future generations of gospel-preaching, Bible-believing, disciple-making churches for our grandchildren and great grandchildren.

While it is important for you to be preaching the gospel to others and then training those who believe in Christ to follow Jesus as His disciple, it also important that you do not stop there. The ultimate goal is that you not only lead people to faith in Christ and train them to reach and teach others, but that they also will reach and teach others, who will also reach and teach others (2 Timothy 2:2), forming the nucleus of a new grace-based church!

When Jesus prayed the high priestly prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion (John 17), He also focused on future generations of believers when He prayed, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word” (John 17:20). Jesus had not only prayed for His present disciples (John 17:6-19), but He also prayed for future generations of believers as well (John 17:20-26). Are we doing the same? Are we being intentional about developing future generations of Christian leaders?

God has given all of His children the responsibility to make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15). Every Christian has the potential to take part and to bear much fruit for God. Every Christian has the potential to witness to others and to train them. However, not every believer in Jesus will do this. This is what James talks about in his letter. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). Not everyone will be a faithful “doer” of the Word (James 1:22). Not every Christian will preach the gospel and make disciples. Many will be “hearers only.”

But as we preach the gospel and teach new believers to follow Jesus as His disciple, we are to look for the “doers” of God’s Word. These are the “faithful” ones Paul talks about in 2 Timothy 2:2 that we will want to pour our lives into.

How can we discover who the “doers” are? Train everyone who believes the gospel. The “doers” will quickly emerge. Those who are “hearers only” will tend to drop out of the discipleship process (John 6:60-69). But that can be a good thing! It leaves you with more time to devote to the “doers” of God’s Word!

I want you to ask yourself the following questions based on 2 Timothy 2:2:

– “Am I listening to God’s voice of truth?”

– “Do I have an older Christian who speaks God’s truth into my life on a regular basis? If not, whom shalll I ask to begin doing this in my life?”

– “Am I currently investing in a younger believer’s life with my time and with God’s Word? If not, with whom shall I begin doing this?”

– “Is this younger believer beginning to reach and teach others? If not, please show me, Lord, what You want me to do.”

God wants us to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 2:1). One of the best ways to do this is to multiply disciples of Jesus Christ who are grounded and saturated in the grace of God. Then and only then, will lives be transformed for Jesus’ glory.

The Lord Jesus could have appointed angels to make disciples on earth until He returns. But He didn’t. He has entrusted broken sinners, like you and me, to accomplish His mission. And He has given us everything we need to do this, including His presence in our lives: “And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b).

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the godly men who have invested Your grace and truth in my life during the forty-one years I have been a Christian. I would not be here today were it not for them. Help me not to keep to myself what they taught me! But rather, empower me to share Your grace and truth with faithful men who will also reach and teach others. I ask You Lord to raise up an army of faithful Christ-followers who will transform this world by reaching and teaching one person at a time for Jesus’ sake. In His name I pray. Amen.

God’s Only Plan to Reach the World

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He gave His followers His one and only plan to reach the world for God’s glory (Matthew 28:19-20). The central command is to “make disciples” of Christ. A “disciple” is a learner or pupil of Jesus Christ. Jesus gives us three steps to make a disciple. 

1. “Go.” Before we can make a disciple, we need first a believer in Jesus. Jesus commands us to “go” to “all the nations” (Matt. 28:19a), and as we go, we are to “preach the gospel” of His death and resurrection to a lost world (Mark 16:15; I Cor. 15:1-6) and invite our listeners to believe in Christ alone for His gift of salvation (John 3:16; Rom. 1:16). 

2. “Baptizing them…” After a person believes the gospel, we are to baptize him or her in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (28:19b). Water baptism initiates the new believer into the discipleship process and expresses their desire to follow Jesus and never turn back. 

3. “Teaching them…” Baptized believers are to be taught more than the commands of Christ. They are to be taught to “observe” or obey all of Christ’s commands (28:20a). God wants His disciples to be “doers of His word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). 

The command to “make disciples of all the nations” may seem overwhelming. However, as we go to make disciples, baptizing them and striving to teach them to obey all that Jesus commanded, we can go with confidence. We are assured of our ultimate success, because Christ now has “all authority” (28:18) and has promised to be with us in a special way (“lo, I am with you always”) to the end of the age if we obey Him (28:20b). This is referring to more than Jesus’ personal presence which is guaranteed for all believers (Heb. 13:5). Christ guarantees to back us up with everything we need to make disciples (i.e. boldness, people, protection, strength, resources, wisdom, etc.) as we learn to trust and obey Him.

Multigenerational Vision for Discipleship

God wants every individual Christian and local church to have a multigenerational vision for discipleship as seen in 2 Timothy 2:2. The first generation in this verse is represented by the apostle Paul (“me”) who discipled Timothy (“you”) “among many witnesses” – a reference to the second generation of disciples. Timothy was to disciple the third generation consisting of “faithful men.” They are to be “faithful” so they can teach the fourth generation consisting of “others.” If they are not faithful, there will be no future disciples of Jesus Christ and the local church will become extinct. Like any living organism, the church will no longer exist if we do not reproduce (spiritually) through the discipleship process. 

While it is important to focus on the people we are currently preaching the gospel to and discipling, it is equally important to focus on the people they will witness to and train in discipleship, and the people they will witness to and train, and the people they will witness to and train (cf. John 17:20-26). Failure to have a multigenerational vision for discipleship is likely to result in a lack of intentionality, motivation, and strategy for making disciples of Jesus Christ in the future.