True Discipleship is The Domino Effect
In a sermon titled “The Domino Effect” Pastor Mike Signorelli discusses true discipleship as instructed by Christ. Where there is discipleship, there will be a domino effect.
Impacted by his interview with Dr. Hugh Ross, an astrophysicist who became a Christian to explore the universe's expansion and its theological implications, Pastor Mike highlighted the temporary nature of the universe and the importance of stewardship. A major part of that stewardship is doing what Christ instructed His followers to do: “Go into all the world and make disciples” Matthew 28:19.
As Christians, we are called to act on Jesus’ teachings rather than just memorizing them. Jesus tells His followers to become Fishers of Men, indicating a mission to make disciples. A child who memorizes his chores but doesn't do them is not completing the task given to him by his parents. As children of God, we are to move in action, particularly in the area of discipleship. Many people today are riddled with anxiety because they are not being discipled to focus on eternity and instead are focusing on transient things.
Fishers of Men
In Matthew 4:19, Jesus tells His followers “‘Come, follow me’, and I will send you out to fish for people.’” Jesus calls his followers to be Fishers of Men, implying a mission to remove people from their current environment and guide them into a new one. Pastor Mike explains that fish represent people in their natural habitat (the world), and fishing represents taking them out of this temporary realm and introducing them to the kingdom of God.
Believers must guard against making disciples without removing them from their old environments. True discipleship does involve making people uncomfortable by taking them out of their familiar settings and introducing them to new life in Christ. Seeker-friendly churches have in many ways created environments that feel like the world to attract people. Instead, they should focus on transformational discipleship, which often involves discomfort.
True discipleship involves removing people from their familiar environments.
Stages of Discipleship
The stages of discipleship include calling, teaching with miracles, and commissioning new leaders.
Stage one of discipleship involves calling and relationship building. Pastor Mike gives examples of how he pursued individuals in V1 church to build relationships and bring them into the church. That role however is not only of the pastor, every believer should be pursuing relationships with family members, friends, and coworkers with the hope of leading that person to embrace a relationship with Christ for themselves.
Stage two of discipleship involves teaching and performing miracles. As we see in scripture many people came to Christ after witnessing miracles done in His name. Learning to perform miracles through active participation is a sure way to keep people engaged in their discipleship process and hungering to go deeper in God.
Stage three involves commissioning and sending. It is of much importance to empower others to continue the work of discipleship independently. As someone once did for you, leading you to Christ and teaching you the ropes, you must do for others. A disciple of Christ goes on to inspire and commission others to lead in God.
It is the responsibility of every believer to make disciples.
The Domino Effect in Discipleship
The domino effect refers to making disciples who in turn make more disciples. This chain reaction is essential for expanding the reach of the church. In 2 Timothy 2:2, the Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of entrusting teachings to faithful individuals who can teach others.
Every believer is responsible for making disciples, not just the pastors. The Christ follower must show an effort to evangelize, sharing the gospel is not only the role of the leaders in ministry, it is a responsibility that extends to all aspects of life. A part of discipleship is also guarding against the things that are not of God. Pastor Mike cautioned the church against the Jezebel spirit. Jezebel in scripture was a wicked woman. The spirit of Jezebel is a manipulative force that seeks to disrupt leadership and unity within the church leading to division.
When witnessing to others it is important to focus on genuine discipleship through relationship-building rather than religious rituals. Pastor Mike calls on believers to evangelize on behalf of those who cannot. Except for those who are not able to use their voice, every other living person is capable of sharing the hope of Christ with someone else. If that pattern continues it becomes a domino effect that can truly impact the entire world and fulfill the great commission.
“And He said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
– Mark 16:15-18
About the Author
Jeannie Ortega Law is a chart-topping singer, evangelist, media personality and author from New York City. She can be reached on social media: @JeannieOrtega or emailed at Info@JeannieO.com
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