Jesus Style Of Ministry And Discipleship
Everyone seems to have a slightly different perspective on what it means to “do ministry.” For the sake of clarity I am going to begin to lay out the basis for ministry that we are using to understand what online ministry looks like. It really all starts with Jesus. He left us a perfect example of how to do ministry effectively.
Back in first century Jewish culture, Jesus taught utilizing a system referred to as the Rabbi-Talmid system. This meant that a Rabbi or teacher would choose those disciples that he felt had both the potential and the commitment to learn the his ways.
I like to think of this as the next step in the education process of young Jewish men. Up to this point, they had already gone through years of education. So this was a type of secondary education, if you will. Typically the best and the brightest were chosen to move on to this next level of learning.
After being chosen, a disciple had certain goals that were expected from him from the Rabbi.
- Begin to understand and interpret scriptures in the same way as the Rabbi
- Apply the lessons taught by the Rabbi to their life
- Interact with others in a similar way as the Rabbi
- Eventually become the “Disciple Maker” or Rabbi
Discipleship is the idea of working with someone who has a relationship with Jesus and helping them grow further in that relationship. When we look at the goals of the disciple, I put the first three goals into this category.
Why focus on these goals in relation to discipleship? Well, I’m glad you asked…
Understanding and Interpreting Scripture
This is key to the disciple of Jesus. The scriptures form the basis for many of the teachings that Jesus gave. So as a disciple, seeking to follow Jesus in everything, building a similar foundation based on the scriptures becomes essential for moving forward with the next two goals.
Apply the lessons taught by the Rabbi to your life
The parables that Jesus shared became the principles that he expected his disciples to live by. If Jesus taught something. He expected the disciples around him would take it to heart and apply it immediately to their lives. Following the example of Jesus means living out the teachings of the Rabbi daily.
Interact with others in a similar way as the Rabbi
Since the disciples spent every moment with Jesus for three years, they saw how he lived his life and interacted with others around him. They learned how to respond to the variety of people they would meet throughout their lives.
Nothing communicates where our heart is and what we follow more then the way we respond to people in different situations. Therefore, this is an essential goal in growing disciples.