Is discipleship merely an academic discipline or does it require a deeply personal commitment?

Paul Thompson suggests that we've misconstrued discipleship as an academic pursuit, limiting it to classroom settings. While there is a place for learning and understanding the doctrines of the Bible, discipleship extends beyond that. It involves a deep, personal relationship between the disciple and the one discipling them. They share experiences, meals, and life's journey, symbolizing a commitment to walk together in this spiritual journey.

Discipleship necessitates disruption. It requires both the one discipling and the disciple to make life-altering decisions that break the mold of their existing plans. It's a commitment that might even require living together, emphasizing the depth of the relationship. The modern model of discipleship seems to have lost some of this depth, often limiting discipleship to convenient, non-disruptive interactions.

Matthew 16:24 (NKJV): "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.'"

Some of the biggest mistakes is we've just made it so academic. We've made it into a sterile classroom. We've made it into anyone who wants to come and learn more about being a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, sign up for this class and come and sit down and listen to someone in an academic setting. I'll make an argument, there's benefit obviously of sitting down and hearing someone tell their story or tell and explain and express the doctrines of the Bible and even to describe what it looks like to make these changes in your life. But it cannot be achieved in a classroom setting.

Discipleship is, again, someone who's actually with the one that they're being discipled with. They go to the same places, they're eating the same food, they're seeing the same experiences, they're hearing the same birds chirping. So there's someone who actually has to be with this individual, somewhat even to describe it as they're essentially living with them. Doesn't mean that in a modern discipleship model, they have to actually live with somebody, but it could mean that. And maybe the fact that it doesn't mean that to us anymore is evidence that we've lost some of this idea that I'll disciple you as long as it doesn't interrupt my life.

But discipleship is for both the one who's doing the discipling and the one who's discipling the other, They have to make some real life decisions that this is going to disrupt my plan or what others might say is a good plan of life. And I'm going to actually live with you. I'm going to walk with you through these things. We're going to go through all of your journeys together and we're gonna see what the scripture says about it.