Dare to be a Disciple

Discipleship Dynamics

reDiscovered

Dare to be a Disciple

Discipleship Dynamics

reDiscoveredDare to be a Disciple

Discipleship Dynamics

reDiscovered

 Dare to be a Disciple

Published by Rasik Ranchord ResourcesPO Box 9223

Wellington 6141New Zealand

 © 2012 Rasik Ranchord

 ISBN 978-0-473-22297-0 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-0-473-22298-7 (EPUB)ISBN 978-0-473-22299-4 (Kindle)

  

Typesetting: Andrew Killick

Castle Publishing Serviceswww.castlepublishing.co.nz

 Cover design:

Josh Burt  

Scripture quotations (unless otherwise stated) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

www.zondervan.com 

Scripture quotations marked (Amp) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987

by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

  

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted

in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise,

without prior written permission from the publisher.

Endorsements

 

For the last ten years I have valued Rasik Ranchord as a friend and mentor. Now we all have the opportunity to gain from his wisdom and experience through this work on discipleship.

I am delighted to have had the privilege to read his book. Rasik’s approach is a scholarly one. His work is scriptural and well- referenced. It is a textbook on discipleship that embraces his experience of more than 40 years in ministry. Those reading this book will be challenged and motivated to be active in the field of disciple-making. – Eric Roy, Member of Parliament, Deputy Speaker of the

House, NZ

 It gives me great honour and pleasure to write a recommendation for this book on discipleship.

I have personally known Rasik for over 40 years and found him to be a man of integrity, honesty and sincerity, who demonstrates good fruit in his life and ministry. In the Church today, there is much preaching and teaching, but we are failing in our task of making disciples. Even a quick look at the contents page of this book shows that it is essential for every minister and leader. I rec-ommend that you see for yourself what this book covers and then buy it! – Kevin J. Conner, World renowned Bible Teacher, Author,

Former Senior Pastor City Life Church, Melbourne, Australia

 

A comprehensive Bible-based treatise on discipleship. The Church is often characterised by ‘growth without depth’. Rasik gives us a ‘wake-up’ call, responding with compelling, well-researched chap-ters on how to become fully devoted and fulfilled disciples of Jesus Christ. An excellent resource for Christians.

Outstanding. Destined to be a classic… a must read! – Anne Morrow, Member of Apostolic Leadership Team, New

Life Churches International, Christchurch, NZ

 For over four decades I have witnessed Rasik Ranchord’s passion to help people grow into wholehearted followers of Jesus Christ. Now here in this book he shares that passion with us, in a way that makes us aware of the great challenge facing us today. – Murray Robertson, Director of Baptist Leadership Network

and former Senior Pastor of Spreydon Baptist Church, Christchurch, NZ

 Disciple-making is the central focus of the ‘Great Commission’, but sadly it tends to be the ‘Great Omission’ in current ministry focus and praxis.

In this book, Pastor Rasik skilfully uses metaphors and pictures (the method that Jesus used) to talk about discipleship (the topic that Jesus focussed upon), to weave for the reader a comprehensive, coherent and contemporary challenge to rediscover discipleship. – Dr. Ravi David, Professor of Pastoral Theology and

Counselling at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies (SAIACS), Bangalore, India

 

Pastor Rasik takes us on an inspirational and insightful journey towards more effective discipleship. Deeply rooted in God’s words, each chapter imparts many valuable lessons and in-depth analysis about what it means to be a disciple following in the footsteps of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and contributing to the expan-sion of his kingdom on earth.

No matter how far along you are in your walk with God, this enlightening book is surely for you. – Ambassador Virginia H. Benavidez, Embassy of the

Philippines, NZ

 My delightful conversations with Rasik inevitably revolve around a shared passion: Discipleship! He has done the Church an immense favour by penning his thoughts on this pertinent subject. True dis-cipleship is a desperate need in the Church today! – Edmund Chan, Founder, Global Alliance of Intentional

Disciplemaking Churches, Senior Pastor, Covenant Evangelical Free Church, Singapore

 Our faith challenges us to shift popular culture, to communicate hope in a new language. Rasik’s call to rediscover the age-old tenet of discipleship is important – the true cultural radicals are those who understand the light they hold and the perpetual need to engage with the world around them. – Mark de Jong – Founder and CEO Parachute Music

 

As a pastor with a passion for seeing people saved, I found Rasik’s book a challenging reminder that decisions for Christ are just the beginning and we need to go further and be committed to making disciples of Christ who will last the distance. This book will inspire you and provide sound guidelines for this task. – Tak Bhana, Senior Pastor, Church Unlimited, Auckland, NZ

My friend Rasik’s book is a timely reminder that we need to re-prioritise discipleship in our churches. It’s well worth examining his 25 traits of an authentic disciple. – John White, Alpha Asia-Pacific Training Consultant

 Rasik has captured in this challenging book, the clear call of Jesus, in his word, to total and lifelong discipleship. A very timely message. – David Harrison, Chairman, The Bible Society in NZ

 The imperative of discipleship has been a life-long burden on my father’s heart. As a son raised ‘in house’ I bear witness to Dad’s passion for the practical application of Bible-based principles to everyday living. As you study this book you will experience a re-igniting of a deep desire for authentic discipleship. – Manoj Ranchord, Associate Elder, Davidic Centre, Wellington

 Dedication

 

First and ForemostTo my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who saved me and called me to be a minister of his Word almost half a century ago, and who has faithfully supplied seed for the sower and bread for the eater (Isa 55:10). May he take my ‘little boy’s lunch’, multiply it and feed many. NextTo my wife, Lalita – God’s second most important gift to me after my salvation; my companion of honour for over 40 years; my loyal yoke-fellow in the ministry who has always encouraged me both in my preaching and now in my writing.  ThenMy three children, Rameela, Manoj and Anand, and their spouses. You are my pride and joy. You have grown into true disciples of the Lord. To my grandchildren, you fill Dada (Grandad) with utter amazement. Your every expression is eye-candy and your every sound is music to my ears. When you grow up please study Dada’s book, it is a part of my spiritual legacy to you.  FinallyTo my precious church family at Abundant Life Centre. It has been a privilege to have been your pastor for the last 33 years together with Lalita. My worthy successor Pastor Hamish Thomson, the Senior Leadership Team and members both past and present have

all been my collective ‘Barnabas’, always encouraging me in my ministry. To our Predecessors:We stand behind you and we honour you.To our Peers:We stand beside you and we encourage one another.To our Posterity:We stand before you and beckon you onwards and upwards.

 Foreword

 

Rasik Ranchord has created an excellent resource on this central but seriously neglected task: disciple-making in the local church. During his earthly ministry, Jesus Christ the Son of God taught thousands, healed scores, and discipled twelve. His focus on mak-ing disciples was crucial to the future of his mission. The case could be made that this was second in importance only to his death and resurrection. Many have read the four gospel accounts of his life and ministry and missed this altogether.

The future of the church in any nation depends to a great extent on how far we emulate his example, in obedience to the Great Commission. It says, ‘Go and make disciples of all the peo-ple groups…’ (Matt 28:19). ‘Make disciples’ is the main verb in that long sentence. By contrast, ‘make disciples’ is the main verb in the activities of very few churches today. How may we rewrite the script?

At the age of 19, while a science student at Otago University, I prayed a simple prayer and asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Saviour. When 24 hours later I confessed this to a friend, I was startled by a dramatic overflowing of joy – my first awareness of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Like all newborns, I needed immediate help in a relationship of trust. I was discipled by a slightly younger man, Viv Grigg. He was himself being trained in this art of making disciples while also growing as one. He helped me to understand the foundational principles of the Christian life and how to nurture my relationship with my heavenly Father. A decade later, my wife Jinny and I spent nine years leading our

first church. Small discipleship groups became the source and the infrastructure of growth from about 100 to a community of over 700.

This book is graphic and therefore memorable. For example, see the chapter headings. Drawing on scripture and his wide reading, Rasik Ranchord explains the dimensions of discipleship. The writer is an experienced leader who is by gifting a preacher and a teacher; these chapters flow from his mind and heart. Preachers and teachers will find much that is useful in this book. Each chapter turns disci-pleship slightly and examines it from a different angle. The writer’s purpose is more than academic; it is to be pre-eminently practical. This book could be seen as a manual full of applications.

In commending this book, I thank and honour my good friend Rasik for his work in writing and preparing it. My prayer is that we will see new springs of discipling in local church after local church. Without question, these springs are the source of the church’s pre-sent and future.

 Bruce Patrick (Rev Dr)President of the Baptist Churches of New ZealandFormer national chairman of Vision New Zealand (now New Zealand Christian Network)National Director MissionKoru

Contents

Foreword: Dr Bruce Patrick 11Introduction 15

1. The Wake Up Call: The Disciple’s Awakening 19 2. Lost and Found: The Disciple’s Rediscovery 33 3. The Vine and Its Branches: The Disciple’s Union & Fruitfulness 49 4. The Pair of Oxen: The Disciple’s Rest-Work Rhythm 63 5. The Student: The Disciple’s Education 77 6. The Follower: The Disciple’s Cost Calculation 95 7. The Wind and the Fire: The Disciple’s Power 105 8. The Potter and the Clay: The Disciple’s Submission 115 9. The Butterfly: The Disciple’s Transformation 12710. The Athlete: The Disciple’s Disciplines 14111. The Soldier: The Disciple’s Warfare 15112. Salt and Light: The Disciple’s Influence 16513. Fathers and Sons: The Disciple’s Reproduction 17514. The Crown: The Disciple’s Reward 18915. The Small Groups: The Disciple’s Community 19916. The Big Picture: The Disciple’s World-View 21117. The Portrait: The Disciple’s Authentication 22318. The Mountain and the Plain: The Disciple’s Vision & Mission 233

Study Guide 243Appendices 255Bibliography 263

 Introduction

(Dear Reader, please do not skip this!) 

I was invited to present a paper, ‘Disciple-Making in the 21st Century’, to the New Zealand Christian Network Congress in 2008. Some 300 senior Christian leaders from throughout New Zealand attended. Afterwards, my paper was published as a chap-ter in the congress handbook. It also appeared as a series of three articles in Compass, a magazine of the Covenant Evangelical Free Church in Singapore, led by a highly respected leader, Rev Edmund Chan, who is passionate about disciple-making. It has now mor-phed into a fully fledged book. In total, Dare to be a Disciple has taken me five months to pen but 50 years to prepare.

This textbook is not for ‘armchair disciples’ but for ‘hands-on disciples’. It is designed not simply to inform you but to transform you. I therefore encourage you to be modern day ‘Bereans’ who, after they had received the message with great eagerness, examined the scriptures every day to see if it was true (Acts 17:11); hence every book in the New Testament has been referenced. There is also a study guide for personal and small group use. Small groups are God’s workshop for making authentic disciples through heart-level interaction with the Word and with one another.

When I was a schoolboy, I learned three ways to retain what I had learned: visualisation, association and repetition. An old prov-erb says, ‘What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; what I do, I understand.’ I am learning from Jesus, the greatest teacher who ever lived. He turned abstract notions into concrete examples, utilising word pictures, parables and real-life situations. He joined profun-dity to simplicity. In order to equip his disciples for the profound

16 • Dare to be a Disciple

and wide-ranging influence they would exert in the world, he used two homely metaphors that everyone could relate to: ‘You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.’ Two thousand years later, that statement is still as vivid. It has not faded. It is memo-rable and has not lost its relevance. As another old proverb says, ‘A picture is better than a 1000 words.’

As I have worked on this book, I have been impacted in a fresh way by the breadth of the Lord’s command to his present and future disciples. They were called to teach everything that he had commanded them (Matt 28:20) – that is a very comprehensive command. A writer on discipleship therefore has to be selective as to what is possible to cover within time and space constraints.

My approach in the book is as follows: I have first focussed on the challenge the Church faces. Then through a montage of pictures of discipleship, I have described the process of disciple-making. After that, I have listed the distinguishing traits of an authentic disciple. Towards the end of the book, we ascend the mountain to view the big picture so that we do not mistake a part for the whole. Then, finally, we descend to the plain for the outworking of the vision.

In the appendices you will find several useful resources: a brief commentary on Matthew 28:18-20 highlighting some important aspects of the Great Commission; facts and figures about Bible engagement in New Zealand society (typical of western societies in general); and useful information about engaging with a post-modern generation.

So that you know where I am coming from, I subscribe to J.I. Packer’s six ‘evangelical fundamentals’:

 1. The Supremacy of Holy Scripture2. The Majesty of Jesus Christ3. The Lordship of the Holy Spirit4. The necessity of conversion

Introduction • 17

5. The priority of evangelism6. The importance of Fellowship (the Church)

In regard to the Holy Spirit, some readers may have a different position on the gifts of the Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12. We will respect each other’s differences, knowing there is far more that unites us than divides us.

I have heeded the Lord’s word: ‘Every teacher… who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures and old.’ (Matt 13:52) I have made use of old hymns and quotations from writers of days gone by; these fall into that category of ‘old treasures’. I want to acknowledge my indebtedness to my wife Lalita for all her encouragement; she has done the lion’s share of the secretarial work for this book; to Andrew Killick of Castle Publishing for editing; Hamish Thomson and Ken Edgecombe for their assistance with the Study Guide questions; my thanks goes also to Stephen Opie of the Bible Society; to Dr Bruce Patrick for writing the foreword; to the renowned Christian leaders for their endorsements; to Josh Burt for designing the book cover; and to others who have prayed and sup-ported me in many other ways throughout this project. Now, let us begin with the prayer of the English preacher Samuel Chadwick:

 Lord make me intensely spiritual perfectly natural and thoroughly practical!