2 Timothy 2:1-2 “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
Entrusting to reliable men who will be qualified to teach others… This is the method Jesus used to reach a whole lost world that is starving for his mercy. He did not simply build a “church group” and focus on additions to that group. No, rather he invested himself fully in his apostles (Luke 6:13) and multiplied them; powerfully creating exponential and explosive growth. This investment is often called “discipling” since it is the process of making a disciple. This concept requires a lot of meditation and practice to understand well.
Paul is talking about many levels of leadership. The Timothy, the “reliable men” or the “others”. In our generation you may be the Timothy, you may be the reliable men, or you may simply be the “others”. Regardless you’ve been called to be part of God’s plan and God has an amazing plan to use you and bless you. Are you ready to participate in it? It will take all your humility and all your reliability to aspire to being a great maker of disciples.
So why do people say “focus on the few”? Who are a few? For some, a few might be twelve or more, for others two or three. Focusing on the few is about teaching a right number of disciples that allows you to have dramatic impact in their lives. Anyone who’s had a chance to work in the ministry knows that when you focus on “everyone” you’re focusing on “no one”. By devoting yourself to a small group of committed disciples you are building a circle of leaders who will be able to help others who will help others in turn. It’s counter intuitive in that by restraining yourself and investing in fewer people that you will have far greater impact. However it’s a powerful biblical truth that needs to become second nature to you.
Its important to note and remember however that although discipling is the plan of Jesus we are warned in Proverbs 21: 30 “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the LORD.” and again in verse 31 “The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD.” Can you advance with a firm grasp of discipling and many “war horses” and have victory without a great relationship with God? The answer has to be no. Discipling is how God wants to evangelize the world, no doubt, but victory rests with the Lord and with His mighty consent. Its a frightening calculation: Discipling – Prayer = Defeat. Lets never take our minds off of that important truth of discipling as we continue to learn about working with a few.
The art of working with a few is knowing when to gather them in (Mark 6:30), and when to send them out (Matt 10:5). “Focus” does not necessarily mean constantly looking over the shoulder of your disciples. In the words of a famous coach Mike Krzyzewski “you need to know when to give them a play, and when to let them play” (paraphrased). Its the ability to know when your disciples are floundering and giving them the support and direction they need but on the other hand letting them play when they are full stride.
The opposite of focusing on the few is focusing on “the many”. The many is any number that is too many to have powerful impact on is when there are too many people to effectively “make” and multiply leaders. It’s a sad reality that far too many well intentioned, capable, talented and passionate ministers have burned out and failed to see the results that Jesus had because they spread themselves too thin. They become mere “coordinators” and place holders instead of powerful revolutionaries of the gospel. Burnout, exasperation and exhaustion are terrible but predictable consequences for not following Jesus’ example of multiplication through focus and investment in the few. No amount of prayer and devotion can make up for obedience to God’s plan.
What stops so many people from becoming good “disciplers” of a “few”? The sad truth is that at first when one thinks about selecting and investing in a few fallible human beings it automatically conjures up many emotions. Selfish ambition, jealousy, envy, fear, distrust, lack of love is just a few of the sins that blossom at first when we allow ourselves to get close to others in discipling relationships. Many people regard this as a problem and retreat from discipling when things start to get difficult. The genius of Jesus’ ministry is that he didn’t see this as a problem. In fact he saw it as the perfect training ground to address real life issues as they arise and teach his disciples to overcome. Problems are not a problem, they are an opportunity… the only problem is giving up on being discipled and training to be a great disciple.
Are the few the strongest? One objection to focusing on the few is the false idea that the few are the strongest in the church and therefore “focusing on the few” excludes or neglects those who are weak spiritually. In practice this could not be farther than the truth. When discipling is introduced or revived in a group it’s usually those who are outwardly considered “the weak” who are the first to respond. Those who are strong in a worldly way have found ways to keep themselves busy making money and building “bigger barns” (Luke 12: 15-21). In practice it’s actually those with weaknesses and difficulties who are the first to give themselves over to being discipled. Weak people need prayer and a connection to God to sustain them while those who are “strong”, in the eyes of the world, are often self-reliant.
In fact, in 2 Cor 12:9 Paul tells us that he begged for strength from Christ “…But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Weak disciples need to be close to their Scriptures for guidance, comfort and direction while those who are strong and bright from a worldly sense often rely on their own understanding. Weak disciples cherish their discipling partners because they need relationships while the strong can be distant and aloof. Indeed, the few are rarely those with the best houses, jobs and cars, often they are some of the “least” in the Kingdom (Matt 11:11). Selecting your few based on worldly strength is a path to disaster while building on those who are dependent on God and fully invested in the Kingdom is both wise and a joy!
Sometimes people can feel like they don’t have a few around them who they can pull in. If you don’t have apostles to teach why not be an apostle to someone else. Being loyal to someone else who is discipling you is the perfect way to train to have a few of your own. If there isn’t a few for you to disciple right now are there any brothers or sisters around is there someone you can get behind and learn from? Sometimes this is the spark of humility that it takes to set off a powerful discipling revival in your ministry. Harry S Truman once said: “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.” A good disciple must care more about bringing glory to God than accepting the credit…
Some might say: “Discipling the few sounds so intense! What about all of my other duties?” The truth is they see the battle ahead and it’s undeniable that at first focusing on the few is going to mean a lot more work! That being said delegating duties is one way to disciple your few and give them practical things to work on. As you build your few you will find yourself doing less and less of the technical duties and working more and more with the leaders you are building. By working with them and later observing their work you are creating opportunities to train them (2 Timothy 4:2). Although it is very difficult at first, the fruit of having some great disciples around you is a joy and not a burden.
How many times have we heard: “My ministry is just flat right now and I can’t seem to get it going. I think the problem is the lukewarm people in my group…” The truth is that forceful advancement doesn’t come from focusing on the uncommitted and devoting countless hours to those who don’t want to obey God. Forceful advancement comes through pressing forward with the few! It’s exhilarating to grab those who are ready to go and setting an example for others. In the following chapters we will look at the miracles that come from advancing with your few and also how that miracle creates the perfect circumstance to then wheel around and bring everyone to the calling of being a sold out disciple.
Jesus’ plan of discipling is a powerful and amazing strategy to evangelize the world in our generation. Is it a substitute for prayer? Absolutely not, however prayer is no substitute for obedience to Gods plan either! Focusing on the few is difficult to start off but becomes easier on some levels as your few mature and become better partners to you in the gospel. Focusing on the few is about pulling them in to give them the play but then knowing when to let them play. Its about tenderly healing an strengthening the weak like a father and a mother (1 Thes 1-2). Its about advancing positively and working with the willing few to do great things for God. At the end of the day focusing on the few is about being like Jesus, obeying his teachings, learning more and more about how awesome he is. Focusing on the few is about freeing a lost world that so desperately needs revolutionaries to take up their cause in the name of the Lord!
