Making Disciples … with help from Chat GPT
by Ellen Clodfelter
This month we are focusing on the spiritual discipline of making disciples. My home church, The Creek, recently had a sermon series called “Radical Minimum Standard.” In this series we were called to make disciples as the bare minimum of our Christian faith. This really hit home. Do I go around proclaiming Jesus’s good news? Do I tell everyone about the wonders and miracles that He performed? Do I tell people about all the wonderful things He has done in my life?
At the time I wrote this article, someone was telling me about this new technology tool called Chat GPT. So, I wanted to see what it had to say on the topic of making disciples. It may have written an even better article than what I’m writing. It was so interesting! Here are a few of the things it said that I think are worth remembering. (Its results are in italics below.)
Chat GPT prompt of “Go make disciples”
When Jesus gave His final instructions to the disciples in Matthew 28:19–20, He didn’t say, “Go and make converts” or “Go and fill the pews.” He said, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”
We recently had a discussion in our small group about grading ourselves on how good we are about making disciples and most of the answers were basically about inviting people to church. Then the comment was made that it is easy to invite people to church, but do I go around and tell people about Jesus?
There is a large neighborhood that was built right behind my house. Do I go over there and talk about Jesus with my new neighbors who are from India or Burma? This is a much harder conversation for me to have. Why do I choose not to have those hard conversations? Is it my fear of offending someone or being rejected? God has made this easy for me, I don’t even have to go to ‘all nations’ to spread the Gospel, He has brought them to my backyard!
Chat GPT prompt “Holy Spirit empowers us”
None of this is possible in our own strength. Jesus ended the Great Commission with a promise: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” We do not make disciples alone; we do it with God’s help and guidance.
We need to remember that when we are making disciples, we are not alone. God has lovingly given us a helper - He has given us the Holy Spirit. We do not need to worry that we won’t know what to say or how to say it. In Mark 13:11, Jesus said, “Do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking but the Holy Spirit.” As Gary often reminds people when he’s preaching, “The Great Commission comes with a Great Companion.”
Chat GPT prompt “Relationship with disciples”
At the core of making disciples is relationship. Jesus lived with His disciples, walked with them, shared meals, taught them through everyday life, corrected them, and ultimately empowered them to carry on His mission. Discipleship is deeply relational.
It is wonderful to be in a small group and be able to live life with them, share meals, and talk with them. We need people in our lives to share both our burdens and celebrations. Discipleship needs to go both up and down. We need to be mentoring people, especially those of the next generation, but we also need to be mentored by the generations above us. We should never stop growing in and sharing our Christian faith.
Maybe you can pray this prayer with me this week:
Lord, please place people in front of us with whom we can share the Gospel. Help us to remember that the Holy Spirit is always with us, and it is He that is speaking. Lord, thank you for the people that shared the Gospel with us. Amen.
Click here to watch or listen to Radical Minimum Standard.
