In a previous blog titled “Come and See,” I noted the four stages of discipleship. They are based on the four invitations Jesus gave to his disciples: Come and See, Follow Me, Be With Me, and Go and Make Disciples. In Come and See, we began to glimpse a life formed by a relationship with Jesus. Now we turn to Stage Two: what does it look like to establish the basics as we follow Him daily? This post invites you into practical rhythm—prayer, Scripture, fellowship, and sharing the Gospel—that shapes who we become as fishers of men.

In Stage Two of discipleship, the focus is on getting a person established in the basics. It is initiated by the invitation, ‘Follow Me.’ The disciples had a relationship with Jesus for approximately one year before He called them away from their fishing boats (Mark 1:17). As they followed Him, watching Him daily, they learned that He was indeed the Messiah sent from God. But the invitation to ‘follow him’ was attached to the promise of what they would become as a result of following him. He would make them become “fishers of men.” In other words, as a result of following him, they would invest their lives in catching men and women. In a very real way, this promise that they would become ‘fishers of men’ is the goal of all four stages of discipleship.

What exactly does it mean to be established in the basics? Basketball legend Michael Jordan was often seen practicing foul shots after games. He focused on perfecting the basics, such as shooting, footwork, and dribbling, rather than just playing. Jordan knew that to be effective in his sport, he had to master the basics. The same is true of the disciple of Jesus; he must practice the basics of following Jesus: prayer, reading God’s Word, having fellowship with God’s people, and sharing the Gospel with the lost. It is mastering these basics of Christianity that allows the disciple to mature. These components of following Jesus are basic to the Christian life.

When Jesus issued the invitation to the disciples to “Follow Me”, He was inviting them to imitate a person. He was saying, ‘Come and pattern your entire life after Me.’ In Jesus’ day, that was how rabbis invited would-be disciples to join their company. Each rabbinic company had its own practices, making them distinct. So also did Jesus with his disciples. A good example of that can be seen in our Lord’s instruction to the twelve regarding prayer (Luke 11:1-4):

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished,
one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John
taught his disciples.” And he said to them, When you pray, say:
‘Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Give us
each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves
forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation.

The disciples were observing Jesus as He prayed. They were no doubt familiar with the typical prayers Jews prayed at that time, but they never observed someone commune with God as Jesus did. So naturally, they asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Jesus responded by giving them a form of prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer. But it should rightly be called the Disciple’s Prayer, for it was specifically tailored to instruct them in how to pray.

As Jesus modeled true prayer for his disciples, so the discipler should model it for those they disciple. The one discipling others must model the basics if they wish to be effective at making disciples. This is the meaning of the saying, ‘discipleship is caught, not taught.’ As the one making disciples must model the basics, so also must he or she model the various practices he or she expects the person being discipled to do. As the relationship with the disciple grows, so will his or her ability to follow the Son of God.

The four invitations form a seamless arc: Come and See, Follow Me, Be With Me, Go and Make Disciples. Stage Two builds on the foundation of Stage One and prepares us for Stage Three. May your practice of the basics deepen your relationship with Jesus and heighten your readiness to invite others into His kingdom.