Disciples Fulfill the Father's Will

Introduction

On Sunday, January 18, 2026, Pastor Malu BIALUTA continued at ICC Montreal the vision for the year centered on discipleship. The message is clear: the Father does not simply want believers, he wants disciples. And a disciple is not first and foremost someone who knows a lot of things. It is someone who fulfills the Father's will. This message is an invitation to leave behind the posture of a mere listener and enter into a life where your heart, your schedule, your character, and your fruit bear the mark of the Master.

The pastor recalled the three marks of a disciple already covered in John, then showed how to be fruitful, how to let yourself be taught, how to imitate Christ in his self-emptying, and how to make God's will your food. This is not motivation. It is a path.

Article Outline

1. The Three Marks of a Disciple According to John

The pastor first returns to the three verses studied the previous Sunday, which lay out the portrait of a disciple according to Jesus.

• Love for one another (John 13:35): "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." This is not negotiable. It is what shapes fellowship among believers and builds a church that is a family.
• Bearing much fruit (John 15:8): "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples."
• Abiding in the word (John 8:31): depending on the translation, you must hold to, abide in, or persevere in the word. Persevering assumes headwinds. You and I are going to persevere.

2. Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill

God said to the man and the woman in Genesis 1:26-28: "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it." The pastor points out the order of the process. Blessing comes before dominion. And notice: God is not yet speaking to Adam and Eve (who appear in chapter 2). He is speaking to the man and the woman in spirit. So your spirit must be fruitful.

Biological children have a limit. You cannot take care of a thousand biological children. But you can have a thousand spiritual children. That is where the multiplication of the disciple happens. You need to ask God for a father's heart and a mother's heart: the father's heart that is a source, that feeds, that protects; the mother's heart that watches over, that cares, that hopes against hope because "love hopes all things" (1 Corinthians 13:7).

3. What Is Discipleship?

Discipleship is an active, ongoing process of transformation of one person by another, which allows the disciple to reach a stage of development they could not reach alone. The word "disciple" comes from the Greek mathetes: one who learns. A disciple is a learner.

Why make disciples?

• Because it is a command from the Lord, the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." Jesus is with those who make disciples.
• Because God wants everyone to be saved, even the person you look down on. John 3:16 finds its full meaning in the word "whoever." If you and I are here, it is because we were part of that "whoever."
• Because it is an order from the fathers, an order to follow.

4. How to Make Disciples: Jethro's Advice to Moses

In Exodus 18:13-26, Jethro sees Moses judging the people alone from morning until evening and tells him: "What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, and the people who are with you." You need to learn to trust the Timothys God has placed around you. There are matters the Timothys can carry, and matters only the fathers should carry. Two major elements stand out from Jethro's advice:

• Teach the statutes: in the process of discipleship, teaching changes in weight. Today, when you take notes, you are no longer taking them just for yourself. You take them because tomorrow you will be teaching.
• Teach the way they are to walk and what they are to do: teaching alone is not enough. There must be a practical dimension. You learn at someone's feet not only what you are told, but also what you see them do, informally. Fellowship is the most effective way to easily learn what someone else learned the hard way.

There is a progression: first you are taught, then you are accompanied in practice, then you are delegated to. This is the Moses-Jethro model. Do not skip steps. Do not seek delegation before teaching.

5. Be Teachable

The pastor displayed a teachability index: the willingness to learn and receive new knowledge without presumption. Be honest about where you stand:

• Below 20: complete closure to learning.
• 20 to 39: significant reservations and resistance.
• 40 to 59: partial openness, lacking consistency.
• 60 to 79: good disposition, some resistance.
• 80 and above: receptive, open, engaged.

You can be receptive, you can be open, but if you are not engaged, you are not a disciple. Concrete engagement begins with something simple: joining an impact family. If you are not part of an impact family, you need to plug into one today.

6. The Model of the Disciple Is Christ (Philippians 2)

Philippians 2:5-11 gives the trajectory. Jesus, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Three steps:

• He emptied himself. When you want to be a disciple, the first thing is to empty yourself. This is deconstruction in order to be rebuilt. The spiritual world does not simply renovate the site; it tears down in order to build.
• He humbled himself, taking the form of a servant. Agree to lose where everyone else is winning. You are not required to work three jobs. God gives to his beloved while they sleep (Psalm 127:2). He is not asking you to be lazy, he is asking you to be at rest, because in rest, he inspires you.
• He became obedient unto death, and the "therefore" of exaltation comes afterward. You and I will go through self-emptying, humility, and obedience, and God will lift us up.

7. The Principle of the Roman Centurion

In the account of the Roman centurion (Matthew 8), before speaking of the subordinates he commands, the officer speaks of the authorities he himself is under. The weight of your orders depends on the authorities you are under. In the spiritual world, things operate by proxy. If you go it alone, you will get beaten up. That is why we pray in the name of Jesus. And that is why discipleship is not optional: your spiritual covering carries your orders.

8. Four Elements for Living Out the Will of God

To experience elevation, you need to be part of the fulfillment of God's will. Many things we pray about for a long time are hidden right there.

• Your own will is no longer the purpose of your life. It is too small. God has a bigger purpose for you. Like Jesus in Psalm 40:6-8: "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, O my God." There is a scroll written for you.
• You no longer seek to make your own will the desire of your life. Your heart no longer beats for your own will. This is a grace you must ask God for. Remember Gethsemane: Jesus agonizes and prays "not my will, but yours be done." And angels come to strengthen him. You need angels to strengthen you.
• You firmly set aside your own will for the sake of God's will. This is a higher stage, where you no longer compare.
• You accept the Father's will as your food. "My food is to do the will of him who sent me" (John 4:34). If you do not do God's will, you become spiritually anorexic.

And doing God's will must become a deep choice. Ephesians 6:5-7 says to obey not only while being watched, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ who do the will of God from the heart. It must become a source of pleasure, a source of joy.

Key Takeaways

• A disciple carries three marks: brotherly love, abundant fruit, perseverance in the word.
• Spiritual fruitfulness comes through a father's heart and a mother's heart: you can have a thousand spiritual children.
• Teaching, imitation, delegation: that is the order. Do not skip steps.
• The model of the disciple is Christ in Philippians 2: self-emptying, humility, obedience, then exaltation.
• In the spiritual world, things operate by proxy. Your spiritual covering is your strength.
• Doing God's will is your food. Without it, you become spiritually anorexic.

Personal Application

• Where do you stand on the teachability index? Are you receptive, open, and engaged, or just a spectator?
• Are you plugged into an impact family today? If not, what step will you take this week?
• Who are the Timothys you can disciple? Who will you pass on what God has given you?
• What area is God asking you to be emptied of, so you can be rebuilt?
• In place of your ambitions, what is the will of God that you are still resisting?

Verses Cited

• John 13:35
• John 15:8
• John 8:31
• Genesis 1:26-28
• Matthew 28:18-20
• John 3:16
• Exodus 18:13-26
• Philippians 2:5-11
• 1 Corinthians 13:7
• Psalm 40:6-8
• Psalm 127:2
• John 4:34
• Ephesians 6:5-7
• Matthew 8:5-13 (the Roman centurion)

FAQ

What is the difference between a believer and a disciple?

A believer has faith, but a disciple commits to learning, imitating, and obeying. The pastor invites the church to move beyond simply being believers to becoming a church of disciples: someone who learns at the feet of Christ, who lets what needs to be deconstructed be deconstructed, and who fulfills the will of the Father.

How do I concretely start discipleship in my church?

Start by being teachable. Join an impact family and get engaged. Accept being taught before wanting to be delegated to. Then take the initiative to disciple others in turn: share what you have learned, open your table to fellowship, care for a soul.

Why does the pastor insist so much on the will of God?

Because the exaltation promised in Philippians 2 comes after obedience. Many things we pray about for a long time are hidden within the fulfillment of God's will. When your life finds its anchor in him, you are propelled, like a passenger who boards a plane and starts flying.