No more "repeat after me"

Like many, I grew up being taught that the way to share Christ with people and then have them accept that they need Him was through a prayer - on of those "repeat after me". And while I know God can definitely work through those prayers, I wonder where those prayers came from because I don't see that in the Bible.

When you look through the gospels you see Jesus calling out to individuals and asking them to "Follow me." You see Him telling people about their sins and their need for repenting and He's the one to forgive them. So far, I'd say the way I grew up would  give a loud "amen" to the things listed as what is necessary for having people accept Jesus but this is where I'd say that's only part of it.

There were several times when people said they wanted to follow Jesus or have eternal life and what did He tell them? Pray a prayer and you're all set? No. He told them to follow me you'll need to:
Pick up your instrument of execution (Matthew 10:38, 16:24-26; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23-25, 14:27)
Hate your family and friends and your own life in comparison for your love for Me. (Matthew 10:34-37; Luke 14:26-27)
Deny yourself (Matthew 10:39, 16:24-26; Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:23-25, 14:33)
Be homeless (Matthew 19-20; Luke 9:57-58)
Sell everything (Matthew 19:16-22; Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-30) 
Love God and love people (Matthew 22:36-40, 25:35-40; Mark 12:29-31, 6:27-36, 10:25-37; John 14:15, 14:21, 14:23, 15:9-10, 15:12)
Be persecuted (Mark 13:11; Luke 21:12, John 15:20, 16:33)
Be hated (Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17-19, John 15:18-19)
Hate the things of this world (Matthew 6:19-21, John 15:23-25)
Leave everything behind (Matthew 4:22, 8:21-22; Mark 1:17-20; Luke 5:10-11, 5:27-28, 9:59-62)
Do the will of God (Matthew 7: 21-27, 12:30,  Mark 3:35; Luke 8:21)
Make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 13:10, 16:15; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21)
(only some of the things He told them)

So why do we stop with repent and say a prayer? How come we don't follow Jesus' example tell them the whole gospel? Once we recognize we need God and need to be saved (and even that needs to be taught better and more fully) there is a necessity to not shrink back from letting others know what it means to follow Christ. It isn't a free ticket to heaven. It's your LIFE. We were bought at a price our life is not our own (1 Cor. 6:19). It isn't for health and wealth. Look at the disciples' lives - they were far from glorious.

Unfortunately with the lack of sharing the whole gospel and teaching people what it means to follow Christ there is a huge deficit in real followers of Christ. I was reading just this morning in Operation World about Lativa (small country in the European Union). Despite the fact that the majority of that country claims to the title Christian the characteristic of their Christianity is dead. Their culture is plagued by "alcohol, drugs, a rapidly growing  sex trade, high abortion rates, the world's fourth highest suicide rate and notable corruption in government." (Operation World, p. 526) As I was reading that multiple things flashed through my mind:
Jesus is the only answer to all these problems and hurts
This sounds like North America
Lack of discipling

Obviously like I said this apathy in life isn't just an "overseas" thing for that description sure sounds a whole lot like North America but my point is not a "here or there" thing but rather Church, The Bride of Christ, we need to stop just trying to add numbers for the sake of our reports, stop living in such a way that we are just the same as any joe shomo off the street! This life isn't about good reports to send home after mission trips or coming back on furlough. It's not about living a morally, safe and comfortable life. Now that those are bad. We want to live moral lives and have people come to truly know Christ. But that is just it! We want them to truly know Him. How did the disciples get to know Him? They lived life with Him. He taught them about His Father and His Father's will.

So we follow His example. We tell them the whole gospel leaving nothing out even if it's uncomfortable. We teach them how to read the Bible and study it. We teach them how to pray. Moms and Dads you teach them how to be godly parents. We teaching them to obey everything! (Matthew 28:19) You live life together. Then they get to see how you have joy in times of trial. They see the love you have for others through hurt and for the least of these. They see that this news is too good to keep to yourself because they see you telling others. They see that you orient everything in your life around this question, "Will this help me spread the gospel?" (1 Cor. 9).

This is why I don't believe the "repeat after me" cuts it. We are selling them short if all we tell them is "say this prayer". The LAST COMMAND Jesus (the one who has ALL authority in Heaven and on earth and who defeated death and saved your life, ya that Jesus) told us "Therefore (based on my authority)  Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." (Matthew 28:19) He told us to make disciples teaching them to obey everything.

"It isn't a option to be considered it is command to be obeyed!"
 (Hudson Taylor)