MAKING DISCIPLES: Reproducing Followers of Christ

SLIDE: Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:2

2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)

2 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.

SLIDE: Welcome

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

We made it! This is the final week of our Discipled sermon series, which as you’ve probably gathered by now, is about discipleship. As a quick refresher:

“The word for “disciple” is a learner who follows a master teacher. In contrast to our current Western era, learning in Jesus’ time was very relational and holistic. “Discipleship meant much more than just the transfer of information . . . it referred to imitating the teacher’s life, inculcating his values, and reproducing his teachings. Christian discipleship connotes a relationship with a master teacher, following them, and adhering to their way of life.[1]”

SLIDE: Lifelong Journey

After we accept the invitation to follow Jesus, we enter into a lifelong journey and relationship with Him. Learning, growing, failing, forgiving, and loving others as He taught us to love. It can be an incredibly difficult process at times, to be sure, but make no mistake… It’s worth it all. And one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges of following Jesus is sharing Him with others.

As Matthew 5:15 says,

Matthew 5:15 (NLT)

15 No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.

Main Teaching

Our main passage for the day comes from Matthew 28, and you may have heard it called The Great Commission before. Let’s read it now;

Read Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

The Great Commission

This is the final instruction given by Jesus Christ to his disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew. It is a directive that serves as a road-map for every believer's journey. The Great Commission is not merely a suggestion or an optional task for the followers of Christ; it is a divine mandate, a sacred duty that every Christian is expected to carry out.

SLIDE: Humble Submission

As the late Tim Keller said,

“Discipleship is not an option. Jesus says that if anyone would come after me, he must follow me.” And following Jesus includes humble submission to His authority and teaching.”

When Christ says. “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth”, we are reminded that the mission we are called to undertake is not based on human authority or wisdom, but on the divine authority of Christ. This authority is what empowers us to go forth and make disciples of all nations. If Christ has given the green light, then who can hold us back?

Make

Making disciples is at the heart of the Great Commission, which is why Jesus then says, “Therefore, go and make disciples...” But what does it mean to make disciples?

SLIDE: Make

It is more than just converting people to Christianity. It involves nurturing them in their faith, helping them grow spiritually, and equipping them to live out their faith in their daily lives. It is about reproducing followers of Christ who are committed to living according to His teachings and commands. This process of discipleship is a lifelong journey that requires patience, dedication, and a deep love for God and for others. It’s a full body-mind-and soul experience.

Baptize

Baptism is another crucial aspect of the Great Commission, and it follows the command to “Go and make…” It is a public declaration of one's faith in Christ and a symbolic representation of the believer's identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection.

SLIDE: Baptism

Baptism is not just a ritual; it is a powerful act of obedience that signifies a believer's commitment to follow Christ wholeheartedly.

Teach

And finally, there is the command to “teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you...” Teaching is significant, but we are not just called to teach a simple list of rules; we are called to teach people to obey everything that Christ has commanded.

SLIDE: Teach

This implies that our teaching should not just be about imparting knowledge, but about inspiring obedience and transformation. It’s about helping people understand the teachings of Christ and empowering them to apply these teachings in their day to day lives.

This is not a task that we are expected to carry out on our own. Jesus promises to “be with us always, to the very end of the age.” This promise of Christ assures us that we are not alone in our mission; Christ is with us every step of the way, guiding us, strengthening us, and empowering us to fulfill our calling.

Over the course of the last 3 weeks and the past 18 months, I have shared with you various aspects of my journey in life and in the greatest adventure of following Jesus. In each of those stories I have at least eluded to the fact that Jesus was and is present in my faith journey. Each step of the way it was Jesus that gave me the strength to carry on and to overcome obstacles and hardships.

As I reflect now on the many times that Jesus intervened to protect and guide me, I cannot see any other reason NOT to give Him the credit, the glory and the honor for all of it.

I would like to share with you Psalm 37:6-7 which I have adopted as my life verse:

SLIDE: Life Verse

Psalm 37:6–7 (MSG)

6 He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day and stamp you with approval at high noon. 7 Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him...

Making Disciples in a broken world

Making disciples and being an active participant in the Great Commission are not easy tasks. There is very real opposition to the mission and a very real enemy who doesn’t want to see any believer come to a mature and productive faith, let alone come to a point of reproduction. In John 16:33 Jesus explicitly says,

John 16:33 (NLT)

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

Be encouraged friends, fight the good fight of faith, and resist the temptation to give up… When we give up, we lose.

Robby Gallaty says in Growing Up: How to Be a Disciple Who Makes Disciples:

“When the church becomes an end in itself, it ends. When Sunday school, as great as it is, becomes an end in itself, it ends. When small groups ministry becomes an end in itself, it ends. When the worship service becomes an end in itself, it ends.

SLIDE: Gallaty

What we need is for discipleship to become the goal, and then the process never ends. The process is fluid. It is moving. It is active. It is a living thing. It must continue to go on. Every disciple must make disciples.”

Remember, discipleship is not just about conversion; it's about transformation. It's about helping people become more like Christ in their thoughts, words, and actions. This process takes time, and it can be frustrating. This is why it’s so important to remember that we have Jesus with us every step of the way. We NEED Him… As Jesus said in John 15:5, "Apart from me you can do nothing" There’s no lasting reproduction without Christ and without the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

Making disciples is not just about increasing the number of believers; it's about producing genuine followers of Christ who are committed to living out His teachings in their daily lives. It's about helping people experience the life-changing power of the Gospel and become agents of change in their communities and the world.

It’s About Changing the World

Reproducing followers of Christ is not just about increasing the number of Christians. It's about nurturing individuals to become true disciples who live out the teachings of Jesus in their daily lives. This means that they not only believe in Christ but also strive to follow His example and teachings.

SLIDE: Ripple Effect

It's about creating a ripple effect, where each disciple goes on to make more disciples, thus spreading the word of God and His love throughout the world. This process is how we change the world, one conversation, one person, one disciple at a time.

As I mentioned in week 1, David Platt said,

“Making disciples of Jesus is the overflow of the delight in being disciples of Jesus.”

This is a challenging quote which begs the further question, “are you overflowing with delight?”

Have you stopped recently to consider the fact that if you are IN CHRIST and a DISCIPLE of CHRIST then you are a fellow member of the kingdom of heaven…” You are part of a royal priesthood. You are called, gifted, and anointed to be HIS ambassador to a broken and hurting world.

SLIDE: Honor & Privilege

Being a disciple of Christ is an honor and privilege.

It’s an invitation to something bigger and more amazing then most any of us could ever imagine.

Disciples create disciples:

If you have been inspired by this series of sermons and convicted by Jesus’ that you need to go deeper in this adventure and discipleship journey; then we have two opportunities to do so:

I encourage to attend the discipleship class today at 6:30 PM.

And then this next Saturday at 9:00 AM we will have a Gideon’s Training Class called Conversations. Conversations is : A Simple Approach to Sharing the Gospel is an exciting new way.

I refer you to the insert about Conversations for more details.

If nothing else, you owe it to yourself to explore what deeper journey He has in mind for you. So, join us tonight and Saturday.

IF YOU DARE!

Conclusion

As we wrap up our series, and move forward with some practical steps in hand, let’s remember that we're not just called to be followers of Christ, but we're also called to make followers of Christ. We’re called to participate, actually we’re commissioned to participate in the greatest building project of all time… The building of the church. The one where Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not overcome it…” (Matthew 16:18)

And further we have this instruction from 2 Timothy 2:2:

2 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)

2 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.

SLIDE: Not Alone

It's a massive task with eternal consequence…but we're not in it alone. We've got each other, and most importantly, we've got Jesus, with all His authority and all of heaven along with Him…

So what are we waiting for… let the disciple-ing begin!

Let’s pray together.

Prayer: Father, God;

“Give us a heart like yours Lord, to be light in the darkness and truth in the chaos. Lead us to others who want to learn and grow in their faith and give us the courage to disciple others as we have been discipled.”

Amen