Go, Make Disciples

Research and studies show that by the 3rd generation of most companies and corporations, the “values” and “quality” of that company/corporation change & go downhill.

It’s been 2,000 years since King Jesus gave his followers the charge that he expected for them to carry out until his return:

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

How are we doing?

I want to invite you to open your bible to Luke chapter 6.

What is a disciple? A fully devoted follower of Jesus who is developing into Christlikeness and who lives sent on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples.

RECAP//DISCIPLE’S PATH

First Invitation—Hear and Believe

Second Invitation—Come and See (an invitation into a deeper relationship with Jesus // learn from Him, abide in Him (life), become like Him

Third Invitation—Follow Me (complete devotion, full surrender, urgency of purpose)

How can we summarize the ministry of Jesus…why did he come? To live a sinless life and die for our sins to reconcile us to God? Yes. But why reconcile us to God?

Jesus came to usher in the Kingdom of God—the Kingdom He would rule and reign over. The kingdom of God is made up of those who have been reconciled to God and who live their lives in submission to King Jesus. This is what it means to be a disciple.

Disciples are called to follow Christ, and following him means helping others follow him.

At the heart of following Jesus is Jesus’ call to become like him and replicate him.

The fourth invitation of being a disciple is “Go, make disciples.”

And, so, as we end this first four week “phase” of Invitation, what we want to do this morning is see how Jesus took a small group of men—these disciples—and sent them to live out the mission of God—to make more disciples.

A fully devoted follower of Jesus who is developing into Christlikeness and who lives sent on Jesus’ mission to make more disciples.

IDENTIFY

Jesus was very selective in who he chose. He could have gone out and just randomly chosen anybody he came across. But, he didn’t. In fact, Jesus had hundreds—even thousands—of people who would follow him around. He even had many people who had moved from the “crowd” group to the “disciple” group. But he didn’t…

What did he do?

Luke 6:12–16 (ESV)

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

He was intentional about _______________… Notice what Luke says. He went to the mountain to pray—all night he prayed. I believe that a major part of what he was praying about was what he was going to do the next morning—choose twelve from among the larger group. You see, by this point in Jesus’ ministry, he’s got a large following. Many of those in this large following would have been considered “disciples.” Again, in its literal sense, a disciple is a “learner” — someone devoted to a rabbi who is learning from them in order to become like them.

But, Jesus didn’t try to “focus” on the entire group of people that were following him. He didn’t try to take on the whole 5,000 or 500 or whatever the size of his following was. He selected 12. He narrowed it down.

Here’s the point: Jesus prayed intentionally, the Father revealed, and Jesus chose.

INVEST

This is a seismic shift in the ministry of Jesus and the relationship He has with the 12. Notice…it’s subtle but seismic. It’s a change in their identity. He calls the “disciples” together—the larger group of devoted followers but out of those 12, he chooses “apostles.”

“Disciple” — literally translated means “learner”

“Apostle” — one who is sent

He’s singling these 12 out for a specific purpose.

Jesus immediately began to invest in these 12 (rest of chapter 6-7). His purpose/aim/goal with them was different than the rest of the followers.

He taught them what life in the Kingdom is like — the new law of the kingdom.

Brought them along for ministry—healings, raising the dead,

How did He invest in them? He took them along with him to do ministry. He taught them. He tested their faith.

They are being prepared for their post-resurrection mission to the world.

INVITE

Jesus invited his disciples to do ministry and make disciples.

Luke 9:1–6 (ESV)

And he called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

What he’s teaching them:

Empowered them

They’re dependent on HIS power in and through them—not their own. On their own, they’re powerless. The one who HAS all authority is authorizing them.

Commissioned them

Jesus’ mission is now their mission. He received His authority and His mission from the Father.

The disciples/apostles now are given the great task of announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom.

Trust God’s provision

He will provide for them.

Lean into where God is working

He will guide them.

Complete dependence on God. That’s really the foundation of what it means to be a disciple—faith—trusting Jesus.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? WHY SHOULD I OBEY? SO WHAT?

1) It is a command from Jesus.

2) It’s part of what it means to follow Jesus. We can’t be disciples and leave this part out. We’re either following Jesus or we aren’t.

Let me repeat something I said earlier…

Disciples are called to follow Christ, and following him means helping others follow him. At the heart of following Jesus is Jesus’ call to imitate him and replicate him. We are the people of God’s kingdom commissioned by Jesus to announce the good news of His kingdom and walk alongside others under His good rule and reign.

NOW WHAT?

Next Steps

1) Who has God put in my life that:

Who is in my “realm” of influence? What relationships?

Needs to be introduced to Jesus?

Needs to be discipled?

Look no further than your own homes. Parents, you are the primary disciple-makers of your children.

Practice of the OT—talk about these things when you’re walking, when you’re in your home, as you’re going about your daily life.

Discipleship does not just happen. We need to be intentional about cultivating deep, honest relationships in which we do spiritual good to other Christians. While we can have discipleship relationships anywhere, the most natural place for them to develop is in the community of the local church. In the church Christians are commanded to meet together regularly, spur each other on in Christ-likeness, and protect each other against sin (Heb. 3:12-13; 10:24-25).

Yall…this is why Life Groups are so important. 1 in 3 people that attend a worship service here are NOT in a life group. You’re going to start seeing us put more and more emphasis and make more decisions to prioritize our Life Groups.

2) How can I intentionally invest the one God has put in my life?

“I can’t ‘disciple’ somebody. First, that’s a lie from hell. Second, think about what Jesus told his disciples as he commissioned them—the basic premise is trust and rely on the grace of God. That’s what the Christian life is all about, anyway, isn’t it? That’s definitely what being a disciple-maker is all about.

Think about these graduates! Think about the fact that many of you stood up…

The discipleship relationships that spring out of this type of committed community should be both structured and spontaneous. When we study the life of Jesus, we see that he formally taught his disciples (Mt. 5-7; Mk. 10:1) while also allowing them to observe his obedience to God as they lived life together (Jn 4:27; Lk. 22:39-56).

Stories:

Hunter & Grady

Chris Langley & Owen Alston

Josh Bigelow & Wetumpka players

Maybe two friends decide to read a chapter from the Gospel of John and then discuss it over coffee or a workout at the gym. Maybe two businessmen read a chapter each week from a Christian book and then talk about it on a Saturday walk through the neighborhood with their kids. Maybe two couples do a date night together once a month and talk about what the Bible says about marriage. Maybe a godly older lady has a younger single woman over to her home on Tuesday afternoon to pray and read scripture. Maybe a mom spends time at the park with other moms each week. Regardless of the format, some of our discipleship should involve scheduled times of reading, praying, confessing, encouraging, and challenging each other to become more like Christ.

Discipleship can be spontaneous. Maybe friends go to a movie together and then grab ice cream afterwards to compare the movie’s message to what the Bible says. Maybe a father and a son sit on the porch and reflect on God’s glory being displayed in a sunset. Maybe you invite visitors from church over for lunch and ask everyone how they came to know Jesus.

3) How can I invite the one I'm investing in to live on mission with Jesus?

Maybe this is all foreign to you…maybe you’re here today and you’ve not yet accepted the FIRST invitation of discipleship—hear and believe…or the invitation into a relationship with God through Jesus.