From Followers to Disciple Makers

Last week we talked about what our scorecard is to be. We discussed the fact that when our scorecard is based on our preferences and our desires then we are effectively not on Jesus' team anymore. We talked about getting back on Jesus' scorecard.

Today, we're going to look at what Jesus' Scorecard is so that we can know clearly what we're called to do as a church.

Here’s a spiritual Truth:

Every generation must ask are we going to let things go toward ruin, or are we going to rebuild.

Truitt we need to ask this question. Are we going to rebuild or let ruin reign?

In Matthew 16:15-18, the passage we looked at last week, Jesus said, "I will build my church...and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Jesus meant it. So if we're going to be successful, then we need to see how Jesus defines success. I told you last week we'd look more deeply at that this week.

Today I want to begin with what I think God's vision for the church is, and then I want to dig into this Mission by looking at scripture:

This is God’s Mission for Truitt:

Answering the Call to Transform Lives, Make Disciples and Change Our City and World for Christ.

Now as our Revitalization Strategy Team begins their work later this year, this may be tweeked, some of the language may be changed, but I think this is God's biblical purpose for our church.

Why? Because of Jesus' Rubric for success. Last week we talked about the scorecard. And we said, we need to be on Jesus' scorecard. So, if Jesus is not impressed by the numbers we have in church, the intelligence of our members, or the amount of money we collect, what is Jesus' rubric for success.

To answer that question let's look at two passages that tell us how Jesus defined success:

Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 4:18-22

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

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.”

Jesus Called the Church to MAKE DISCIPLES. Over the past 20 years, the idea of making disciples has become popular in the Church, but the reality is very few churches are making disciples. At the core of all we do as a church has to be the call to make disciples.

Former president of Lifeway Christian Resources, and church revitalization specialist Sam Rainer agrees:

“"The church has become more of a social gathering place rather than a discipleship center. We’ve focused so much on attracting crowds that we’ve neglected the biblical mandate to make disciples. The result is a generation that may know how to attend church but doesn’t know how to live as a disciple of Jesus. Many churches are great at gathering people but ineffective at making disciples."

Many churches are great at gathering people but ineffective at making disciples. - Sam Rainer

I think it’s interesting that Jesus ends his ministry on earth calling the church to do what he spent the previous 33 years of his life doing. The church is not an organization, it’s a movement of God’s people who are making disciples in all nations. We cannot miss the importance of making disciples because that is what Jesus did, and his ministry started by not only him modeling discipleship, but also him defining it.

What is a Disciple?

In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus begins his ministry by the Sea of Galilee. And what is the first thing he did? He called a disciple.

Matthew 4:18–22 ESV

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

In this passage, Jesus calls out to Simon and Peter and James and John. He told them to follow me. This is the model for discipleship.

A Disciple is

A FOLLOWER of Jesus

This first thing a disciple is is one who believes in and follows Christ Jesus. This is the first step. Following Jesus.

If you don’t follow him, you cannot be a disciple.

Matthew 16:24 ESV

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

A disciple follows. If you’re not following Jesus, you’re not saved. Period.

How do we follow Christ?

We must be born again.

The first step in making a disciple is winning them for Christ.

Let me ask you a question, How many of you think it’s possible for a believer to win one convert for Christ in 10 months? Raise your hand.

How many of you have won one person to Christ this year?

If you’re a believer, you should be a soul winner.

We’re going to put this on our church:

Found People Find People

Church don’t go to the grocery store to shop but to tell someone about Jesus, but while you’re there grab some groceries

Church you don’t go to work to make money, but while you’re there make some money.

You don’t go to school to learn, but while you’re there you might as well learn.

Last year 7000 baptist churches baptized no one. Thankfully we have, but we’re not winning the lost!

The only thing worse than being lost is being lost and no one is looking for you.

But if you’re not saved why not? If you’re not ready for the Lord’s return why?

First you must recognize that you are dead in your sins (Ephesians 2:1), and because all have sinned (Romans 3:23), you have fallen short of God’s glory. You must place your faith in Christ. And when you do you will be given new spiritual life—you will be "born again."

This rebirth is essential for the forgiveness of sins and establishing a true relationship with God. Only those who are "born again" can experience this transformation and live in fellowship with the Lord.

How does new birth happen? Ephesians 2:8–9 tells us, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." When someone is saved, they are spiritually reborn, becoming a child of God through this new birth. Faith in Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for our sins through His death on the cross, is the way we experience this new birth. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

If you haven’t yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Savior, will you consider the voice of the Holy Spirit stirring in your heart? You need to be born again.

Will you respond with a prayer of repentance and faith, and become a new creation in Christ today?

As John 1:12–13 promises, "To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

Who is Being TRANSFORMED by Christ Jesus

Look at the second thing Jesus said, “And I will make you.”

A disciple is being transformed by Christ Jesus. Disciples are not stagnate. They are called to be transformed.

Christ shapes His disciples for a greater purpose.

John 8:31 ESV

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,

Transformation is a process of growing into who Christ wants us to be.

Dallas Willard put it this way:

“Discipleship is the process of becoming who Jesus would be if he were you.”

That’s probably the most powerful description of discipleship I’ve ever heard. I want you to think about that.

Are you being transformed by Christ today? We talked about the fact that a disciple is born again, but equally important is the truth that all who are born again will be transformed by Christ.

When Christ comes into our hearts, he transforms us. Notice how He changed their identity (from fishermen to fishers of men) and focus.

That’s what Jesus wants to do in us.

More than that, it’s what he called our church to do.

As author Francis Chan stated:

"A church that’s not actively engaged in making disciples is simply not a church. It doesn’t matter how many people show up on Sunday."

Disciples are serious about Christ’s MISSION

Notice what Jesus says, I will make you fishers of men. That’s his mission. It’s supposed to be ours.

Ultimately it’s about relationships. We are called to be in a relationship with Christ, and invite others to have that same relationship.

"The mission of the church is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and to make disciples of all nations. This is not merely a task; it is the very reason for our existence as the body of Christ in the world." — Al Mohler, The Conviction to Lead

Being a disciple making church is not an option. It flows out of the mission and the heart of Christ.

Church, however you want to parse it. However you want to explain it. If we’re going to be a church and call ourselves a church then we must be passionately, and singly committed to making disciples of Christ Jesus. If we’re not, then we must take the title church off of our placard because regardless of what our sign says we have ceased to be a church.

So what is our mission: To make disciples.

That’s it. This requires us to do evangelism. It demands that we baptize and disciple. It commands us to go to the nations and do missions. This is the call of all of us, and if we use any metric but the disciples me make as the standard for success then we are playing by our own scorecard and not Christ’s.

I dare say, until we make our DNA making disciples at Truitt then NOTHING ELSE WE DO MATTERS.

And I’m not talking about a Sunday night bible study, I’m talking about every man woman and child being singly focused on leading people to know Christ in all his glory with all of our hearts.

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

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.”

So what is our Vision: It’s simply this:

Truitt Baptist Church is a community of believers Answering the Call to Transform Lives, Make Disciples and Change Our City and World for Christ.

This is our challenge. This is our Calling. This is what we are to be.

Will you join me in moving toward this future?

If we’re going to accomplish this, we need to stand together.

Will you stand with me?