Make Disciples Who Make Disciples

The call goes beyond evangelism. It goes beyond sharing our faith. That is the first part but it is not the entire message.

Matthew 28:18–20 CSB

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 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 everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus says we are to make disciples, that is the primary call of the church. The things we do are actually supposed to be undergirded with this idea.

Discipleship is the call. Somehow at some point this became radical though. The idea of making disciples became the job of people in vocational ministry, but that’s not biblical.

Last week we briefly looked at Ephesians 4:11

Ephesians 4:11 CSB

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,

But verses 12-14 fill in the rest of the picture.

Ephesians 4:12–14 CSB

to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Leaders in the church are supposed to build up others so that they can go do the work of ministry. There so many examples in we can find in the New Testament about this. It is the call of all people to make disciples. On my own I can handle a couple of disciples. I can balance one really well. 2-4 ok ish, but more than that it becomes too much.

It is the work of all of us to make disciples. Let’s say the staff can handle 2 disciples each. Then we can make 16 disciples. It is ok. However, there are on average 250 adults here on a Sunday if each person can handle 1 disciple then we have 250 disciples. those 250 can make 250 and now we have 750 disciples. That is much better and that is just simple math.

You are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples right now!

Here is why it is important.

HEART BEAT IMAGE

If we are only making “converts”. If we are only “getting people saved” then they are not getting all they need to live the life called them to. They have life but not to the fullest like Jesus said.

Jesus said go make disciples. People walk in the fullness of God when they have other Godly people around them spurring them on to do the things of God.

Moses had Joshua

Elijah had Elisha

Jesus had the 12

Barnabas had Paul

Paul had Timothy and Silas

Aquila and Priscilla had Apollos

This is the normative way of Christian growth. Someone finds a someone and helps them grow into fullness.

Now, can God supersede this? Yes, and He does sometimes but that is the exception to the rule.

Barnabas with Paul

We think of Paul as this mega star in the church and he was, but before he was that he was helped by Barnabas.

Acts 9:27 CSB

Barnabas, however, took him [Paul] and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

Paul wrote 2/3rds of the books in the New Testament but before he wrote he learned. He was under the guidance and care of Barnabas. He learned from him, he travelled with him. He took time to understand some things he was missing.

Barnabas took someone that used to kill Christians and said I will disciple him. I will vouche for him. Do we think Barnabas did not occasionally have fear or worries? That he was not sure if this was a trick? I imagine he did but he took the call of discipleship seriously. He said, if Jesus said to make disciples then I will make disciples.

We would not have the books we have, we would not have the understanding or Romans or Galatians if Barnabas had not stepped up and done the job of discipleship.

Aquila and Priscilla with Apollos

Acts 18:24–26 CSB

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native Alexandrian, an eloquent man who was competent in the use of the Scriptures, arrived in Ephesus. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately about Jesus, although he knew only John’s baptism. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

There was a married couple named Aquila and Priscilla who loved Jesus and served him wholeheartedly. They desired the things of God, they desired to see the Kingdom of God grow.

Here is the story (roughly).

Aquila and Priscilla went out and they heard this guy talking about Jesus. He was articulate, knowledgeable, and had a good grasp on things. But he was missing some things. This couple listened and realized he was missing some important details. So they took him aside, privately, and explained the way of God more accurately to Him. He then went on to make more disciples. It was not that He was ignorant it was that He needed someone seasoned in the faith to help him along.

Apollos is credited as leader in the church. In 1 Corinthians chapter 3 he is talked about as someone who served alongside both Paul and Peter.

Barnabas, Aquila, and Priscilla all had something in common. They were just normal people. They were you and me and they helped others who went on to do some great things.

Elijah with Elisha

1 Kings 19:19 CSB

Elijah left there and found Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. Twelve teams of oxen were in front of him, and he was with the twelfth team. Elijah walked by him and threw his mantle over him.

Elijah and went and found Elisha. Elijah was actively looking for someone. He was not waiting around wondering why the youth of today are not seeking after God. He was actively looking. God told Elijah in 1 Kings 19:18 that not everyone has gone after false gods. Not everyone in this generation is wicked. Not everyone is against me. Elijah heard this and went to find one. He did not go looking for the 7,000 he went looking for one. Are we looking for one? Are we sitting around and complaining about the times, the state of the nation, the problems in the church or the world are are we looking for one? Are we willing to do what Elijah did and find one is who desires the things of God and through our mantle on them? Are we willing to invest in someone else?

Elijah did 16 miracles in the Bible. He did great and crazy things. Supernatural strength, drought, dead people coming back to life and more. He did some crazy things. Elisha did 32 miracles.

We are supposed to be calling the next generation to something. We are supposed to be seeking them. We are supposed to be pouring into them and watching them do double what we did. We are building something so they can do more than we can.

So often we feel like we are not growing, we are not seeing progress in our lives and that is because we are supposed to be giving it out to another.

Jesus with the 12

This brings us to Jesus and the 12. Jesus called 12 men from different walks of life. I call them men but they were in their late teens to early 20s. They were teenagers and young adults. Sure grown in their day but still young. You know what young people have? Optimism and a belief that they can. It can happen they can do it. It will work. They have hutzpah! They are willing to take on the world. Jesus knows this because He made them that way.

Like like the other stories, He went looking for them and said follow me and they did. They left everything to follow Jesus. They gave it all up because He found them. They said yes, I want to attach myself to this one.

We cannot stress this enough, Jesus did not come to earth and look around and say “wow this is horrible. No one loves God. No one seeks the things of God.” No He went and found someone and said follow me!

What if someone is just waiting for you to invest in them? What if they are just waiting for God and what they need is someone to call them?

You are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples right now!

What is Discipleship?

We are called to make disciples, but what is discipleship? What exactly are we talking about?

In essence Christian discipleship is about learning to follow Jesus in all areas of our lives.

We are not making disciples of own, we are helping others follow Jesus in all areas of their lives.

Jesus is the one who we are disciples of and He is the one we are looking to.

What is Discipleship it is to:

Be with Jesus

Become Like Jesus

Do as He did

John Mark Comer

As we do this we are then passing along what we have.

We do not have to have all the answers we just need to pass on what we do have.

The beautiful thing about discipleship is that so often, if not every time, it is actually a mutual process. One person is helping someone else but they are being helped at the same time. As you pour out you are learning and understanding something new. It is absolutely amazing.

What if we get it wrong sometimes? Then we correct if need be, it is that simple. How many times has a parent made a mistake with their child. They have been too harsh or too lenient. They snapped and said something they regret. The solution is just to go back and say “I was wrong.”

If we wait to disciple people until we have it all together we will never disciple anyone.

Discipleship is a mix of stepping on a landmine and then telling the person to not step there and telling one person you know where to get food and asking them if they want some.

You are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples right now!

What Areas are we discipled in?

Every area. Once we come to Christ we need to learn how to follow Him in every area because He is Lord over all.

We are called to make disciples that make disciples

Jesus said,

Matthew 28:19 CSB

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,

Make disciples.

Seasoned Saints

I am not talking about the small group here at Journey but those of you that have walked with Jesus for a while. The best thing you can do, the most important thing you can do, the most powerful and long lasting thing you can do it pass it along. You might be thinking “I do not have a lot of biblical knowledge.” Maybe you do or maybe you do not. But you have life experience. You have lived haven’t you?

You have lived a life now impart that into someone else.

Find a young couple to mentor and disciple. Pour into them. Help them have a good godly marriage.

If you were in business mentor them in how to accumulate wealth. Teach them how to lead a business that honors God. Tell them stories about how you blew it and you are still here.

Find a young mother and help her know its ok. Tell her how that baby will stop screaming and sleep through the night at some point. Let her know its ok.

Have you lost someone? Be there with the young person who is grieving and grieve with them.

Don’t complain about the next generation invest in them.

Help them achieve double what they did. Don’t wait for them to come to you go them.

You are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to make disciples right now!

Young and Middle Life

For those in the start of their lives or in the middle the same thing applies but also look for someone. Don’t sit and talk about how the Boomers just don’t get it. Go get one and ask how did it go? What was it like? About business, about family, about Church, and about Jesus. Learn from those who came before you. The world did not start when we got to the planet. One day we will be the seasoned saints so lets start learning now.

Yes things are different and what worked might not work now, but that does not mean there are not lessons to learn. Remember to a 12 year old you are old. You are 30, they think you are ancient. I was born in what they now call the late 1900s I don’t like that, but its what they say.

We can also look down the to the next generation and pour into them. Let them receive the wisdom we have. If you can fix stuff then teach them how. If you can do something then teach someone else.

One of the greatest things you can do for your own spiritual growth is to pass things along to the next generation.

We need to get it out of our heads that discipleship is about religious matters, it is all religious matters. Jesus said teach them all I have commanded you.

Jesus talked about everything from marriage, to work, to family, to business, to hosting banquets, to forgiveness, to loving your enemy, to grace, to money.

There is nothing He did not touch on and it is all part of discipleship.

Go find someone to invest in. Have them over for dinner. Let them see you interact with your family if you have one. Take them grocery shopping with you. Go for a walk. It is not hard.

Kids and Starting out

Yes, I believe the older folks need to find you, but you can do to them as well. Find an older person, find an adult you trust and ask them to pour into you. Ask them for wisdom. Right now your timeframe for understanding is small so get some perspective.

Gather to separate 

It is human nature to want to gather with those like you. That is the draw. It is supernatural to gather to separate. To intentionally find those not like you and gather to separate. That is what we have to do.

When the early church was not going to the ends of the earth God allowed persecution to separate them. They were doing some good together but they did great thing apart.

Thomas, the so called doubter, brought Christianity to India 52 AD. That means about 19 years after Jesus’ resurrection Thomas was in India talking about Him!

SHIRTS