4 B's of Discipleship
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Warren Brosi
May 4, 2025
Dominant Thought: Disciples grow when loving God and others.
Objectives:
I want my listeners to understand the four areas of growth as a disciple of Jesus.
I want my listeners to feel encouraged to grow as a disciple of Jesus.
I want my listeners to choose an area to focus on for growth in this next season.
The mission of Berlin Christian Church is to make more and better followers of Jesus. We want to make more followers of Jesus and we want all followers of Jesus to become better or grow.
The final words of Jesus recorded in Matthew’s gospel affirm our mission.
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Did you noticed that many of the disciples worshiped the risen Jesus, but some doubted. Again, this event takes place in Galilee, the same place we talked about last week in John 21 when Jesus asked Peter on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, “Do you love me?”
Since Jesus rose from the dead and has all authority in heaven and on earth, Jesus commands his disciples to make disciples. He describes the way to make disciples by: going, baptizing, and teaching.
So, what is a disciple of Jesus? A disciple is a Spirit-filled follower of Jesus learning to love God and love others. So, when we say more and better followers of Jesus, that is what we mean.
A simpler way to say it is disciples grow when loving God and others.
It comes from answer Jesus gave to those who asked Him what the most important command is.
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
This is the first and greatest commandment.
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
To help us measure if we are growing as disciples or if we are making disciples, let’s ask ourselves four questions. I’ve phrased them in “we” language because these questions are not answered in isolation by ourselves. Making disciples involves people...plural. While we have an individual responsibility, we also have a responsibility to one another, too.
First, are we believing in Jesus?
I want to focus on two areas of believing in Jesus. First, it is trusting Jesus as our Savior. Second, it is trusting Jesus at His Word.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Have you trusted Jesus as your Savior and your king? Remember that there is an initial choice, but we continue to trust in Jesus. Are we trusting in Jesus.
Remember we are saved by grace through faith. We cannot save ourselves.
Second, are we believing or trusting Jesus at His Word? It goes back to Matthew 28.20, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded.” We need to teach people to obey all the commands of Jesus, not just the ones that are popular or less offensive.
Second, are we becoming Spirit-filled?
We need the Holy Spirit. We value the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
This week, I was reading in Romans 5.5. This verse focused my attention on the goodness and generosity of God’s love poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Abby Millitello share the following example in a devotion she shared with our American Heritage Girls on Monday. She did a fantastic job teaching. I brought this glass of water with me. Let’s imagine this glass of water is your life. God created us in His imagine, clean and pure. However as a result of sin, we invited dirt and pollution into our lives. [Pour some dirt into the glass of water.] Now the water is not clean. It’s dirty. What most of us do is try to pull out the dirt in our own power. But when we scoop it out on our own power, we take some of the good out with it.
A better way is to invite and allow God’s Holy Spirit to fill us. Holy means clean and set apart. [Pour clean water into the glass so that it overflows and pushes the dirt out so the water is clean again.] When we invite the Holy Spirit to fill us, then He can make us clean. It is not something we can do in our own power. Much like how Paul wrote in Romans 5.5, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
What are some ways we can allow the Holy Spirit to fill us? What some some ways of becoming Spirit-filled?
1-Understand it is a process. A lifelong process. My mentor Wayne Shaw said, “We are not just human beings. We are human becomings.”
2-Time in the Word with others. Something happens when you read God’s Word with others. God’s word is truth and sharpens us, penetrates us, and cleanses us.
3-Worship rhythms. Time with you and God. Time with you, God, and others. The Sunday worship gathering. We need to put ourselves in places where we can hear God speak.
4-Serve and observe. God’s Spirit moves through our service, but we need to serve in a way that we are seeing God’s movement in the world around us. We need to see the needs of the world around us.
Third, are we building God’s family?
What I have in mind is two families that God gives you: your blood family and your spiritual family. Your family and your church family. Are we building up our family and our church family?
It has been said that our family is our first ministry. Can people tell that your family loves Jesus? As we make disciples, we want relationships to become healthy.
Our families should look different after we’ve been following Jesus. There comes a time when every child has to choose to follow after the faith their parents have set for them.
Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.
He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”
In addition to our families, we make disciples by building up the family of God, the church.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
Our leaders are beginning a new study to grow as elders and deacons. It is called Enjoy His People by Jim Estep, David Roadcup, and Gary Johnson. In the introduction of their book, they offer four relationship principles: Cultivate, Communicate, Confess, and Celebrate.
Fourth, are we blessing the world?
We read earlier in Matthew 28.19 where Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations. We bless the world by caring for our neighbors. We bless the world by praying for hurting families like those in Chatham, IL where tragedy struck this week.
My mentor, Wayne Shaw, said, “The light that shines furthest shines the brightest at home.” While we want to have a global mindset to reach the nations, we have a responsibility to bless our neighbors, too.
The blessing of God traces back to the first book of the Bible, Genesis 12.3.
The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
“I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
We want to bless our neighbors and the nations. That’s why we are taking fruit and bagels to the teachers and staff at our local school this week. We bless the nations by sending money and teams to bless and encourage them. We bless the nations by treating people of different races with respect.
I had the opportunity to speak for career day at New Berlin Elementary School on April 25, 2025. I spoke to students in fourth and fifth grades. I shared what I do. I showed them that my occupation is printed on every piece of American currency, “In God we trust.” I reminded them how my occupation is mentioned in the pledge of allegiance, “...one nation under God.” I talked about baptisms, weddings, and funerals. I gave an object lesson of forgiveness. Then, it came time for questions and answers. A common question that I had in the different groups was, “What’s your favorite part of your job?” My favorite part of serving as a minister of Jesus is to see how God can change people’s lives. I have a front row seat to watch people come from some dark and broken places and find healing and wholeness through the grace of God and the love of His church. It’s about making disciples—Spirit-filled followers of Jesus learning to love God and love others.
Disciples grow when loving God and others.
Four questions:
1-Are we believing in Jesus?
2-Are we becoming Spirit-filled?
3-Are we building God’s family?
4-Are we blessing the nations?
Which question needs your attention this week or this season? I invite you to talk with someone to help you grow in this area. You are not alone. We are here for you.
