Make Disciples

Bottom line

God has given us everything we need to make disciples, we just have to do it.

Opening Line

Some of you may be wondering what the deal is with the bread maker. I would like to direct your attention to the screen for a short video to kick things off this morning.

Introduction

Video with Pastor Matt and girls

Main Point

God has given you everything you need to make disciples, you just have to be willing to do it.

Why it matters

The problem is that many people default to taking the easy way out. I’ll just pray about it and trust that God is going to get the job done. Well, for the purposes of the analogy, the bread machine is prayer, and I need you to just work with me on this because I know the analogy has flaws. You come to church, and the pastor tells you that you need to go make disciples, and God may even lay a person on your heart. So you go home and you pray for them for a couple days, and then you pat yourself on the back and call it a day. As much as I appreciate the emphasis on prayer in this example, the reality is that making disciples requires a little bit more on your part. That’s why the Great Commission starts with Go, and not Pray.

Last week we talked about the going, and being imitators of Christ, which leads to making disciples. Well what do you need in order to make disciples?

Scripture

1) The Full Recipe

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NLT

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Hebrews 4:12 NLT

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

One of the things I learned recently is that there is a difference between Canadian flour and American flour. Apparently, Canadian flour possess more protien, which causes it to absorb more water than U.S. This is important to know, especially when making bread so that you don’t end up with dry bread.

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It says all this right in the recipe. If I chose to ignore that little box on the page, I probably would have given up on the bread maker because it makes bad bread, not realizing it is human error.

The same goes for Scripture, the recipe for life. You can’t pick and choose the parts that you like; you need to follow the whole thing. But it is not just following the words as it appears on the page. Jesus said this

Matthew 4:4 NLT

But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

See what is often missed in our English translation is the importance of ‘word’ in this verse. Jesus isn’t talking about the written word, he is talking about the spoken word of God. He is saying that in order to truly live the Christian life, and in order to have a lasting impact on the lives of those around you, you need to hear the voice of God regularly. It is called the rhema word, a specific word for a specific person for a specific time. It is this reason that you can read scripture 1,000 times in your life, and everytime something new will jump out at you.

2) The Right Ingredients

Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

1 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NLT

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Another scripture I enjoy and I just didn’t include for the sake of time was Romans 12:9-18 where Paul talks about the proper conduct of a believer.

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In order to make bread, you need all the right ingredients. You can’t leave out oil because it feels weird or doesn’t taste great by itself. You also can’t put too much sugar in because it cause the bread to burn and you don’t get bread in the end.

You can’t have the kingdom impact you are meant to have without all the right ingredients. Before you think this is just a continuation of last week, I want to point something out. A fruit tree doesn’t produce fruit for itself; the fruit is so the seeds can make more trees and so you and I have good food to eat. You don’t produce the fruit of the spirit for you, you produce it for others. Love others, be a peacemaker for others, show kindness to others. Even the gifts of the spirit are given to you to build up… others! Thank you! The fruit, the gifts, are all given to help you make disciples. But it also lends that if you substitute one of the fruits of the spirit for something of your own choosing, it will influence the impact you can have. You can’t decide you don’t want to be kind, and replace kindness with critcism. You can’t replace goodness with gossip. You need all the ingredients, all the fruit working in tandem to make the impact.

Along with the right ingredients...

3) Put It All Together

We put the word of God and the fruit of the spirit together in the way we share.

1 Peter 3:15 NLT

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.

In Mark’s account of the Jesus’ encounter with the demoniac, he says this to him

Mark 5:19–20 NLT

But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.” So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus has an encounter with a Samaritan woman at the well. It says this after they were done talking...

John 4:39 NLT

Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!”

And of course the passage in Acts that we looked at last week...

Acts 1:8 NLT

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Mark 4:14 NLT

The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.

Are you starting to see a pattern here? Everytime Jesus made a life altering impact on someone’s life, they either wanted to follow Jesus or they went out to tell people about how amazing he is.

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Last week we looked at the passage in Romans 10 that says that people cannot believe in someone they do not know, and they can not know unless someone tells them. There is this repeated expectation that as followers of Jesus, you will have a desire to share the gift of love and hope that you have found in Jesus. And remember, you do not go alone; Jesus promised in the Great Commission in Matthew 28 that he will be with you always, until the very end.

God has given you the recipe, he has given you the ingredients, but you have to take the step of faith to combine them. Once the ingredients are combined, then you turn it over to the machine.

4) The Machine

The machine that puts it all together is prayer. It is going to God in boldness and trust that he is going to move and make it all come together.

Ephesians 6:18–19 NLT

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 NLT

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

Colossians 4:2–3 NLT

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.

Acts 4:29–30 NLT

And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

If Paul felt compelled to ask the churches to pray for him as he went out to share the word, that the kingdom would spread, there’s a good chance that you should probably the same thing for yourself.

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The reason that I use the bread machine as the image for prayer is the reminder of consistent perseverance. Do not think that because you put the ingredients in that a disciple will pop out right away. And don’t be discouraged if it takes time. In the parable Jesus told about the seed being the word of God, Jesus said that the plant that sprouts up too quickly is also the plant that is least likely to endure hardship. There is actually value in taking time and being patient, so that the Spirit of God come accomplish all that he needs to.

And yes, some bread takes longer to rise, some plants grow slower than others, but God’s timing is perfect, and you need to endure in prayer. As Paul says in 1 Thess 5:13

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT

Never stop praying.

5) Get Plugged In

John 15:5–8 NLT

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Can we run that passage backwards so that you catch the logic of what Jesus said. If you want to be a true disciple of Jesus, what must you be doing?

Producing Fruit

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What do you need to do in order to be fruitful?

Remain in Jesus

Ya or stay connected to Jesus. Just like the bread machine doesn’t work without power, nothing we have talked about this morning works unless you remain connected to the one true vine, which is Christ.

I want to clarify verse 7. Jesus said if my words remain in you, you can ask anything and it will be granted. The Greek word there is rhema. Jesus isn’t saying that you can take the written word of God, quote it, and believe that God is going to move accordingly. You need a personalized, specific word from the Holy Spirit. When you ask anything according to the word God has spoken to you, then it will be granted because God has already told you it will happen. Do you see the difference?

Transition to Application

Jesus has called you to go and make disciples. He’s already given you everything you need, you just need to be willing to do it.

Main To Do

Depending on how long you’ve been a disciple, you may be at varying points in this journey. If you are new to church, start with praying and asking God who you can share your faith. The first step is honestly that simple. Just ask for a name.

Maybe you have a name, and as you were listening, God was speaking to you about the next step. Maybe you need to start with showing kindness to the person, or sharing joy with them. Maybe it is exercising self-control because this person tends to push your buttons.

Maybe you just need to get into your Bible and read it prayerfully. Start your devotions with, “God, speak to me as I read today.” You may be surprised how your reading in Matthew is exactly what you need.

I think a lot of you are at the step of actually opening up about your faith and you’ve been hesitant. So pray for boldness, God’s perfect timing, and just go for it when God releases you to.

I also believe that many of you have been praying for a long time, and you’re tired and you’re worried that nothing is changing. Remember, farmers and gardeners, there is a good amount of time between when the seed goes into the ground and you actually see plants popping up. Don’t give up, keep praying, keep petitioning the Lord to move, because you never know when that person may turn the corner.

Why it matters

Hospitality and Kidz Church

As a church, with the OneChurch 150, this is where hospitality and Kidz Church come in. After you’ve gone and shared with someone, the goal is that they come to church. Well when they get here, we’d really like them to feel at home and want to come back. So we need greeters who will make the effort to make guests feel welcome, and we need more so that no one is missed. We need people to look after welcome gifts and coffee and everything else that makes Sunday Morning feel more like family and less like an event.

We need Kidz Church leaders. Kidz Church is our opportunity to train our kids in the ways of discipleship. In terms of good soil, a child’s heart is the best soil. Plus, when the kids aren’t here, mom and dad can actually have space to hear the voice of God without distraction.

If going is outreach and social media, then making disciples is hospitality and Kidz Church.

Closing Line

So, who has God put into your life that needs to experience the love of Christ? Who are the disciples you need to make?

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

What step in the disciple making process are you at? What is your next step?

Is there someone you’ve been praying about for a long time? Invite those around you to join you in prayer.

What does it mean to you personally to have everything you need to make disciples?

How can you utilize prayer effectively as part of the disciple-making process?

How can you ensure that you are using all the right 'ingredients' in your life to disciple others?

Who in your life needs to hear about Jesus, and how can you reach out to them?

What actions can you take this week to demonstrate love and goodness to those around you?