A Picture Of Discipleship

Engage the Unlikely ()

The Lord called Ananias to disciple Saul. Saul was an aggressive persecutor of the church. Ananias knew who he was and didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

The Lord called Ananias to disciple Saul. Saul was an aggressive persecutor of the church. Ananias knew who he was and didn’t want to have anything to do with him.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;

14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

Ananias didn’t want to do disciple Saul because he knew that Saul could harm him and the church. He was fearful that by investing time in Saul would do more harm than good.

The Lord told Ananias that Saul was chosen to bear His name among the gentiles.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

God had a plan for Saul’s life and Ananias was a part of that plan. Ananias was to go and disciple Saul, so Saul would be prepared for the mission God had planned for Him.

Ananias did what the Lord commanded him to do.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

19 and he took food and was strengthened.

Contrary to what Ananias wanted to do, he was obedient to the Lord. He removed the blindness from Saul physically and spiritually. First the scales were removed from his eyes and he was able to see. Then Ananias spent time with Saul teaching him how to proclaim the gospel.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

We too must engage the unlikely.

Christians must be intentional in engaging the lost and unchurched. It is real comfortable to hang out with other believers and insulate ourselves with people that believe the same way we do. When we do this the lost world and unchurched will never get a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ or experience His love.

It is not going to be easy because they don’t believe like us or act like us. They may cuss, be promiscuous, drink heavily, or even be a different religion. I encourage you to engage these people even when you don’t want to. How many in here know a lost or unchurched person. Would you be bold enough to ask the Lord for an opportunity to disciple them? The Lord may just lay someone on your heart to disciple. Chances are you will probably not want to do it and will tell yourself you don’t have time. You may even tell the Lord that, just like Ananias did. What you need to consider more than your personal preference and your time is God’s will for that person and how you are to be a part.

The way you will know if you are to disciple someone is when you just can’t get that person out of your mind. This is the Lord telling you that you are the one to disciple them.

You must spend time building a relationship with them. Leading them to faith in Christ. Then you must teach them to obey all His teachings.

Encourage the Unlikely ()

The disciples at Jerusalem did not want to associate with Saul because of his old reputation. Barnabas took hold of him and took him to the apostles.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus

The disciples at Jerusalem were acting like many of our churches today. They were not willing to accept Saul because of his checkered past. They were not willing to trust him because of what they had heard about him.

Barnabas took him to the apostles and vouched for him. He told them of his salvation experience and how he was diligently doing the work of the Lord.

The apostles accepted him and allowed him to spend time with them and go around Jerusalem with them.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 9

28 And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

Barnabas put Saul in a position to thrive as disciple of Jesus Christ.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), .

We too must make a sacrifice for the unlikely.

Chances are the person that you are called to disciple has a checkered past. We must not see the person for who they were, but who they are going to become. This will take tremendous patience on our behalf. They are going to mess up and not do what you are helping them to do. Continue to coach them and ask the Lord to do His work in their heart.

When you begin seeing the fruit of the spirit of God in their life, encourage them. A disciple maker must teach and live life with the person they are discipling until they are ready to make disciples themselves

Share the SQUARE.

Empower the Unlikely ()

Paul had done the work of the Lord and his life was coming to an end. He had taken young Timothy along with him on his missionary journey’s . He is now encouraging Timothy to dedicate his life to making disciples.

Preach the Word

Paul is encouraging Timothy not to stop proclaiming the Gospel and teaching people the Word of God. He tells him to reprove, rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction. People will need to grow in the Lord and it is only done by the actions Paul has instructed Timothy to do. Reprove means to reveal to people the sin of their lives. Rebuke means to show them that sin is unacceptable in the believers life. Exhort means to show them what is right and help them to walk that way

Fulfill your ministry

Be sober in all things - Let the Word of God shape how you live your life. do not let the world shape the way you think or live your life. Do not be absorbed into your culture, but transform the culture by being set apart

Endure hardship - When you do not live the way the rest of the world lives, you will be persecuted. When you are living your life for Christ, people will not like you. this is because you have t o reprove, rebuke, and exhort.

Do the work of an evangelist - A Evangelist shares the gospel and leads people to Christ.