Master Made Discipleship ministry

Master Made

Discipleship ministry

Lesson 1

The first century, disciples were individuals who attached themselves to someone else in order to learn from that person.

The student was referred to as a disciple. The person they followed was referred to as a teacher.

The Ancient Greek method of discipleship gives us some important insight into the meaning"

You see, in the Greek mind, discipleship meant following, learning, and imitating. All three concepts are strikingly evident in the impact Christ had on His disciples and are equally powerful in shaping the modern day disciple.

What is a disciple?

Disciple: it is someone who has an ongoing personal relationship with a teacher, whose life is a pattern to be imitated.

The habits, speech, personality, behavior, reactions and attitudes of the disciple are patterned after those of the teacher.

- Everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

As a result of this, the student then gladly shares that learning with others.

So this what I believe is the goal of the church. The goal of the church is to produce disciples of Jesus Christ. As we produce disciples the effect is amazing.

In an effective church, each disciple produces other disciples, who produces other disciples, who produces other disciples.

You see, the mature believer, while following the example of Christ is continually seeking to lead others along the same path.

So you are here, and you are asking questions like: What should a disciple be?

How should a disciple act? What does it mean to be a mature believer?

and we hope to help you with all those question in this class.

So let's get start

We know it is God's will for every convert to become a fully devoted follower of Christ-- a disciple of Christ.

That is clearly indicated in the Great Commission:

-- 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.

We have often placed the emphasis of the Great Commission on Going.

The Greek participles going, baptizing, and teaching are all subordinate to the action of the main verb in this passage: the command to disciple or make disciples.

Our churches need to be producing disciples who:

1) Embrace salvation by grace through Jesus Christ alone.

2) Depend upon the Holy Spirit for empowerment to become a disciple.

3) Obey God's laws and commands and live a holy life.

4) Represent God in the world.

5) Serve other people.

6) Reproduce themselves in Christ.

7) Worship God with sincerity, intensity, and consistency.

The Gospels reveals that Jesus was very specific in His expectations of disciples. When He commanded the apostles to make disciples.

He expected the following:

1. Commitment

- and anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

We can learn in groups, serve in teams, worship as a family: but we can only be disciples individually. Without commitment, discipleship cannot happen.

2. Competence

-- if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

3. Character

--a new command i give you: love one another. As i have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

4. Conviction

-- Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Too, often Christians are knowledge rich but application poor. We pride ourselves in having right doctrine but without conviction and I am talking about the kind that leads to commitment, competence, and character development our lifestyles differ little from the cultural norm and do not hint at Christ within us.

This class 360 degree disciple will help assist you in your spiritual journey to become a disciple who makes disciples.

We want to help you reach the goal of becoming a fully devoted Christ follower and there must be a supernatural transformation but there also must be a practical process.

So for the next 13 weeks we are going to walk with you and believe that your spiritual growth will excel to greatness.

We can only wonder if God feels sadness or pain when His children get stuck at spiritual infancy, childhood, or adolescence when they never reach spiritual adulthood.

But what really is maturity?

A dictionary definition of maturity is full development.

Maturation is further described as the emergence of personal and behavioral characteristics through growth processes.

Just as all living things go through the process of physical maturation, all believers should go through a process of spiritual maturation.

In Spiritual development, maturity is a Christian lifestyle developed by learning the principles of Christ and practicing them through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

The Bible speaks of this:

ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS

PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF, FOR CORRECTION, FOR

INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:

THAT THE MAN OF GOD MAY BE PERFECT, THROUGHLY FURNISHED UNTO ALL GOOD WORKS.