NJ - Disciples Are Made Not Born

Disciples are made not born

Hi and welcome to those joining us today, I am believing for you to have an encounter with God that will bring an assurence in your life the He is for you and He is with you.

We will be continuing today with our theme: Disciples are made not born.

Lets pray

Who is a Disciple? And What is the basis of making a Disciple?

Jesus called His disciples together following His resurrection:

Matthew 28:16–20 NKJV

16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

This is when Jesus’ disciples received the Great Commission.

Make disciples.

“Go” – ‘while you’re going’ or ‘having gone’

“Baptizing” – Baptism is the outward testimony that pictures our identification with Jesus.

“Teaching” – Teaching is process of learning for all believers.

Discipleship is the process of becoming a committed follower of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 11:28–30 NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Our perspective changes the way I look at things

As a disciple our lives will change

We need to choose to change

this doesnt happen naturally

They had watched him die.

The One they had hoped would deliver Israel as Messiah.

On the third day after his death they saw Jesus alive.

Now the resurrected Jesus is giving letting them know what is required of them (The Great Commission)

Imagine their sense of being were overwhelmed

They would have been confused.

Model of Disciple making:

A disciple and the Word

A disciple and the Work

In order for a church to function a necessity is to have head, hands, and heart working together.

Point 1 The Word and a Disciple

A disciple is a product of the Word.

John 8:31–32 NKJV

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

How do we become disciples? By abiding in the Word of God.

We must be at home in the Word and the Word at home in us.

If we think of the Word of God as anything less than food and nourishment, we do ourselves a great injustice and end with spiritual malnutrition.

Either we feed on the Word of God or remain spiritual babies who won’t grow up, childish instead of childlike.

A Christian is a mind through which Christ thinks; a heart through which Christ loves; a voice through which Christ speaks; a hand through which Christ helps.

When Paul wrote to the believers at Thessalonica he said they “…received the word of God … not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

Peter said,

1 Peter 1:23 NIV

23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 Peter 2:2 NIV

2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,

When Paul wrote to Timothy he included insight into his salvation and discipleship by the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Through the Word of God we become disciples, mature in Christ

We receive wisdom for salvation;

We know what is truth;

We learn what is wrong and how to make it right;

We get on the path of righteousness.

Point 2 The Work of a Disciple

Jesus never commissioned His Disciples to go and make converts, but disciples. A disciple is a follower of Christ who trains others to be Christ followers.

Disciple – disciplined learner – as they had been to Christ, so they are to be to others. A disciple learns so he can teach.

Paul wrote to Timothy,

2 Timothy 2:1–2 NKJV

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Discipleship is much like being an apprentice.

A time of learning

Expand your knowledge, understanding and practical abilities

Become compitant

Teach others what you have learnt

A combination of education and practical experience produces a journeyman.

In any field the same principle of discipleship is applied, ministry included.

Leadership and learning are a continual process.

Anyone who has had the privilege of raising a child knows that there is more to child rearing than giving birth. Both should be called ‘labor’.

As important as it is to know the word, It is also important to obey it. Jesus gave a parable applying this concept.

Matthew 7:24–27 NKJV

24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

Knowledge without obedience is foolishness.

Obedience is the proof of true commitment to Christ.

A disciple realizes that he is saved by grace through faith and not by works. A disciple is a work of God in process, saved for the purpose of doing good works.

Salvation is:

A gift of God

God’s work

Received by grace through faith

Salvation is not:

A result of works

From us Works are a result of salvation

Point 3 The Wonder that fills a Disciple

The Wonder of the disciple speaks of his heart. It’s the “Why” of what we do.

Dont lose Heart

2 Corinthians 4:16–17 NKJV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

Disciples lives in constant awe and wonder at the work of God in our lives.

They revel in the glories, God has prepared for His children.

God has a plan and purpose for your life, Jermiah 29:11

This I find amazing and keeps me in awe and wonder of God, with the desire to continually change

As we close

Pray

See you in the zoom.