Disciples Who Make Disciples

What?

At our recent Congregational Meeting, we agreed on the following statement of mission:

statement

Being witnesses, ambassadors and friends of Jesus, as we go in and to the world, we encourage and equip others to love God, love one another, and love our neighbours, making disciples who make disciples.

So far we have talked mostly about the “Why?” of our Vision and Mission statements. Today we will continue this sermon series explaining by considering together “What?” What will we do as a result of being called by God?

At Narellan CCC, as we go in and to the world, we make disciples who make disciples.

The Least Impressive Avenger?

I acknowledge there is a lot of confusion and hesitance around the concept of making disciples. Since I am trying to alleviate that confusion and dispel that hesitance, let me begin my reflections today with a bit of levity.

“Thor and the quinjet” pic

There is a funny scene in the superhero adventure movie, Thor: Ragnarok, where the Asgardian prince Thor tries to activate a quinjet using a verbal passcode unknown to him. “Thor?”, he says out loud. Accessed denied.

“Son of Odin?” Accessed denied.

“The strongest avenger?” That’s not it either.

Thor’s password turns out to be the tongue-in-cheek nickname given to him by Iron Man, which is “Point Break”, a reference to the similarity of his hair style to that of Patrick Swayze in the 1991 film with the same name.

Thinking of the different Avengers, all of them seem to have gotten their own stand-alone movies except for one character, Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, played by Jeremy Renner.

To right that wrong, I want to show you a montage of Hawkeye at his best during The Battle For New York in the movie, The Avengers:

“Marvel's Avengers – Hawkeye at his best” clip

“Hawkeye, the least Avenger” pic

No one would deny Hawkeye’s vital contribution to the Avengers. Yet he does not have superhuman powers, nor does he have advanced technology. All Hawkeye has at his disposal is a modern bow and arrow, which he deploys with skill and wit. He is an expert archer, a grand master of his weapon.

Hawkeye is so good at archery in fact he does not even need to look at his target to strike perfectly. While this seems farfetched, it is not that far from the truth. The more one practices a skill the less he or she has to think about performing it.

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The elephant in the room I identified last week was our fear of evangelism. But what if we were so practised in sharing our story of coming to faith we hardly need to think about it? Then we would not be nervous or fearful at saying the wrong thing at the wrong time because we would be naturally sensitve to others while being ready at the same time.

Why?

Our Elders and Ministry Team, our Ministry Intern and myself, are all consciously aiming to set an example of faith and life, ministry and mission for our church. Yet it is up to all of us to own the vision and mission, and to build a culture that necessarily includes encouraging and equipping towards making disciples of each other and others. The more we practice among ourselves the more natural and intentional will be sharing our faith and sharing God’s story with our family, friends and neighbours.

So What?

In order to better appreciate why making disciples who make disciples is such an important and definitive element for the culture our community of faith, let me highlight some of God’s story for you:

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1 Timothy 2:1–4 CSB

First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Both in the Bible and from common sense, there is no question our creator God wants everyone to be saved (1Ti 2:1-4).

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John 3:16–21 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

If he were in control of everything and everyone the way some would have us believe, then God could merely snap his fingers and everyone would be converted to having faith in Jesus. That he does not do this suggests instead our Creator invites us to place our faith in Jesus (Jn 3:16-21).

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Matthew 5:13–16 CSB

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Even more surprising is that God invites those who have responded to that invitation to partner with him in inviting others. We are called to be witnesses, ambassadors, and friends of Jesus. When we act as such, people will see the light of our lives and be attracted to draw closer to our creator God (Mt 5:13-16).

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2 Corinthians 5:18 CSB

Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.

So we know we have a part to play in God’s eternal Purpose, a ministry of reconciliation (2Cor 5:18), but what exactly does God want us to do?

Make Disciples

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Matthew 28:18–20 CSB

Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Besides making Christians feel guilty for not being a Billy Graham-level evangelist, the other problem with evangelism seminars and strategies is they lead us to believe the Great Commission is

Go into all the world and guilt people into praying a simple prayer.

Nothing could be further from the truth! This misguided assumption does not represent at all the beautiful and life-enhancing act of placing one’s faith in Jesus and adopting a Christian lifestyle.

What does God want us to do? The Great Commission is to “make disciples” (Mt 28:18-20).

What is a disciple, you are likely wondering? The answer is contained in these verses.

Acknowledge Jesus’ Authority

In verse 18, according to commentators,

New Interpreter’s Bible, Volumes I–XII (Commentary)

The risen Jesus is pictured as Lord of heaven and earth —the cosmic ruler in God’s stead (cf. Phil 2:5–11; Col 1:15–18; Heb 1:1–3), the king in the present-and-coming kingdom of God, the one who represents God’s cosmic rule.

A disciple then is one who acknowledges Jesus’ authority, that he is who he said he is and did what is written about him. We need to help people in acknowledging this (cf. Heb 11:6).

One does not follow a self-proclaimed leader without at least a little confidence in the leader’s confidence and his capability. Students ‘turn off and tune out’ when it becomes painfully obvious their teacher is not an expert in her subject.

We will not change from our ways to follow Jesus unless we are convinced of his authority. To make a disciple involves therefore helping another person to have confidence in Jesus’ confidence and his capability to make good on his promise of a free, full and forever life for his friends.

Identify With Him

Verse 19 then tells us making disciples involves baptising them. In short,

New Interpreter’s Bible, Volumes I–XII Commentary

Baptism is the act marking a transition from outside the Christian community to discipleship within it.

The apostle Paul wrote that, at the very least,

Romans 10:8b–10 (CSB)

This is the message of faith that we proclaim: If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Baptism is an act of public confession. It is to claim membership in the worldwide and eternal Church, the family of the sons and daughters of God, through membership in a local church.

This sounds like a big step for people to make, which it is, but it is also true people belong in order to believe.

The Christian life is meant to be lived in community.

Obey Him

Finally, in verse 20 we discover making disciples involves teaching others to obey Jesus’ commands, all of them. According to commentators,

New Interpreter’s Bible, Volumes I–XII (Commentary)

“All” here […] refers not only to the Sermon on the Mount but to all of Jesus’ teaching contained in the Gospel[s] as well, especially [Jesus’] five great [sermons …]Jesus’ teaching […] is the sole content of the disciples’ teaching, as it will be the sole criterion on the last day (7:24–27).

We can summarise this further: If you obey Jesus’ two greatest commandments to love God and love one’s neighbour (Mt 22:36–40), his new commandment to love one another (Jn 13:34) and his great commission (Mt 28:18-20), and do so with the attitudes reflected in the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-10), then you will be doing all right! (We will discuss these more next week)

Therefore, to make disciples we encourage others to place their faith in Jesus and to live a Christian lifestyle. We work out together how to live that lifestyle in the time and place we find ourselves. We do so with confidence because, as the apostle Peter wrote,

2 Peter 1:3 CSB

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

He Is With Us

We are confident this is true because of the final promise in verse 20, that Jesus is with us to the end. Commentators tell us,

New Interpreter’s Bible, Volumes I–XII (Reflections)

Resurrection faith does not arise on the basis of evidence, of which the chief priests and soldiers had plenty, but on the basis of the experienced presence of the risen Christ (Mt 28:8–10, 16–17), by testimony of those to whom he appeared (Mt 28:10, 16), and by his own continuing presence among his disciples (Mt 28:20).

Placing one’s faith in Jesus and adopting a Christian lifestyle is more than just believing the right things and doing the right things, though these are essential. We believe and do the right things because of the experience of Jesus with us, by his Spirit. No amount of evidence can provide the courage and confidence required for someone to change the orientation of their life.

Jesus is either a real person or he is not. If he is, then this changes everything!

A person becomes a disciple of Jesus because a friend of Jesus introduces them to the true and living God whom Jesus is. And they become a friend of Jesus too —in other words, they become his disciple.

A Discipling Culture

Placing one’s faith in Jesus and determining to live a Christian lifestyle may start with a moment of decision but it continues and grows over a lifetime.

We commit therefore to helping people make the initial decision and to walk with them in their journey of faith and spiritual maturity.

We also commit to making disciples beyond our own church. This church was planted with a vision for planting churches. Let us continue in that vision by developing a culture among ourselves that sees making disciples who make disciples is a priority.

Natural and Intentional

Notice how the Great Commission is worded: “All authority has been given to me”, Jesus said, “therefore go and make disciples”. The English Bible translations seem divided on the issue of whether the term “go” indicates a circumstantial relationship or functions as an imperative. In other words, is “go” itself a command?

The answer is both/and.

It is better to read “go” as “as you go”, which then gives the commission more of a casual sense like, “As you go through your normal, daily life, make disciples”. With this in mind making disciples should be a natural consequence of our faith and lifestyle.

Yet this is still a commission. It is not merely something we can do if we feel like it. Making disciples of Jesus is something our God expects us to do and to be intentional about it.

So, we make disciples as we go in the world as well as we go to to world.

Now What?

Now that we better understand what is a disciple, you are likely wondering now, “How?” On this, I think the apostle Peter’s advice is instructive,

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1 Peter 3:15–16 (CSB)

In your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame.

In a nutshell, be always ready to give, to those who ask, a gentle and respectful reason for the hope that you have in Christ Jesus.

In August, I will run a short series of Sunday afternoon workshops that will describe this process and I will provide helpful tools in more detail. For now, let me explain two skills hinted at in this verse.

Share Your Story

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Be ready to share your story, your story of what your life was like before meeting Jesus, how you met Jesus and how your life is so much better now.

For example (someone set a timer), because my mother chose a life of substance abuse, drug dealing, and involvement with motorcycle gangs, my childhood was full of violence and chaos. Through the people I met at local Sunday schools, I caught a glimpse of a better life being a friend of Jesus. I placed my faith in him and have been trying to live a Christian lifestyle ever since. My life is now far better than I ever could have imagined or ever achieved if I had been left to my own devices. Struggles remain but my faith, hope and love make all the difference for me.

You should be able to share your own story in 3 minutes or less! Preferably 1 minute. If your story catches someone’s interest, they will want to know more, which brings us to the second skill.

Share God’s Story

Be ready to share the story of God and the human condition.

For example (who has their timer ready?), God created the universe and everything in it. He created it good and we are the pinnacle of his creation. He intended for humans to be in relationship with him, living life together.

We chose instead to go our own way and have discovered the painful truth this does not work. We are left alone, aimless and empty. We fill our dissatisfaction with fame, fortune, passion and other selfish pursuits.

God came in the form of a human, in the person of Jesus the Christ, to live, teach, display his power and to show us a better way. He offered himself to the humiliation and suffering of the cross so as to break the power of sin and to free us from the curse of death. Placing our faith in Jesus reconciles us with our creator God and the Holy Spirit gives us the power to live a free, full and forever life just, as Jesus promised to his friends.

This too should be shared in less than 3 minutes.

It is not likely someone will want to place their faith in Jesus upon hearing these for the first time, but they may be willing to explore with you stories of hope found in the Bible, which is another skill I will teach you in the upcoming workshop series.

Practise, Practise, Practise!

If sharing your story and God’s story seems like it is too hard right now, then what do you need to do? Practise, practise here among your brothers and sisters in faith until it becomes so natural you no longer need to even think about it.

And as we share life together here, we will build up a personal and shared library of stories of victory and peace, comfort and joy. If you let her, God’s Holy Spirit will fill you with energy and enthusiasm for sharing these stories naturally and with an intention that is infectious.

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We will talk more about these and other necessary skills in August. But for now realise you can make disciples! You are not responsible for every decision and step of faith made by your family and friends and neighbours —that is why we are a community of faith.

There is no greater achievement than to participate in someone else’s reconciliation with God and becoming a friend of Jesus, seeing the free, full and forever life he promised blossoming in them.

We have been called to this purpose. Let us commit to learning the necessary skills. Let us commit our community of faith to this mission.

Let us pray…

*If you have any questions about these reflections on our Vision Statement, or would like prayer for any concern or point of praise, then join with me and the Prayer Team to the right side of the platform after the service.