How Do you Make a Disciple?
Developing a Disciple-Making Culture • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 25:06
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Last week we asked the question what is a disciple?
What we tend to think:
What the NT reality actually looks like:
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
How long does it take to teach someone all the commands of Jesus?
How long does it take to teach someone to observe all the commands of Jesus?
A lifetime- One life to a life for life- that is what a disciple looks like!
So, the next logical question- how do you make a disciple? And is there a NT example of a local church doing it? If we are going to spend our lives making disciples- its got to be biblical. If it is biblical we should be able to find it in the Scriptures, not just the propositional truths, but those same truths being lived out in a local church.
The Thessalonian church is the NT church model of disciple making. I believe you see in exact detail how this church obeyed the Great Commission and made disciples, and my proposition for you is that we should imitate them. We should be like the Thessalonians in our efforts to make a disciple. How did they do it?
How do you make a disciple?
I. Disciple-Making must start at the right place
I. Disciple-Making must start at the right place
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace.
II. Disciple-Making must be bathed in prayer
II. Disciple-Making must be bathed in prayer
2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
III. Disciple-Making requires that we win people to Christ through the gospel
III. Disciple-Making requires that we win people to Christ through the gospel
4 For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.
Winning people to Christ through the gospel is the work of the power of God, not merely human efforts. (Gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit.) Without the power of God working through us all our efforts would be in vain.
We have been entrusted with the gospel not to please man, but to please God!
4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.
Salvation comes when we speak the words of the gospel! (So we speak)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
5 For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness.
Speak the plain message of the Bible and let the power of God work in people’s hearts.
We do not give the gospel for the glory of people, but solely for the glory of God!
1 Thessalonians 2:6 (ESV)
6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others...
(Aside): Note about our good news testimonies- we do not give testimonies about the gospel to seek glory from people, either from you or from others! All glory be to God who graciously uses us to reach people. So why do we do good news testimonies?
24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
To stir up one another to love and good works! We are commanded to do this in Scripture. It is an essential part of coming together as a body of believers. I want those of you who have not engaged in disciple-making to hear the testimonies and say, “I want to do that.” And I want those who are engaged in disciple making to continue to do it!
Sharing the gospel requires that you build redemptive relationships with people!
7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children.
8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
IV. Disciple-Making requires that we follow the example of a spiritually mature person
IV. Disciple-Making requires that we follow the example of a spiritually mature person
6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,
Imitators- mimickers
Who do we imitate? Us (Paul and his team of disciple-makers!) and of the Lord- imitate me as I imitate Christ. Who are you really imitating? Jesus- but you need to connect your life to another life for growth toward spiritual maturity.
11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.
V. Disciple-Making requires that we lead a less spiritually mature person
V. Disciple-Making requires that we lead a less spiritually mature person
7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.
Example- mark that perfectly conforms to the thing that made the indentation
This is the cool part! Who did the Thessalonians become examples to?
All the believers in Macedonia and Achaia! (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois), how is that possible? Through spiritual reproduction! They followed the great commission. They won people to Christ through the gospel, they themselves had already follow someone and grown in spiritual maturity, so that they were ready to lead that new believer in Christ and teach them to observe all that Jesus had commanded them. Look at what happened!
8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.
They worked Paul out of a job!
9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.
How do you make a disciple?
Follow One, Win One, Lead One
Our prayer is that everyone in this church would get involved in time in at least one area of the NT model! How about you?