Disciple Makers
Review of our Definitions
Disciple Makers reproduce in others everything they have learned as passionate and obedient followers of Jesus.
Big church is the gathering that helps to equip disciple makers through worship, teaching, and celebration, then sends them into the world.
Small churches are communities of people who provide support and training for ministry, then work together to change the world for Jesus.
Unity is members of God's family working together in a spirit of mutual respect and celebration of our differences.
Ministry is serving people and building relationships that help reconcile them to God and to one another
Witness is the work of Spirit empowered believers to boldly tell what Jesus has done and is doing in their lives and in the world.
Knowing Jesus is having a growing relationship where we hear his voice, understand his heart, experience his love, and do what he says.
Disciple Makers reproduce in others everything they have learned as passionate and obedient followers of Jesus.
Let's take a look at being disciplemakers from the Gospel of Matthew.
Note what we are called to be. Jesus, the first DiscipleMaker, said this to the men he called....
Matthew 4:18-25 (NIV)
[18] As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. [19] “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] At once they left their nets and followed him.
[21] Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, [22] and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
[23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
We are called to follow Jesus first.
And He will make us fishers of men.
Radical Nature of Following Jesus
Matthew 8:18-22 (NIV)
[18] When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. [19] Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
[20] Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
[21] Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
[22] But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
Here is another passage that sheds some light on the radical nature of our call to follow Jesus...
Matthew 10:32-42 (NIV)
[32] “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. [33] But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
[34] “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. [35] For I have come to turn
“‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
[36] a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.’*
[37] “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; [38] and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. [39] Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
[40] “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. [41] Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. [42] And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Here is some more from Jesus on the radical nature of being a follower of Jesus...
Matthew 16:21-28 (NIV)
[21] From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
[22] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
[23] Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
[24] Note Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [25] For whoever wants to save his life* will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. [26] What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? [27] For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. [28] I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
And here is one last passage that highlights the serious nature of following Jesus.
Matthew 19:16-30 (NIV)
[16] Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
[17] “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”
[18] “Which ones?” the man inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, [19] honor your father and mother,’* and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.*’”
[20] “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
[21] Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
[22] When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
[23] Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. [24] Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
[25] When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
[26] Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
[27] Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
[28] Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. [29] And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother* or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Now, let's establish something from this passage that we really need to understand. It is impossible to follow Jesus in our own strength. We need supernatural help in order to follow Jesus. He is the one who makes us disciples. Even though we have to choose to follow Him and choose to deny ourselves, it is still a work of God to make us disciples.
Disciples are chosen but must choose to yield to the one who they are following.
So, our first concern when it comes to being disciplemakers is to follow Jesus passionately and obediently.
