The Case For A Disciple-Making Church--Part 1

The Case For A Disciple-Making Church:

Rethinking The Way We Do Church In America

Part 1

Key Scriptures to Consider:

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

¹¹ It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹² to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³ until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. ¹⁵ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. ¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)

¹ You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

Introduction:

What is Biblical discipleship? Are we living a discipled life? Are we making the kinds of disciples who are following Jesus? These are questions that require any serious follower of Jesus Christ to carefully weigh. Living in a culture that encourages us to live as buffet Christians—taking what we like and rejecting what does not please us—we face the danger of settling for a watered-down version of authentic Christian discipleship. Like a zombie, many of us simply go through the motions of a religion we can live with, neglecting the very thing Christ has called the church to do: not to only be a disciple of His, but to make them as well.

I. The Command Is For All

Jesus promised His resources “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” to accomplish His work “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.” It is important to note here: that the Greek use of the word “make disciples,” not only means to reproduce the essence of discipleship in others, but it also means that I too must have those same elements of discipleship at work in my own life. It is impossible for me to make something (a disciple of Jesus Christ), when the very life I am seeking to reproduce does not live in me.

II. The Role Of The Church And Its Leaders

Yes, first and foremost, the role of the Church of Jesus Christ is to glorify Him. Once that fact has been established, we then see in Ephesians 4 that the role of the leaders of the church is the preparation of God’s people for works of service. Why? So that the body of Christ may be built up, mature in our faith, learning to live in an authentic community of truth-telling, becoming more and more like Jesus Christ as each one of us finds our niche in the body of Christ. This process of spiritual growth is made possible because of intentional discipleship. I believe the implication of this passage of Scripture is that as the leaders of the church lead in discipleship, others will follow and also make disciples too. “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (vs. 16)

III. Grace: The Foundation For A Fruitful Ministry Of Discipleship

Without a foundation of grace in our life, any attempt to make disciples will only be another thing we add to our "appear spiritual" list. It becomes a program, a burdensome duty, a religious exercise with no lasting value. However, if we are, as Paul suggests, “to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” then our investment in the lives of other disciples will produce generations of future disciples. Because of grace, note the progression of the chain of discipleship (in this one verse, we see four generations):

And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (vs. 2)

There was (1) Paul, (2) Timothy, (3) Reliable men who will also be qualified to teach, (4) Others

How far does your chain of discipleship go? Are you stuck on you or are you moving on into a fruitful legacy of building up disciples of Jesus Christ?

Summary:

Discipleship is not “another thing to do” as we live out our Christian life. No, it is “the thing we must do” if we are willing to live in obedience according to His Word. In a future discussion we will talk in detail of what makes a disciple of Jesus Christ a “Quality Disciple.” For now, we will list them in a logical progression. They are Grace, Worship, Bible Study, Prayer, Community (building relationships), Service, and Evangelism.

Perhaps, you would like for this prayer to become your own:

Lord Jesus, I come to You with a sincere desire to please You. I know, by reading Your Word, becoming a disciple and making a disciple is not optional. It is Your Word to me. I can rest upon Your resources (Your strength) to give me everything I need in order to fulfill my part of the Great Commission. Lord, may I be used by You as one who helps others grow up spiritually in my church. Send me strong believers who will disciple me. As I look around, lead me to those that I can mentor and disciple. Finally, may I always be reminded that there will never be lasting spiritual fruit if I do not fully engage in Your grace. For the sake of others I influence, and for my sake, may Your grace in me grant me a legacy of disciples who follow after You.