Discipleship

Basic Truths God wants His People to Know, Part 3


By Pastor Dan Kennedy

© February 11, 2018

www.pastorkennedy.com



Question:  How has Christianity grown from 12 ordinary people living in a 3rd world country, under Rome’s oppression; who were fishermen, a tax collector, zealot, thief (Judas), and others of unknown position or occupation, to grow into the world’s greatest religion with more than 2.2 Billion people1 (31.5% - almost 1/3rd of the world’s population2) over the span of the past 2,000 years?

1Who’s Bigger? Where Historical Figures Really Rank, by Steven Skiena and Charles Ward (published by Cambridge University Press) (http://www.whoisbigger.com)

2https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups


Answer:  Discipleship.


A Disciple is Formed through Many Diverse Events and Dynamics of life…

What is the best way to be a healthy disciple and to make healthy disciples?  


  1. •At Home


  1. •In Friendships


  1. •In Personal Communion with God through Prayer and Meditation in the Scripture


  1. •Through Adversity and Trials


  1. •During Joys, sickness and sorrows


  1. •Studying One to One Courses on Discipleship


  1. •Through Adversarial Relationships


  1. •At Group Bible Studies


  1. •In response to people who hate you and persecute you


  1. •Through Weekly meetings and Church services


  1. •At Life learning or life sharing events


  1. •In all Events and Dynamics of Life

Becoming Christ’s Disciple through Mistakes and Mercy, Meaningfulness and Mortality

Growing to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is through a wide range of many life experiences on the narrow road which leads to life.  We reach out to learn more about God and be closer to the Lord in the opportunities that present themselves to us, in being who God made us to be, in the way we learn, and in the potentials and circumstances given to us.


Discipleship is not simply a class you intellectually or emotionally succeed in achieving, or reading books on discipleship, or keeping up with traditions or friendships, or studying hard so you will know the answers to questions you might be asked, or satisfying the qualifications of a church you wish to join.  


Discipleship’s goal is following God, with all your heart, soul and mind.  Seeking The One in whom you believe and for whom you long to serve; then, sharing Him, His Truth, and His way with others.


Discipleship is a way of life you are learning to live to be pleasing to God; being the honorable person you wish to be, and having an eternal hope you share with others.


The central call of discipleship is found in the two verses that are called “the Great Commission.”


Matthew 28:18–20

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.”


The Great Commission reveals five key aspects of Christ’s instruction to make disciples:  


Matthew 28:18–20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said,

(1) “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore

(2) go and make disciples of all nations,

(3) baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and (4) teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And (5) [empowering them] surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”


1.  Accepting the Authority of Christ’s Commission

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.”


2.  Following the Intent of Christ’s Commission

“Go and make disciples of all nations”


3.  Obeying the Commitment of Christ’s Commission

“Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”


4.  Understanding God’s Expectations through Christ’s Commission

“Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”


5.  Proceeding Forward under the Empowerment of Christ’s Commission

“Surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”



Implementing the Great Commission

A key verse most disciple-making Churches and organizations refer to, in understanding the implementation of the Great Commission, is 2 Timothy 2:2, which gives a succinct formula for discipleship.


2 Timothy 2:2

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.


A.  Biblical Truth about God and the Gospel of Christ

“The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses”


B.  Entrust to Others who are Reliable


C.  Who will also be Qualified to Teach Others


Discipleship is teaching Biblical Truth to Reliable People, who find other Responsible Faithful People, to impart the Truth of God on to others.



What was the Practical Process of How Christ’s Followers Became His Disciples?



Choosing


Christ Chose Them and They Responded to Christ’s Call to Be His Disciple

– When Jesus said, “Come follow Me.”  Those Christ was calling to be His disciples got up and followed Him.  He chose them and they chose to believe in Christ and follow Him.


Jesus’ Disciples Chose to Believe Who He Said He Is


Peter’s Confession of Christ

Matthew 16:13–20  

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”

15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”


If following Christ looked too inconvenient, some folks may have balked at what they may have considered to be too great or too difficult the cost.


The Cost of Following Jesus

Matthew 8:18–22  

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.”



Hearing


Jesus tells His Disciples in the Great Commission to Go, Baptize and Teach.


We must first learn before we teach, and to learn we must hear.

There are almost 500 verses in the Old and New Testaments about Hearing, both asking God to hear our voice, and our needing to hear God’s Voice!


If we are to be Christ’s Disciples, we must Hear Christ’s Words.


The Wise and Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24–26  

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.


If we have ears to hear God’s Voice, we should listen.  We should listen when God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible, and we should read it daily.


We should give ourselves opportunity to be under the sound of the Gospel in a church and Bible Study groups that teaches God’s Word.


Christ’s Parable of the Sower sheds light on four different kinds of “hearers.”


Matthew 13:19–23

Hears, but Does Not Understand – Truth Snatched Away (v. 19)

19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.


Hears and Joyfully Receives, but Has No Root (vs. 20-21)

20 The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.


Hears, but Worries and Deceitfulness of Riches Choke it (v. 22)

22 The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful.


Hears and Understands – Abundant Crops (v. 23)

23 But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”


Christ’s Disciples Heard Christ Teach


What did Jesus Teach the Multitudes – and His Disciples as recorded in Matthew?


Matthew 5–7

Jesus taught His Followers who would be blessed by His Father in Heaven

“Blessed are…

  1. •the poor in spirit, (5:3)

  2. •those who mourn, (5:4)

  3. •the meek, (5:5)

  4. •those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, (5:6)

  5. •the merciful, (5:7)

  6. •the pure in heart, (5:8)

  7. •the peacemakers, (5:9)

  8. •those persecuted because of righteousness, (5:10-12)


Christ Taught His Followers, on a Variety of Subjects, What They Should be Like and How They Should Live


  1. •Salt and Light (5:13-16)

  2. •Christ is the Fulfillment of the Law (5:17-20)

  3. •Murder – with an angry tongue! (5:21-26)

  4. •Adultery – lustful eyes (5:27-30)


  1. •Divorce (5:31-32)


  1. •Oaths (5:33-37)

  2. •An Eye for an Eye, or the Turning the Cheek? (5:38-42)

  3. •Love for Enemies (5:43-48)

  4. •Giving to the Needy (6:1-4)

  5. •How to Pray (6:5-15)

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,

Your kingdom come, Your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.”


  1. •Forgiveness (6:12-15)


  1. •Fasting (6:16-18)

  2. •Treasures in Heaven (6:19-24)

  3. •Regarding Worry and Anxiety (6:25-34)

  4. •Judging Others (7:1-6)

  5. •Asking, Seeking, Knocking (7:7-12)

  6. •The Narrow and Wide Gates (7:13-14)

  7. •A Tree and Its Fruit (7:15-23)

  8. •The Wise and Foolish Builders (7:24-27)


Jesus not only Taught His Disciples what they should Hear and How they should Live, Jesus let them observe His Awesome Power – revealing that when He declared that “All Authority had been given to Him in Heaven and on Earth,” He wasn’t a deceiver, He was truly the Messiah, the Son of Man, and the Son of God.



Observing


The Gospel of Matthew records how Jesus Let His Disciples Observe His Divine Power, revealing His Authority.  Disciples learn by observation.


  1. •Jesus Calms the Storm (Matt. 8:23–27)

  2. •A Dead Girl Raised to Life and a Sick Woman Healed (Matt. 9:18–26)

  3. •Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute (Matt. 9:27–31)

  4. •The Demon Possessed Man Delivered (Matt. 9:32–34)

  5. •The Good News Preached, The Sick Healed, The Workers Are Few (Matt. 9:35–38)

  6. •Healing the Man with the Shriveled Hand on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:9–14)

  7. •Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand and Four Thousand (Matt. 14:13-21; 15:29–31)

  8. •The Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–13)

  9. •The Deliverance of a Boy with a Demon (Matt. 17:14–20)

  10. •Two Blind Men Receive Sight (Matt. 20:29–34)

  11. •The Triumphal Entry (Matt. 21:1–11)

  12. •Jesus Cleanses the Temple (Matt. 21:12–17)

Jesus’ Disciples Learned the Reality of Christ’s Authority through Observing Life with Jesus



Relationship


Jesus’ Disciples Grew in their Relationship with Him and with Each Other.


  1. •Jesus Empowered and Sent Out the Twelve (Matt. 10:1–42)

  2. •Jesus Confided in His Disciples that He would be Betrayed, Killed and Raised Again! (Matt. 17:22–23)

  3. •Jesus let them squabble over Who would be the Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and then taught them about a little child (Matt 18:1–6)

  4. •Jesus Spoke to the Crowds in Parables, but explained them to His Disciples

(Parables such as…)

oThe Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matt. 18:10-14)

oA Brother Who Sins Against You (Matt. 18:15-20)

oThe Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:21-35)

(There are many more throughout the Gospels)


  1. •Jesus shared His Last Supper with His Disciples

  2. •Jesus Revealed Peter’s Denial

  3. •At a most agonizing time Jesus brought His Disciples to Gethsemane for Prayer

  4. •Jesus’ Betrayal and Arrest

  5. •Jesus’ Mock Trial

  6. •Jesus is Crucified

  7. •Jesus is Buried in one of His Follower’s Tomb

  8. •Jesus Rose from the Dead and Revealed Himself to His Disciples

  9. •Jesus Spent 40 Days with His Disciples after His Resurrection

  10. •Jesus Ascended to Heaven, to His Father, while His Disciples looked on.

  11. •Jesus Sent the Holy Spirit first, to Empower His Disciples

As Jesus’ disciples entered into Christ’s Life they saw who He really was, and they gave their lives for Him.



Doing


“As you are going,” take your testimony of the Gospel of Christ with you to share with others.  We should be a conduit so that Christ’s Life-Changing Gospel will be brought to others…eventually, to all nations.


  1. •Choosing

  2. •Hearing

  3. •Observing

  4. •Relating (Relationship)

  5. •Doing


How did Christianity grow into the world’s greatest religion with more than 2.2 Billion people over the span of the past 2,000 years?


Discipleship.



The Making of a Disciple


  1. •The Gospel is Shared with a Potential Disciple

  2. •God’s Truth is enlightened by the Holy Spirit

  3. •Disciples Choose to Follow Christ

  4. •Disciples Hear

  5. •Disciples are Taught

  6. •Disciples Observe

  7. •Disciples Learn

  8. •Disciples Grow in their Relationship with God and each other

  9. •Disciples Do.  They Teach God’s Truth to Reliable Others who teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:2

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.


The Central Call of Discipleship is found in “the Great Commission:”



Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  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.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18–20