The Steps to Making Disciples
Matthew 28:18-20
Last week we imagined the advantage we would have if everyone in our church operated on the basis of the same mission, purpose and goals. It is important that the Church operate from a clear vision and established values that keep everyone in tune with the overall direction of the congregation. Jesus told His disciples that the most important thing that they were to be doing is: Follow Me ... Make Disciples. BE A DISCIPLE (a follower of Jesus) ... and BE A DISCIPLE-MAKER.
Summary: Follow Me ... Make Disciples.
Before you can do anything else "for" Christ, you must first become a disciple - a follower - of Christ.
The mission of "the Church," as a group of followers of Jesus, is to "make disciples of others."
DISCOVER: the command is to go - to reach out - not to stay inside the church buildings.
DELIVERANCE: conversion through evangelism.
DEVELOPMENT: training and equipping (Eph. 4:11-12).
DEPLOYMENT: moving out into mission.
Think Steps to Discipleship, Not Programs.
First step in Disciple-Making is to bring people to Christ - to EVANGELIZE.
Second step in Disciple-Making is to teach believers to obey Jesus - to EDIFY.
Third step in Disciple-Making is "to prepare God’s people to do works of service" - to EQUIP.
Fourth step in Disciple-Making is to involve people in ministry - to EMPLOY.
Discipleship Question: How do we move someone from where they are to the next step in their spiritual journey.
To focus the church on making disciples is to change the way we think about doing Church.
One Measure of Discipleship:
Participate in Corporate Worship.
Participate in Small Group.
Participation in a Ministry Team
Disciple-making is not one of the things a church does; it becomes THE ONE THING the church does.
Making Disciples Involves Creating a Church with Outsiders in Mind.
Millions of outsiders see what the church does as being irrelevant, yet most churches continue to do business as usual.
The church today is primarily characterized by insiders reaching insiders . We must ask: Who are we trying to reach?
Was Jesus talking about disciple making when he said:
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." (Mark 4-7).
Jesus told us to focus on who we’re trying to reach, not on who we’re trying to keep.
An insider mentality can paralyze our potential for reaching multitudes of outsiders.
We have to deliberately create environments that will appeal to the unchurched: INVEST AND INVITE.