Jesus’ Method for Making Disciples

The First Baptist Church of Scott City must be committed to making disciples. We will make disciples who serve and follow Christ; not religious consumers who demand their styles and preferences be met. We will call one another to follow Jesus, be changed by Jesus, and commit to His mission to advance the kingdom (His redemptive rule and reign) of God through the Gospel. Today, we will learn about Jesus’ method for making disciples. In John 17:4, Jesus said while surrounded by His disciples: “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do.” What work? This particular work was to make disciples. Jim Putman in his book Real-Life Discipleship says that Jesus was an intentional leader who used relational environments with a process that could be replicated to make disciples. Jesus showed us the way and called us to follow.

Develop Intentional Leaders 

Jesus developed leaders who would carry on His work. Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). He taught about the arrival of the kingdom of God and gave signs in confirmation of His identity as the King of Kings. He also invested His precious time in 12 men. Why did Jesus choose these men? He chose them so that they would carry on His work after His ascension. He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until “the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). With the Spirit, they “shall receive power…you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). 

When Jesus made disciples, He made leaders who would carry on the work. Like Jesus, if we want to make disciples, we need to develop leaders. These leaders must be above reproach. How do you know if someone is above reproach? You test them. We need to develop leaders with a passion for the mission. It is the Church’s task to identify and test. It is your responsibility to listen to the Holy Spirit and respond to His calling to lead.

Cultivate a Relational Environment

Jesus chose the ideal environment in which to invest His precious time in these men. Jesus didn’t just tell these men what was true, He spent time with them showing them how these truths transform lives. Jesus didn’t just teach them; He got to know them. Jesus developed a relationship with them; even the one who would later betray Him. Jesus and His disciples ate together, worked together, traveled together, etc. Jesus said in John 17:6, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.”

When Jesus made disciples, He cultivated a relational environment of grace and truth. Our church needs these environments where we can “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thess 5:11). We need environments where we can hold one another accountable in love while remembering the difference between logs and specks (Matt 7:3-5). This includes large group and small group gatherings. Our large group gathering is the Sunday morning worship service. Our small group gatherings are Sunday School, Small Group Bible Studies, meals shared together, etc. We need to cultivate a relational environment to empower & hold accountable. Discipleship happens best in relationships. This relational environment must be based on trust, love, and respect. The key is that each person in the group can be known, held accountable, and encouraged.

Mold a Reproducible Process

Jesus chose these men, invested quality time with them, and showed them how they would carry on His work. He taught them how to pray (Luke 11). He taught them how to live a life as a disciple in the kingdom of God (Matt 5-7). He sent them out two by two to heal the sick and announce that the kingdom of God has come (Luke 10:9). Jesus taught them, showed them, and empowered them to make disciples. He empowered them with more than just a pep talk. Jesus gave them the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers us, gives gifts to us, and produces fruit in us in order to glorify God and bless others. Jesus prayed in John 17:20, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” What does a reproducible process look like? Jesus used a reproducible process that was: 1) flexible for everyone and 2) firm enough to endure. 

Commitment to Discipleship

It’s at this point in the sermon that we need to turn our attention to application. We are spending precious time each Sunday for the next few months discussing discipleship because we recognize that this is our mission. In order for us to be successful as a Church we must make sure that our focus is less on making religious consumers and more on making disciples. While we would love to grow in attendance, we would much rather grow in maturity. While we would love to increase our budget, we would much rather increase our unity. In order to be successful as a Church, we need each one of us to be committed.

• Will you commit to loving the Lord and loving one another?
• Will you commit to sharing the Gospel and your testimony?
• Will you commit to building relationships with those around you?
• Will you commit to finding someone who will mentor you? 
• Will you commit to finding someone you can mentor?
• Will you commit to using your spiritual gifts for the glory of God?
• Will you commit to helping others know and use their spiritual gifts?
• Will you commit to intentionally discipling others?

You may be thinking, “Who am I that could make a difference?” Have you ever heard of Edward Kimball? In 1854, Kimball was a Sunday School teacher in Detroit. One day he led a young man in his Sunday School class to Jesus named D.L. Moody. Moody went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in the world, sharing the gospel with 100 million people. Moody led F.B. Meyer to Jesus. Meyer led J. Wilbur Chapman to Jesus. Chapman led Billy Sunday, another prominent evangelist to Jesus who led Mordecai Ham to Jesus who was the preacher who led a young man named Billy Graham to Christ. How many of you have been greatly influenced by Billy Graham? If so, praise God for Edward Kimball. He isn’t well-known on Earth, but He is well-known in heaven. Whose life is positively impacted because of you? Let us not shrink back. Let us make disciples for the glory of God!