Jesus Christ is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev 19:16). All authority has been given to Jesus in heaven and on earth (Matt 28:28). He is the Son of God who has received the nations as His inheritance and the ends of the earth as His possession (Ps 2:8). To Him “was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every tongue might serve Him” (Dan 7:14). He has received this authority and kingdom because of His death and resurrection where He “disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him” (Col 2:15). He authorized His disciples to carry on His work (Matt 28:18-20) and empowered them with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). He also made this promise: “This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matt 24:14). 

It is clear that Jesus intended the gospel (good news) to go to all the people of the world before His return (John 14:3). While Southeast Missouri is the heartland to us, it was the ends of the earth to the 1st Century disciples. We are Christians through the faithful witness of those who have gone before us. Will we carry on the work as faithfully as they have? It is incumbent upon us as a Church that we go and make disciples; declaring that Christ is Lord and imploring everyone to be reconciled to God (2 Cor 5:20). In order to make disciples we need disciple-makers. A helpful example of a disciple-maker is Ezra. Ezra was a scribe around the time of the exile (450 BC). In Ezra 7:10 we learn, “Ezra had prepared his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” 

Know: Study the Law of the Lord

Ezra believed that the Lord is God. Ezra knew the Lord and loved Him. Ezra also understood that in order to properly worship the Lord, he needed to study the Law of the Lord. He knew that the best way to know the Lord is to study what He has revealed about Himself through the Scriptures. Ezra’s determination is echoed by Paul to Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15). We need men and women who prepare their hearts to know the Lord. To be a disciple-maker, you must begin with knowing Jesus. You must have a personal relationship with Jesus. He is the foundation (1 Cor 3:11) upon which our life is built if we are to endure through life’s storms. We need pastors, teachers, fathers, mothers, etc. who will stand firm in the evil days ahead of us. Study God’s word to know Him more.

Grow: And to Do It

Ezra understood that reading about the Lord in the Scriptures is wonderful, but the point is to glorify and enjoy Him forever. Ezra did not study the Scriptures just so he could tell everyone that he knew the Scriptures. Ezra studied the Scriptures because he wanted to serve and glorify God. Unapplied knowledge is useless. Jesus told the Jews in John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” We hold the Bible in high honor because it is God’s Word to us. The Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) states this truth in this way: “The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man…It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.” We need men and women who will live out their faith. To be a disciple-maker, you need to put your faith into practice. No one respects a hypocrite; not even other hypocrites. 

Go: And to Teach It

Ezra understood that knowing God results in wanting others to know God. Ezra set his heart to study it, to do it, and teach others to follow God as well. Ezra knew the power of God to change his life and he wanted it to change others lives as well. Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ ” We need men and women who will live out their faith unapologetically. To be a disciple-maker you need to invest your time in the life of others so that they may worship and glorify God. May you say as Paul said in Acts 20: 26-27 to the Ephesian elders: “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

So: Be a Disciple-Maker

You may now be asking, “So what do I do now?” We are Christians because of the faithful witness of those who have gone before us. Will we carry on the work as faithfully as they have? What does it take to be a disciple-maker? Love. The Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) cannot be divorced from the Great Commandment (Matt 22:36-40) Do we love God? Do we love one another? If so, we should be diligent to see that Christ is worshiped everywhere by everyone. We should call others to repentance and faith in Jesus. The Morovian missionaries in the 18th Century were zealous to witness before those who had never heard the Gospel. Their rallying cry was “May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.”

If you are already discipling someone, keep going! If you are ready to disciple someone, but not currently doing so, ask God to help you identify someone. If you are unsure about how to proceed or not sure about the first step, begin by writing down the names of all your unchurched family and friends. Commit to praying for them and asking God for opportunities to share your testimony and the gospel with them. 

Hear the cry of the 24 elders of Revelation 4:11: “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.” Let us be disciple-makers. Let us give a witness to the nations that Jesus Christ is Lord and that one day “at the name of Jesus every knee will bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Phil 2:10-11).

How Disciples Grow

Jesus calls His Church to make disciples who follow Him, are being changed by Him, and are committed to His mission to seek and save the lost. This week we will learn about the Phases of a Disciple. Jim Putman helpfully summarizes the Four Stages of Discipleship in his book Real Life Discipleship: Spiritual Infants, Spiritual Children, Spiritual Young Adults, and Spiritual Parents.

The Spiritually Dead

Spiritually Dead People are Rebels.

We begin before the first stage of discipleship with the Spiritually Dead. Ephesians 2:1 says that before a person becomes a Christian, they “were dead in trespasses and sins.” Paul says that the spiritually dead live “according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2). What does that mean, Paul goes on to describe this sinful lifestyle: “we all one conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” (Eph 2:3). They are sinners in danger of eternal damnation. 

Spiritually Dead People Need Jesus

Sinners need a Savior. Those who are not saved remain in their sin. The good news is that Christ Jesus “came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). The Spiritually Dead need to be presented with the Gospel. They must repent or else they will be damned. They need people to love them, pray for them, and share the gospel with them. They need Christians who will tell them and show them how they can be saved. The Church needs evangelism to reach them. Who do you know that is Spiritually Dead?

The Spiritual Infant

Spiritual Infants are Ignorant

The first stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Infant. When someone first becomes a Christian, they are experiencing their new life with Christ for the first time. Just as a newborn is physically dependent and needs help to successfully navigate their new life, those who are recently born again are spiritually dependent and need help to successfully navigate their new life. The church of Rome (Romans) is an example of this group. Calling them ignorant is not meant as a put down, but as a description that there are many things concerning Christ they do not know yet. They need help.

Spiritual Infants need Jesus

Infants need milk. Paul spent many chapters teaching the church at Rome foundational truths of the Christian life. Peter wrote to Christians, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Spiritual Infant needs to grow in their knowledge of God and immerse himself/herself in the Bible and prayer. They need a church family and mature Christians that will help them. They need mature Christians in their life to help them grow in spiritual maturity.  

The Spiritual Child

Spiritual Children are Selfish

The second stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Child. Just as one of the defining characteristics of young children is selfishness, spiritual children are immature Christians. They are Christians, but they are more concerned with themselves than with the needs of others. They struggle to fight against their selfish desires and often give into them, resulting in bad choices and bad consequences. The Church of Corinth is an example of those who are Spiritual children.

Spiritual Children need Jesus

Children need to be connected to their greater purpose in this life. They need Jesus. They need to be taught that they are not the main character in their story. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that Christ died for us so that we would live for Him (2 Cor 5:15). God’s primary plan to bring immature Christians into maturity is to have them serve Him and serve one another. Like the spiritual infants, they need mature Christians in their life, and they also need appropriate expectations concerning other believers.

The Spiritual Young Adult

Spiritual Young Adults are Awake

The third stage of discipleship is the Spiritual Young Adult. The Spiritual Young Adult is the Christian that understands that they are saved by grace, that they are gifted by God for service, and they live for the glory of God. They know that they have selfish desires and regularly ask God to help them resist these temptations. Ken Sande mentions making wise-way choices instead of my-way choices. Timothy is an example of a Spiritual young adult. He had a desire to serve and he attached himself to Paul to grow and learn.

Spiritual Young Adults need Ministry

Young adults need opportunities to serve and be empowered to lead. Jim Putman says, “They are God-centered and others-focused but are not actively making disciples. They need to be trained to use their gifts and abilities to minister to others, provided with opportunities to serve others, and released to do ministry.”

The Spiritual Parent

Spiritual Parents need Jesus

This is the spiritual stage that every Christian should strive to be in. This is not a stage of perfection, but a stage of commitment. What separates this phase from the Young Adult phase is that they are intentionally making disciples. Paul is an example of a spiritual parent. Jim Putman wrote in his book Real Life Discipleship: “When everyone in the church understands Christ’s command and has a clear definition of a disciple, they can work together as God’s team to go and make disciples. When we understand how a disciple grows, we begin to see how we can be intentional to make disciples.” Let us grow more and more to know and love Jesus.