Day 9 Living As Disciple Makers

The Great Commission and the Church

So what comes to your mind when you think about Jesusʼ command to make disciples of all nations? Many read these words as if they were meant to inspire pastors or missionaries on their way out to the mission field. But have you ever considered that maybe Jesusʼ command is meant for you?

As we read the rest of the New Testament, we see Godʼs people working together in obedience to Jesusʼ command. They reached out to the people around them, calling them to obediently follow Jesus. The disciples went about making disciples, teaching them to obey

everything that Jesus had commanded and baptizing them. Some of them even moved to different areas or traveled around so that they could tell more people. They took Jesusʼ words seriously—and literally.

Reading through the New Testament, itʼs not surprising to read that Jesusʼ followers were focused on making disciples—it makes sense in light of Jesusʼ ministry and the Great Commission. The surprise comes when we look at our churches today in light of Jesusʼ command

to make disciples.  Why is it that we see so little disciple making taking place in the church today? Do we really believe that Jesus told His early followers to make disciples but wants the 21st century church to do something different? None of us would claim to believe this, but somehow we have created a church culture where the paid ministers do the “ministry,” and the rest of us show up, put some money in the plate, and leave feeling inspired or “fed.” We have moved so far away

from Jesusʼ command that many Christians donʼt have a frame of reference for what disciple making looks like.

2. Compare your church experience with Jesusʼcommand to make disciples. Would you say that your church is characterized by disciple making? Why or why not?

Day 8 Living As Disciple Makers

Part I: Living as a Disciple-Maker

Session 2: The Command to Make Disciples

Imagine your reaction if someone came back from the dead to speak to you. Seriously, try to imagine that right now. What would you feel? How intensely would you listen? How seriously would you take his words?

Think about what this must have been like for the disciples. They were working their everyday jobs when a mysterious teacher asked them to follow Him. As they followed, they saw him challenge religious leaders, embrace sinners, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. They knew that He was not an ordinary man. At various times and to varying degrees, people saw Him as the Messiah who would bring salvation for Godʼs people. But He never quite fit anyoneʼs expectations of what the Messiah would do or say.  

The disciples walked beside Jesus through all of this. They watched as the blind were given sight. They heard Jesus forgive the hopelessly unrighteous and restore the lives of the broken. They helped pass out bread and fish as Jesus miraculously fed huge crowds. The disciples seem to have been more aware of Jesusʼ true identity at some points than at others, but they followed Him until the end, believing that He was the one who would restore the fortunes of Godʼs people.

And then He died. Just like that. It was over. It seemed that Jesus could do absolutely anything, that He had power over sickness, death, every person, and every thing. By this power, Jesus was bringing the healing and redemption that the world so desperately needed. But the

disciplesʼ hopes of a better world died as Jesus was nailed to a Roman cross.  

And so the disciples spent three days in confusion and disillusionment. Everything they had hoped for was gone. Perhaps they had wasted their time following this mysterious person for three years.  

Then it happened. He came back from the dead! When Jesus re-appeared on the third day, all of their hope came rushing back! Now there could be no doubt! Now that Jesus had conquered even sin and death, He would certainly bring about the full redemption that everyone was hoping for. There could be no stopping Him.

Once again, He surprised everyone. Instead of telling them that He would immediately transform the earth, Jesus gave His disciples one final command and ascended into heaven. Just like that; out of nowhere. What was the command? Essentially, He told them it was their job to finish what He started. They were to take the message of repentance, reconciliation, and redemption that Jesus had preached in and around Jerusalem and spread it to the very ends of the earth:

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. (Matthew 28:18-20)

1. Stop for a minute and read Matthew 28. Try to place yourself in the disciplesʼ shoes as they witnessed these things and heard these words from Jesus. How do you think you would have reacted?

Day 6 & 7 OFF

Enjoy Worshiping this weekend and take a Sabbath!   REST in the LORD

Day 5 Multiply

Count the Cost

As you work your way through this material, you will be challenged to grow in your relationship with God. You will think through what the Bible teaches and its implications for the way you live your life today. Everything you study will be for the purpose of applying it to your life and teaching other people to do the same. But before you set out to teach other people to be disciples of Jesus, you need to examine your heart and make sure you are committed. 

Read the following words from Jesus slowly and carefully. Understand that Jesus is speaking these words to you. Think about what Jesus is saying and how it should affect the way you approach this material and your relationship with Him. After you have read this section, use the questions below to help you count the cost of following Jesus.  

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ʻThis man began to build and was not able to finish.ʼ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33)

4. If you choose to accept Jesusʼ call to follow, what might it cost you? (Avoid being vague. If following Jesus would cost you specific possessions, comforts, or relationships, list them below.)

5. What might hold you back from following Jesus at this point? Are you willing to let go of these things if necessary?

6. Before you end this session, spend some time in prayer. Ask God to work in your heart and prepare you for what is ahead. You donʼt need to have all the answers or know specifically how God will use you. He simply calls you to follow wherever He might lead. As you pray, be honest about your doubts, hesitations, and fears. Ask Him to give you the strength to proceed and follow

Him no matter what the cost.

Day 4 Multiply

It All Comes Down to Love

But donʼt get the impression that following Jesus is all about joyless sacrifice. More than anything else, following Jesus boils down to two commands, which He said were the most important commandments in the Old Testament Law:  

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 22:37-40)  

It all comes down to love. Peter expressed it well for people like us, who didnʼt see Jesus on earth but follow Him nonetheless: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Pet. 1:8).  

Following Jesus is not about diligently keeping a set of rules or conjuring up the moral fortitude to lead good lives. No, itʼs about loving God.

But lest we think that we can love God and live any way we want to, Jesus tells us very clearly, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The love for God in the first commandment is made intensely practical in the love for our neighbors in the second

commandment. John actually tells us that if we donʼt love the people that we can see around us, then we donʼt love God, whom we canʼt see (1 John 4:20).  

True love is all about sacrifice for the sake of the beloved: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:16). When we understand love in this light, itʼs not difficult to understand that love for God and faithful obedience to Jesus Christ cannot be separated. Godʼs love changes us from the inside out and redefines every aspect of our lives.

4. As you look at your life, how would you say that your love for God manifests itself in your

actions? (If youʼre having trouble coming up with an answer, take some time to think through

some changes you may need to make in your lifestyle.)

Day 3 Multiply

The Lord of Grace

Salvation is all about the grace of God. There is absolutely nothing that you can do to save yourself or earn Godʼs favor. Paul says, “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). All boasting is excluded because our works are irrelevant. Salvation comes through the grace of God as we place our faith in Jesus Christ. If you want to follow Jesus, you only need to accept His call. All it requires is faith: Do you believe that Jesus is who He says He is?

But keep in mind that while this is simple, itʼs not easy. Faith in Jesus Christ means believing that He is Lord (according to Rom. 10:9). Have you ever thought about what that word “Lord” means? We sometimes think of it as another name for God, but itʼs actually a title. It refers

to a master, owner, or a person who is in a position of authority. So take a minute to think this through: Do you really believe that Jesus is your master? Do you believe that He is your owner—that you actually belong to Him?

Paul is so bold as to tell us: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). The same Lord who by His grace set us free from sin and death now owns us. We belong to Him, and He calls us to live our lives in obedience to His rule.

The problem is, many in the church want to “confess that Jesus is Lord,” yet they donʼt believe that He is their master. I hope you see the contradiction in this. The call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is open to everyone, but we donʼt get to write our own job description. If Jesus is

Lord, then He sets the agenda. In a very important sense, your dreams for your life are irrelevant.  If Jesus Christ is Lord, then your life belongs to Him. He has a plan, agenda, and calling for you. You donʼt get to tell Him what youʼll be doing today or for the rest of your life.

3. Evaluate your approach to following Jesus. Would you say that you view Jesus as your Lord,

Master, and Owner? Why or why not?

Day 2 Multiply

How Do I Become a Disciple?

To understand how to become a disciple of Jesus Christ, it makes most sense to start where Jesus started. While it is true that He said to the disciples, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19), the Bible records one message He proclaimed before that. In Matthew 4:17, He says, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

This phrase is not difficult to understand if you take it literally. If someone warned you to be prepared because a king and his army were coming, what would you do? You would make sure you were ready to face them. If you werenʼt prepared to fight this king, then you would do whatever it took to make peace with him.

The word "repent" means “to turn.” It has the idea of changing directions and heading the opposite way. So in this context, Jesus was telling people to prepare themselves—to change whatever needed to be changed—because God's kingdom (the kingdom of heaven) was approaching.

So how do we prepare to face this heavenly kingdom? How do we make sure we are at peace with this coming King?  Jesus says we need to repent. This implies that everyone needs to turn from the way they are currently living. Romans 3:23 explains that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We have all done things that are offensive to this King. Romans later explains that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23). Because of our sin, which is an offense to God, we should expect death. But then comes an amazing truth.

"But God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom.5:8). The death penalty we should have faced from this King was actually paid for by someone else. The King's Son, Jesus Christ!

The Scriptures then say, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9). We are saved by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, who He is, and what He has done. Part of our repentance is to turn from believing that there's anything we can do to save ourselves— everything was accomplished by Jesus Christ.

The thought that someone else has paid for our crimes is strange to most of us because it defies our natural way of thinking. And the idea that we need to trust in another personʼs sacrifice on our behalf is even more foreign to us. But understand that while it is strange to us, it is consistent with God's actions throughout the Scriptures.

We get a picture of this when we read the book of Exodus. In this story, Moses warns Pharaoh repeatedly about what God will do if he does not repent. It climaxes when God says He will bring death to the firstborn of every household if they do not repent. Meanwhile, He tells His people that if they put the blood of a lamb over their doorposts, His angel will pass over their homes and not kill the firstborn of that house. So even in the story of the exodus, we see that people had to trust in the blood of a lamb to save them—this was the only way they could be saved.

2. Read Ephesians 2 carefully and take some time to consider the truths it presents. Do you trust in the death of Christ for your salvation? Or do you struggle with believing you need to do something to save yourself?