A. IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR THE DISCIPLE MAKER
1. Who are you going to be?
A “celebrity-leader” often will
This is wrong because it goes against the Bible pattern of “Making Disciples.”
WE DO NOT WORK FOR GOD WE WORK WITH GOD – AND THE WORK WE DO WE DO IT HIS WAY.
Decision #1 – Are you going to be a “celebrity-leader” or are you going to be an obedient leader who is committed to making disciples God’s way?
A KINGDOM LEADER HAS NO TERRITORY TO DEFEND OR POSSESS.
“For the equipping of the saints, for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” —Ephesians 4:12
Ephesians 4:12 is one of the most
Remember: The primary purpose of every church leader is to
2. The motive for making disciples should always be
“By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” —John 13:35
We need to have both love for God and a strong desire for His
Jesus restores Peter and tells him –
Feed my sheep/ tend my sheep/ feed my lambs. —John 21:15-17
A discipler should have love for God’s
What do the words “fruit” and “fruitfully” mean?
“Go and bear fruit that will remain.” —John 15:8, 16
There is an
The church buildings or the number of people who attend our churches are not eternal – buildings and numbers can change at any time.
Very simply, the word “fruit” is defined in the Scriptures as the
Decision #2 – Do you love your people enough to help and encourage them to be transformed into the image of Jesus?
3. Making disciples should be
Too often we trust a program, but miss the life-transforming dynamic that is needed to make an authentic disciple of Jesus – and that is
Remember: All ministry flows from relationship.
Too many of us mistakenly think that discipleship is just transmitting
*Decision #3 *– Are you willing to be in relationship with the people you disciple – because relationship is the
“For God so loved the world that He gave…” —John 3:16 –
4. Multiplication for the Harvest (not uniformity or cloning)
We may think our disciples should look like us. But remember, we do not make disciples for us, we make disciples for Jesus!
The people you disciple may have different gifts than you, and different personalities. That is okay, because they are not supposed to become like us. Our goal is to recognize God’s gifts, God’s calling, God’s best for their lives, then encourage and teach them to function in their gifts, and release them into ministry.
To disciple others, we must focus on three steps:
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•
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We do not disciple people to
Decision #4 – The people we disciple should become more and more like Jesus.
“A disciple is not above His teacher (Jesus), but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like His teacher (Jesus).” —Luke 6:40
Remember: We make disciples for Jesus.
5. The primary
It is necessary that we WALK with our disciples in relationship.
How much do we love and care about people? Or do we care more about just the work of our ministry?
Decision #5 – We must love and care about the people God gives us to shepherd – more than we care about the work.
Ministry requires two things:
1) Loving and obeying
2) Loving
Discipleship does not mean just giving INFORMATION. Discipleship means to IMPART, which leads to TRANSFORMATION.
6. Are you still a disciple in
Many leaders who have been in ministry for a long time stop being
BUT DISCIPLESHIP IS A
PROCESS
Paul spent his ministry lifetime being a disciple –
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 3:12-14
We can only lead people where we are going. If we stop learning and pressing forward in God’s call, we cannot lead people further.
Decision #6 – Will you continue to be a disciple in process, always learning and growing in your walk with the Lord?
7. Modeling is the primary teacher in the discipleship process.
“Do what I say, not what I do” is not a good model.
Jesus said this about the Pharisees –
“Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.” —Matthew 23:1-5; 15
The principle of modeling –
“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.” —Hebrews 13:7
Other scriptures regarding the modeling of Christ-like behavior –
John 13:15; 1 Cor 4:15-16, 11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Tim 4:12; Titus 2:1, 7-8;
2 Tim 3:10-11; Heb 6:12; 1 Pet 2:21; 3 John 11; 2 Thess 3:6-9
Decision #7 – We must give our efforts to becoming more Christ-like, which is what we also want others to be.
Are we to be