Discipleship // Week 1 - “How Disciples are Made”

How Disciples are Made – Sermon Notes

Discipleship and Evangelism – Many misunderstand the difference. No matter what age we come to Christ, we are to become like a child, becoming a student, a learner of the Word of God to become a disciple.

1 Peter 2:2-3 (NIV) - Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Do you remember being a baby and drinking from the bottle? Of course we don’t. Peter is saying to crave pure milk as we once did. We need that milk OFTEN in order to quench that craving, to fill our heart and mind with that spiritual milk, and to grow as a child – a disciple – of Christ.

Newborns in their first year of life do not see themselves distinct from their mother. They have no separate identity apart from their mother. Was that us when we came to Christ? Did we find ourselves no longer distinct from our Heavenly Father? Was our identity intrinsically linked to Him? Were we completely dependent on Him, united with Him through Jesus?

In our Scripture verse, the last phrase states: now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. When we KNOW the Father and His Son in this way we are experiencing Him in all WHO He is…or as the Scripture states it, tasting that the Lord is good.

The world says that being child-like is offensive, its unnatural. What that really means is that the world sees itself as god (little g) and insists that they are god because of their intelligence and wisdom.

You must put away childishness and feast on more than milk, as Paul said, (which we will learn more about through this sermon series) but never set aside your childlikeness, because you are remade – being born again – in the likeness of your Father.

1. The first thing we must be is

Reveal Answer

. Our course of study, our discipline, is the BIBLE. But just to read Scripture is not enough. We must be guided by those who have placed considerable prayer, time and energy in understanding the Scripture. Authentic Christianity: Ray Stedman.org; andrewfarley.org; jackcottrell.com.

2. The second thing we must be is

Reveal Answer

. Just as a newborn is dependent on his/her mother for sustenance, safety and their growth for life, we must be dependent on the Father for our upbringing, our maturing process in our life in Christ. Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NIV) states: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean NOT on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him (dependent) and He will direct your paths.

3. A third element to becoming a disciple is being a

Reveal Answer

. What is the purpose of having studied the Word of God and being dependent on Him for directing your life if you’re not willing to do anything with the study you’ve done and submitting to His will? Jesus said in Matthew 20:28 (NIV): …and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Our job as a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent is to bring our family to know Christ and bringing them to a relationship with Christ. That is evangelism but it must start with discipleship.