Making Disciples

Life’s goal and objective: To know, love and glorify God, and to be used of Him to raise up qualified laborers in
significant numbers as fast as possible to help fulfill the great commission

Day 1: You can’t take someone where you haven’t been; You can give someone something you haven’t got

He believed all the right things, but if he’d died, he wouldn’t gone to hell – when is one saved? Worldly Chn image
The demons “believe” and tremble – so what exactly must we do to be saved?

God makes known His ways and His acts (Amos 3:7) – people who are walking close with God will know where
He’s headed; those further from Him may only know His ways in general, but not what He’s doing now.

Obedience – the importance of doing exactly what God commands – the rich, young ruler: God picks something that
is hard for each of us, that requires a real choice of will – no substitute for obedience

Obedience shows love; we love Him by obeying – sort of circular; love (and obedience) is an act of will.

The Word of God will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from the Word of God

All the laws and all that is written in the prophets is summarized in two commands: 1. love God, 2. love people

Day 2: We were created for the pleasure of God and to glorify Him…How? Ps 50:23
Glorify God by bearing Fruit: 1. Of the Spirit. 2. Those who are saved John 15:16
Glorify God by believing Him (Rom 4:20) – similar to John 14:21-13

We are created to be used of Him:

Psalm 127:1 – implications for US?
1 Cor 10:12 – God both gives us the “what” to do, and the ability to do it. “He gives us the work to do and He’s the
One that does it”
1Thess 5:24 – God’s command is His enablement (also Blackaby)

God is more availability than ability. God’s just short of troupes.

We must be fit (prepared, 2 Tim 2:19-21) and equipped to be used. The Bible is the whole equipment of the man of
God (2 Tim 3:17) – importance of the Word.

We must stick with it – God’s will is that we be conformed to the Son, to be sanctified (Rom 8:29, 1 Thess 4:3)

Edgar Guest
I’d rather see a sermon that hear one any day, I’d rather one should walk with me than merely show the way
The eye is a better pupil and much quicker than the ear, fine counsel is confusing but example’s always clear
The best of all the preachers are the ones who live their creed for to see the good in action is what everybody needs
I can soon learn to do it if you let me see it done; I can watch your hands in action but your tongue too swift may run
The sermons you deliver may be very wise and true, but I’d rather get my lesson by observing what you do
For I might misunderstand you and the high advice you give, but there’s no misunderstanding how you act and how
you live

Most people today are biblically ignorant – how do we change that? How important is that?

Workers: Knowing what to do: activity is no substitute for productivity. Our work is to believe (John 6:29)
Workers: must be skilled
Workers: committed to the task – came to fight not to run
Numbers & fast – shortness of our lives & shortness of time vs number of people
There is a time element in maturity – our job is to allow Him to mature us in His way and time
Average for Chn greats was 15 years before people really entered their ministry – so why am I so slow??

No one and nothing in the world can thwart the will of God in my life

For the purpose of fulfilling the great commission: Matt 28:18-20, Mark 16:14, 15; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:19-23;
Acts 1:8
2 parts to the great commission: 1. winning men & women to Christ – which is best done thru 2. making
disciples

Day 3
Purpose of making disciples – relationship with God
It’s costly – time, misunderstanding,
Power of multiplication – 6 months ?? (=17yrs for 4billion)
Best commentary on the Word is the Word
Moses poured his life into Joshua – what was Joshua’s part (to be with him, give his own life to spend it
w/Moses), ditto w/Elisha & Elijah
Things are caught, not taught
Examples: “touched”, but worked with for how long?
What do we do with the failures?

Day 4 –
“Disciples” – little used in OT, not used in epistles; after that “brothers,” “beloved” – can be all believers…
1. converts – Rom 6:1-4: sep from sin;
2. disciples - abide in the Word; be under Christ’s authority
3. disciple makers
4. makers of disciple makers
Qualifications for disciples –
1. learner – humble (definition… “sane estimate of capabilities”), teachable, hungry – FAT
2. born again
3. loves God
4. is under Christ’s authority
5. abides in the Word – how to abide/obey:
1. take it in.
2. think it over,
3. live in out
“Take it in:” 1. Hear it 2. Read it. 3. Study it. 4. Memorize. 5. Meditating on it. 6. APPLICATION
6. loves the brethren – unity, positive action
7. bears fruit – manifestation of the Spirit & people coming to Christ – go to the harvest field to REAP, not to sow
8. willing to forsake people
9. positively identified with Christ
10. willing to forsake possessions

12:30 - The chief with white and black dogs inside - which one we tell to Sick Em

Panic-proof: 1. God is sovereign; 2. God knows what’s going on; 3. God has all power; 4. God loves us
Faith – comes with action/achievement; results in positive thinking
Meekness = strength under (self-)control; strength retained

SPECS
Sin to be dealt with
Promise to claim
Example to follow
Command to obey
Stumbling block to be avoided
 SPICED SS
Sin to be dealt with
Promise to claim
Insight about God
Command to obey
Example to follow
Difficulty to explore

Stumbling block to be avoided

Something to pray over

specssid spIcedss

Day 5 –
1. How do you select the men (women) to make into disciples?
you must be a disciple
Men who are good but not great – description of Dad
4:00 Then there are many people who have been good men but they have not been great. And I want you to
know that I thank God for these people. There the men that keep the local church running. If anything
needs done, they’re the ones who always volunteer. They’re the ones who stay until the job’s done. And
although they get no recognition and no acclaim, these type of men move quietly across the pages of the
Bible and wherever they walk, you’ll find pleasant weather and companionship. Such a man was Isaac…
Such a man was Boaz, the ancestor of King David, Joseph, the husband of Mary, Barnabus, the son of
consolation. Good men, but not great. Sometimes the people like that are not known beyond the borders of
their own church, but their presence is a benediction wherever they go. And when they die, they leave
behind them a fragrance of Christ that lingers long after the cheap celebrities of the day have been
forgotten. I believe that’s what it means in Rev 13:14 which says, And I heard a voice from heaven saying,
“Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit,
“that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” That’s the good men…

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001). Re 14:13.
Must have a fishing pond
Stage 1 – curiosity
Stage 2 – convinced
Stage 3 – committed
Qualities –
- availability – Ruth, Elisha
- heart for God
- love for people
- faithful
Ground rules –
- recruit him to Jesus & a vision of the ministry, not to org or self
- door to bail out is always open

(Book ch 5)
2. Helping men
- Every believer is in God’s program of help
- Growth is recommended
- growth is promised
- growth is commanded
- growth is a life long process
- God uses the Word, conscience, the HS, circumstances all to grow us
3. costs
- time b/c always on call
- lack of recognition – “make it your ambition to have no ambition” 1 Thess 4:11
 - being a servant
- hurt – spend and be spent for people (Paul)
- vulnerability – your feet of clay will be exposed – but that’s not what Paul really says (2 Tim 3:10-11) – to an
extent only
- tunneling while others are climbing
- seeing your weaknesses reproduced (Eli, Samuel)
- life

Day 6-7 –
1. Motivating men
Motivated by
(a) convictions
(b) Needs – real needs, felt needs, unconscious need
(c) Goals
(d) (mine) desires?
We need a motivating mindset – thought, planning, action
The right motive – value & potential of every person – always with love
Give up on s.o. vs. letting them have an out
Resigning vs. staying on
Importance of real fellowship – effect on others
Involvement – listen, probe, retreat, pray
Communicate – received, understood, accepted
Create a need in them – woman at the well
Reward & punishment – give credit to them, but share the blame yourself – punish in private, praise in public
Day 7
Empathy – getting in s.o. else’s place
Measure motivation by his progress (see below)
Hindrances – lack of concern
Lack of thinking and planning
Lack of prayer
Your own life is the most important tool in motivation
2. Teaching men
Prayer – ACTS
A - give me vs make me
C – God doesn’t hear if we treasure sin
Ministry – testimony
1. what life was before
2. how you met Him
3. what’s it been like since
Tool
Memory
Fellowship – 1 Jn 1:3 –
Power in community – Matt 18:19-20
Protection
Peer group pressure
Follow-up w/new believer / how to lead BS

3. Training men
By example
Problems – zeal out of balance
Serious becomes somber
Conscientious – legalism – method vs principle
Spiritual pride
When you get too busy – list, priority, cut off the bottom 3
More in the head than in life
How to evaluate progress? Responding to the Word?
Day 8 -
4. Building men – to produce a lifelong lifestyle
Character expresses in Word, in Action
Gifts vs working outside our areas
Wholeheartedness is a sign of character
Root of character is thought life – what we take in will shape us tomorrow
Clearing a away the debris – confrontation vs our responsibility BUT the relat is solid
Principles of rebuke –
1. balance bw love & rebuke
2. reason – rebellion, blindness
3. impression not accusation
4. w/him best interest at heart
5. from the word
Planting
1. what does he need
2. how can he get it?
3. how will I know when he’s got it?
Decisiveness
1. get the facts
2. face them
3. plan ahead
4. think thru - consequences
5. make a decision
6. do it now
What indecisiveness reveals
Pos thinking
Prep for immed action
Perseverance
Church vs para church – what is church?
Marks of men
Holy, not happy
Honor of God even if it’s loss to him
Desire carry his cross
Sees from God’s POV
See others adv at his expense
Eternal purpose/values