The Biblical

Model
 Dreaming the
Impossible Dream
 “What is it impossible to do in your
business (read church or ministry) but if it
could be done, would fundamentally
change it?” (Joel Barker, Future Edge:
Discovering the New Paradigms of
Success)

 Paradigm Shift Question: How can

people be motivated to become self-
initiating and reproducing disciples of
Jesus Christ?
Disciple-Making
Seminar Focus
Problem:
How can people be motivated to become
self initiating and reproducing disciples of
Jesus Christ?

Solution:
Follow the Biblical pattern for disciple-
making.
Personal Motivation for
Disciple-Making

Negative Experience:
Not assisted in my growth after
conversion

Positive Experience:
Discipled and given responsibility for
ministry
Reflection Exercise
Who has had the major motivating or shaping
influence on your Christian life? What was it
about them that you admired and wanted to
be like?

Have you had someone who has intentionally

guided you, like Don, into a deeper
relationship with the Lord? If so, describe that
relationship.
The Biblical Model of
Disciple-Making
Jesus called his disciples (Luke 6:12-13)

What were the strategic reasons for the

selection of the twelve in the light of…

• Why would Jesus risk the dynamics of

jealousy?
• Why not just expand the crowd?
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Internalization

Distrust of the populace

• John 2:23-25
• Palm Sunday to Good Friday

“But for the twelve, the doctrine, the works,

the image of Jesus might have perished
from human resemblance, nothing
remaining but a vague mythical tradition, of
historical value, of little practical
importance.”--A. B. Bruce
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Internalization

b. Disciples not mass produced

“This careful, painstaking education of the

disciples secured the teacher’s influence on
this world should be permanent; that His
kingdom should be founded on the rock of
deep and indestructible convictions in the
minds of a few, not on the shifting sands of
superficial impressions in the minds of the
many.” -- A. B. Bruce
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Internalization

c. Causes of Superficiality
• Diverted leaders from equipping

• Focus on programs

• Unwillingly to call people to discipleship

• People have not been discipled

Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Internalization

Characteristics of Programs:

 Content or knowledge based

 One preparing for the many

 Regimentation or synchronization

 Low Accountability
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Internalization

“Disciples cannot be massed produced.

We cannot drop people into a program
and see disciples emerge at the end of
a production line. It takes time to make
disciples. It takes individual personal
attention.” (Leroy Eims, The Lost Art of
Disciplemaking)
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Multiplication

Have Enough Vision to Think Small

A. Jesus had a heart for the multitudes

“Jesus it must be remembered,

restricted 9/10 of His ministry to 12 Jews
because it was the only way to reach all
Americans.” --Eugene Peterson
 Three Years of Ministry

“Perhaps today’s pastor should imagine that

they are going to have three more years in their
parish as pastor--and that there will be no
replacement for them when they leave. If they
acted as if this were going to happen, they
would then put the highest priority on selecting,
motivating, and training lay leaders that could
carry on the mission. The results of three
sustained years of such an approach would be
quite significant. Even revolutionary.” --George
Martin
 Reflection Exercise

If you were to advise your

pastor and/or staff how to
prioritize the next three years
of their ministry, what would
you tell them?
Reasons for Focus
on a Few: Multiplication
B. Jesus Gave His Ministry
to His Disciples

• His ministry became their ministry

• Leadership base expanded

• “Jesus concern was not with programs to

reach the multitudes but with men the
multitudes would follow.” (Robert Coleman)
 Jesus’ Manner of
Making Disciples

• How did Jesus train the disciples?

• What was His curriculum?

• What was the nature of the school in which

the disciples enrolled?

…life on life
 The Challenge
of the Twelve
Lack of credibility because of social status
“They were poor men of humble birth, low
station and mean occupations, who never
felt the stimulating influence of a liberal
education or the social intercourse with
persons of cultivated minds.”--Bruce
Came with the prejudices of the day
“They were exceedingly ignorant, narrow-
minded, superstitious, full of Jewish
prejudices, misconceptions and animosities.”
The Difference
Jesus Made
“Now when they saw the boldness of
Peter and John, and perceived that
they were uneducated, common
men, they wondered, and they
recognized that they had been with
Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)
Rabbinical Model

• The rabbis were considered the living

Torah

• Became like his teacher (Luke 6:40)

• Modeling is the most important factor in

education
Four Generations
II Timothy 2:2

Paul Timothy

Faithful ones Teach others

 The Conclusion

“Jesus plan has not been

disavowed; it has been
ignored.”--Coleman
 Reflection Exercise

• What does Jesus’ model of forming

disciples teach us about how disciples are
made?

• How does this differ from the common

church practices?
 Companion book to
Discipleship Essentials
 Dramatizes the need and
causes of the low state of
discipleship
 Lays out Jesus’ and Paul’s
strategy of disciplemaking
 Lays the foundation for
effective disciple-making
strategy in your ministry