Discipleship - The Lord's Work, The Lord's Way
June 28, 2015
Passage: Matthew 28:18–20
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The church's original mission is to transform the heart through the work of the Spirit to become more like Christ. But how? Matt 28:18-20 helps us see how God intends for us to accomplish His work.
The Authority (v.18)
- Jesus declares that He has all authority.
- We can go out confident, because He is in control. What do we fear?
The Activity (v.19)
- The call is to go and make disciples, baptizing them, and teaching them. Note all the action verbs!
- What are we doing?
The Ability (v.20)
- He ends off with a repetition of this assurance that the Spirit will be with us always
Methods of discipleship
- Some resources include Purpose Driven Church (by Rick Warren), Complete Book of Discipleship (by Bill Hull), Masterplan of Evangelism (by Robert Coleman), Training of the Twelve (by A.B. Bruce)
- Common stages:
1. Evangelism: Come and see (Jn 1:39)
2. Equip: Come and be with me (Lk 6:13)
3. Empower: Remain in me (Jn 15:4-7)
4. Environment: A community of grace and accountability (Jn 13:34-35), where people speak truth in love (Eph 4:15, 25), are forgiving and forbearance (Col 3:13). This community also teaches and admonishes (Col 16) and confesses sins (Jas 5:16).
How does this impact you and others
- Be discipled: initiate, dedicate, participate, execute
- Disciple others: invite, impart, demonstrate, delegate