Making Disciples
By: Pastors Rodney & Adonica Howard-BrownePublish date: 05/06/2018
Foundation Scriptures:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:18-20 KJV
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:15-20 KJV
1. Make Disciples.
a. Part of the Christian life is to make disciples.
b. We do it because Jesus told us to.
c. It is important for us to attend church and receive.
d. But it is also important for us to minister and sow into the lives of others.
e. Making disciples is not just a function of the five-fold ministry, but also of every believer.
f. “These signs shall follow them that believe…”
g. Matthew 10:8 KJV – “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
2. Continue in My Word.
a. John 8:31-32 KJV – “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
b. A disciple is one who believes God’s Word.
c. And who lives in accordance with His Word.
d. And who walks in revelation knowledge of the Truth.
3. Love One Another.
a. John 13:35 KJV – “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
b. The hallmark of a true disciple is the love of God they live in and walk in.
c. John 15:9 KJV – “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”
d. Hebrews 10:24-25 AMPC – “And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to love and helpful deeds and noble activities, 25 Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.”
4. Fruit Producers.
a. John 15:5-10 KJV – “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
b. He is the vine, we are the branches.
c. A disciple is one who is connected into the Vine – Jesus.
d. Without Him, we can do nothing.
e. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you…”
f. The word “abide” means: to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy).
g. It means: continue; dwell: endure: be present: remain.
h. We need to live in God’s Word, remain in it and continue in it.
i. A disciple is one who keeps God’s commandments and walks in God’s love, as a way of life.
j. A disciple is a fruit-producer.
k. Mark 4:20 KJV – “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”
l. Colossians 1:10 KJV – “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
m. When you produce much fruit, you bring glory to the Father and prove yourself to be a disciple of Jesus.